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Notable events involving Gunnel include:

2 Mar 1942
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) arrived at New London, Connecticut from Rosneath, Scotland.

19 Oct 1942
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) departed from New London for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to participate in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa.

7 Dec 1942
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) ended her 1st war patrol at Rosneath, Scotland.

22 Jan 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) departed Rosneath, Scotland for New London, Connecticut. She is to be sent to the Portsmouth Navy yard for an overhaul before she is sent to the Pacific.

2 Feb 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) arrived at New London, Connecticut from Rosneath, Scotland.

8 Feb 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) departed New London, Connecticut for the Portsmouth Navy Yard for engine repairs and refit.

22 Mar 1943
With her engine repairs and refit completed, USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN), departed the Portsmouth Navy Yard for New London, Connecticut.

23 Mar 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) arrived at New London, Connecticut from the Portsmouth Navy Yard.

4 May 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) transited the Panama Canal.

18 May 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) arrived at Pearl Harbor from New London.

28 May 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea.

15 Jun 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Koyo Maru (6426 GRT) in Tsushima Straits in position 33°55'N, 127°38'E.

19 Jun 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Hong Kong Maru (2797 GRT) and merchant cargo ship Tokiwa Maru (6971 GRT) off Shirase, Japan in position 32°40'N, 126°37'E, and damaged the Japanese coastal minelayer Tsubame (450 tons, offsite link) in position 32°31'N, 126°17'E.

3 Jul 1943
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) ended her 2nd war patrol at Midway. She is sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard for general overhaul and re-engineering, due to continuous problems with her main-engines.

9 Nov 1943
USS Sailfish (T/Lt.Cdr. R.E.M. Ward, USN) and USS Gunnel (T/Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour with USS Allen (T/Lt.Cdr. H.H. Nielsen, USN). (1)

10 Nov 1943
During 10/11 November 1943 USS Sailfish (T/Lt.Cdr. R.E.M. Ward, USN) and USS Gunnel (T/Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour. On the 11th, USS Harold C. Thomas (Lt.Cdr. V.H. Craig, Jr., USNR) and USS Seagull (T/Lt. F.L. van Camp, USN) joined for that days exercises. (2)

17 Nov 1943
Around 1315VW/17, USS Sailfish (T/Lt.Cdr. R.E.M. Ward, USN) and USS Gunnel (T/Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) both leave Pearl Harbor for their 10th and 3rd war patrols resepctively. They were both ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters south of Honshu. Before proceeding to their patrol areas they were to top off with fuel and water at Midway. They were escorted until around 1915VW/17 by USS PC-596 (Lt. R.E. Blackwell, USNR). The submarines parted company around 2100VW/17 to proceed to Midway independently. (3)

4 Dec 1943
USS Gunnel (Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Hiyoshi Maru (4046 GRT) northeast of Haha Jima in position 29°43'N, 145°54'E.

5 Feb 1944
USS Gunnel (Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) departed from Midway for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China, Sulu, and Celebes Seas.

6 Apr 1944
USS Gunnel (Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle, Australia.

27 Apr 1944
During 27/28 April 1944, HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN) conducted exercises off Fremantle with the submarines USS Gunnel (T/Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN) and USS Puffer (T/Cdr. F.G. Selby, USN). (4)

3 May 1944
USS Gunnel (Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) departed from Fremantle for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.

6 May 1944

Operation Transom.

Carrier raid against Surabaya by the Eastern Fleet.

On 6 May 1944 the Eastern Fleet put to sea from Trincomalee or Colombo in two task forces;
Task Force 65, which was made up of the battleships HMS Queen Elizabeth (Capt. H.G. Norman, CBE, RN, flying the flag of Admiral J.F. Somerville, KCB, KBE, DSO, RN, C-in-C Eastern Fleet), HMS Valiant (Capt. G.E.M. O’Donnell, DSO, RN), Richelieu (Capt. G.M.J. Merveilleux du Vignaux), the light cruisers HMS Kenya (Capt. C.L. Robertson, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral A.D. Read, CB, RN), HrMs Tromp (A/Capt. F. Stam, RNethN) and the destroyers HMS Rotherham (Capt. F.S.W. de Winton, RN), HMS Racehorse (Cdr. J.J. Casement, DSC, RN), HMS Penn (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, DSO, DSC, RN), HMAS Napier (Lt.Cdr. A.H. Green, DSC, RAN, with Commodore S.H.T. Arliss, DSO, RN, on board), HMAS Nepal (Lt.Cdr. J. Plunkett-Cole, RAN), HMAS Quiberon (Cdr. G.S. Stewart, RAN), HMAS Quickmatch (Lt.Cdr. O.H. Becher, DSC, RAN) and HrMs Van Galen (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN).

