USS Seawolf (SS-197) Ship's Log 
YearDateHistorical Events
1938Sep 27Keel laid down by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.
1939Aug 15Launched.
 Dec 1Commissioned with LT. Frederick B. Warder in command.
1940Apr 12Seawolf departed Portsmouth for her shakedown cruise which lasted until 21 June and took her as far South as the Panama Canal Zone.
 Jul 1Seawolf was next assigned to the Pacific Fleet with her home port, San Diego, CA. (Exact date unknown)
 Oct 1She proceeded to Manila Bay, Philippines and operated from the Cavite Navy Yard. (Exact date unknown)
1941Dec 8Seawolf departed on her 1st war patrol. She hunted Japanese shipping off San Bernardino Strait.
 Dec 14Seawolf fired a spread of torpedoes at a tender or supply ship in Port San Vicente with unknown results. She promptly underwent her first depth charge attack but suffered no damage.
 Dec 26Seawolf returned to Manila.
 Dec 31Seawolf departed Manila for Australia.
1942Jan 9Seawolf arrived at Port Darwin, Australia. She loaded between 30 and 40 tons of .50 caliber antiaircraft ammunition for use by American forces on Corregidor.
 Jan 16Seawolf sailed for Manila Bay.
 Jan 21Seawolf sighted 7 Japanese freighters accompanied by 4 destroyers and a cruiser, but had no opportunity to fire any of the 8 torpedoes that she had onboard.
 Jan 29The ammunition was unloaded on 28 and 29 January at Corregidor. Seawolf then loaded torpedoes and headed for Surabaya, Java.
 Feb 15Seawolf sailed out of Surabaya and began patrolling in the Java Sea-Lombok Strait area on her 2nd war patrol.
 Feb 19She fired 4 torpedoes at 2 Japanese freighter-transports. Damage to one was not ascertained, but the other was last seen down by the stern and listing to starboard.
 Feb 26Seawolf fired her stern tubes at a freighter and watched one hit forward of the bridge before going deep to evade depth charges from an escorting destroyer at which she had also fired.
 Mar 31Seawolf fired a spread at a Jintsu class cruiser which produced one explosion. The submarine then underwent seven and one-half hours of depth charge attacks.
 Apr 1Seawolf attacked 2 cruisers. A violent explosion was heard, but no flames were seen.
 Apr 7Seawolf ended her patrol at Fremantle, Australia.
 May 12From 12 May to 2 July, Seawolf patrolled the Philippine Islands area. She attacked freighters on 20 and 23 May, and on 12, 13, 15, and 28 June.
 Jun 15Seawolf was credited with sinking converted gunboat, Nampo Maru.
 Jul 2Seawolf returned to Fremantle, Australia for 3 weeks before beginning her 6th war patrol.
 Jul 25Seawolf departed Fremantle, Australia on her 6th war patrol.
 Aug 14Seawolf sank the Hachigen Maru.
 Aug 25Seawolf sank the Showa Maru.
 Sep 15Seawolf returned to Fremantle, Australia for refit.
 Oct 7Seawolf departed on her 7th war patrol and hunted in the Davao Gulf area.
 Nov 2Seawolf sank the Gifu Maru.
 Nov 3Seawolf sank the 7,189 ton Sagami Maru.
 Nov 8Seawolf sank the Keiko Maru.
 Dec 1Seawolf ended her patrol at Pearl Harbor, HI. enroute to the West Coast.
 Dec 10Seawolf arrived at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. and underwent an overhaul.
1943Feb 24Seawolf departed the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. and headed for Pearl Harbor, HI.
 Mar 13Seawolf arrived at Pearl Harbor, HI.
 Apr 3Seawolf departed Pearl Harbor, HI. on her 8th war patrol.
 Apr 15Seawolf torpedoed the Kaihei Maru.
 Apr 23Seawolf sank the old destroyer, Patrol Boat No. 89.
 Apr 28Seawolf sank two 75 ton sampans with her 3 inch gun. (Exact date unknown)
 May 3Seawolf returned to Midway Island for refitting.
 May 17Seawolf departed Midway Island on her 9th war patrol and headed for the East China Sea.
 Jun 6Seawolf tracked a convoy of 11 ships and fired a spread of torpedoes at a large freighter. One torpedo hit the target but proved to be a dud, and another passed under the freighter and hit an escort.
 Jun 20Seawolf fired a spread at 4 ships. One was hit in the stern and sank in approximately 9 minutes. This was Shojin Maru loaded with troops.
 Jul 8Seawolf arrived at Midway Island.
 Jul 12Seawolf steamed into Pearl Harbor, HI.
 Aug 14Seawolf's 10th war patrol, in the East China Sea, was also ended prematurely due to firing all torpedoes.
 Aug 17Seawolf made contact with a 6 ship convoy on her 3rd day in the patrol area. She attacked day and night for 3 days before finally surfacing to sink Fusei Maru with her deck gun. (Exact date unknown)
 Oct 5On Seawolf's 11th patrol, in the South China Sea, she sank the Wuhu Maru, Kaifuku Maru, and damaged a 10,000 ton cargo ship.
 Nov 27Arrived at Pearl Harbor, HI. for refit.
 Dec 22Seawolf headed for the East China Sea on what was to be her 12th and most lucrative war patrol.
1944Jan 11Seawolf attacked a 7 ship convoy on the night of 10 and 11 January 1944 and sank 3 ships totalling 19,710 tons.
 Jan 14Seawolf fired her last 4 torpedoes at 2 merchant ships in a convoy, damaging one and sinking the Yamatsuru Maru. She continued tracking the convoy while radioing it's position to Whale (SS-239).
 Jan 27Seawolf returned to Pearl Harbor, HI.
 Jan 29Seawolf sailed for San Francisco, CA. for a major overhaul.
 May 16Seawolf headed West for Pearl Harbor, HI.
 May 26Seawolf arrived at Pearl Harbor, HI. (Exact date unknown)
 Jun 4Seawolf was assigned the task of photographing Peleliu Island in the Palaus, in preparation for the forthcoming attack on that stronghold. She carried out this mission despite constant enemy air patrols.
 Jul 7Seawolf headed to Majuro and was rerouted to Darwin. There, she received orders sending her on a special mission to Tawitawi, Sulu Archipelago. The submarine approached to within 700 yards of the beach, picked up a Capt. Young and took him to Brisbane.
 Sep 21Seawolf stood out of Brisbane, Australia to begin her 15th war patrol.
 Sep 29Seawolf reached Manus, refueled, and sailed the same day carrying stores and Army personnel to the east coast of Samar.
 Dec 28Seawolf was announced overdue from patrol and presumed lost with all hands (82 crew and 17 U.S. Army) when it was mistaken for a Japanese submarine and sunk by friendly destroyers just North of Morotai, Republic of the Philippines.