Post on 06-Aug-2019
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OUR CREED: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in
the pursuit of duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds,
and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater
accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America
and its constitution.
OOGA OOGA
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS INCORPORTATED
PALMETTO BASE NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2011
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Holland (AS 3) with seven submarines alongside, in San Diego harbor, California,
24 December 1934. The submarines are (from left to right): Cachalot (SS 170),
Dolphin (SS 169), Barracuda(SS 163), Bass (SS 164), Bonita (SS 165), Nautilus (SS
168) and Narwahl (SS 167).
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Palmetto Base Officers
Base Commander
Tommy Richardson
Vice Commander: Brian Steffen
Jr. VCDR: D. W. Eggleston
Secretary: Fernando Iglesias
Treasurer: J. P. Watson
Chaplain: Bob Miller
Chief of the Boat: Jim “Snake” Stark
Webmaster: Mark Basnight
Storekeeper: Brian Steffen
Events Chair: Allen “Buzz” Danielson Fundraising Chair: Jim Null Liaison Officer: D. W. Eggleston
Committee Chair: Tom O’Brien
Ship’s Photographer: Jim Null
Bereavement Chair: Randy Browning
Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Chair: Don Van Borsch
Newsletter Editor: Randy Browning
Members Milt Berkey
David Castro
James L. Charbonneau
Tracy R. Charbonneau
Lonnie Franklin
Ronald Friend
Julian Galloway
Joseph E. Gawronski
Joseph L. Geiger
Glenn E. Harris
Stoney Hilton
Michael House
John Jeffries
Charlie Kerr
James N. Kirby
Arnold Kirk
George “Scram” Kokolis
John J. Krause
Harold R. Lane
William M. Lindler
Eddie McVicker
Mark Morgan
Tom Paige
Larry Peay
Ted R. Schneeberg
James P. Scott
Vince Seay
Leonard M. Snell
John Solis
L. E. Spradlin
Jerry Stout
Clarence Teseniar
Thomas N. Thompson
Jeffro M. Wagner
Medal of Honor Winner, Holland Club, Past District Commander, Past Base
Commander, Past Vice Commander, Past Secretary, Past Treasurer, Past Chaplain,
Palmetto Base Hall of Fame, Palmetto Silver Star Award
Honorary Members Judy Cline Charlie MacKenzie Charles Murray
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November 16, 2010
Attendees Mark Basnight
Milt Berkey
Randy Browning
Allen “Buzz” Danielson Julian Galloway
Joseph E. Gawronski
George “Scram” Kokolis
John J. Krause
Bob Miller
Mark Morgan
Jim Null Tom Paige
Larry Peay
Tommy Richardson
Ted R. Schneeberg
John Solis
Jim “Snake” Stark
Brian Steffen
Don Van Borsch
Jeffro M. Wagner
J. P. Watson
Minutes
• 31 members were present
• Minutes of previous meeting voted on and accepted as in the monthly newsletter, with
the exception that Patricia’s donation was not mentioned
• Treasurer’s report ($2,745.54) was voted on and accepted (Operating Fund: $154.42;
Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS): $2,135.18; Float Fund: $453.00)
• Patricia Riddle Wilcox donated one of her oil paintings (valued at $800.00) for us to
raffle off or sell in order to raise funds for the base. You can see it on the base website
(http://www.palmetto-subvets.org)
• Base Chaplain set Saturday, January 29th as the scrap metal pick up day. You will need
to contact him and provide an address and phone number if you have scrap metal you
are willing to donate. For those willing and able, be at Tommy’s house at 0800 so we
can get started.
• Base Commander informed the members that the Chaplain and Events Chair are
working on a schedule to present CAPT Thornberry and the JROTC there certificated of
appreciation for their services during the Memorial Day ceremony.
• Events Chair informed the membership that the next IA fly out is this Friday, January
21st, arrival at 1000 and depart at 1200
• Base Chaplain informed the membership that he mailed the flea collars to our Sailors in
the desert, but hasn’t heard anything from them. Several members stated that they had
e-mailed them and either got a failure to deliver message or haven’t gotten any
response.
• Base Commander presented Julian Galloway with his Holland Club membership
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• Randy Browning informed the membership of;
° The Salsariata’s fundraiser, presenting the Treasurer with $82.00. Requested more
participation at February 3rd’s event, if only to come out and eat as we get 10% of all
sales between 1500 and 1900
° The Base Secretary will be unavailable for a while so he is taking nominations
for base elections in March
° Massing of the Colors at the Scottish Rite Temple on Sunday, April 17 and
requested as many members can to attend
• Jeffro Wagner donated to Navy books to be raffled off to raise funds for the base
• Vice Commander and Base Commander discussed the passing of a veteran who had no
family and needed his DD214 to receive his proper burial benefits. Vice Commander
had to educate the funeral home director as he thought only those killed in Iraq or
Afghanistan were entitled to fully military honors and a flag.
• Vice Commander
° warned the membership of vet help groups that are actually using the
information they receive to steal veteran’s identities. Before you give any information
to a vet help group, contact the American Legion, Veteran’s Administration or the
Disabled American Veterans to ensure they are a legitimate group
° Reminded the membership of the Hunley memorial service on February 17th
at 1900. Base e-mail was sent with the flyer and additional information.
