Aboard Wahoo In Jap. New Guiea Base

Northern Advocate, 10 February 1943, Page 3

Aboard Wahoo In Jap. New Guiea Base

(Received noon) Uni. Press corres. (Mr. Frank Tremaine), aboard submarine Wahoo, South Pacific Base, Feb. 9

“When in doubt we-shoot,” said Lieut.Commander Dudley Morton after his return from New Guinea waters, where the Wahoo bagged an 1800-ton destroyer and the entire four ships of a convoy, totalling 30,000 tons. Lieut.-Commander Morton relates that the Allies learned that the Jaoanese were establishing bases along Northern New Guinea above Salamaua, from where they moved supplies to the fighting area. The Wahoo was assigned to attack these supply lines. The Japanese were reported to have established a base at Wewak, which was not shown on the Wahoo's military charts, but, fortunately, was shown on a 25-cent atlas owned by an enlisted man aboard. Lieut.-Commander Morton took the Wahoo right into the harbour of Wewak, 350 miles north-west of Salamaua, and there torpedoed the Japanese destroyer, which immediately broke in two. They then spotted two freighters and one transport loaded with 6000 troops and sank them all. "We knocked off the bow and stern of the [first freighter and the transport was hit amidships. It exploded and blew sky high 'and all personnel were lost.”