Australian hospitality, Perth girls, EMU Bitters, Swan Lager and two weeks rest leaves at the King Edward Hotel healed the frazzled nerves of the Bonefish's crew. Returning to the boat on 3 November 1943, so longs were said to the one-quarter of the crew being transferred. Their replacements were waiting.

The twenty new men were assigned billets on the Watch Quarter and Station Bill. The next day the replacements were integrated into the training program after Bonefish got underway. The new men who had made war patrols on other submarines wondered if the Bonefish's crew would measure up. The original crewmembers having been bonded by seventy depth charges and seven aerial bombs on the first patrol were guarded in their assessments of their new shipmates. Even so, they worked together and every compartment was meticulously inspected and each piece of machinery tested. A number of uncompleted refit jobs were found and Bonefish returned to Fremantle.

In front of Kin Edward Hotel Perth, 
Western Australia 1943 after 
BONEFISH's first successful war 
patrol. GM1C(SS) C.R. Bartholomew 
and COB Chief Eugene Freaner, 
Chief Torpedoman(AA)

The repairs were finished and Bonefish got underway on 18 November for two days of training. Day and night torpedo approaches were concentrated on. Returning to port, the loading of supplies for the second war patrol was completed. Dispirited because it looked like a Christmas at sea, the crew cast off the mooring lines on 22 November 1943.

The engines belched block smoke as Bonefish started to back away from the berth. On the pier, the Admiral shouted, "Good hunting Tom."

"Admiral, I'll have my boat and crew back before Christmas," Captain Thomas W. Hogan shouted from the bridge.

The Skipper's enthusiastic and optimistic pronouncement heartens the crew. While the bow of the Bonefish parted the blue Indian Ocean, the thought of being in port for Christmas waned.

The boat was loaded with twenty-four torpedoes and over sixty days of supplies indicating a long patrol unless enemy ships could be sunk before reaching the South China Sea. After topping off with fuel at Exmouth Gulf, a course was set for Lombok Strait. On 28 November South of the Strait, Bonefish submerged to await darkness. Surfacing at 1915, the lookouts scrambled to their stations above the bridge for the scary transit.

The lookouts like scouts of Indian Wars were the eyes of the military unit and in this case the Bonefish. Knowing the enemy lurked under the sea, on the sea and over the sea ready to pounce kept the lookouts' adrenaline flowing. That and the unwritten lookout creed, never allowed the officer-of-the-deck to discover anything first," kept them alert. Each lookout scoured the sea and sky in his assigned quadrant.

Every suspicious object, discoloring of the sea, log, dark speck in the sky, smoke or a shadow at night was reported to the OOD. At 2210 in Lombok Strait a lookout sang out, "Small ship at zero four five, SIR."

"Very well," the OOD answered as he swung his binoculars to the object. It was a patrol boat at 2900 yards and could not be picked up by radar. Skillfully the submarine was conned around the enemy without being detected. After leaving the Strait and entering the Flores Sea at 2245, the crew temporarily relaxed.

The next morning at 0525 a lookout sighted smoke estimated to be at 25000 yards. The word was passed, "Battle Stations for tracking." A sub-chaser and making eight knots escorted the 5,000-ton cargo ship. Bonefish submerged and went to battle stations torpedo at 0645. The sub-chaser searched the sea sending out sound waves heard onboard on the submarine as a distinct 'PING.' Captain Hogan looking though the periscope at 0817 verified the range, bearing and speed of the target. Fifty-five seconds later torpedo number one was fired followed by two, three and four. The first torpedo exploded under the cargo ship listing it to port and settling by the stern. A Mary type aircraft was secured on her well dock. With a burst of speed, the sub-chaser raced toward the Bonefish.

Using a steep down angle the submarine went deep and the crew listened to the cargo ship breaking up. The first depth charge shook the Bonefish making the crews eyes look upwards. The next two depth charges jolted her as a negative temperature gradient at 250 feet stopped her decent. Taking on salt-water ballast, the submarine dropped through the gradient and leveled off at 350 feel. Five more depth charges rattled the hull. After six minutes of pinging, two more depth charges churned the sea above the Bonefish. A two-minute silence was followed by two depth charges exploding farther away. The pinging faded. The sinking of an enemy ship and the twelve depth charges changed the crew's attitude.

The replacements realized Bonefish's crew measured up and the original crewmembers knew they could count on their new shipmates. The Christmas in port dream was becoming a possibility. Rising to sixty-two feet, the periscope was raised. Smoke from the sub-chasers stack was observed and a Pete type aircraft circled the area of the sinking. Remaining submerged until dark, the BONEFISH surfaced and set a course for Makassar Straits.

The 30 November midwatch had just settled into their routine when a lookout sighted a patrol vessel. It was at 6,000 yards. Radar could not pick it up. Bonefish was not detected. To avoid discovery by airplanes and patrol boats, Bonefish submerged before sunrise off Cape William. Several sailboats were watched that day wandering near the Cape. Surfacing at 1847 and traveling north under the black tropical night, a pip appeared on the radar. The sub-chaser was eluded by Bonefish. Two hours into the midwatch on 1 December two more patrol boats were picked up by radar and dodged. Running on the surface, the Bonefish crossed the equator at 0830 that morning. An hour later an enemy convoy hugging the Celebes coast was sighted.