Task Force 66, which was made up of the battlecruiser HMS Renown (Capt. B.C.B. Brooke, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral A.J. Power, KCB, CVO, RN, second in command of the Eastern Fleet) (went to Task Force 65 the next day), the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. R.L.B. Cunliffe, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral C. Moody, CB, RN), USS Saratoga (T/Commodore J.H. Cassady, USN), light cruisers HMS Ceylon (Capt. G.B. Amery-Parkes, RN), HMNZS Gambia (Capt. N.J.W. William-Powlett, DSC, RN) and the destroyers HMS Quilliam (Capt. R.G. Onslow, DSO and 2 Bars, RN), HMS Quadrant (Lt.Cdr. W.H. Farrington, RN), HMS Queenborough (Cdr. E.P. Hinton, DSO and Bar, MVO, RN), USS Cummings (T/Cdr. P.D. Williams, USN), USS Dunlap (T/Cdr. C. Iverson, USN) and USS Fanning (T/Cdr. J.C. Bentley, USN).

On 10 May 1944, the Dutch light cruiser Tromp and the destroyers were fuelled at sea by the capital ships and the cruisers. During fuelling from HMS Valiant the Dutch destroyer HrMs Van Galen sustained some minor damage (fractured hull plate on her port side) but the crew of the Van Galen was able to effect emergency repairs.

On 15 May 1944, task forces 65 and 66 were fuelled at Exmouth Gulf, Australia by Task Force 67 which was made up of of six Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers; Eaglesdale (8032 GRT, built 1942), Echodale (8150 GRT, built 1941), Easedale (8032 GRT, built 1942), Arndale (8296 GRT, built 1937), Pearleaf (5911 GRT, built 1917), Appleleaf (5891 GRT, built 1917) and supplyship (used as distilling ship) Bacchus (3154 GRT, built 1936). This force had already left Trincomalee on 30 April and was escorted by the heavy cruisers HMS London (Capt. R.V. Symonds-Tayler, DSC, RN), HMS Suffolk (A/Capt. W.F.H.C. Rutherford, RN). They had also been escorted near Ceylon by a local escort for A/S purposes, this local escort had been made up of the destroyers HMS Rotherham, HrMs Van Galen and the frigate HMS Findhorn (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Dawson, RD, RNR). The local escort returned to Ceylon on 5 May 1944. The two cruisers mentioned above now joined Task Force 66. Later this day Task Forces 65 and 66 went to sea again for the actual attack on Surabaya. On leaving Exmouth Gulf the fleet was spotted by the merchant vessel Aroona. This ship was now instructed to put into Exmouth Gulf and was held there by HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdale, OBE, RAN) for 24 hours and to impress on the master and crew of this vessel the necessity of not disclosing any information concerning the Fleet on the arrival of their ship at Fremantle (their next port of call).

In the early morning hours of the 17th the carriers launched 45 dive bombers and 40 fighters for an attack on the harbour and oil installations (Wonokromo oil refeniry) of Surabaya, Netherlands East Indies. (USS Saratoga: 12 Avengers (1 had to return with engine trouble shortly after being launched), 18 Dauntless, 24 Hellcats; HMS Illustrious: 18 Avengers (2 of which force landed in the sea shortly after being launched), 16 Corsairs). On the ground they destroyed 12 enemy aircraft (20 were claimed). The damage to the harbour and shipping were over estimated (10 ships were thought to have been hit) as in fact only the small transport ship Shinrei Maru (987 GRT, built 1918) was sunk and patrol vessel P 36, auxiliary submarine chasers CHa-107 and CHa-108, tanker Yosei Maru (2594 GRT, built 1928, former Dutch Josefina) and cargo ships Choka Maru (???? GRT, built ????) and Tencho Maru (2716 GRT, built 1919) were damaged.

