Patrol 1

16 Aug 1943 - 10 Oct 1943

霧島丸 Kirishima (Kirisima) Maru

御岳丸 Mitake Maru (not credited to Bowfin in JANAC and Alden, although listed in Cressman; small vessel often not included in sinkings)

Patrol 2

1 Nov 1943 - 9 Dec 1943

Pashita Go (captured ex-Philippine cargo ship Pacita, not credited to Bowfin in JANAC, but is in Alden; small vessel often not included in sinkings)

小倉山丸 Ogurasan Maru

泰南丸 Tainan Maru

Beryl (AD305) (Vichy French) (not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; sinking confirmed by Alden and other sources)

Van Vollenhoven (Vichy French)

図南丸 Tonan Maru

志どにい丸 Sydney Maru

Patrol 3

8 Jan 1944 - 5 Feb 1944

抹祐丸 Shoyu Maru

箕面丸 Minoo Maru (Naval supply ship not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; sinking confirmed by Alden and other sources)

神威 IJN Kamoi - 17,000 ton seaplane tender heavily damaged by Bowfin torpedoes

Mine laying mission

Patrol 4

28 Feb 1944 - 1 Apr 1944

月川丸 Tsukikawa Maru

辨加拉丸 Bengal Maru

新京丸 Shinkyo Maru (2,672 tons; JANAC confuses this ship with another of the same name, 5,139 tons.)

Patrol 5

25 Apr 1944 - 21 Jun 1944

Patrol 6

16 Jul 1944 - 13 Sep 1944

＃13報国丸 Gokoku Maru No. 13 (not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; small vessel often not included in sinkings)

静洋丸 Seiyo Maru (not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; small vessel often not included in sinkings)

対馬丸 Tsushima Maru

＃6日の出丸 Hinode Maru #6 (patrol boat; not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; sinking confirmed by Alden and other sources)

Patrol 7

25 Jan 1945 - 25 Mar 1945

第56号海防艦 Coast Defense Vessel No. 56

Small abandoned sea truck sunk by gunfire; sources disagree on name; some sources (incorrectly) say Nanshin Maru #28 or #26. (Not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; sinking unconfirmed and not counted in the totals below)

鳥海丸 Chokai Maru (small picket boat; not credited to Bowfin in JANAC; sinking confirmed by Alden and other sources)

Patrol 8

23 Apr 1945 - 15 May 1945

長和丸 Chowa Maru

＃３大東丸 Daito Maru No. 3

Patrol 9

29 May 1945 - 4 Jul 1945

＃３信洋丸 Shinyo Maru No. 3

明浦丸 Akiura Maru/Meiho Maru (different readings of the same name)

Current research conducted by this site credits Bowfin with 25 ships sunk, totalling 72,881 tons, including three Japanese Naval vessels (supply ship Minoo Maru and picket boats Hinode Maru No. 6 and Chokai Maru), and the Vichy French minesweeper Beryl, none of which were credited to Bowfin in JANAC but are confirmed to have been sunk by Bowfin in reputabile sources, including Alden.

Confirmed Bowfin sinkings included above that do not meet the JANAC criteria of 500 tons for merchant ships are Mitake Maru, Pashita Go, Gokoku Maru No. 13, and Seiyo Maru, four ships totalling 723 tons.

The totals above also include Bisan (Miyama) Maru, which was simultaneously attacked by USS Aspro (SS-309) (joint credit awarded in JANAC).

The totals do not include the unconfirmed sinking of the small sea truck referred to as Nanshin Maru #26 in some sources.

In addition, the mines Bowfin laid on her third patrol were probably responsible for damaging two vessels, Hokkai Maru and Seito Maru.

*****

JANAC - 16 ships, 67,882 tons (including the mistaken tonnage for Shinkyo Maru, which, if corrected, would give Bowfin 16 ships and 65,415 tons), plus shared credit for one more ship (Bisan Maru) of 4,667 tons. Note that the criteria JANAC used included all Japanese Naval vessels (although JANAC did not usually count warships less than 500 tons that were converted from merchant ships) and all Japanese merchant vessels of 500 or more gross tons known or believed to have been lost during the war. Differences between JANAC figures and current research are noted above. Using JANAC's criteria, but including all warships, current research would credit Bowfin with 20 ships and 67,491 tons sunk, plus shared credit for Bisan Maru and 4,667 tons.

Alden-McDonald credit Bowfin with 25 ships and 72,847 tons sunk.

War Patrol Reports and Endorsements credit Bowfin with 34 ships and 179,646 tons sunk.

SORG credits Bowfin with 44 ships (including 10 small vessels) and 179,800 tons sunk.

Japanese Naval and Merchant Ship Losses - JANAC

JANAC on the Hyperwar website - https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/JANAC-Losses/JANAC-Losses-6.html

SORG - http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/subreports-sorg.htm (Excel spreadsheet download)

Archives of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM)

War Patrol Reports - USS Bowfin (in hard copy) - Archives of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM)

War Patrol Reports - USS Bowfin - https://issuu.com/hnsa/docs/ss-287_bowfin_part1, https://issuu.com/hnsa/docs/ss-287_bowfin_part2

Japanese Merchant Ship Losses

Monthly Losses of Combatant and Non-Combatant Vessels

太平洋戦争時の喪失船舶明細表（汽船主体）- Lost Vessel table during the Pacific War (merchant vessels)

Alden, John D., and McDonald, Craig R. - U.S. & Allied Sub Successes in the Pacific & Far East during WWII - Fourth Edition, 2009

Cressman, Robert - The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Naval Institute Press, 2000.

Wrecksite - https://www.wrecksite.eu/wrecksite.aspx

Miramar Ship Index - https://www.miramarshipindex.nz/

Imperial Japanese Navy Page - http://www.combinedfleet.com/

Wikipedia Japan - https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ボーフィン_(潜水艦)

大日本帝國海軍 - 特設艦船 - Imperial Japanese Navy Tokusetsukansen

Japan Center for Asian Historical Records - National Archives of Japan - https://www.jacar.go.jp/index.html

Official U.S. Navy Photos - Naval History & Heritage Command

Archives of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum (PFSM)

Japanese Merchant Ship photos - Wrecksite - copyright owners retain all rights. Photos used on this site will be taken down should the owner request their removal.

大日本帝國海軍 - 特設艦船 - Imperial Japanese Navy Tokusetsukansen