• Vice Commander, Events Chair and Milt Berkey discussed final preparations for those
individuals who live alone and have no family. Vice Commander said he is working with
the VA to get something setup.
• Fundraising Chair Implored the membership to come up with fundraising ideas as we
are in desperate need of funds to build the float and start other projects we are
interested in.
• John Krause suggested we see if Patricia will display the picture she donated to use at
the Spoleto Festival in Charleston and try and sell it. Him and the Fundraising Chair will
have an answer by the next Board of Directors meeting.
• Base Commander
° Thanked Tom Paige for his dedication and efforts for Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS)
° Informed the membership that LE Spradlin has talked with Charles Murray and
they will be presenting him his certificate…details to follow.
• No Depth Charge, but $62.00 was raised for the float fund
• $31.00 was donated for the operating fund
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Julian Galloway (oldest) and George Kokolis (youngest) submarine
qualified members present
James L. Charbonneau – February 1st
John Jeffries – February 13th
Leonard M. Snell – February 12th
Jerry Stout – February 14th
Thomas N. Thompson – February 23rd
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Bob Miller, L.E. Spradlin, Base Commander Tommy Richardson , Tom
O’Brien , Robin White and Jim Null (taking the picture) presenting
Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Charles P. Murray, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret)
with his honorary Palmetto Base membership
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Dates in American Naval History
February 1
1941 - United States Fleet reorganized, reviving Atlantic and Pacific Fleets
1942 - USS Enterprise and Yorktown make first WW II air strike, Japanese Marshall Islands
1955 - Operation Deep Freeze, a research task force, established in Antarctic
February 2
1800 - USS Constellation (CAPT Thomas Truxtun) defeats la Vengeance
1862 - USS Hartford, Capt David G. Farragut, departs Hampton Roads for Mississippi River
campaign
February 3
1801 - Senate approves peace treaty with France ending undeclared naval war that began 1798
1917 - US severs diplomatic relations with Germany
February 4
1779 - John Paul Jones takes command of Bonhomme Richard
1959 - Keel laying of USS Enterprise, first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, Newport News, VA
February 5
1854 - Dedication of first chapel built on Navy property, Annapolis, MD
1941 - Chief Nurse Marion B. Olds and Nurse Leona Jackson, Navy, arrive on Guam.
1971 - Moonwalk by CAPT Alan B. Shepherd, Jr. USN, Commander of Apollo 14 and CDR Edgar
D. Mitchell, USN Lunar Module Pilot. During the 9 day mission, 94 lbs of lunar material
was collected and Shepard became the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon.
Recovery was by helicopter from USS New Orleans (LPH-11).
February 6
1862 - Union gunboat squadron captures Fort Henry, Tennessee River
1922 - World powers sign the Washington Naval Treaty providing for limitation of naval
armament
1973 - In accordance with the agreement at the Paris Peace Talks, Navy Task Force 78 begins
Operation End Sweep, the mine clearance of North Vietnamese waters of mines laid in
1972.
February 7
1800 - USS Essex becomes first U.S. Navy vessel to cross the Equator.
1815 - The Board of Naval Commissioners, a group of senior officers, is established to oversee
the operation and maintenance of the Navy, under the direction of the Secretary of the
Navy.
1955 - Seventh Fleet ships begin evacuation of Chinese nationalists from Tachen Islands
1965 - In response to a Viet Cong attack on barracks area at Pleiku, South Vietnam, aircraft from
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carriers, USS Coral Sea, USS Hancock, and USS Ranger attack North Vietnamese area
near Donghoi.
February 8
1862 - Joint amphibious force capture Roanoke Island, key to Albemarle Sound
1890 - USS Omaha sailors and marines assist Hodogary, Japan in subduing large fire
February 9
1799 - USS Constellation (CAPT Truxtun) captures French l'Insurgente
1943 - Organized Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal ends
February 10
1862 - Union gunboats destroy Confederate ships at Elizabeth City, NC
1900 - Appointment of first naval governor of Guam, Commodore Seaton Schroder
1960 - USS Sargo (SSN-583) surfaces at North Pole
February 11
1862 - SecNav directs formation of organization to evaluate new inventions and technical
development which eventually led to National Academy of Science.
1971 - U.S. and USSR sign a treaty prohibiting the deployment of nuclear weapons on the ocean
floor.
February 12
1945 - USS Batfish (SS-310) sinks second Japanese submarine within three days
1947 - First launching of guided missile (Loon) from a submarine, USS Cusk
February 13
1854 - Admiral Perry anchors off Yokosuka, Japan to receive Emperor's reply to treaty proposal
1913 - Naval Radio Station, Arlington, VA begins operations
1945 - First naval units enter Manila Bay since 1942
1968 - Operation Coronado XI begins in Mekong Delta
February 14
1778 - John Paul Jones in Ranger receives first official salute to U.S. Stars and Strips flag by
European country, at Quiberon, France.
1813 - Essex becomes first U.S. warship to round Cape Horn and enter the Pacific Ocean
1814 - USS Constitution captures British Lovely Ann and Pictou
1840 - Officers from USS Vincennes make first landing in Antarctica on floating ice
February 15
1856 - USS Supply, commanded by LT David Dixon Porter, sails from Smyrna, Syria, bound for
Indianola, Texas, with a load of 21 camels intended for experimental use in the
American desert west of the Rockies.
