Gilbert Clary, son of the late John Clary recently offered a copy of his father's wartime diary to Legends of the Deep. Written in a small travel notebook, it chronicles the young motor machinist mate's impressions of his first experiences in combat. In turn lighthearted and harrowing, Clary's record sheds new light on the submarine experience in a brutal war.

As diaries were strictly forbidden by naval regulations, Gil's father's contribution to Wahoo's record is as rare as it is significant. Please note this transcription follows Clary's written words. Few grammatical changes were made in order to preserve the flavor of the original document.

Via U.S.S. Wahoo From Brisbane, Australia

January 16, 1943 We left Brisbane at 0930. We made a test stationary dive at 1030, resurfaced at 1300, anchored in stream, let pilot off and at 1600 we got underway.

17 Jan. At sea. Today we made four dives. Held battle stations submerged. At 1930 we were challenged by a U.S. Sub which was coming in off of patrol. We gave the right signals and proceeded on our way.

18 Jan. Underway, stood my first lookout watch (saw nothing). Standing 12 – 4 engine room watches. Number 2 main engine was flooded. We held Battle Stations Submerged again. Dove to 200 feet. Pressure in the boat hurt my ears a little. My Battle Station Submerged is to help reload torpedoes aft.

19 Jan. Underway. Stood 11 – 12 look out watch (saw one bird). #2 main engine repaired. Traveling on surface. Food on Submarines is very good. Morale is high (wanting action).

20 Jan. Underway. Traveling on surface. Today we received a coded message reporting a Jap convoy in vicinity. We are in Coral Sea now close to New Guinea & New Britain islands. Solomons are not far from here. Very dangerous waters.

21 Jan. Still in the Coral Sea getting close to Jap territory. Stood 9 – 10 lookout watch (saw nothing). I hope we get action soon.

22 Jan. Points of Interest The South Seas are very beautiful. Comments Submerged today, while passing through straits of New Guinea & New Britain. My watch while submerged is the Stern planes and trim manifold. On a dive our stern planes jammed on 30d. Ship was sinking fast Stern first. Right now Kansas sure would look good. I thought my time had come, but the trouble was fixed (Thank God). Stood lookout watch. Land on both sides of us.

23 Jan. Points of Interest Spotted by Jap plane. Comments Submerged today – South Seas. A Jap plane spotted us today & we made a crash dive to 300 ft. We stayed submerged 2 hours & then surfaced. Routine watches.

Sunday 24 January 1943  Today is a big day in my life. We slipped into Wewak, bay New Britain. This is the first time a U.S. sub has ever been in this territory, the bay is uncharted. We proceeded slowly up the bay at periscope depth for the water here is only 80 & 100 feet deep. I had the 12 – 4 watch on the stern planes. The fire control party was in the conning tower. Word came over the loud speakers that a destroyer & 3 Jap subs were tied up. The Captain said, "Boys we are going to get them." We made our approach on them & word was passed for Battle Stations Submerged. Every one had a smile on their faces but actually every man on board expected this time was their last time because we got so far up the bay & we could not dive very deep. We were trapped. Suddenly a slight jar was felt & the first torpedo was on its way, then in rapid succession 2, 3 & 4 were fired. We waited several minutes & nothing happened. Word was passed that just as we fired the ships had got underway, and the destroyer saw the wakes of our torpedoes & was headed right for us. Number 5 torpedo was fired & then #6. 25 seconds later a loud explosion was heard. The Captain said that the Jap destroyer dodged the #4 torpedo right into #5 which struck her amid ship breaking her in two, & that men were even climbing the mast because she was sinking so fast. The Capt. took pictures through the periscope & then we dove to 50’ & rigged for depth charges which were not long in coming. In the space of 2 hours 52 depth charges & 2 aerial bombs were dropped around us. I was not afraid for my self but for my loved ones at home. I must of said 50 Hail Mary’s. And I believed it helped because we are safely out of there & are headed for our station. (Thank God)

25 January 1943  Enroute to Palau: Today at 1720 we submerged to cross the Equator. All Pollywogs were initiated. We came upon a small fishing boat with 6 Malayans on board. We fired a shot across her bow to stop her. We could not understand them, but we gave them bread & water & since this is war we left them.

26 Jan. 1943  Today we sighted a convoy & sunk the same after a 14 hour running battle. We fired a spread of 6 torpedoes & sunk a freighter & a transport. Then firing our stern tubes we hit another freighter but did not sink it. We figured that there was about 7000 troops in lifeboats & swimming around off the transport so we got word to surface battle. My station was 2nd relay on the 20 MM machine gun Fwd. So in the meantime I helped pass up 4” amm to the top side. An accident put the Fwd 20 MM out of action so when word was passed for another man on top side I rushed up. Just as I reached top side, the 4” was fired at a angle towards me, & the flame and powder burnt my back & the force like to have blown me over the side. Between shells I glanced out over the sea & saw thousands of Japs swimming around & some in life boats, but after 1/2 hour of 4” shells, 20 MM, 50 Cal & 30 Cal firing we just about cleared the sea of Japs. It was like swatting flies. One Jap floated to about 12’ from the Sub & we could tell he was playing possum. We wanted to get him alive but the Capt. said, "Shoot the Sonza bitch" so a Tommy gun put him out of action. So we submerged & headed after the freighter that we hit but did not sink. It was getting dark about this time so we ran on the surface & came upon it & a oil tanker who had come to its rescue. We submerged & fired at the 2 & hit both, but the tanker did not sink or burn, but got under way again, so we surfaced & gave chase & finally after 14 hours since it started we fired our last 2 torpedoes at a distance of 4500 yards. We hit her again & after a terrific explosion she went to the bottom. So after 14 hours of being under fire & battling all the while we saw a destroyer & took 6 more depth charges (no damage) & left those parts.

