Triton's crew collected a special sample of Surigao Strait water for Admiral Jesse Oldendorf, whose force had crossed the Japanese T there. Beach thought it would probably be the last such maneuver in battle and joked that the sample contained rust from sunken Japanese warships. During the transit, Triton alternated between periscope observations and deeper running for speed. A Liberty ship's observed heading did not fit the plotted track, and subsequent land bearings confirmed that a current of about two knots was displacing the submarine. Triton also needed a deeper route than Magellan's historical track, which was too shallow for safe submerged passage.
Notable Point · 2:35:47-2:39:53
Surigao Strait joins battle memory to submerged navigation
A commemorative water sample and an unexpected current connect Triton's passage through Surigao Strait with its battle history and the limits of submerged navigation.