"Seahorse" then moved to Palau and on 28 January, Cutter discovered three freighters emerging from the harbor under heavy escort. He tracked the convoy for 32 hours waiting for an opening and at 0200 on the 30th was finally able to put three torpedoes into "Toku Maru" (2,747 tons). One of these blew the stern off, and she went down directly, taking over 450 troops with her. Harassed by the escorts and accompanying aircraft, Cutter nonetheless kept "Seahorse" in trail of the remaining Japanese for another 48 hours and attempted another attack just after midnight on 1 February. Eight torpedoes missed. Under heavy pressure from an escort, he shot two last torpedoes from his stern tubes just before going deep. Amid the ensuing depth charge attack, Cutter's men heard both torpedoes hit and the now-familiar sound of exploding gasoline drums. Indeed, it was later confirmed that they had sunk the Japanese steamer "Toei Maru" (4,004 tons). After this 80-hour chase – nearly a record, "Seahorse" returned to Pearl Harbor on 16 February with another five ships and 13,716 tons to her credit. The patrol earned Cutter a second Navy Cross.