On the 18th the US ships were released. The other ships then proceeded to Exmouth Gulf where they arrived to fuel the next day before starting on the return trip to Ceylon less destroyer HMAS Quiberon which was to refit in Australia and was sent to Fremantle.

On 23 May 1944, the Dutch light cruiser Tromp and the destroyers were fuelled at sea by the capital ships and the cruisers.

The ships of Task Force 65 and 66 arrived back at Colombo or Trincomalee on the 26 or 27th.

On 1 June 1944, Task Force 67 arrived at Trincomalee from Exmouth Gulf having been escorted by HMS London and HMS Suffolk until 1700FG/31. On arrival at Trincomalee Task Force 67 had an A/S escort made up of the destroyers HMAS Nizam (Cdr. C.H. Brooks, RAN), HMAS Quickmatch, HMS Raider (Lt.Cdr. K.W. Michell, DSC, RN), HMS Roebuck (Cdr. J.T. Lean, DSO, RN) and corvette HMS Burnet (Lt. D.S. Charles, RNR). These ships had joined at 2300FG/28 (HMAS Nizam, HMS Roebuck and HMS Burnet) and 0630FG/30 (HMAS Quickmatch and HMS Raider).

During this operation several US Submarine guarded the passages to the Indian Ocean to spot a possible Japanese counter attack. The submarines deployed for this purpose were the following; In the Sunda Strait from 12 to 23 May 1944; USS Angler (T/Cdr. R. I. Olsen, USN) and USS Gunnel (T/Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr., USN).
South of Lombok Strait from 13 to 20 May 1944; USS Cabrilla (T/Cdr. W.C. Thompson, Jr., USN) and also the USS Bluefish (T/Cdr. C.M. Henderson, USN) from 13 May until the night of the 16th.
South of Bali Strait from 17 to 20 May; USS Bluefish.
North of Bali Strait; USS Puffer (Cdr. F.G. Selby, USN) during the night of 16/17 May.

The following US Submarines were deployed in the Surabaya area for air/sea rescue duties; USS Puffer in the Madura Strait about 40 miles to the east of Surabaya.
USS Rasher (Cdr. W.R. Laughton, USN) in the Java Sea about 40 miles to the north of Surabaya. (5)

4 Jul 1944
USS Gunnel (Cdr. J.S. McCain, Jr.) ended her 5th war patrol at Fremantle.

29 Jul 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) departed from Fremantle for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Sibuyan Sea area and off the west coasts of Southern Luzon and Mindoro.

22 Sep 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) ended her 6th war patrol at Fremantle.

21 Oct 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) departed from Fremantle for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China and Sulu Seas.

8 Nov 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) torpedoed and sank the Japanese torpedo boat Sagi (offsite link) about 60 nautical miles west of Lingayen Gulf, Philippines in position 16°09'N, 118°56'E.

17 Nov 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) torpedoed and sank the Japanese torpedo boat Hiyodori (offsite link) and the Japanese merchant tanker Shunten Maru (5623 GRT) about 130 nautical miles east of Tourane, French Indochina in position 16°56'N, 110°30'E.

2 Dec 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) lands supplies and evacuates Allied aviators from Palawan, Philippines.

28 Dec 1944
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) ended her 7th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. she is now ordered to the Hunters Point Navy Yard for a major overhaul.

11 May 1945
With her overhaul completed USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) arrived back at Pearl Harbor.

28 May 1945
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) departed from Pearl Harbor for Guam.

9 Jun 1945
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) arrived at Guam.

13 Jun 1945
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) departed from Guam for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Bungo Suido area.

24 Jul 1945
USS Gunnel (Lt.Cdr. G.E. O'Neil, Jr.) ended her 8th war patrol at Guam.

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