Built by: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Design: Government
Keel laid: 27 October 1936
Launched: 15 March 1938
Sponsor: Mrs. S.C. Freeman
Commissioned: 25 June 1938
First Skipper: LCDR Arthur D. Barnes

USS STURGEON was one of the four submarines escorting the submarine tender USS HOLLAND from Pearl Harbor to Manila in the Philippines. They nearly tangled with a Japanese ship, but the unidentified ship broke off and departed the scene. Later, on 27 November 1941, Admiral Hart (Cominch/Asiatic) received the following telegram from the Chief of Naval Operations:

“This dispatch is to be considered a war warning. Negotiations with Japan looking toward stabilization of conditions in the Pacific have ceased and an aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days. The number and equipment of Japanese troops and the organization of naval task forces indicate an amphibious expedition either against the Philippines, Thai or Kra Peninsula, or possibly Borneo. Execute an appropriate defensive deployment.”

USS STURGEON was one of SubDiv 2 of the Asiatic Fleet, and her Skipper at the beginning of the American involvement in World War II was LCDR William L. Wright. The tenders had been working almost around the clock to get the boats ready for the battles they knew were coming. On that day, the message:

“From Commander Asiatic Fleet…..to Asiatic Fleet…..Urgent…..Japan has commenced hostilities………..…..Govern yourselves accordingly”

USS STURGEON was dispatched to an area between the Pescadores and the port of Takao (Formosa). Her duty would be to sink or destroy enemy shipping wherever encountered. The war in the Pacific had begun. On the night of 21 December, USS STURGEON spotted a fat Japanese freighter and delivered a surfaced torpedo attack. Four torpedoes fired – four misses. Not a good beginning.

Some of the men of USS STURGEON had interesting nicknames. Her Skipper, William L. Wright, was called “Bull” because he was somewhat of a ‘story teller’. When the Skipper was impressing his men with the critical need for maintaining a sharp watch because they were all responsible for a six million dollar submarine and everything in it, to which the Mess Boy replied “And me too!” so he was forever after known as ‘Me Too’.

On 22 January 1942, ‘STURGEON that needed no urgin” spotted a Japanese convoy and one of the ships appeared to be a 10,000 ton tanker – and Wright wanted it. As the target grew closer in the hazy night, lookouts weren’t sure if it was a tanker or possibly a cruiser or carrier. They fired four torpedoes and pulled the plug and as they clawed for the depths, they heard two thunderous detonations. There was no confirmation, but the dispatch said:

“STURGEON No Longer Virgin!”

STURGEON was also one of the first American submarines to conduct a sound attack from deep submergence. They attacked a transport when they were at 100 feet and believed they sank it – no confirmation. She was also one of the first American submarines to make night-periscope attacks and Wright more or less wrote the outline for mounting this type of attack.

On 20 February, the submarine tender USS HOLLAND in company with the destroyer tender USS BLACK HAWK, departed Tjilatjap bound for Australia. They were escorted by two American submarines, USS STINGRAY and USS STURGEON.

In the summer of 1942, ‘Bull’ Wright and STURGEON were off Lingayen Gulf in the South China Sea and they spotted the 7,267 ton MONTEVIDEO MARU and on 1 July, sent her down.

On 1 October, on her fifth war patrol, now under command of LCDR H. A. Pieczentkowski, STURGEON found and sank the 8,000 ton Japanese aircraft ferry KATSURAGI MARU. When this ship went down with her cargo of aircraft, there were many Japanese pilots wondering where their replacement planes were.

In January, STURGEON (now under LCDR Murphy) sank two ships (ERIE MARU and CHOSEN MARU) right off the Honshu coast. The War in the Pacific was definitely coming to Japanese home waters.

Excerpt

Here is an excerpt from the logbook of USS STURGEON, sent to us by J. DAN LOPP (1822-+-1991). STURGEON was still off Lingayen Gulf in the South China Sea off Luzon on 1 July 1942 when she fired four torpedoes into the MONTEVIDEO MARU after an all night chase. The ship went down within ten minutes.

30 June 1942

Patrolling northwest of Bejeader as before. Dove at dawn, surfaced at dusk. At 2216 sighted a darkened ship to southward. At first, due to bearing on which sighted, believed him to be on northerly course, but after a few minutes observation it was evident he was on a westerly course, and going at high speed. He quite evidentially had stood out of Bebuyan Channel, headed for Maiman. We put on all engines and worked up to full power, proceeding to westward in attempt to get ahead of him. For an hour and a half we couldn’t make a nickel. This fellow was really going, making at least 17 knots, and probably a bit more, as he appeared to be zig-zagging. At this time it looked a bit hopeless, but determined to hang on in hopes he would slow or change course toward us. His range at this time was estimated at around 18,000 yards. Sure enough, about midnight he slowed to about 12 knots. After that it was okay.