1898 - U.S. battleship Maine blows up in Havana Harbor.
February 16
1804 - Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, with volunteers from frigate Constitution and schooner
Enterprise, enters Tripoli harbor by night in the ketch Intrepid to burn the captured
frigate Philadelphia. Decatur's raid succeeds without American losses. England's Lord
Nelson calls this "the most daring act of the age."
1815 - USS Constitution captures British Susannah
1967 - Operation River Raider begins in Mekong Delta
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February 17
1864 - Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley sinks USS Housatonic
1942 - First Construction Battalion (Seabees) arrive Bora Bora
1944 - Carrier aircraft strike Japanese fleet at Truk, sinking ships and destroying aircraft
February 18
1846 - General order on Port and Starboard
1944 - Amphibious Force under RADM Hill lands troops on Engebi Island, Eniwetok
1955 - 1st of 14 detonations, Operation Teapot nuclear test
February 19
1814 - USS Constitution captures British brig Catherine
1945 - Marines with naval gunfire support land on Iwo Jima; island secured 16 March.
February 20
1815 – USS Constitution under Captain Charles Stewart, captures HMC Cyane and sloop-of-war
Levant
1962 – Lt. Col. John Glenn, USMC becomes first American to orbit Earth. His flight in Friendship
7 (Mercury 6) consisted of 3 orbits in 88 minutes at a velocity of 17,544 mph with the
highest altitude of 162.2 statute miles. Recovery was by USS Noa (DD-841).
1962 - USS Dixie (AD-14) rescues lone crewman aboard a sailing yawl adrift for four days.
1974 - S-3A Viking ASW aircraft (carrier jet) introduced officially, given to VS-41.
February 21
1944 - Marines with support of naval bombardment and carrier aircraft secure Eniwetok atoll
1945 - USS Bismark Sea (CVE-95) struck by a kamikaze off Iwo Jima and sunk in 90 minutes with
loss of 318 men. USS Saratoga (CV-3) struck by 5 kamikazes but survived with loss of
123. Bismark Sea was last carrier lost in combat during World War II.
February 22
1865 - RADM Porter's gunboats' bombardment cause surrender of Wilmington, NC .
1870 - After arriving on USS Nipsic, and supported by USS Guard and USS Nyack, the Darien
Expedition, commanded by CDR Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., begins active operations
ashore at Caldonia Bay to survery the Isthmus of Darien, Panama, for an interoceanic
ship canal.
1909 - Great White Fleet returns from round the world cruise to Hampton Roads, VA
1943 - USS Iowa (BB-61), the lead ship of the last class of American fast battleships, is
commissioned.
1974 - LTJG Barbara Ann Allen becomes first Navy designated female aviator
February 23
1795 - U.S. Navy Office of Purveyor of Supplies is established. This is the Navy Supply Corps
Birthday.
1919 - Launching of Osmond Ingram (DD-255), first Navy ship named for an enlisted man
1944 - Carrier groups under Spruance attack Saipan, Tinian and Rota in the Marianas
1945 - Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raise flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima
February 24
1813 - USS Hornet, Captain James Lawrence, captures HMS Peacock
1968 - Task Force Clearwater established in I Corps
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February 25
1861 - Saratoga, member of U.S. African Squadron, captures slaver sloop Express
1933 - Commissioning of USS Ranger, first true aircraft carrier
1959 - USS Galveston fires first Talos surface-to-air missile
February 26
1811 - Congress authorizes first naval hospital
1913 - Approval of experimental wind tunnel for Navy
1944 - Sue Sophia Dauser, Superintendent of the Navy's Nurse Corps is first woman in Navy to
receive rank of Captain.
February 27
1942 - Battle of the Java Sea, Allied Naval Force attacks Japanese invasion convoy
1973 - First airborne mine sweep in a live minefield took place in the Haiphong, Vietnam ship
channel by helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Twelve on
board USS New Orleans.
February 28
1844 - Explosion of Peacemaker, experimental 14 inch gun, on board USS Princeton.
1893 - Launching of USS Indiana (BB-1), first true battleship in U.S. Navy.
1959 - USS Strong rescues 13 Arab fishermen from Bahrain when their fishing boats floundered
in a storm.
1980 - Blue crew of USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657) launches 4 Trident I (C-4) missiles in first
C-4 Operational Test.
February 29
1944 - PB4Y-1s from squadrons VB-108, VB-109, and VD-3, conduct a low-level bombing raid on
Japanese positions on Wake Island.
1968 - Four North Vietnamese trawlers attempting to simultaneously infiltrate supplies into
South Vietnam were detected. Three of the trawlers were sunk in battle on the
following day and one survived by turning back.
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LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE SUBMARINE
John Philip Holland built several submarines before the USS Holland, which became the
first undersea craft commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The Holland was accepted on April 11,
1900 for a price of $150,000. Today's nuclear powered submarines cost in excess of
$30,000,000 exclusive of the power plant.
The first boat known to have been navigated under water was built in 1620 by a
Dutchman, Cornelius Van Drebbel. Van Drebbel is said to have developed a chemical which
would purify the air and allow the crew to stay submerged for extended periods.
Alexander the Great (356 to 323 B.C.) ruler of Macedonian and conqueror of the known
world in his time, is the first person known to have descended into the sea in a vessel of any
kind.