The ships identified as the cargo carriers London MARU, Kaisyo MARU, Kiso MARU were escorted by an Akikaze class destroyer escort and a Turbahr class minelayer. A Dave type aircraft circled the convoy starting a game of hide and seek with the Bonefish.

While charging ahead full speed on four engines to gain attack position, Bonefish was forced to dive three times by the Dave aircraft. At 1408 on the surface, Bonefish exchanged information about the convoy with the USS Bowfin (SS287). The Bonefish submerged at 1707 when the range to the zigzagging convoy was 13,000 yards. The next change in course would bring the enemy ships into firing range. The enemy ships started talking using flashing lights and the convoy turned away from the Bonefish. Surfacing, BONEFISH took up the chase again. With the bright moon astern of her and the convoy hugging the coast, Bonefish made all torpedoes ready for the surface attack.

At 2100 torpedo one, two and three were fired at the destroyer escort. Numbers four, five and six were fired at the leading and largest cargo ship, As number two and three torpedoes exploded prematurely the Bonefish was racing at full speed and making a turning for a stern shot.

Number one torpedo smashed into the destroyer escort and exploded. Number four torpedo blasted a hole in the lead cargo ship while number five torpedo exploded prematurely. Torpedoes seven, eight, nine and ten were fired. The bridge crew and lookouts observed a second hit on the destroyer escort and the cargo ship. The minelayer raced toward Bonefish but using full speed the submarine opened the distance. And the Captain, the OOD and four lookouts were entertained by a spectacular, violent, bursting, pyrotechnics like display.

The cargo ship sank. The destroyer escort's magazines exploded engulfing her in flames. The sky lit up like a dazzling Fourth of July firework fanfare. The blast rocked the Bonefish. Reducing speed, all torpedo tubes were reloaded. After a quick trim dive, the chase resumed.

Passing through the area of the sinking, survivors in lifeboats opened fire on the bridge crew and lookouts with small arms. The remainder of the convoy was picked up on radar and it was after sunrise on 2 December before firing range was reached.

Submerging, the stern tubes were fired. One torpedo ran erratic, one prematurely exploded and two missed. The enemy convoy veered away and the bow tubes could not be brought into firing position. Surfacing and using four engines, the Bonefish charged ahead only to be foiled by aircraft.

She was forced to dive at 1125 AM and 1330 by planes. The convoy was lost in one of the numerous coves along the rugged Celebes coast. With only six torpedoes left BONEFISH was assigned a new patrol area off the coast of Borneo.

A patrol boat was eluded that evening and four days later the Legazpi, a 700-ton minelayer, was tracked. It was not worthy of a torpedo and using the deck gun would give the Bonefish's position away. The surface hunt continued and she was forced to dive by an aircraft on 9 December. The lack of targets made the crew anxious and combative. The next day an enemy patrol boat scampered behind a reef and into shallow water to avoid being pounced upon by the Bonefish. On 11 December the Legazpi was again sighted. It was decided to sink her.

The four main engines roared as the deck gun crew scrambled to their stations. It was a clear sunny afternoon. The 4"50-caliber gun was cast loose. At 6,000 yards the enemy noticed the charging Bonefish and opened fire with a three-inch gun and small arms. All shots fell short. The submarine deck gun spat fire sending the first round on its way.

The high capacity round with a point detonating fuse fell short. The minelayer zigged and zagged. The second four-inch round set the enemy ship on fire and a cloud of black smoke covered her. The fourth round silenced her three-inch gun. After fifty-three rounds and seven direct hits, the four-inch gun failed to return to the firing position. The gun crew forced the gun back to battery. Another round was fired as a Dave type aircraft was sighted.

The minelayer was seen beaching herself to keep from sinking as the Bonefish dove. The next enemy ship was encountered Sunday, 12 December.

The lone ship was identified as the Tola MARU through the periscope while Bonefish ran on the surface. Getting into firing range, the submarine dove for the attack. The elated crew knew Christmas in Perth was a reality.

The bow tubes were made ready. At 1006 torpedoes number four, five and six were fired. One torpedo emitting smoke was seen by the enemy and the ship zagged away. New information was fed into the torpedo data computer. The last three torpedoes were fired from number one, two and three tubes. All torpedoes missed and exploded harmlessly at the end of their runs. A submarine chaser appeared on the horizon and the Bonefish turned south.

The equator was crossed on 13 December and every day patrol boats and airplanes harassed Bonefish. A two masted schooner manned by natives was stopped and searched and allowed to proceed having no cargo onboard. With the scary Lombok Strait behind them, the crew-felt safe and started making plans.

With joy in their hearts, the crew eagerly grabbed the morning lines and secured Bonefish alongside the USS Pelias. Fresh milk, fruit and mail from home and the Admiral came aboard as soon as the gangplank was rigged.