Hardhead Sinks Natori

FRI 18 AUG 1944
Pacific
Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese light cruiser Natori about 200 miles east of Samar, P.I., 12°29'N, 128°49'E; accompanying fast transport T.3 continues on for Palau. Destroyers Uranami and Kiyoshimo rescue most of Natori's survivors (See 31 August and 12 September 1944).

U.S. submarines Rasher (SS-269) and Redfish (SS-395) encounter Japanese convoy HI 71 off west coast of Luzon. Rasher sinks escort carrier Taiyo, transport Teia Maru cargo ship Eishin Maru at 18°16'N, 120°21'E, and oiler Teiyo Maru southwest of Cape Bojeador, 18°09'N, 120°13'E, and damages transport Noshiro Maru southwest of Cape Bojeador, 18°09'N, 119°56'E; Redfish damages merchant tanker Eiyo Maru west of Luzon Strait, 20°28'N, 121°04'E.

Submarine Ray (SS-271) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nansei Maru off southern tip of Palawan, 08°48'N, 117°02'E.

Dutch submarine Zwaardvisch sinks Japanese vessel Kim Hup Soen in Strait of Malacca, 04°00'N, 99°32'E.

Japanese destroyer Samidare is damaged when she runs aground on Velasco Reef, north of Palau, Carolines (see 26 August).

Mediterranean
Off southern France, amphibious force flagship Catoctin (AGC-5) is damaged by JU-88, 43°17'N, 06°38'E; the JU- 88 had followed closely behind USAAF P-38s and an RAF Beaufighter during an air raid alert. Elsewhere off the beachheads minesweeper Steady (AM-118) is damaged when a broken fire main floods jamming equipment compartment, and destroyer MacKenzie (DD-614) is damaged by operational casualty (starboard engine) during attack on submarine contact. U.S. freighter Albert A. Michelson is damaged off St. Tropez, by bomb during German air raid; while there are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard, 5 of the 43-man merchant complement are wounded badly enough to warrant their being left in a shoreside hospital for treatment.