Over three hundred years ago, Mother Shipton, famous English prophetess, predicted
the coming of the submarine when writing, "under water men shall walk, shall ride, shall sleep,
shall talk."
Records of attempts to utilize submarine warfare go back to the earliest writings in
history. Herodotus (460 B.C.), Aristotle (332 B.C.) and Pliny, the elder, (77 A.D.) mention
determined attempts to build submersibles.
Interests in submarines extends to royalty and presidents. The King of England and the
King and Queen of Spain are among those who have made submerged cruises in submarines.
As a result of a trip in an early United States submarine, President "Teddy" Roosevelt ordered
extra compensation for personnel serving in the "Silent Service." President Harry Truman made
a 440 foot dive in a captured German submarine. The first President to cruise aboard a nuclear
submarine was President Eisenhower who rode the USS SEAWOLF out of Newport, Rhode
Island on September 26, 1957.
Dollar for dollar and man for man, the submarine is the country's most economical
weapon. Comprising only 1.6 percent of the Navy's World War II personnel, the submarine
service accounted for 55 percent of all enemy shipping destroyed.
Leonardo da Vinci, the Florentine Renaissance inventor and artist, developed plans for
an underwater warship but kept them secret. He was afraid that it would make war even more
frightful than it already was.
Many instances of submarines being 'caught' by fishing vessels are on record. The
NAUTILUS, world's first nuclear powered vessel, was caught in a fish net and towed the fishing
vessel several miles before the situation was cleared up. There is one instance of a submarine
being captured by an abandoned balloon, and on another occasion a submarine rescued a
blimp and towed it to safety.
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A church in Kyoto, Japan calls its congregation to worship with a bell from a submarine.
The bell, from the submarine USS RAY was purchased for the church, and was transported to
Yokosuka, Japan by another submarine, the USS RONQUIL.
For entertainment on U.S. submarines movies, television, ice cream machines and
stereo music players are available. The USS SEAWOLF also had an electronic organ. There have
been instances of boxing matches held onboard, and the crew of one submarine had a kite
flying contest from an anchored submarine.
Modern submarines can travel faster submerged than they can on the surface. They can
fully submerge in less than a minute.
Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat, was an avid submarine enthusiast. He built
several submersible warships, one of which was known as the Nautilus.
The rig for dive in a modern submarine requires the crew conduct more than 225
individual and operational checks.
The submarine was not generally recognized as a legitimate instrument of warfare until
the Civil War.
Only the cream of Navy manpower is considered acceptable for submarine service.
Volunteer applicants are given exhaustive physical and psychological screening before being
accepted for training. Those who make the grade are trained in the Submarine School at New
London and aboard operating submarines. After graduation from the Submarine School and
actual service in submarines, those who pass all tests may wear the Dolphins, insignia of the
submarine service.
Both nuclear and modern diesel powered submarine are now equipped with a breathing
device known as a snorkel, which permits the vessel to draw fresh air from the surface while
running submerged.
One of the first women to submerge in a submarine is believed to have been Clara
Barton, founder of the American Red Cross.
Submarines have been invented which have been propelled by cars, sails, treadles, hand
operated screws, clockwork, springs, steam stored in tubes, chemical engines, compressed air,
stored gases, electric motors, and nuclear power.
In clear water, a submerged submarine can be spotted from the air at depths up to 100
feet.
The self-propelled torpedo, which gets its name from the eel TORPEDO ELECTRICUS, was
invented by Robert Whitehead in 1868, a number of years before a practical submarine was
developed.
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Insignia of the Navy's submarine service is a submarine flanked by two dolphins.
Dolphins, or porpoises, the traditional attendants to Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea and patron
deity of sailors, are symbolic of a calm sea, and are sometimes called the 'sailors' friend. In
addition to the Dolphins, those World War II submariners who participated in successful
combat patrols may wear the coveted Submarine Combat Insignia.
The first submarine which actually sank another enemy vessel under combat conditions
was the CSS HUNLEY built during the Civil War. The Union frigate HOUSATONIC on blockade
station off Charleston, S. C. was the victim. The incident occurred on February 17, 1864.
Traditionally, United States submarines have been named after fish and other marine
creatures. One exception was the Navy's first submarine HOLLAND which was named after its
inventor, John Philip Holland. Today, ballistic missile submarines are named for famous
American patriots, with the newest class, the OHIO class, named after states. The LOS ANGELES
class of attack submarines are named for United States cities.
Records for enemy shipping sunk by U.S. submarines during World War II are held by
two boats built by Electric Boat . The USS FLASHER sank 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping,
while the USS TAUTOG holds the record for the most ships - 26.
Per cubic inch, there is more science packed into a submarine than into any other
warship. Submariners say 'There is room for everything aboard a submarine except a mistake.'
In 1921, a United States submarine, the R-14, having run out of fuel at sea, rigged sails
from blankets, hammocks, curtain rods and the ramrod of a 3-inch gun, and sailed 100 miles to
port at a speed of two knots.
More decorations for valor have been awarded, per man, to the submarine service than
any other Navy Branch.
Habitability is heavily stressed in the construction of modern submarines. Specially
designed color schemes, mechanical conveniences, air conditioning, and the best chow in the
Navy are supplied to make the vessels more livable. A full time staff is maintained by Electric
Boat Division to work out 'human engineering' problems.
