Second Mission a Challenge
During the next two missions at sea, Grayback sailed across South China’s territory but had issues with enemy patrol boats, low-lit nights, and waters that were not the easiest to cross over. But, the Grayback was amazingly successful, in that she managed to destroy a few enemy boats and merchant ships. Then, on December 7, 1942, Grayback set sail off the port in Western Australia to complete her fifth mission.
Second Mission A Challenge
1942 – An Eventful Christmas
Christmas Day 1942 was a historic day for the Grayback as she was faced with a full onslaught of enemies – there were four landing barges when she surfaced. She managed to sink them using her deck guns. However, just four days later, she was attacked by an enemy fighter boat that fired torpedoes at her. She managed through the leading of her crew to evade the attacks. By the start of 1943, the Grayback was once again set for another eventful period as she made the first attack on the Imperial Japanese Navy Vessel I-18. The vessel managed to escape this attack but was not so lucky a month later when the U.S. sub pounced on the enemy submarine and destroyed it. All 102 crewmen on the enemy ship died in the attack.
1942 An Eventful Christmas
