Dudley Morton | Timeline

Dudley Walker "Mush" Morton (July 17, 1907 – October 11, 1943) was a submarine commander of the United States Navy during World War II. He was commander of USS Wahoo (SS-238) during its third through seventh patrols. Wahoo was one of the most-celebrated submarines of World War II, sinking at least 19 Japanese ships, more than any other submarine of the time. Morton and Wahoo disappeared in 1943 during a patrol near La Perouse Strait, and he was ultimately declared deceased three years later. (Intro from Wikipedia)

July 17, 1907 - Owensboro - Dudley Walker Morton is born

June 1(?), 1926 - Annapolis, Maryland - Morton enters in the U.S.Naval Academy

June 1(?), 1930 - Annapolis, Maryland - Graduates from U.S.Naval Academy - Commissioned an Ensign. Assigned to USS Saratoga

January(?) 1(?), 1933 - Groton, Connecticut - After completing Submarine School at New London, Morton serves aboard submarine tender USS Canopus

January(?) 1(?), 1936 - Groton, Connecticut - Serves aboard the submarine USS S-37 (SS-142)

January(?) 1(?), 1937 - Philadelphia - Serves at the Philadelphia Naval Yard

January(?) 1(?), 1939  - ? - Service aboard the destroyer USS Fairfax (DD-93)

August 19, 1940 - Philadelphia - The Submarine USS R-5 (SS-82) is recomissioned, with Dudley Morton as the Commanding Officer =(START)

October 30, 1940 - Groton, Connecticut - USS R-5 reports to Division 42 at New London
December 10, 1940 - Groton, Connecticut - USS R-5 departs to Submarine base at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone
January 1(?), 1941 - Bay of Panama - In the first months of 1941, USS R-5 patrols in the Bay of Panama
October 31, 1941 - Groton, Connecticut - USS R-5 returns to New London
December 1(?), 1941 - Bermuda-New England Shipping Lanes - Relieves R-1(SS-78) on patrol along the Bermuda-New England shipping lanes
February 10, 1942 - ? - USS R-5 fires against an u-boat for the first time, but misses
April 30, 1942 - Groton, Connecticut - USS R-5 departs for patrol, 300 nm N of Bermuda
May 5, 1942 - Groton - USS R-5 arrives for repairs to her after ballast tank
May 17, 1942 - Groton - Morton leaves command of USS R-5
July 1(?), 1942 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - Appointed commander of USS Dolphin for a few months
October 15, 1942 - Pearl Harbor - Promoted to Commander
November 1(?), 1942 - Pearl Harbor - Morton leaves command of USS Dolphin
November 8, 1942 - Pearl Harbor - Morton and O'Kane depart for USS Wahoo's second war patrol, under the command of Marvin G. Kennedy
November 30, 1942 - Solomon Islands (with Bougainville and Buka on sight) - USS Wahoo fails to approach a target and proceeds East of Cape Hanpan
December 7, 1942 - Between Truk and the Shortland Islands - Kennedy decides to patrol the direct route between Truk and the Shortland Islands
December 10, 1942 - Off Buin, Bougainville Island - During the return trip, USS Wahoo runs across a convoy of cargo ships and a destroyer - Cargo ship "Kamoi Maru" sunk. The following depth charge attack fails to damage the submarine
December 14, 1942 - USS Wahoo sinks an unidentified Japanese Submarine
December 15, 1942 - Kieta Harbor, Bougainville Island - USS Wahoo looks into Kieta Harbor
December 26, 1942 - Moreton Light, Australia - USS Wahoo passes Moreton Light for entrance into Brisbane
December 27, 1942 - Brisbane, Australia - USS Wahoo arrives in Brisbane and starts refit
December 31, 1942 - Brisbane - Lt.Commander Kennedy is relieved as commanding officer for being unproductive. Morton replaces him
January 16, 1943 - Brisbane - After performing sonar tests in Moreton Bay, USS Wahoo departs for her Third War Patrol, under command of Dudley Morton

Richard O'Kane and Dudley Morton
on the bridge of USS Wahoo

January 19, 1943 - Vitiaz Strait (Between New Guinea and New Britain) - USS Wahoo passes into Vitiaz Strait
January 24, 1943 - N of Kairiru Island (N Papua New Guinea) - USS Wahoo dives North of Kairiru Island and proceeds around the western end to penetrate Victoria Bay. Destroyer "Harusame" is heavily damaged. USS Wahoo changes course to Palau
January 26, 1943 - 270 nm N of Dutch New Guinea - USS Wahoo fires at two ships - "Fukuei Maru" is sunk, then, "Buyo Maru", a japanese transport ship carrying Indian POWs from 16th Punjab Regiment, is also sunk. USS Wahoo intercepts another two ships, sinking one and damaging another. Morton and O'Kane proceed to Fais Island
January 28, 1943 - Fais Island, E Caroline Islands (Between Palau and Guam) - USS Wahoo sights Fais Island, and her plan to shell a phosphorite refinery is scrapped due to the untimely appearance of an inter-island steamer. On 27th, a japanese destroyer effectively thwarths a USS Wahoo attack on a convoy