A typical modern submarine may require as many as 2,000 working drawings for the
more than 7,000,000 items used in its construction. Blueprints from these drawings if placed
end to end would make a strip 250 miles long.
The first periscope used by the United States Navy was not built for a submarine. The
ironclad monitor OSAGE utilized a periscope to discover a Confederate cavalry unit taking cover
behind the high banks of the Red River in Arkansas.
In World War II the Germans lost 782 submarines, the Japanese lost 130, and the United
States lost only 52 submarines. Twenty-three of the Japanese subs lost were victims of the
American Submarine Service.
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Submarine tenders, or 'mother ships' of the U.S. Navy usually bear the names of
characters of mythology, the names of submarine inventors, or the names of persons who have
made contributions to the Submarine Service.
A submarine, the TURTLE, was employed by the American revolutionary army to attack
the British. It was built by David Bushnell at Saybrook, Connecticut, just a few miles from the
present site of Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation, and the U.S. naval
Submarine Base.
George Washington Endorsed the use of the first American submarine, David Bushnell's
TURTLE, during the Revolution. Following the vessel's attack on a British man-of-war, he
discussed the potential use of submarines in a letter to Thomas Jefferson.
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, the world's first ballistic missile nuclear powered
submarine, constructed in record time, set a record of its own by remaining submerged 67 days
on its initial Polaris missile deterrent patrol in the Atlantic.
Nautilus has long been a popular name for a submarine. Some of the more famous of
these are Robert Fulton's NAUTILUS (1800), Jules Verne's fictional Nautilus, and the NAUTILUS
of Sir Hubert Wilkins in which he attempted a voyage to the North Pole under the ice (1931).
There have also been three U.S. submarines of that name, including the world's first nuclear
powered submarine built by the Electric Boat Division.
Long considered a versatile and deadly instrument of war, the submarine has broadened
her capabilities with the adoption of nuclear power. Today the submarine serves as a ballistic
missile platform, early warning station, killer of surface and underwater vessels, scout, coastal
raider troop transport, supply ship, mine layer, and seaplane tender.
The United States submarine USS TRITON was fitted with twin reactors and was
considered the longest submarine ever built until the advent of the OHIO class. The TRITON
was designed for a surface displacement of 5,900 tons. Large submarines of other countries
have been the Japanese I-400 (5,220 tons), and the French SURCOUF (2,880 tons).
The USS NAUTILUS was the first submarine with a satisfactory single plant that can be
used for main propulsion both surfaced and submerged.
During their wartime operations submarines have engaged in some unusual maritime
actions. One underseas craft slugged it out with the infantry and field artillery while other
submarines destroyed a zeppelin, a bus, and a railroad train.
In their history, submarines were called by many names such as 'eel boats', 'plunging
boats', 'devil divers', and 'pig boats'. Technically, and by size, the submarine is a ship, but it has
been called a boat since its earliest days, and the term is steeped in tradition. Submariners
almost invariably call their ships 'boats".
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Among the 'first' that Electric Boat Division has introduced into American submarines,
have been the marine Diesel engine, the perfected use of the storage battery, the combination
of battery and internal combustion engine, and the world's first adaptation of nuclear energy to
propulsion in the USS NAUTILUS.
The USS SEAWOLF join the Electric Boat built USS NAUTILUS and SKATE in writing new
chapters in the achievements of man when the nuclear powered submarine came to the
surface at 11:45 a.m. on October 6, 1958 after being continuously submerged for 60 days.
Probably the most expensive ballast ever carried by a ship was two tons of gold and
eighteen tons of silver pesos carried by the U.S. submarine TROUT while on a trip from
Corregidor to Pearl Harbor early in World War II.
The USS NAUTILUS steamed 60,000 miles on a lump of Uranium the size of a golf ball. A
diesel powered submarine would have required 3,000,000 gallons or 300 railway tank cars of
oil.
Two wives of Presidents of the United States have sponsored submarines. Mrs. Dwight
D. Eisenhower christened the USS NAUTILUS, and Mrs. John F. Kennedy christened the USS
LAFAYETTE.
A submarine often navigates by sound when submerged. Sound can travel 3,000
nautical mile or more through water.
On August 17, 1958, the USS SKATE circumnavigated the globe in about fifty minutes.
The SKATE was at a radius of about two miles from the North Pole at the time, and the distance
traveled in the circumnavigation was about twelve miles.
USS TRITON, the only American made twin reactor ship ever built, on May 10, 1960,
completed the first totally submerged circumnavigation of the world when she followed the
route of Ferdinand Magellan for 36,000 miles during 84 days beneath the surface.
When the nuclear powered submarine USS SEADRAGON surfaced at the North Pole
while charting the Northwest passage in August 1960, the crew organized a baseball game.
Because of Polar time differences, when a batter clouted a home run it would land in either the
next day or in 'yesterday'.
The USS SKIPJACK was the first submarine designed from the keel up for top underwater
performance using nuclear power. An earlier SKIPJACK was the first submarine to cross the
Atlantic ocean under her own power (Newport, Rhode Island to Ponta Delgada, Azores, in
1917).
