Samidare with demolition charges. Called away from Velasco Reef by orders to stand lifeguard duty off Peleliu between 27 and 29 August 1944 during air strikes on Peleliu and nearby Koror, Batfish did not return to Velasco Reef until two days before her departure from the patrol area. One Japanese ship still lay high and dry on the reef, but closer inspection revealed her to be already beyond salvage. Batfish chased a Japanese minelayer for 90 minutes, but it outmaneuvered her and escaped. On 3 September 1944, Batfish headed for refit at Fremantle, Australia. She arrived at Fremantle on 12 September 1944, and the submarine tender provided a relief crew to begin the refit, while Batfish′s own crew relaxed in Perth in Western Australia. Fifth war patrol Escorted by the Royal Australian Navy corvette , Batfish departed Fremantle on 8 October 1944 and proceeded with the submarine to Exmouth Gulf on the coast of Western Australia for refueling. On 11 October 1944, two hours after leaving Exmouth Gulf, a periscope jammed in the fully raised position and defied the crew’s efforts to correct the problem. Batfish proceeded to Darwin, Australia, for emergency repairs alongside the submarine rescue ship . Finally, on 17 October 1944, Batfish headed out on her fifth war patrol, although chronic engineering problems plagued her throughout the patrol. On 19 October 1944, Batfish picked up a radar contact — one large ship, which Batfish later identified as a tanker, with two escorts. When close enough, Batfish fired a salvo of six torpedoes, but all passed under the target. Surprisingly, the tanker and escorts took no evasive action, and Batfish closed for another attack. She fired a single torpedo set at a very shallow depth, but it too passed under the target, although it hit an escort on the other side. Batfish continued the pursuit because tankers had been deemed a high-priority target because of their vital role in supplying of petroleum to Japan. She closed for a surface attack, but at a range of , the target suddenly turned to attack. She was a "Q ship," a heavily armed decoy for unwary Allied submarines, capable of speeds of . The Q-ship attacked at Batfish with guns and depth charges. Batfish dived and steadied up somewhere between her test depth and her crush depth to hide. After several hours, she began to withdraw from the area and slowly