On 23 December 1941, Southwest of Cape Mendecino, the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarine I-17, under the command of Commander Nishino Kozo, surfaces and opens fire from 2,800 meters at the 7, 038-ton American tanker LARRY DOHENY on her starboard beam. Four shells hit and a fire starts in her bridge area. A plane arrives and the I-17 crash-dives and comes to periscope depth. At 07:29, Commander Nishino fires a torpedo and hears an explosion 90 seconds later. The torpedo probably prematurely detonates because the DOHENY escapes.