Theodore Charles Aylward, USN
| Born | 14 Feb 1903 | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | |
| Died | 10 Oct 1992 | (89) | Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Ranks
Retired: 1 Jul 1957 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Theodore Charles Aylward, USN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| USS Searaven (196) | Lt.Cdr. | Submarine | mid 1941 | 28 Mar 1942 |
Career information
We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.
Events related to this officer
Submarine USS Searaven (196)
9 Dec 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1830H/9, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) departed Marivales, Philippines for her 1st war patrol. She is ordered to patrol to the north-west corner of Formosa. (2)
17 Dec 1941
Around 2115H/17, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived in her patrol area via the Bashi Channel and the east coast of Formosa. (2)
17 Dec 1941
At 1015H/17, to the north of Formosa, in position 26°02'N, 121°39'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), three transports were sighted on course 210°(T) at a speed of 10 knots. A favourable attack position could not be obtained. (2)
22 Dec 1941 (position 25.37, 120.57)
At 1015H/17, to the north-west of Formosa, in position 25°37'N, 120°57'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), two ships were seen proceeding on course 235°(T) at 7 knots. A night attack was made through driving rain in which two torpedoes were fired from 800 yards at the leading ship of which only a light could be seen in the limited visibility. No hits were obtained. (2)
25 Dec 1941 (position 25.21, 120.40)
At 0845H/17, to the north-west of Formosa, in position 25°21'N, 120°40'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) heard screws on the hydrophones while she was at 110 feet. On coming to periscope depth a transport was seen proceeding on course 210°(T) at 14 knots. Range was 3800 yards. One torpedo was fired from 3200 yards for a 3300 yards run but it missed.
26 Dec 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2359H/26, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) departed her patrol area to return to Manila. (2)
29 Dec 1941
USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to proceed to Port Darwin, Australia instead of Manila which port was no longer considered safe. Course was set to proceed via the East coast of Luzon and the Molucca Passage. (2)
30 Dec 1941 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to patrol off Subic Bay. Course is set accordingly. (2)
31 Dec 1941 (position 18.30, 118.02)
At 1946H/31, east of northern Luzon, in position 18°30'N, 119°02'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), two ships were sighted proceeding on course 275°(T) at 15 knots. Range was 4000 yards. These ships turned out to be Japanese destroyers who must have spotted Searaven at the same time as they came towards at high speed.
Searaven quickly dived to 170 feet but was then hunted and depth charged for about two hours. Three patterns of depth charges were dropped but none were very close and no damage was sustained. (2)
1 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2100H/1, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived in her new patrol area off Subic Bay. (2)
6 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1840H/6, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) departed her patrol area off Subic Bay for Port Darwin, Australia. (2)
8 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to patrol off Basilan Strait. (2)
9 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2300H/9, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived in her patrol area off Basilan Strait. (2)
10 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2050H/10, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to patrol off the Tinaca Lighthouse near the Gulf of Davao. Course is set accordingly. (2)
11 Jan 1942
Around 1200H/11, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived in her new patrol area off the Tinaca Lighthouse near the Gulf of Davao.
At 2155H/11, USS Searaven is ordered to patrol off Manado, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies. Course is set accordingly. (2)
12 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 2100H/12, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived in her new patrol area off Manado, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies. (2)
13 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1900H/13, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) left her patrol area for Darwin, Australia. (2)
19 Jan 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0615H/13, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) left her patrol area for Darwin, Australia. She was then taken in hand for a short tender refit by USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN). (2)
28 Jan 1942
Around 1700H/28, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) departed Darwin for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea. She was escorted out until 1845H/28 by USS Peary (T/Lt.Cdr. J.M. Bermingham, USN). (3)
29 Jan 1942
Around 2230H/29, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) received a signal to proceed north while passing through Wetar Strait. (3)
31 Jan 1942
Around 0230H/31, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) received a signal ordering her to proceed towards Manipa Strait. (3)
1 Feb 1942
Around 0245H/1, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) received a signal ordering her to proceeds towards Camranh Bay, Indo-China via Manipa Strait, Bangka Passage, Sibutu Passage and Balabac Strait. (3)
3 Feb 1942 (position 0.05, 126.11)
Around 0126H/3, in the Molucca Passage, in position 00°05'N, 126°11'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) sighted the masts of a Japanese destroyer bearing 010°(T) at a range of 10000 yards. Enemy course was 160°(T) at 18 knots. The enemy was zig-zagging. Started attack.
