to the northwest. At 1813, S-37 sighted the masts and upper works of three Japanese destroyers in column at a distance 5 nautical miles (9250 m) , estimated speed . A half-hour's wait brought no transports or cargo ships into view, and S-37 went after the destroyer formation. Moving on the surface, she closed the four destroyers in column, distance . All torpedoes were readied and, at 1946, she commenced her approach. A minute later, she sighted another, closer formation of four destroyers, distance , plus the dim outlines of three large ships resembling transports, distance 3 nautical miles (5500 m) , on a northerly course. It would turn out that S-37 had found fifteen transports in convoy. At 1951, S-37 changed course to go after the transports. By 2010, however, the destroyers had increased speed to maintain cover for the transports as the formation turned and crossed ahead of the submarine at . By 2030, S-37, unable to gain an unimpaired shot at the transports, shifted to attack the destroyers. Between 2036 and 2040, she closed to point-blank range, , and launched one torpedo at each destroyer. Thirty seconds after firing the third torpedo, she observed a hit between the stacks of the third and, as black smoke rose, it buckled in the middle and formed a vee approximately above the bow and stern. (2,000 tons) was doomed. She was, however, the only ship lost from this force, and the only confirmed ship S-37 sank. The fourth destroyer sighted S-37 as she fired her fourth torpedo and turned to starboard. At 2041, S-37 dived and rigged for depth-charging. By 2043, the three remaining destroyers were overhead, their sonars pinging. S-37 ran silent. Between 2050 and 2215, the searching destroyers dropped depth charges at 10- to 15-minute intervals. S-37 reached as she evaded. By 2230, the destroyers had moved out of the area. S-37 reloaded and resumed the hunt. S-37 remained in the area for another eight days, during which she sighted several Japanese ships. Her lack of speed precluded several attacks and, on 11 February 1942, faulty mechanisms in her old Mark 10 torpedoes caused them to sink before reaching their target. On 17 February, she passed the Paternoster Islands, and on 18 February she arrived off Lombok Strait. On 19 February, she patrolled in Lombok and Badoeng Straits, and on the morning of 20 February she received orders