TASK FORCE SEVENTY ONE
SEVENTH FLEET, US NAVY
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

On 1 April 1943 Task Force Seventy One (Task Force 71) comprised:-

TASK FORCE SEVENTY ONE

HMAS Adelaide
HNMS Heemskerck
HNMS Tromp
HNMS Van Galen
HNMS Tjerk Hiddes
(AM21) USS Lark
(AM35) USS Whippoorwill
(PY10) Isabel
(AS20) USS Otus - Tender

Submarine Squadron Six

(AS 14) USS Pelias - Submarine Tender
(ASR7) USS Chanticleer - Submarine Rescue Vessel

Submarine Division Sixty-one	Submarine Division Sixty-two
(SS198) USS Tambor	(SS201) USS Triton
(SS199) USS Tautog	(SS202) USS Trout
(SS200) USS Thresher	(SS203) USS Tuna
(SS206) USS Gar	(SS209) USS Grayling
(SS207) USS Grampus	(SS210) USS Grenadier
(SS208) USS Grayback	(SS211) USS Gudgeon

 

Fleet Air Wing Ten

(AVP2) USS Heron	VP 101
(AVD1) USS Childs	Headquarters Squadron
(AVD7) USS Wm. B. Preston	VSO 63

Rear Admiral R.W. Christie was Commander Task Force Seventy One in April 1943.

On 1 August 1945 Task Force Seventy One (Task Force 71) under Rear Admiral James Fife U.S.N., Commander Submarines Seventh Fleet comprised:-

TASK FORCE SEVENTY ONE

USS Becuna (SS319, Flagship for Read Admiral James Fife

Submarine Squadron 22

USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS16) Subic Bay

Submarine Division 221
USS Cobia (SS245) (F) - enroute Subic Bay
USS Croaker (SS246) - south Hong Kong

Submarine Division 222
USS Blueback (SS326) - Subic Bay
USS Capitaine (SS336) - Fremantle
USS Carbonero (SS337) - Subic Bay

Submarine Squadron 26

USS Anthedon (AS24) - Subic Bay

Submarine Division 261
USS Hardhead (SS365) (F) - north Surabaya
USS Hawkbill (SS366) - southwest Hainan
USS Baya (SS318) - Subic Bay
USS Becuna (SS319) (FF) - Subic Bay
USS Hammerhead (SS364) - South China Sea

Submarine Division 262
USS Besugo (SS321) - Fremantle
USS Caiman (SS323) - Flores Sea
USS Blenny (33324) - Siam Gulf
USS Blower (SS325) - Fremantle

Submarine Squadron 30

USS Clytie (AS26) - Fremantle

Submarine Division 301
USS Boarfish (SS327) - Siam Gulf
USS Charr (SS328) - Fremantle
USS Chub - (SS329) - north Surabaya
USS Kraken (SS370) - off West Australia
USS Lamprey (SS372) - Siam Gulf

Submarine Division 302
USS Brill (SS330) - Java Sea
USS Bugara (SS331) - Siam Gulf
USS Bullhead (SS332) off West Australia
USS Bumper (SS333) - off Singapore
USS Lizardfish (SS373) - Siam Gulf
USS Loggerhead (SS374) - Fremantle

Submarine Division 161
USS Puffer (SS268) - south Hong Kong
USS Rasher (SS269) - southeast Formosa
USS Cabrilla (SS288) - off West Australia
USS Icefish (SS367) - off West Australia

Submarine Division 162
USS Bluefish (SS222) - Fremantle
USS Cod (SS224) - Siam Gulf
USS Raton (SS270) - Subic Bay
USS Ray (SS271) South China Sea

Submarine Division 423
USS Tuna (SS203) - Subic Bay

Eighth Submarine Flotilla - Royal Navy

HMS Maidstone (Tender) - Subic Bay

HMS Solent - South China Sea
HMS Stygian - off Singapore
HMS Sleuth - South China Sea
HMS Spark - off Singapore
HMS Selene - south Hong Kog
HMS Supreme - Subic Bay
HMS Seascout - Subic Bay
HMS Sidon - South China Sea
HMS Spearhead - off Saigon
HMS Seanymph - Subic Bay

Fourth Submarine Flotilla - Royal Navy

HMS Adamant (Tender) - Fremantle

HMS Taurus - Fremantle
HMS Totem - Fremantle
HMS Tiptoe - Sunda Strait
HMS Trump - Sunda Strait
HMS Turpin - Fremantle
HMS Thorough - Madura Strait
HMS Trennchant - Fremantle
HMS Thule - Fremantle
HMS Taciturn - Madura Strait
HMS Stubborn - north Surabaya
HMS Tudor - Java Sea

Fourteenth Submarine Flotilla - Royal Navy

HMS Bonaventure (Tender) - Brunei Bay, Borneo

XE Craft assigned

Royal Netherlands Navy Submarines

HNMS K-14 - Fremantle
HNMS K-15 - off West Australia
HNMS O-21 - south Batavia
HNMS O-24 - Fremantle

Surface Ships attached to T.F. 71

USS Coucal (ASR8) - Brunei Bay, BOrneo
USS Chanticleer (ASR7) - off Masbate Island, P.I.
USCG Hutchinson - Fremantle
USCG Corpus Christi - Fremantle
USS ARD-10 - Fremantle
USS Isabel - Fremantle
USS SC-739 - Fremantle

Utility Training Unit, Aircraft Seventh Fleet (Guildford Airport - Pert, Western Australia)

1 R4D
2 TBM
4 SBD

Submarine Repair Unit, Navy 137

Submarine Torpedo Unit, Navy 137

Submarine Repair Unit, Navy 3002

The War Diary for Task Force 71 dated 1 August 1945, showed that the following special operations were underway at that time:-

HMS Stygian had towed XE Craft No. 3 and HMS Spark had towed XE Craft No. 1 to a position near Horsburgh Reef and cast them loose for an attack on two damaged Japanese cruisers in Singapore Harbour.

