tired." May–September 1944 After taking on provisions at Pearl Harbor, Blackfish departed on 21 May 1944 and arrived at Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s Submarine Repair Base at San Francisco, California, on 27 May. Her crew went ashore for leave while she underwent a three-month overhaul. After its completion, and with 24 new crew members embarked, she set out from San Francisco on 31 August 1944, shaping a course for Pearl Harbor. She arrived there on 7 September 1944 and spent several days conducting independent exercises. Ninth war patrol For her ninth war patrol, Blackfish operated as part of a submarine wolfpack designated Task Group 17.11. The wolfpack also included the submarines and , with Shark′s commanding officer in overall command. Blackfish began the patrol on 23 September 1944, departing Pearl Harbor and heading for Saipan in the Mariana Islands in company with Seadragon and Shark. The three submarines entered the harbor at Saipan on 3 October 1944, and Blackfish moored alongside the submarine tender there. Early on the morning of 4 October, the wolfpack set out for its patrol area but quickly encountered several problems. First, a typhoon crossed the wolfpack′s track, then Shark began to experience electrical problems. On 5 October, the task group entered the eastern end of the Saipan safety lane, and where Shark resolved her electrical issues. The three submarines remained in the area during the night of 5–6 October 1944 to wait out the storm. The three submarines departed the Saipan safety lane on 6 October 1944 amid force 8 winds and seas. Several times, green water broke over her bridge, causing seawater to flood through her conning tower hatch. Her crew at first bailed out the conning tower with buckets, then rigged a canvas water scoop which directed the water from the lower conning tower hatch into the large drain in the control room deck. Blackfish also experienced several 50-degree rolls and a great deal of sea sickness among her crew. The typhoon continued on 7 October, Sellars commenting that the waves “are still mountainous, 50 to 60 feet [15 to 18 meters] with gale winds of 60 to 70 knots [111 to 130 km/hr; 69 to 81 mph]." Blackfish pressed on and reached her patrol area on the morning of 8 October 1944, at last finding calm seas there. Blackfish′s patrol was quiet until 12 October 1944, when she made contact with a Japanese