USS Tang: The Self-Sinking of America's Deadliest Submarine, 80 Years Later

The USS Tang's Mysterious Wreck

• 💡 The USS Tang, America's deadliest submarine of the Pacific War, lies 180 feet deep in the Taiwan Strait, its location known since 1945 but undocumented for 80 years.
• 📌 On October 24, 1944, the Tang sank due to its own Mark 14 torpedo performing a circular run, striking the sub midship.
• 🌊 Nine crew members escaped using Momsen lungs and were captured by the Japanese, while 78 men remained trapped inside.
• 🚫 Despite being shallow and accessible, the US Navy has avoided surveying the wreck, citing its status as a war grave and political complexities in disputed waters.

A History of Torpedo Failures

• ⚠️ The Mark 14 torpedo had a long history of documented failures, including depth issues, premature detonations, and circular runs, since its introduction in 1931.
• ❌ The Navy's Bureau of Ordnance initially denied these problems, blaming crews, and delayed fixes for years, compromising numerous patrols.
• 💥 In at least two confirmed cases, including the USS Tang, submarines were sunk by their own circular-running torpedoes, a fact the Navy allegedly covered up.

Commander O'Kane's Legacy and Final Patrol

• 🚀 Under Commander Richard O'Kane, the Tang was a legendary and aggressive submarine, achieving 33 confirmed sinkings and over 116,000 tons of Japanese shipping.
• 🎯 During its fifth war patrol, the Tang had expended most torpedoes when it fired its last two, with torpedo number 24 veering back towards the submarine.
• 🌊 The torpedo struck the Tang on the port side, just aft of the control room, causing immediate catastrophic flooding and a rapid descent.

What the Wreck Could Reveal

• 🔍 Forensic analysis of the wreck could provide physical proof of the torpedo's failure, including blast damage patterns and recovered guidance system components.
• 💀 Crew remains and personal effects could offer insights into the sinking's speed and the crew's final moments, giving faces and stories to the lost men.
• 📜 The wreck could also reveal logs or communication records from the control room, showing what O'Kane knew about the torpedo's condition.
• 🚫 The Navy's continued resistance to documentation suggests a desire to remember the Tang for its victories, not the weapon that tragically ended its mission.