American submarine USS Tang COBI 4831 - World War II

You know that:

• The USS Tang submarine class Balao was first launched on 17 August 1943.
• At the time of its deployment, it was the best that American industry had to offer the Navy.
• The submarine's fame came with its commander, the brash, according to the crew, half-crazy but brave and clever Richard O'Kane.
• The USS Tang is credited with sinking a total of 33 enemy ships.
• Ten Japanese vessels were sunk in the Taiwan Strait in one day. 
• Commander R. O'Kane made attacks on enemy vessels usually from the surface after surfacing, which was against regulations, but because he was successful, his superior officers tolerated this "rebellion".
• However, the submarine's last mission proved fatal when it fired two torpedoes at the previously damaged Japanese ship Ebaru Maru.
• One of the fired torpedoes had a malfunction in the navigation system and, after several turns, headed back on a collision course with the submarine USS Tang.
• The submarine commander ordered an evasive maneuver, but it was too late. The torpedo hit the rear of the vessel, which immediately began to flood with water.
• Surviving crew members tried to surface using simple breathing apparatus called Momsen lungs.
• Those who managed to escape fell into Japanese captivity.
• The public only learned of the submarine's barrel at the end of the war after the POW camp was liberated.
• The USS Tang will forever go down in history as the submarine that torpedoed itself.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 95.05 m, width 8.33 m
• displacement 1490 t (2070 t underwater)
• propulsion unit 4x Fairbanks-Morse 9 cylinder diesel engine for driving electric generators with transmission to 4 Elliot high speed electric motors of 4 mW
• maximum speed 37.5 km/h on watel level at 16.2 km/h undewater
• range 20,000 km at the surface and 48 h underwater
• maximum immersion depth 180 m
• crew of 78 men
• armament 6x torpedo tubes 533 mm forward and 4 aft (24 torpedoes on board) + 127 mm deck gun and 20 mm anti-aircraft gun