The USS Tang: One of America’s Most Powerful Stories of Survival

On the night of October 24, 1944 , the USS Tang, a 312-foot Balao-class submarine, attacked a Japanese convoy in the Formosa Strait off China. Commander Richard O’Kane, America’s highest-scoring submarine ace, had already sunk multiple transports, tankers, and freighters using 23 torpedoes, 22 of which hit. The total tonnage destroyed was approximately 450,000 pounds. The Tang carried 24 torpedoes in 6 forward and 4 aft tubes. It could reach 21 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged, making it one of the most powerful hunter-killer submarines of World War Two.

The survivors were transferred to POW camps. At Ofuna, near Yokohama, they endured solitary confinement, repeated beatings, psychological pressure, and relentless interrogations. They were often threatened with execution to extract information about submarine tactics. Later, at Omori, near Tokyo, starvation rations of watery rice, rotten vegetables, and scraps of fish, combined with dysentery, beriberi, and scurvy, left men weak, bleeding, and in constant pain. O’Kane, singled out for harsh treatment, dropped from 180 to 88 pounds, suffering advanced beriberi, scurvy, and malnutrition. One night, guards armed with swords attempted a mass execution, but prisoners nailed doors shut. Despite illness, starvation, and routine beatings, the men shared meager scraps, cared for the sick, and never revealed sensitive information. One crewmember later reflected that survival was not just holding on to life, it was holding on to each other. Over the course of 10 months in captivity, the men endured the harshest conditions, often witnessing death, disease, and suffering among fellow POWs.
In September 1945, Allied forceIn September 1945, Allied forces liberated Omori. The 9 survivors, including O’Kane, returned home emaciated but alive. The USS Tang had sunk 33 ships totaling 227,800 tons, earning two Presidential Unit Citations, and O’Kane received the Medal of Honor. Tang’s patrols significantly disrupted Japanese supply lines, particularly oil and troop transports, contributing directly to Allied naval dominance in the Pacific. The story of the Tang crew, from treading water in the Pacific to enduring captivity, remains one of the most harrowing and inspiring chapters in submarine history. O’Kane reflected, “In the darkest waters, it is not the size of the waves but the strength of those who hold together that determines who survives,” liberated Omori. The 9 survivors, including O’Kane, returned home emaciated but alive. The USS Tang had sunk 33 ships totaling 227,800 tons, earning two Presidential Unit Citations, and O’Kane received the Medal of Honor. Tang’s patrols significantly disrupted Japanese supply lines, particularly oil and troop transports, contributing directly to Allied naval dominance in the Pacific. The story of the Tang crew, from treading water in the Pacific to enduring captivity, remains one of the most harrowing and inspiring chapters in American history. O’Kane reflected, “In the darkest waters, it is not the size of the waves but the strength of those who hold together that determines who survives."

Tragically, the final Mark 18 electric torpedo, quieter than earlier steam torpedoes but prone to circular runs, circled back and struck the port aft torpedo room at 2:30 AM. Three compartments flooded and the submarine sank stern-first to 180 feet. Of 87 men on board, only 9 survived. 4 were thrown from the bridge, including O’Kane. 5 others escaped from deep inside using Momsen lung rebreathers, a device invented in 1928 that removed carbon dioxide and supplied oxygen for controlled ascent. Surfacing in cold, dark Pacific waters with only life jackets, the men faced injuries, fuel oil on their skin and lungs, and exhaustion. Surviving even a few hours under these conditions was rare. The Tang men lasted 8 hours. O’Kane recalled that when they clung to each other in the dark, “the thought that we had survived together kept our heads above water.”

The men linked arms, shared memories, and encouraged each other. They drew on the bond of the “Silent Service” to conserve energy while floating near the burning Japanese ships they had sunk. Some scanned the horizon for lights. Others battled dizziness and nausea from saltwater and swallowed fuel oil. Around 9:30 AM, the Japanese destroyer escort CD 34 arrived from the shattered convoy. The Americans were hauled aboard and brutally beaten by survivors of the convoy they had previously attacked. Clubbings, kicks, punches, exposure on deck without food or water, and cigarettes pressed into ears and noses were common. Interrogations focused on submarine tactics, codes, and operations under threat of execution. Lieutenant Lawrence Savadkin, who survived from the conning tower, described it as like the world coming to an end, reflecting the shock and despair.