Coronation ceremonies of Emperor Alexander II of Russia in 1855 were enlivened by a
submarine concert . Wilhelm Bauer, a Bavarian inventor, took three musicians under the waters
of Kronstadt Harbor in a submarine he had built, where they played appropriate music during
the coronation. The music was distinctly heard on the surface.
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United States Submarines destroyed a total of 1314 Japanese ships during World War II,
including one battleship, eight aircraft carriers, fifteen cruisers, forty-two destroyers, and
twenty-three submarines. Against this score, fifty-two U.S. Submarines were lost.
The USS SKATE (SSN 578) was the first vessel ever to surface at the North Pole, when on
March 17, 1959 she surfaced there to conduct memorial services for the renowned Arctic
explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins.
USS SKATE and USS SEADRAGON, after affecting a historic rendezvous under the ice,
surfaced together at the North Pole through an opening in the ice on August 1962.
The first diesel engines built by Electric Boat for submarines were installed (1913) in the
USS NAUTILUS and SEAWOLF, namesakes of the first nuclear powered submarines, also built by
Electric Boat.
The USS NAUTILUS made history by cruising submerged from the pacific to the Atlantic
Ocean, passing under the North Pole at 11:15 p.m. EDST on August 3, 1958.
The information contained in this fact is by ETC(SS) Strickland.
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In 1973 an Italian submarine named Enrique Tazzoli was sold for a paltry $100,000 as
scrap metal. The submarine, given to the Italian Navy in 1953 was actually an incredible
veteran of World War II service with a heritage that never should have passed so unnoticed into
the graveyards of the metal recyclers. USS Barb (SS 220) was a pioneer, paving the way for the
first submarine launched missiles and flying a battle flag unlike that of any other ship. In
addition to the Medal of Honor ribbon at the top of the flag identifying the heroism of its
captain, Commander Eugene "Lucky" Fluckey, the bottom border of the flag bore the image of a
Japanese locomotive. The USS Barb (SS 220) was indeed, the submarine that "SANK A TRAIN".
July 18, 1945 (Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto , Japan )
It was after 4 A.M. and Commander Fluckey rubbed his eyes as he peered over the map
spread before him. It was the twelfth war patrol of the Barb, the fifth under Commander
Fluckey. He should have turned command over to another skipper after four patrols, but had
managed to strike a deal with Admiral Lockwood to make one more trip with the men he cared
for like a father, should his fourth patrol be successful. Of course, no one suspected when he
had struck that deal prior to his fourth and what should have been his final war patrol on the
Barb, that Commander Fluckey's success would be so great he would be awarded the Medal of
Honor.
Commander Fluckey smiled as he remembered that patrol. "Lucky" Fluckey they called
him. On January 8th the Barb had emerged victorious from a running two-hour night battle
after sinking a large enemy ammunition ship. Two weeks later in Mamkwan Harbor he found
the "mother-lode" ...more than 30 enemy ships. In only 5 fathoms (30 feet) of water his crew
had unleashed the sub's forward torpedoes, then turned and fired four from the stern. As he
pushed Barb to the full limit of its speed through the dangerous waters in a daring withdrawal
to the open sea, he recorded eight direct hits on six enemy ships.
What could possibly be left for the Commander to accomplish who, just three months earlier
had been in Washington, DC to receive the Medal of Honor? He smiled to himself as he looked
again at the map showing the rail line that ran along the enemy coastline. Now his crew was
buzzing excitedly about bagging a train.
The rail line itself wouldn't be a problem. A shore patrol could go ashore under cover of
darkness to plant the explosives...one of the sub's 55-pound scuttling charges. But this early
morning Lucky Fluckey and his officers were puzzling over how they could blow not only the
rails, but also one of the frequent trains that shuttled supplies to equip the Japanese war
machine. But no matter how crazy the idea might have sounded, the Barb's skipper would not
risk the lives of his men. Thus the problem... how to detonate the charge at the moment the
train passed, without endangering the life of a shore party. PROBLEM?
Solutions! If you don't look for them, you'll never find them. And even then, sometimes
they arrive in the most unusual fashion. Cruising slowly beneath the surface to evade the
enemy plane now circling overhead, the monotony is broken with an exciting new idea. Instead
of having a crewman on shore to trigger explosives to blow both rail and a passing train, why
not let the train BLOW ITSELF up. Billy Hatfield was excitedly explaining how he had cracked
20
nuts on the railroad tracks as a kid, placing the nuts between two ties so the sagging of the rail
under the weight of a train would break them open. "Just like cracking walnuts," he explained.
"To complete the circuit (detonating the 55-pound charge) we hook in a micro switch...between
two ties. We don't set it off, the TRAIN does." Not only did Hatfield have the plan, he wanted
to be part of the volunteer shore party.
The solution found, there was no shortage of volunteers, all that was needed was the
proper weather...a little cloud cover to darken the moon for the mission ashore. Lucky Fluckey
established his own criteria for the volunteer party:
No married men would be included, except for Hatfield,
The party would include members from each department,
The opportunity would be split between regular Navy and Navy Reserve sailors,
At least half of the men had to have been Boy Scouts, experienced in how to handle
themselves in medical emergencies and in the woods.
FINALLY, "Lucky" Fluckey would lead the saboteurs himself.
