Editing USS Pampanito (section)

=== Third patrol, August - September 1944 ===

''Pampanito''{{'}}s third war patrol, from 17 August to 28 September, a wolfpack operation with submarines {{USS|Growler|SS-215|2}} and {{USS|Sealion|SS-315|2}}, was conducted in the [[South China Sea]]. On 12 September, she sank the 9,419-ton {{SS|Rakuyō Maru}}, which unfortunately was transporting 1,350 British and Australian [[prisoners of war]] (POWs), also the 5,135-ton tanker ''Zuihō Maru'', and she damaged a third ship. The Japanese survivors were rescued by an escort vessel, leaving POWs in the water with rafts and some abandoned boats. A total of 1,159 POWs died, of whom some 350 in lifeboats were bombarded and killed by a Japanese naval vessel the next day when they were rowing towards land.<ref>Allbury, A. G. ''Bamboo and Bushido'' London Viking Press 1955 pp207-20 - survivor account.</ref> On 15 September, ''Pampanito'' moved back to the area of the original attack and found men clinging to makeshift rafts. As the sub moved closer, the men were heard to be shouting in English. ''Pampanito'' was able to pick up 73 British and Australian survivors and called in three other subs, ''Sealion'', {{USS|Barb|SS-220|2}} and {{USS|Queenfish|SS-393|2}}, to assist with the rescue. She then set course for Saipan, disembarked the survivors, and continued on to Pearl Harbor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-09/veteran-roy-cornford-farewelled/6608212|title = 'Hell ship' POW remembered as symbol of 'great generation'| newspaper=ABC News |date = 9 July 2015}}</ref>