Biscuts found this on youtube and had it posted on facebook. I thought my brothers here would like this. And to all the new NUBS out there trying to be Submariners: This is the legacy from those that came before us.

++http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkVBPk2PxP0+

++http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtYzsPyiLA8&feature=related++

There are two parts to this.

quote:

Originally posted by mpwimmer:
Biscuts found this on youtube and had it posted on facebook. I thought my brothers here would like this.

Hey MP, Many, Many Thanks Shipmate for posting Biscuits Tolling of the Boats U-Tube videos.

Heavy stuff for me!!..

Regretfully I had never attended a fully blown ceremony honoring all our lost Submarineer Shipmates until Memorial Day of 2008 at Sub Base Pearl, (See Pictures Below). It was during a part of my Boat’s Oahu May 2008 reunion. I was deeply and very emotionally moved by it!!

If any of you have not been to one, you’ll quickly know it is a heavy and sobering experience. Last month during the USSVI National Convention in San Diego my boat had a concurrent reunion again also. During my boat’s luncheon I was asked to do “the reading”, which included reading all our JA Shipmates who have departed on Eternal Patrol and then right into the naming of all the lost boats… “WHEW”!!! , it was an honor, but also one of the most emotional wrenching experiences I have had to do since hosting my Mom’s funeral three years ago. It was a wonderful pleasure to be asked to do it and to be able to do it, but more than a few times I had to compose myself before continuing. When I finally got to January 1943 I was not sure if I could finish the list, but I was able to despite the enormity of it all. If anyone has never had the opportunity to attend a “Tolling of the Boats” I highly suggest you do so. And when it’s over, go up to a WWII SubVet, do shack his hand and tell him how much you appreciate his service. Trust me, despite his being ever so humble, he will really appreciate you for appreciating them!!!!!

Sometimes I think that anyone who volunteers for boat duty should sit thru one and then have it pointed out that if someone screws the pooch and the boat goes down all go down . I only did one hitch as the Navy and I didn't see eye to eye . On a boat at sea , all gotta come home or none came home , yea there be a couple exceptions but that be the rule of thumb . We didn't all like each other but we had each others back , NO question's asked .

Neal, your posting above is spot on. Thanks Shipmate...

And today is the anniversary date (24Oct44) for the loss of the U.S.S. SHARK II (SS-314), lost most likely by depth charge attack from the destroyer IJNS Harukaze, in the South China Sea west of Luzon. 24 October also marks the loss of the U.S.S. DARTER (SS-227). The previous day, 23Oct44, CDR (later Captain) David McClintock and the DARTER hit and sink the Japanese Heavy Cruiser IJNS ATAGO with four torpedoes from a spread of six warshots. CDR McClintock also severely damages the Heavy Cruiser IJNS TAKAO with two torpedoes from DARTER’s stern tubes. While conducting a night surface high speed end around DARTER is run up on the Bombay Shoals in Palawan passage at flank speed while trying to overtake and finish off the Takao. All hands are saved by the U.S.S. DACE (SS-247).

Here is an online copy of John Hamilton’s “Sinking of the IJNS Atago and Maya by the DARTER and the DACE ".




If you are interested in the “Ambush at Palawan Passage” just Google it.


The Ambush at Palawan Passage to me is exemplary and just one excellent episode of the fighting spirit displayed by the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Force in WWII.

More interesting additional information about the Darter can be found at:
XXX...http://users.infomagic.net/~grog/...XXX

This message has been edited. Last edited by: IC2SS19Z50C5,

Today marks the date of loss of the U.S.S. TANG (SS-306). Shortly after 0230 hours on 25Oct1944 she was sunk by a circling Mk-18-1 electrical torpedo. This occurred as CDR R.H. “Dick” O’Kane was completing the prosecution of a very aggressive night surface attack on a convoy in the Formosa Strait. The TANG’S final two Mk-18s was fired at a previously damaged transport, the first warshot ran “hot straight and normal” but the final fish circled to port and despite evasive bell and rudder commands, the TANG is hit on the portside in the vicinity of the after torpedo room and maneuvering compartment. O'Kane and eight others escape into the water (one by free accent from the conning). Thirteen men used their Momsen Lung escape gear to escape from the forward escape trunk. Five survive after reaching the surface. Sadly three drown after making it to the surface and the other five were never seen after leaving the escape truck. By morning, only nine, including O'Kane, were still alive to be picked up and imprisoned by the Japanese.
TANG received two Navy Presidential Unit Citations during her brief career of five war patrols.