27 Jan. 1943  To day we sighted a 6 ship convoy & we surfaced in the middle of them intending to fire our 4” gun at a tanker who could not run with the rest. But a plane & a destroyer came up & we had to dive & rig for depth charges. 6 of them were dropped on us very close. We didn’t make a sound & it was sure hot. The sweat ran off of us by the bucket full. We finally resumed our course for Pearl Harbor from the South Seas.

29 Jan 1943 Routine watches

30 Jan 1943 Close to Caroline Islands (Jap Manidated) 

31 Jan 1943 Routine watches

1 Feb 1943 Routine watches

2 Feb 1943 While on lookout today I spotted a plane about 6 miles away on our port side, 2 points abaft the beam, elevation about 12d. I reported same & we cleared the bridge & dove to 150’ for ½ hour. Resurfaced & heading for Pearl Harbor T.H.

2 Feb 1943 Surfaced. We crossed the 180 M (International Date Line) so this is still Feb 2.

3 Feb 1943 Routine watches. Low on fuel.

4 Feb 1943 Routine watches.

5 Feb 1943 Routine watches

6 Feb 1943 Routine watches (held field day).

7 Feb 1943 Under escort we entered Pearl Harbor. The Band. Gold Braid. Newsreel men, camera fans & hundreds of men gave us a welcome. I had my picture taken in the aft Engine Room. It will be in the Time magazine. Left for Royal Hawaiian Hotel for 1 week. Am here now & what a life. But I’ll still take Galena Kansas instead. 

#End 1st patrol run.

Via Yellow Sea From P.H.T.H.

Feb. 23 1943 Left Pearl Harbor at 1300 for the Yellow Sea, which is between Japan & China. We will stop off at Midway Island & drop off mail & 3 passengers & take on oil & water.

Feb 24 1943 Routine – Rough sea.

Feb 25 1943 Routine – Rough sea

Feb 26, 1943 Routine – Sea still rough

Feb 27, 1943 Routine. Still rough. Stopped at Midway for 4 hours.

Feb 28, 1943 Routine. Rough.

March 2, 1943 We crossed the 180 M & skipped March 1.

March 3, 1943 Routine. Looks like we are going to roll to Japan.

4 March 1943 Routine – not so rough.

5 March 1943 Held battle surface drill today only 300 miles from Jap Island.

6 March 1943 Routine except hold battle surface again today. It is getting colder & not quite so rough.

7 March 1943 We are now about 600 miles from Tokyo. No ships sighted.

8 March 1943 Today we passed the Bonin Islands which are app. 300 miles from Tokyo. No action yet.

9 March 1943 At 1845 today while looking through our #1 periscope I spotted a Jap San Pan. It had 2 masts, one fwd. & one aft & a stack midship. It was on our stbd bow, its tonnage was 60 tons. I spotted it & we submerged & got ready to battle surface on it. I am gunner on the Fwd. 20 MM machine gun so the Capt. gave me instructions as to our approach on it & as soon as it was dark we surfaced & mounted our guns. But the Japs must have spotted us because we could not locate them in the dark. I was mad because after all I spotted the San Pan & I was to open fire on it first but I will make up for it next time. It is still rough out & we are nearing our station in the Yellow Sea.

Via Wahoo  At East China Sea

10 March 1943 Today we sighted 3 Jap Islands. Akuseka Shima, Suwanose Shima & Nakomu Shima which is part of Japan proper. We are on station now.

11 March 1943 Today we sighted 7 Jap Sanpans too small to fool with. I looked through the periscope & saw 2 of them together. It sure gives one a funny feeling to know the enemy is so close.

Yellow Sea between Japan and China

12 March 1943 We had battle stations submerged when we saw smoke on the horizon but it turned out to be a large San Pan of 500 tons too small to fire a fish at.

13 March 1943 We had battle stations submerged twice. The first time the range was too great to risk a fish. The second time we fired a fish but the draft of the boat was too shallow & the fish went under it. There are several patrol boats & San Pans in view.

14 March 1943 Calm & Cold Still Patrolling the Yellow Sea. We are submerged in the day time & running on the surface at night. Today we are only 87 miles from China.

15 March 1943 Sea – Calm. Weather – Cold. Today we battle submerged twice, both times the ships are too small to bother with.

