July 19, 1943 – This Day During World War ll – Destroyer escort USS Wyman sank Japanese submarine RO-48

July 19, 1943 – Destroyer escort USS Wyman sank Japanese submarine RO-48 360 miles east of Guam, Mariana Islands
17 March 1942: RO-48 Laid down Mitsubishi’s Kobe Yard as a 960-ton type K6 submarine.
July 19, 1944 Destroyer escort USS Wyman proceeding to investigate a surface radar contact at 0024 The destroyer escort closed the range until she lost radar contact at 0045 and switched immediately to her sonar. Wyman picked up a strong metallic echo and, at 0051, fired a full pattern of “hedgehog” projectiles, with negative results. She reloaded, opened the range, and then closed for a second attack, as Reynolds (DE-42) closed in the meantime.
At At 0125, Wyman launched a second full pattern from her hedgehog – dead on the target. A series of violent explosions rocked the destroyer escort, as the depth bombs blew the submarine apart. Wyman circled to starboard and passed through her own firing point in order to regain contact but picked up only a “mush” echo — indicative that her contact had been destroyed. Remaining on the scene of the action, Wyman lowered a motor whaleboat to recover oil samples from the water and to fish out debris. In the large, spreading, oil slick, men in the boat picked up two five-gallon oil cans, one small gasoline can, and a piece of teak wood.

IJN Submarine RO-48