(One of only three ships in WWII to do so).

PUC #1 was awarded for war patrols 1,2, and 3 and the second for War Patrols 4 and 5. CDR O’Kane received the Medal of Honor for his actions on her final patrol.

Here are some links you may want to view concerning the TANG’S 5th war patrol.

XXX...http://www.warfish.com/tang/warpatrolfrm5.htm...XXX

XXX...http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/2925/o-kane-richard-hetherington.php...XXX

November 7th marks the date of loss of the U.S.S. ALBACORE (SS-218).

ALBACORE left Pearl Harbor on 24 October 1944, topped off her fuel tanks at Midway on 28 October 1944, and was never heard from again. According to Japanese records captured after the war, a submarine assumed to be Albacore struck a mine very close to the shore off northeastern Hokkaido on 7 November 1944. A Japanese patrol boat witnessed the explosion of a submerged submarine and saw a great deal of heavy oil, cork, bedding, and food supplies rise to the surface. On 21 December, ALBACORE was assumed to have been lost. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 30 March 1945.
ALBACORE was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her second third, eighth, and ninth patrols and nine battle stars for her service during World War II. 85 proud and brave WWII Submarineers are still “On Patrol” conducting the ALBACORE’s 11th War Patrol.

November 8th marks the date of loss of the U.S.S. GROWLER (SS-215).

GROWLER's 11th and final war patrol began out of Fremantle 20 October 1944 in
a wolfpack with HAKE and HARDHEAD. On 8 November the wolfpack, headed by
GROWLER, closed a convoy for attack, with GROWLER on the opposite side
of the enemy from HAKE and HARDHEAD. The order to commence attacking was
the last communication ever received from GROWLER. After the attack was
underway, HAKE and HARDHEAD heard what sounded like a torpedo explosion
and then a series of depth charges on GROWLER's side of the convoy, and
then nothing. All efforts to contact GROWLER for the next 3 days proved
futile, and the gallant submarine, veteran of seven successful war
patrols, was listed as lost in action against the enemy, cause unknown.

GROWLER received eight battle stars for her service in World War II. . 86 proud and brave WWII Submarineers are still “On Patrol” conducting the GROWLER’s 11th War Patrol.

November 11th marks the date of loss of the U.S.S. SCAMP (SS-277)

XXX...http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08277.htm...XXX

SCAMP set out from Pearl Harbor on her 8th war patrol on 16 October 1944. She topped off fuel at Midway on the 20th, then set course for the Bonin Islands. On 9 November, she acknowledged a message changing her patrol area. She reported her position to be about 150 miles north of the Bonin Islands with all 24 torpedoes aboard and 77,000 gallons of fuel remaining. On 14 November, she was ordered to take up the life guard station off Tokyo Bay in support of B-29 bomber strikes, but failed to acknowledge the message. SCAMP was never heard from again. From records available after the war, it appears that SCAMP was sighted by Japanese planes and depth charged by a coast defense vessel to the south of Tokyo Bay on 11 November 1944. SCAMP was struck from the Navy list on 28 April 1945.

SCAMP (SS-277) earned seven battle stars for her World War II service.

[Post war Japanese records showed that the submarine reported as I-24 sunk by SCAMP,on her 3rd War Patrol was in fact, I-168 which had sunk the aircraft carrier YORKTOWN (CV-5) at the Battle of Midway]
83 proud and brave WWII Submarineers are still “On Patrol” conducting SCAMP’s 8th War Patrol.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: IC2SS19Z50C5,

The 16th of November marks the sinking of the U.S.S. CORVINA (SS-226).

XXX...http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08226.htm...XXX

CORVINA topped off with fuel at Johnston Island after departing on patrol from Pearl Harbor on November 4th 1943. She was never heard from again. The CORVINA and four other boats (THRESHER, DRUM, APOGON AND BLACKFISH) were directed to help blockade Truk, the large Japanese naval base in the Caroline Islands. Their blockade was in support of Operation Galvanic, the invasion of the Gilbert Islands initiated by the taking of Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll on 20Nov43 by the 2nd Marine Division. All five boats received an Ultra message directing them to watch for and intercept a Japanese submarine, the I-176 which would be passing through their patrol area. But the CORVINA feel victim to the very boat she was directed to intercept and sink.
Post war records indicate she was sunk by the Japanese I-boat south of Truk on 16 Nov 1943. CDR Roderick S. Rooney and 81 other brave Submarineers were lost while setting out on the CORVINA’s first war patrol. CORVINA is the only American fleetboat confirmed to have been sunk by an enemy Submarine in WWII.