Yellow Sea – China Coast

16 March 1943 Routine patrol day

17 March 1943 At Dawn today we were forced down by San Pans who had surrounded us.

18 March 1943 We are headed North to try & locate a few targets worth getting. Sea calm.

19 march 1943  At 0530 this morning we had battle stations submerged and at 0715 we fired one torpedo at a 4000 ton Junk. The fish struck it amidship & blew it into two parts. Debris flew sky high & in a few minutes both sections sunk beneath the Yellow Sea forever. We surfaced in hopes of getting a Jap but we sighted smoke on the horizon so we dove & headed for it. At 0930 we fired #3 fish at it and struck it aft of the bow blowing it entirely off. But the ship did not sink so we fired #4 fish which hit amidship but failed to explode. 5 & 6 missed due to the ship zig zagging. We were forced to leave by a patrol boat. But the ship was listing as we left her. So after a shot of rum we continued regular patrol watches (some fun).

20 March 1943 Off the coast of Shungtang China following the shipping lanes. We sighted several small ships but no large ones. The Capt has decided to ply the route from Shanghai China to Korea. Weather fair & damn cold, sea calm. 

21 March 1943 At 0500 we got a contact on a 7500 ton freighter. We went to our battle stations & at 0650 we got in position to fire our fish at her. 2 fish struck her, one on the bow & one underneath the stack. Debris & water flew 500’ into the air & in 4 minutes another ship of the rising sun had settled beneath the Yellow Sea. There was about 35 Japs left floating on the surface & the water temperature was 36dF. so they didn’t last long. At 0945 we sighted another ship of the same tonnage dead ahead so again Battle Stations Submerged & at 1015 2 out of three fish found their mark & the ships boilers exploded. She sank in 4 min. & 30 sec. A San Pan which was near by started to take on survivors but the Capt wanted one himself so we surfaced & I went to my 20 MM machine gun & we gave chase to the San Pan to keep her from reaching land & giving our presence up. But we were already in sight of land & also shallow water so we had to give up the chase. We went back to the place where the ship was sunk & among oil & debris we spotted 3 Japs, 2 on one turned over lifeboat & one on a raft. We came up slowly & our bow struck the turned over life boat knocking one Jap in the water. We threw him a life line & tried in English to ask him if he wanted to come aboard, but he refused, in fact I believe he was too stunned by the explosions & the cold water to understand. He looked about 17 years old but in another minute he was riddled by machine gun fire & also the other Jap with him. Our Commando force dove into the water & brought back a Jap flag, several note books & a life preserver bearing the name “Nitu Maru”. There was one Jap left so they held target practice on him & he soon sank beneath the sea. So the Nitu Maru & her entire cargo & crew are now where the rest of the Jap Navy will soon be.

Note: It strikes me that the Japs are taught we will torture them so they prefer death instead.

22 March 1943 Headed North to where the Yellow river enters the Yellow Sea – no action.

23 March 1943 Today we sighted & sank a 3000 ton Freighter off the Coast of Manchuria. It was sunk by one fish hitting her under the bridge.

24 March 1943 Today we sighted & sank a 9000 ton freighter off the Coast of Korea. We fired a spread of three fish. On hit her astern & the other 2 missed. She sank in 2 ½ minutes.

25 March 1943 Today we sighted a 3000 ton freighter & fired two fish at her but both fish went off prematurely so word was passed for Battle Surface. I put on my heavy winter clothes & when we surfaced I manned the fwd 20 MM gun. Being the fwd gunner I opened fire first & my first burst fell short, but my next burst hit her in the stern. By that time our 4” opened up on her & the second shot hit her under the boilers exploding them. In the mean time I fired drum after drum into her superstructure. The Japs tried to ram us by running us down. It was only 300 yards away when she turned on us & they also began to fire at us. I fired a burst at her bridge & it went straight through a port hole so I held the trigger down & poured 60 shells into her bridge & she caught fire & smoke & flame began to pour out of the bridge (no Japs came out). In the mean time other Japs jumped into the sea & floated close to us & it was very sad to hear them moan & sink. We spotted another ship on the horizon so we left this freighter afire & sinking & gave chase to this other one which turned out to be a 2000 ton freighter. Again I opened fire first & after a couple of bursts I got the range. In the mean time the 4” opened up & her first shot hit at the water line by the fire room & set her afire. Again I fired at the bridge & left it a shambles. We had a few jams with our 20 MM’s so our 4” put several shells into her water line. I looked to the stern of us & seen the other freighter go down by the bow & in flames. So in fear that we could get caught by Jap planes we left those parts. All the time we could see the mountains of Korea in sight.

26 March 1943 Today we sighted & sank a 9000 ton freighter. We hit her amidships breaking her in two & she sank in 2 minutes.

27 March 1943 No ships in sight. We heard a broadcast from Japan saying no U.S. Subs dared to come into Jap waters. It gave us a good laugh.

28 March 1943 With only 2 fish left we got a contact with our radar at 0400. We submerged & made our approach & we fired both fish. Both struck her & debris & water flew all over the ocean. She sank very fast & her boiler exploded under water sounding like depth charges. We are headed for Midway now. So ends my 2nd patrol run on the U.S.S. Wahoo.

If you have information to share, or would like to thank him for donating his father's diary, Gilbert Clary may be contacted via email.