0150H/3, Fired two bow torpedoes from 900 to 1000 yards. Both missed. The target took no evasive action and no counter attack followed. (3)
6 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 0625H/6, off Sibutu Passage (approximate position
04°45'N, 119°40'E), USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), sighted an enemy merchant vessel bearing 180°(T) at a range of 14000 yards. Enemy course was 340° at a speed of 15 knots. No attack was possible due to the ship being out of range. (3)
10 Feb 1942
Around 2345H/10, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), received a signal informing her that a Japanese Task Force had left Camrahn Bay and was southbound and that Searaven was to try to intercept this force. Course was set accordingly. (3)
11 Feb 1942 (position 7.36, 108.24)
USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) attacked an enemy cruiser force with four torpedoes in position 07°36'N, 108°24'E (South China Sea). No hits were obtained. USS Searaven was depth charged following the attack but was not damaged.
The Japanese force attacked was made up of the heavy cruisers Chokai, Kumano, Mikuma, Mogami, Suzuya and the destroyers Uranami, Isonami and Ayanami.
Around 1811H/11, in position 07°36'N, 108°24'E, USS Searaven sighted the enemy Task Force which she was ordered to intercept. The enemy force was made up of about 4 heavy cruisers and 8 destroyers and was sighted bearing 063°(T) at a range of 7000 yards. Enemy course was 215°(T), speed 12 knots. Commenced attack.
1825H/11, Fired four bow torpedoes from a range of 1800 to 2000 yards at two of the heavy cruisers. Went deep on firing due to some of the escorting destroyers being very close. The torpedoes were heard to run but no explosions followed.
1832H/11, Depth charging started while Searaven was at 100 feet going to 250 feet. 16 Charges in all were dropped estimated to be between 200 and 800 yards off. Three destroyers were heard to be hunting overhead. Pinging and screws faded out around 2215H/11 and half an hour later Searaven surfaced and sent out an enemy report. (3)
15 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0215H/15, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) received a signal ordering her to patrol off Hainan Island. (3)
19 Feb 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 2000H/19, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to proceed to Lombok Strait via Mindoro, Sibutu and Makassar Strait. (3)
1 Mar 1942
At 2100H/1, While en-route southbound in Makassar Strait, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) is ordered to proceed to Fremantle passing through Sape Strait (between Sumbawa and Komodo Islands).
Shortly afterwards, at 2125H/1, when north-west of Cape William, an unidentified vessel was seen bearing 070°(T), range 5000 yards. She was apparently coming towards so dived to periscope depth but nothing could be seen through the periscope. The hydrophone operator reported hearing screws but these soon faded out. (3)
2 Mar 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0235H/2, While en-route southbound in Makassar Strait near Cape Mandar, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) sighted an unidentified ship bearing 150° at a range of 4500 yards. Searaven dived but again the target could not be seen through the periscope. The target must have turned away. USS Searaven surfaced at 0402H/2 and continued her passage southwards. (3)
3 Mar 1942 (position -4.50, 118.45)
In the southern end of the Makassar Strait, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN), attacked what is thought to be an enemy tanker with two torpedoes. No hits were obtained. Searaven was depth charges following the attack.
At 0040H/3, While en-route southbound in Makassar Strait between Taka Bakang and Pulau Kapoposang, in approximate position 04°50'S, 118°45'E, USS Searaven sighted an unidentified ship bearing 016° at a range of 6000 yards. The ships course was southerly at 15 knots. Later it was seen there were two ships, a tanker and a 'four-goal' transport thought to be a naval auxiliary. USS Searaven dived to attack.
Two torpedoes from the stern tubes were then fired a the tanker from 1500 yards. The torpedoes were heard to run but no hits were obtained. While making the attack the second vessel, which had not been seen before diving, bore down on Searaven from starboard and commenced dropping depth charges but these did no damage. (3)
4 Mar 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0715H/4, when southeast of the Sibbalds Bank, in approximate position 06°00'S, 117°00'E, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) sighted two modern-type enemy destroyers bearing 185°(T) at a range of 12000 yards. They were proceeding on course 075°(T) at 15 knots. The range was too great to close.
At 2016H/4, an unidentified ship was seen near Pulau Banawaya. USS Searaven dived to attack but the range could not be closed. (3)
5 Mar 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
During daylight hours, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) made the southbound passage of Sape Strait submerged. (3)
12 Mar 1942 (position 0.00, 0.00)
At 0815H/12, USS Searaven (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Aylward, USN) arrived at Fremantle from patrol. She is then taken in hand for a tender refit initially by USS Holland (T/Capt. J.W. Gregory, USN) but later by USS Otus (Cdr. J. Newsom, USN). (3)
Sources
- http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_NX/citations/03_wwii-nc/nc_06wwii_navy.html
- Patrol report of USS Searaven for her 1st war patrol
- Patrol report of USS Searaven for her 2nd war patrol
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