1 July 1942

Proceeding to intercept target as before. Altered course to gain position ahead of him, and dove at 0144. When he got in periscope range, it could be seen that he was larger than first believed, also that his course was a little bit to the left of west, leaving us some 5,000 yards off the track. Was able to close some 1,000 yards of this and then turned to fire stern tubes as;

Only three tubes available forward, and at this range and with large target 4 fish spread desirable.
After tubes had 700 # heads, while heads forward were smaller.

At 0225 fired four-torpedo spread, range 4,000 yards, from after tubes. At 0229 heard and observed explosion about 75-100 feet abaft the stack. At 0240 observed ship sink stern first. 0250 surfaced, proceeded to eastward, completing battery charge. Ship believed to be RIO DE JANERUO MARU, or very similar type, although it is possible it was a larger ship; he was a big one. A few lights were observed on deck just after the explosion, but there was apparently was no power available, and his bow was well up in the air in six minutes. Dove at dawn. No further contacts.

Again the advantage of a straight shot was demonstrated. I can honestly say that, even at the long range at which these torpedoes were fired, everyone felt perfectly confident, at the instant of firing, that we would hit. In fact, immediately after firing, I turned with full rudder in order to bring the bow tubes to bear in case of a miss. The T.D.C. operator (Lt. Nimitz, Jr.) remarked as the torpedoes were still running, “We won’t have to use any more. One of these will get him.”

It was also noted that at least some of the torpedoes that miss explode as they sink. Two were heard about 6 minutes after firing. It would seem that explosion occurs, however, before torpedo reaches the bottom, as water was very deep. It may occur as head crushes. Torpedoes were heard running by Sound Operator.

There appears to be some questions regarding the sinking of the MONTEVIDEO MARU as it was apparently carrying prisoners. Some submarine veterans and some relatives of men supposed to be aboard this ship have questions. Here is a quote from a letter:

“To this day, many relatives are still not satisfied with what they were told, or not told then. As regards the loss of men, 1,030 plus on a Japanese POW ship MONTEVIDEO MARU, the Australian authorities of 1945-1946 seemed content to accept some ‘shipping lists’, in Japanese writing, as evidence. It stated ‘NO PRISONERS SURVIVED THE SINKING.’ Were there in fact, any POW and/or internees, in fact on board this POW ship at the time of the sinking. It is possible that USS STURGEON crew have been unjustly blamed. Did, in fact, an American submarine sink the ‘MM’ or was she self-destructed, taking to the bottom all POW’s, locked down in hatches – propaganda – to cause USA/Australian division. Is there hidden in USA Navy records of this affair any indication at all suggesting many bodies, hundreds of bodies, were seen struggling in the water but STURGEON made no effort to save even one chap.”

DAN LOPP was part of the crew of USS STURGEON and he wrote that he and his shipmates had never heard of any prisoners until a story in their magazine, POLARIS. He always wondered what was the cargo aboard MONTEVIDEO MARU.

War Patrols of USS STURGEON
WP #	FROM	TO	DURATION	SINKINGS
1	CV N Luzon	CV	16 days	None
2	CV Borneo	SJ	47 days	See note A
3	FA Makassar	FA	53 days	See note A
4	FA Luzon	FA	47 days	See note B
5	FA Solomons	BA	51 days	See note C
6	BA Truk	PH	36 days	None
7	PH Empire	MI	51 days	None
8	MI Empire	PH	55 days	None
9	PH Empire	PH	55 days	See note D
10	PH Bonins	MI	53 days	See note E
11	MI Empire	PH	56 days	See note F

A – on 3rd patrol, sank 842 ton transport CHOKO MARU
B – on 4th patrol, sank 7,266 ton transport MONTEVIDEO MARU
C – on 5th patrol, sank 8,033 aircraft ferry KATSURAGI MARU
D – on 9th patrol, sank 5,493 ton freighter ERIE MARU, and 3,110 ton freighter CHOSEN MARU
E – on 10th patrol, sank 1,904 ton transport SEIRYU MARU
F – on 11th patrol, sank 7,089 ton freighter TOYAMA MARU, and 6,862 ton transport TAIREN MARU

Commanding officers were:
W. L. Wright (patrols #1, 2, 3 and 4)
H. A. Pieczentkowski (patrols #5, 6 and 7)
C. L. Murphy (patrols #8, 9, 10 and 11)

USS STURGEON was awarded 10 Battle Stars in World War II.

USS STURGEON was:
Used for training after her 11th patrol;
Decommissioned 15 November 1945
Stricken from the Navy List 30 April 1948
Sold to Interstate Metals (New York) for scrap on 12 June 1948