This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Kent Weekly (SS/DSV) (DBF), EMCS
to remember
Fyfe, John Kerr (Jake), RADM USN(Ret).
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Admiral Fyfe was the Commanding Officer of USS Batfish (SS-310) when in February 1945, in the span of 76 hours, he sunk 3 IJN submarines.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Antisubmarine Campaign
From Month/Year
December / 1941
To Month/Year
September / 1945
Description For members of the military who did not receive campaign credit, but still served on active duty in the Pacific Theater, the following “blanket” campaigns are authorized for which the medal is awarded without service stars.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1945
To Month/Year
September / 1945
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories 13 February 1945: Babuyan Island, Luzon Strait, Philippines. Cdr John K. Fyfe's USS BATFISH (SS-310) is on patrol on the surface At 0215, Fyfe's SJ radar picks up a contact at 220 degrees, range 10,700 yards. At 0241, the range is 7,150 yards, but the target submerges and contact is broken. At 0310, the Japanese submarine resurfaces and is picked up by the BATFISH's APR radar detector. The target now bears at 336 degrees, range 9,800 yards. At 0412, at 6,800 yards range, Cdr Fyfe dives on the target's track and comes to radar-depth. He sets his torpedoes for 6 feet on an 80 starboard track, gyros set at zero for a 1,500 yard torpedo run, using a 1 knot speed spread. At 0448, Fyfe fires three stern torpedoes at the target. At 0449, the first torpedo hits. Fyfe sees a large yellow ball of fire through his periscope as the target blows apart and sinks immediately. The second and third torpedoes miss because the RO-113 sinks so quickly at 19-10N, 121-23E.