When the names of the 8 selected sailors was announced it was greeted with a mixture
of excitement and disappointment. Among the disappointed was Commander Fluckey who
surrendered his opportunity at the insistence of his officers that "as commander he belonged
with the Barb," coupled with the threat from one that "I swear I'll send a message to
ComSubPac if you attempt this (joining the shore party himself)." Even a Japanese POW being
held on the Barb wanted to go, promising not to try to escape.
In the meantime, there would be no more harassment of Japanese shipping or shore
operations by the Barb until the train mission had been accomplished. The crew would "lay
low", prepare their equipment, train, and wait for the weather.
July 22, 1945 (Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto, Japan)
Patience Bay was wearing thin the patience of Commander Fluckey and his innovative
crew. Everything was ready. In the four days the saboteurs had anxiously watched the skies for
cloud cover, the inventive crew of the Barb had built their micro switch. When the need was
posed for a pick and shovel to bury the explosive charge and batteries, the Barb's engineers had
cut up steel plates in the lower flats of an engine room, then bent and welded them to create
the needed tools. The only things beyond their control were the weather....and time. Only five
days remained in the Barb's patrol.
Anxiously watching the skies, Commander Fluckey noticed plumes of cirrus clouds, then
white stratus capping the mountain peaks ashore. A cloud cover was building to hide the three-
quarters moon. This would be the night.
21
MIDNIGHT, July 23, 1945
The Barb had crept within 950 yards of the shoreline. If it was somehow seen from the
shore it would probably be mistaken for a schooner or Japanese patrol boat. No one would
suspect an American submarine so close to shore or in such shallow water. Slowly the small
boats were lowered to the water and the 8 saboteurs began paddling toward the enemy beach.
Twenty-five minutes later they pulled the boats ashore and walked on the surface of the
Japanese homeland.
Stumbling through noisy waist-high grasses, crossing a highway and then into a 4-foot
drainage ditch, the saboteurs made their way to the railroad tracks. Three men were posted as
guards, Markuson assigned to examine a nearby water tower. The Barb's auxiliaryman climbed
the ladder then stopped in shock as he realized it was an enemy lookout tower....an OCCUPIED
tower. Fortunately the Japanese sentry was peacefully sleeping and Markuson was able to
quietly withdraw and warn his raiding party.
The news from Markuson caused the men digging the placement for the explosive
charge to continue their work more slowly and quietly. Twenty minutes later the holes had
been dug and the explosives and batteries hidden beneath fresh soil.
During planning for the mission the saboteurs had been told that, with the explosives in
place, all would retreat a safe distance while Hatfield made the final connection. If the sailor
who had once cracked walnuts on the railroad tracks slipped during this final, dangerous
procedure, his would be the only life lost. On this night it was the only order the saboteurs
refused to obey, all of them peering anxiously over Hatfield's shoulder to make sure he did it
right. The men had come too far to be disappointed by a switch failure.
1:32 A.M.
Watching from the deck of the Barb, Commander Fluckey allowed himself a sigh of relief
as he noticed the flashlight signal from the beach announcing the departure of the shore party.
He had skillfully, and daringly, guided the Barb within 600 yards of the enemy beach. There was
less than 6 feet of water beneath the sub's keel, but Fluckey wanted to be close in case trouble
arose and a daring rescue of his saboteurs became necessary.
1:45 A.M.
The two boats carrying his saboteurs were only halfway back to the Barb when the sub's
machine gunner yelled, "CAPTAIN! Another train coming up the tracks!" The Commander
grabbed a megaphone and yelled through the night, "Paddle like the devil!", knowing full well
that they wouldn't reach the Barb before the train hit the micro switch.
22
1:47 A.M.
The darkness was shattered by brilliant light and the roar of the explosion. The boilers
of the locomotive blew, shattered pieces of the engine blowing 200 feet into the air. Behind it
the cars began to accordion into each other, bursting into flame and adding to the magnificent
fireworks display. Five minutes later the saboteurs were lifted to the deck by their exuberant
comrades as the Barb turned to slip back to safer waters. Moving at only two knots, it would be
a while before the Barb was into waters deep enough to allow it to submerge. It was a moment
to savor, the culmination of teamwork, ingenuity and daring by the Commander and all his
crew. "Lucky" Fluckey's voice came over the intercom. "All hands below deck not absolutely
needed to maneuver the ship have permission to come topside." He didn't have to repeat the
invitation. Hatches sprang open as the proud sailors of the Barb gathered on her decks to
proudly watch the distant fireworks display. The Barb had "sunk" a Japanese TRAIN!
On August 2, 1945 the Barb arrived at Midway, her twelfth war patrol concluded.
Meanwhile United States military commanders had pondered the prospect of an armed assault
on the Japanese homeland. Military tacticians estimated such an invasion would cost more than
a million American casualties. Instead of such a costly armed offensive to end the war, on
August 6th the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a single atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima,
Japan. A second such bomb, unleashed 4 days later on Nagasaki, Japan, caused Japan to agree
to surrender terms on August 15th. On September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Harbor the documents
ending the war in the Pacific were signed.
The story of the saboteurs of the USS Barb (SS 220) is one of those unique, little known
stories of World War II. It becomes increasingly important when one realizes that the 8 sailors
who blew up the train at near Kashiho, Japan conducted the ONLY GROUND COMBAT
OPERATION on the Japanese "homeland" of World War II. The eight saboteurs were: Paul
Saunders, William Hatfield, Francis Sever, Lawrence Newland, Edward Klinglesmith, James
Richard, John Markuson and William Walker.
