The Loss and Rediscovery of USS Lagarto

USS Lagarto (U.S. Navy photo)

On April 12, 1945 USS Lagarto (SS-371), under Cdr F.D. Latta, departed Subic Bay, Philippine Islands for her second patrol in the South China Sea. On April 27, she was directed to the outer part of the Siam Gulf.

Lagarto contacted USS Baya (SS-318), already patrolling there, on May 2, 1945 and exchanged calls with her by SJ radar. Later that day Baya sent Lagarto a contact report on a convoy she had made contact with consisting of one tanker, one auxiliary and two destroyers. Lagarto soon reported being in contact with the convoy and began maneuvering for an attack with Baya. However, the enemy escorts were equipped with 10cm radar. The escorts detected Baya and drove her off with gunfire, whereupon the two submarines decided to wait and plan a subsequent attack.

Early on the morning of May 3, 1945, Lagarto and Baya made a rendezvous and discussed plans. Lagarto was to dive on the convoy's track to make a contact at 1400, while Baya was going to be ten to fifteen miles further along the track. During the day, numerous contact reports were exchanged. At 0010 on May 4, after a prolonged but unsuccessful attack, Baya was finally driven off by the alert escorts. However, no further contact was ever made with Lagarto.

Japanese records showed that the minelayer Hatsutaka, believed to be one of the two radar-equipped escorts of the attacked convoy, made a depth-charge attack on a U.S. submarine during this time. The attack was made in about 30 fathoms of water and it is presumed that this attack sank Lagarto. Eighty-six men perished with her and she was the fiftieth U.S. submarine loss of World War II.

The exact location where Lagarto was attacked and sunk remained a mystery until May 2005. When just after the 60th anniversary of her sinking, Koh Tao Divers Jamie Macleod & Stewart Oehl diving from the Koh Tao based shipwreck research vessel M.V. Trident descended a shot line in 73 meters (240 feet) of water to investigate an underwater anomaly close to the Lagarto's last reported position.

Here is a preview of the documentary LOST & FOUND: Legacy of the USS Lagarto (note, if this video doesn't appear properly, you can find it at this link on YouTube).


You can read more about the loss and rediscovery of Lagarto at the Thai Wreck Diver website. The website includes pictures from the wreck site and a list of the men lost on Lagarto.