In Japanese, this means Bang and Sink or in other words, to torpedo a ship. We offer the videotape of GOCHIN, which covers one war patrol of the I.J.N. I-10 and it is a very interesting tape, showing the crew loading supplies, showing life aboard a submarine and of course, showing some sinkings. Recently, YOYA KAWAMURA (1739-LIFE-1991) sent us a disc with many of the old Japanese Navy songs from World War II and among them is the ‘Song of GOCHIN!’. The tune is quite catchy; the words are:

The bunches of green bananas that we loaded with our
dear, dear torpedoes have now turned yellow and ripe.
This is an all male household, and it’s pretty easygoing.
Our beards grow and grow - out of laziness.

We hold our course steadily westward, riding wave after wave.
We continue alert watch, in spite of vicious sprays.
Whenever will we meet our first prey?
Another day ends. We flew our muscles.

GOCHIN! GOCHIN! This is the moment of triumph.
The weariness that has accumulated is instantly gone.
With my tears of joy the periscope lens is blurred.
The setting sun on the Indian Ocean is blurred.

As we watch the rising sun and the Southern Cross,
we yearn after our base rich with green foliages.
There our friends expect us with smiling faces.
There letters from home await us.

If we did not tell you that this song was from the I.J.N. submarines, could anyone possibly tell which submarine navy this came from? No, probably not. The sentiments expressed in this song pretty well are the same from one submarine navy to another - young men in a difficult life, all wanting a safe return to base, to friends and family.

Many thanks to YOYA for this disc. Members may buy the videotape GOCHIN! from SHARKHUNTERS at only $30 (plus that ever-present $5 shipping). It is a very interesting tape, and the ‘Song of GOCHIN!’ is sung on this tape.