About 2:00 on 12 September, the Growler attacked the Japanese convoy, followed by the Pampanito and the Sealion. The Growler's torpedoes hit the destroyer Shikinami and it went down. The Sealion launched two torpedoes that missed, then came under fire from the other escorts and was able to outrun them until they returned to the convoy at 3:30.
About an hour and a half later, the Sealion caught up with the convoy At 5:22, she launched three torpedoes at a tanker, then swung to fire at the SS Rakuyu Maru, the last ship in the nearer column. At 5:24, the Zuiho Maru, possibly hit by torpedoes from both the Pampanito and the Sealion, burst into flames.
The Kachidoki Maru was disabled and swung into the burning tanker and was soon ablaze herself. This illuminated the Sealion's second target, the Rakuyu Maru and at 5:25 she fired two torpedoes on the ship. Both hit and the ship began to burn
Unfortunately, the sinking of the Kachidoki Maru and the Rakuyu were carrying Australian and British prisoners and nearly 1200 of them died.
--GreGen
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