HMS Spearhead had towed XE Craft No. 4 to a position off Saigon, and cast it loose for cable cutting operations.

HMS Selene had towed XE Craft No. 5 to a position off Hong Kong, and cast it loose for cable cutting operations.

USS Caiman was conducting a special mission off the southeast tip of the Celebes for the Allied Intelligence Bureau.

USS Cobia and HMS Sidon were conducting a search for downed aviators off Cape Kamao.

 

Gus Mellon provided me with the following extra information on USS Caiman and USS Cobia:-

USS Caiman (SS-323) C.O. Lt. Cmdr. W. L. Fey, Jr. USN, 4th War Patrol, brief summary below:

On 22 July 1945, Caiman departed Fremantle to patrol in the Flores, Java and South China Seas. She was also ordered to perform three special missions and an Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) party of three operatives was embarked before departure. The three men were operatives of Secret Intelligence Australia (SIA), a branch of AIB. Two of the operatives were Lt. H. P. K. Jacks RANVR, a former District Officer of the Sarawak government with fluent Malay and Dyak language skills, and Lt. L. D. Nicholson RANVR, an Australian from Lindeman Island in the Whitsunday group and an expert small boats sailor. The name of the third man is not recorded, so presumably he was not an officer.

On 28 and 29 July 1945, Caiman reconnoitred the coast of Lombok and Sumbawa Islands and the AIB operatives interrogated natives in small craft, before continuing on into the Flores Sea.

On 31 July 1945, Caiman closed the coast for a pickup rendezvous off Kendari, in the Celebes. Her mission was to take off a party of AIB coast watchers, however contact from shore was not made, so she proceeded with her patrol. There is no mention of this mission in her patrol report, but she was in the Kendari area that day.

On 9 August 1945, during the night, Caiman landed her three AIB operatives for a scouting mission on Sekala Island, in the Java Sea. Per her patrol report, she was off Sekala Island at 2000 hours and had completed her special mission by 2200 hours.

On 15 August 1945, after passing through the Karimata Strait, Caiman received orders to cease hostilities against Japanese forces and on 19 August 1945, she returned to Subic Bay.

 

USS Cobia (SS-245) C.O. Lt. Cmdr. F. N. Russell USN, 6th War Patrol, brief summary below:

On 18 July 1945, Cobia departed Fremantle to patrol off Formosa. Her departure was delayed by two day to dock the submarine and replace both propellers which were determined to be noisy during her sound test, and to replace one periscope. During her refit Cobia was fitted with a five-inch gun and a twin 20MM mount forward, plus the new ST radar and a directional APR set.

On 27 July 1945, Cobia reached the Sunda Strait and landed Javanese agents near Chewar, Java.

On 1 August 1945, at 0800 hours, Cobia made a surface search with USS Bugara (SS-331), for the crew of a Liberator bomber, but secured from searching at 1511 hours with no result.

On 2 August 1945, at 0500 hours, Cobia made a surface rendezvous with USS Boarfish (SS-327) and transferred personnel and all of her five-inch and 40 mm ammunition, for the further transfer of personnel to USS Cod (SS-224) and the ammunition to USS Blenny (SS-324). Lt. F.B.K. Drake RANVR of Secret Intelligence Australia (SIA) came onboard.

On 5 August 1945, Cobia arrived at Subic Bay for repairs to her hydraulic system, taking fuel and provisions as well. On 6 August 1945, Cobia departed Subic Bay for the second phase of her patrol, to patrol and perform lifeguard duties southwest of Formosa.

On 12 August 1945, Cobia stood lifeguard duty off Takao, but her services were not required.

On 13 August 1945, Cobia stood lifeguard duty off Tainan, but her services were not required.

On 16 August 1945, Cobia made a surface rendezvous with USS Ray (SS-271) and USS Croaker (SS-246). At 1900 hours, Cobia changer her OPCON to ComSubPac and was directed to head for Saipan.

On 18 August 1945, at 1000 hours, Cobia made a surface rendezvous with USS Jack (SS-259).

On 18 August 1945, at 1500 hours, Cobia made a surface rendezvous with USS Icefish (SS-367).

On 22 August 1945, Cobia ended her final war patrol at Saipan.

Royal Netherlands Navy Vessels in Task Force 71

REFERENCE BOOKS

War Diary, Commander Seventh Fleet from 1 April 1943 to 30 April 1943

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gus Mellon who provided me with extra information on USS Caiman and USS Cobia.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 17 February 2016

This page last updated 18 February 2026