The Tang successfully sunk two freighters and a tanker while causing damage to a transport ship. Disaster struck when the submarine launched the final torpedo.
It malfunctioned and circled back to the sub. O’Kane attempted to maneuver the Tang out of the torpedo’s path, but the large ship moved too slowly.
Ultimately, the torpedo struck the sub, triggering a violent explosion that instantly killed almost half of the sailors.
The force of the blast threw O’Kane and several crew members into the water while others were trapped inside the sub. Water flooded three compartments, causing the Tang to sink quickly.
Meanwhile, the Japanese were dropping depth charges on the surface. Amidst the chaos, some of the crew managed to save themselves using Momsen lungs, a device made for emergency submarine escapes. Ultimately, the Tang sank 180 feet.
The nine survivors, including O’Kane, were plucked from the water by a Japanese frigate and taken to Japanese POW camps, where they remained until the end of the war. After the war, O’Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
