jolted by a violent explosion. Fearing that the detonation had been premature, Sands remained deep for over an hour. When he ascended to periscope depth, the convoy had escaped, but the escort, coastal minelayer, Hirashima, was sinking. Sawfish returned to Pearl Harbor on 10 August. Fourth and fifth war patrols, September–December 1943 During her fourth patrol, 10 September to 16 October, defective torpedoes frustrated the seven attacks which she made in the Sea of Japan before she returned to Midway. She got underway for the Bonins and her fifth patrol on 1 November. On 8 December, she sank 3,267-ton passenger-cargo ship, Sansei Maru, and returned to Midway on 19 December. She soon proceeded to Hunter's Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California, for overhaul. Sixth and seventh war patrols, April–August 1944 Back in top trim, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor early in the spring. On 8 April 1944, she got underway for Japanese waters and her sixth war patrol. However, she only encountered two targets: a cargo ship which she attacked on 25 April and a second vessel which she sighted four days later—too fast and too far away for the submarine to attack. Although the submarine reported scoring two hits on the cargo ship, Japanese records contain no evidence of any sinking in the vicinity of the attack. During her seventh war patrol, Sawfish joined and for wolfpack operations. The submarines sortied from Majuro on 22 June and headed for the Philippines. On 18 July, she damaged a tanker and, on 26 July, fired a spread of four torpedoes at surfaced Japanese submarine (one of only six Axis powers submarines to attempt trans-oceanic Yanagi missions), which exploded and sank. After a fruitless chase of a large Japanese convoy, the wolfpack ended the patrol at Pearl Harbor on 15 August. Eighth war patrol, September–November 1944 During Sawfish'''s eighth war patrol, her commanding officer, Comdr. Alan B. Banister, led a wolfpack which included , and from time to time other submarines. The pack departed Pearl Harbor on 9 September and headed for waters south of Formosa where the submarines took a heavy toll on enemy shipping. Sawfish, herself, accounted for a 6,521-ton tanker, Tachibana Maru, on 9 October and a 6,838-ton seaplane tender, , on 23 October. During the patrol, Sawfish also served on lifeguard station off Formosa in support of carrier raids. On 16 October, she rescued a pilot from