February 7, 1943 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS Wahoo arrives at Pearl Harbor from her third patrol
February 21, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo is drydocked after refit
February 23, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo departs for Midway Island on her fourth war patrol
February 27, 1943 - Midway Island - USS Wahoo topps off her fuel tanks and heads for her patrol area
March 11, 1943 - Nagasaki-Formosa / Shimonoseki-Formosa shipping routes - USS Wahoo arrives to her assigned patrol area
March 19, 1943 - E of Dalian, China - Freighter "Zogen Maru" sunk. Another freighter is damaged but escapes
March 21, 1943 - S of Chinnampo, North Korea - Large Freighter sunk - "Hozen Maru". Then a smaller one - "Nittsu Maru" sunk
March 23, 1943 - Laotiehshan Channel, close to Port Arthur - Collier "Katyosan Maru" sunk
March 24, 1943 - Korea Bay, 50km SE of Dalian - Large tanker sunk - "Takaosan Maru"
March 25, 1943 - N Yellow Sea (between Weihai-CHN and Haeju-N.Korea) - Freighter "Satsuki Maru" sunk with deck gun
March 26, 1943 - East China Sea - A Freighter and a trawler are sunk with deck gun
March 28, 1943 - Shimonoseki-Formosa Shipping route - USS Wahoo wrecks two motor sampans with 20mm gunfire
March 29, 1943 - S of Kyushu - Freighter "Yamabato Maru" is sunk
April 6, 1943 - Midway Island - USS Wahoo arrives at Midway Island. Refit starts on the following day
April 25, 1943 - Midway Island - USS Wahoo departs under air escort for her fifth patrol, via the Kuril Islands
May 4, 1943 - Northeast tip of Etorofu Island, Kuril Islands - Seaplane tender "Kamikawa Maru" is damaged (later sunk by USS Scamp)
May 7, 1943 - Off Benten Saki Coast - USS Wahoo sinks the "Tamon Maru #5", another ship escapes
May 9, 1943 - Kone Saki - USS Wahoo proceeds up the coast with the intention of closing Kone Saki - Large tanker "Takao Maru" and freighter "Jimu Maru" are sunk
May 12, 1943 - Tokyo-Paramushiro routh - Two freighters are attacked but manage to escape
May 21, 1943 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS Wahoo arrives from her fifth war patrol
May 22, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - Admiral Chester Nimitz comes on board to present awards
May 24, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo departs to Mare Island Navy Yard
May 29, 1943 - Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California - USS Wahoo arrives at Mare Island Navy Yard
July 21, 1943 - Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California - USS Wahoo departs to Pearl Harbor
July 27, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo arrives at Pearl Harbor
August 2, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo departs for Midway Island on her sixth war patrol
August 6, 1943 - Midway Island - USS Wahoo reached Midway Island but leaves on the same day
August 13, 1943 - Sea of Okhotsk - After passing through the Etorofu Strait, USS Wahoo enters the Sea of Okhotsk
August 14, 1943 - Sea of Japan - USS Wahoo arrives in the Sea of Japan and sights 3 freighters
August 15, 1943 - USS Wahoo sights a big freighter and breaks off the pursuit of the 3 smaller freighters, however, it misses her torpedoes. Morton starts evasive action after sighting an Otori-class torpedo boat, and lets the big freighter escape. USS Wahoo heads to the Hokkaido-Korea shipping route
August 17, 1943 - Hokkaido-Korea Shipping route - During 16th and 17th, USS Wahoo misses all torpedoes agains three different targets
August 20, 1943 - La Perouse Strait (Between Hokkaido and Sakhalin) - USS Wahoo destroys 3 sampans with her 20mm, and takes 6 japanese fishermen aboard as war prisoners
August 21, 1943 - Etorofu Strait (NE of Etorofu island) - USS Wahoo passes through Etorofu Strait
August 25, 1943 - Midway Island - USS Wahoo reaches Midway on the way to Pearl Harbor
August 29, 1943 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS Wahoo returns from her Sixth War Patrol
September 13, 1943 - Pearl Harbor - USS Wahoo departs on her seventh War Patrol, and heads for La Perouse Strait
September 25, 1943 - Sea of Japan - After disappearing from her assigned area and failing to radio report, USS Wahoo sinks the "Taiko Maru"
October 5, 1943 - Coast of Honshu, near Tsushima Strait (SE of S.Korea) - USS Wahoo sinks the steamer "Konron Maru" - 544 people dead
October 6, 1943 - Sea of Japan - USS Wahoo sinks the "Kanko Maru"

USS Wahoo

October 9, 1943 - Sea of Japan - USS Wahoo sinks another ship with the same name "Kanko Maru"
October 11, 1943 - La Perouse Strait - USS Wahoo is sunk with all hands, by a combined air and sea attack with depth charges all day =(END)