Action of 13 November 1943

Action of 13 November 1943
Part ofWorld War II,Pacific War
Submarine HMS Taurus underway
Date 13 November 1943 Location offPenang,Malaysia,Indian Ocean 5.2833°N 100.0833°E/5.2833; 100.0833 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Mervyn Wingfield	Irie Tatsushi
Strength
SubmarineTaurus	SubmarineI-34
Casualties and losses
None	I-34sunk 84 killed

Theaction of 13 November 1943was a submarine engagement of World War II. It resulted in the sinking of theJapanese Navy'sKaidai Junsen Type B1 submarineI-34in theStrait of Malaccaby the BritishRoyal NavysubmarineHMSTaurus.I-34was on aYanagiMission,an underwater convoy secretly shipping goods between Japan and their German allies.

Background

The Japanese submarineI-34under commander Irie Tatsushi, departedKureon the first leg of a "Yanagi" mission to Nazi-occupied France. At the time she was the third Japanese submarine to undertake such a mission. Code-breakers atHut 7inBletchley Parkdeciphered radio traffic transmitted in diplomatic code concerningI-34'smission between Tokyo and Berlin. The message was then relayed to the submarineTaurus(Lieutenant-CommanderMervyn Wingfield) operating from a base in Ceylon.

On the morning of 11 NovemberI-34departedSeletarforPenang.Before the submarine would have entered the South Atlantic, the Germans had planned to refuelI-34in the Indian Ocean from a supply ship.I-34was carrying a cargo of tin, tungsten, raw rubber and opium.

Action

On the morning of 13 November 1943, 30 mi (48 km) off Penang the officer of the watch onTaurussighted the large submarineI-34running on the surface at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) despite a rain squall. Wingfield fired a spread of six torpedoes, one of which hitI-34'sstarboard side just below her conning tower; she sank rapidly, along with 84 of her crew.Only fourteen survivors managed to escape the wreck and were rescued by a Malay junk.

The following morning, a Japanese submarine chaserCH-20from Penang attackedTaurus.Due to the shallow water in the region, when Wingfield tried to evade the attack by diving,Taurus'bow became stuck in the soft, muddy seabed. Fortunately, the explosions from a pattern of depth charges dropped overTaurusshook her free. Wingfield went to periscope depth, surfaced and engaged CH-20 with his deck gun, severely damaging the subchaser. Thirteen members of the crew were killed, including the captain and another seventeen wounded but before any further action could follow, a Japanese aircraft came into view and forced Wingfield into an emergency dive, which endangered the submarine, which had taken on almost a ton of water.Taurusescaped with only minor damage and managed to make it back to her base at Ceylon.

Following the loss ofI-34the Imperial Japanese Navy diverted all Europe-bound submarines from Penang.I-34was the first Japanese submarine to be sunk by a Royal Navy submarine.