The U.S.S. SCULPIN (SS-191) was lost due to enemy action on the 19th of November 1943.

XXX..http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08191.htm..XXX

The following information was cut and pasted over from the DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site, Wikipedia and from my own book references.

Following a brief overhaul period at Pearl Harbor, SCULPIN departed Hawaii on 5 November 1943. Ordered to patrol north of Truk, she was to intercept and attack Japanese forces leaving Truk to oppose the forthcoming invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. SCULPIN and two other submarines were to form a wolfpack to make coordinated attacks on the enemy. Capt. John P. Cromwell was on board SCULPIN to coordinate the wolfpack operations.

After refueling at Johnston Island on 7 November, SCULPIN proceeded to her assigned station. On 29 November, Capt. Cromwell was ordered to activate the wolfpack. When the submarine failed to acknowledge, the message was repeated 48 hours later. The submarine was presumed lost on 30 December and struck from the Navy list on 25 March 1944.

The account of SCULPIN's final patrol was given by the surviving members of her crew, who were liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps after V-J Day. On 16 November, she arrived on station and made radar contact with a large, high-speed convoy on the night of the 18th. Making a fast end around on the surface to attack on the morning of the 19th, she was in firing position but was forced to dive when the convoy and its escorts zagged toward her. When the Japanese task force changed course, SCULPIN surfaced to make another run, but was discovered by a rear guard destroyer only 600 yards away. Crash diving, the submarine escaped the first salvo of depth charges. A second string of "ash cans" knocked out her depth gauge and caused other minor damage. She evaded the destroyer in a rain squall and attempted to come to periscope depth. Unknown to the Diving Officer, Ensign W. M. Fielder the depth gauge had been damaged and was stuck at 125 feet, so the boat broached and was again detected. She immediately submerged and the destroyer attacked once more with a pattern of 18 depth charges. There was considerable damage, including temporary loss of depth control. As a result, SCULPIN ran beyond safe depth so that many leaks developed in the hull. So much water entered that the submarine was forced to run at high speed to maintain depth control. This made tracking easy for the Japanese sonar. A third depth charge attack knocked out SCULPIN's sonar, leaving her blind.

The submarine's commanding officer, Comdr. Fred Connaway, decided to surface and give the crew of the doomed vessel a chance for survival. With her decks still awash, SCULPIN's gunners manned the deck guns but were no match for the destroyer's main battery. A shell hit the conning tower and killed the bridge watch team, including Comdr. Connaway, and flying fragments killed the gun crew. The senior ship's officer surviving ordered the submarine to be scuttled. Before he opened the vents, he informed Capt. Cromwell. But Captain Cromwell possessed vital information concerning the forthcoming assault on the Gilbert Islands and subsequent operations. Fearing he might reveal these plans under the influence of torture or drugs, he refused to leave the stricken submarine, giving his life to escape capture. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his act of heroism and devotion to country. In addition to Captain Cromwell, Ensign Fiedler, the diving officer (who had failed to notice the defective depth gauge) and presumably felt responsible for what had happened, also chose to go down with the boat, along with ten others, some doubtless already dead, joined him.

Forty-two of SCULPIN's crew were picked up by the destroyer YAMAGUMO. One badly wounded sailor was thrown back in the sea because of his condition. The survivors were questioned for about ten days at the Japanese naval base at Truk, then were embarked on two aircraft carriers returning to Japan. The escort carrier CHUYO carried 21 of the survivors in her hold. On 2 December, the carrier was torpedoed and sunk by submarine SAILFISH (SS-192) and twenty of the American prisoners perished. One man was saved when he was able to grab hold of a ladder on the side of a passing Japanese destroyer and hauled himself on board. The other 21 survivors arrived at Ofuna, Japan, on 5 December, and, after further questioning, were sent to the Ashio copper mines for the duration of the war.

Ironically, the carrier transporting the SCULPIN survivors was sunk by SAILFISH, which SCULPIN had helped to locate and raise after that submarine--then named SQUALUS--had been sunk some four and one-half years before.

SCULPIN was awarded eight battle stars for her service in World War II, in addition to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.