Footnote: Eugene Bennett Fluckey retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral, and wears in
addition to his Medal of Honor, FOUR Navy Crosses...a record of awards unmatched by any
living American. In 1992 his own history of the USS Barb (SS 220) was published in the award
winning book, THUNDER BELOW. Over the past several years proceeds from the sale of this
exciting book have been used by Admiral Fluckey to provide free reunions for the men who
served him aboard the Barb, and their wives.
PS: The Admiral graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935 and lived to age 93, passing
on in 2007.
23
The Origin of the Ranks and Rank Insignia
Warrant Officers
The "warrant" portion of the Warrant Officer's title comes from the old French word
warant that meant variously a protector, a defense and an authorization. It is also the source
of our modern word "warranty." In 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to
King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain privileges, they also furnished crews whose
officers were the Master, Boatswain, Carpenter and Cook. Later these officers were
"warranted" by the British Admiralty. They maintained and sailed the ships and were the
standing officers of the navy. Soldiers commanded by Captains would be on board the ships to
do the fighting but they had nothing to do with running the ships. The word "soldiering" came
about as a seaman's term of contempt for the soldiers and anyone else who avoided shipboard
duties.
The warranted officers were often the permanent members of the ships' companies.
They stayed with the ships in port between voyages as caretakers supervising repairs and
refitting. Other crewmen and soldiers might change with each voyage. Early in the Fourteenth
Century the Purser joined the warrant officers. He was originally "the clerk of burser." During
the following centuries the Gunner, Surgeon, Chaplain, Master-at-arms, Schoolmaster and
others signed on.
Warrant Officers were members of our Navy right from its beginning. There were
Warrant Officers on the ships of the Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. When
Congress created our Navy in 1794 it listed the Warrant Officers as the Sailing Masters, Purser,
Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, Sailmaker and Midshipman.
Navy Warrant Officers began wearing blue and gold stripes in 1853--on their caps. They
had stripes of half-inch wide gold lace separated by a quarter-inch wide stripe of blue cloth. In
1888 Chief Warrant Officers started wearing the sleeve stripe of a single strip of half-inch wide
gold lace broken at intervals by sections of blue thread half an inch wide. In 1919 the other
Navy Warrant Officers began wearing sleeve stripes of gold lace broken by sections of blue.
Our Revolutionary Army had Warrant Officers but otherwise the Army and Marines did
not have them until the Twentieth Century. In 1916 the Marines made some of their Gunners
and Quartermaster Clerks Warrant Officers. In 1918 Pay Clerks could also become Warrants.
Also in 1918, the Army created Warrant Officers in its Mine Planter Service to serve as Masters,
Mates and Engineers of its seagoing vessels. Congress authorized more Army Warrant Officers
24
in 1920 in clerical, administrative and band leading activities but the intent seems to have been
to reward enlisted men for long service or provide positions for World War I officers who could
not hold their commissions after the war. Between 1922 and 1936 the Army promoted only a
few band leaders and Mine Planter Service members to warrant status. In 1936 the Army held
competitive examinations to replenish its Warrant Officer eligibility lists and once again began
making appointments.
For rank insignia, Marine Warrant Officers wore the insignias of their respective
departments until 1944 when they began wearing gold or silver bars broken by stripes of scarlet
enamel. Amy Warrant Officers got oval bars of gold and brown in 1942. Warrant Officers in the
Army Air Forces wore oval bars of gold and light blue. In 1956 both changed to square-
cornered gold or silver bars with blue enamel stripes for the Air Force and brown for the Army.
There were four grades of Warrant Officers. The Warrant Officer (W-1) wore a gold bar with
two enamel stripes, the Chief Warrant Officer (W-2) a gold bar with three stripes, the Chief
Warrant Officer (W-3) a silver bar with two stripes and the Chief Warrant Officer (W-4) a silver
bar with three stripes. The Army found this system confusing so in 1969 asked its Institute of
Heraldry to design another device. That was the silver bar with black enamel squares
introduced in 1972 and still worn by Army Warrant Officers. Now the Warrant Officer (W-1)
has one square and each higher grade gets another square up to Chief Warrant Officer (W-4)
with four.
25
Ma
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20
11
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USS
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2
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USS
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(SS
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in 1
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6
7
8
9
10
11
12
USS
H-1
(SS
-28
) in
19
20
13
14
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USS
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19
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USS
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te (
SS 3
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in 1
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21
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row
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22
23
24
25
USS
F-4
(SS
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) in
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15
26
USS
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(SS
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in 1
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USS
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S
23
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in 1
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27
28
29
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31
26
USS Barbel (SS-316)
Lost on:
Lost on February 4, 1945 with the loss of 81 officers and men on her 3rd war patrol. Based on Japanese records, she was bombed near the southern entrance to the Palawan Passage. The day before, she reported she survived 3 depth charge attacks.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 285 Commissioned: 4/3/1944 Launched: 11/14/1943 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 312, Beam: 27 #Officers: 10, #Enlisted: 71 Fate: Barbel sent a message reporting that she had been attacked three times by enemy aircraft dropping depth charges and would transmit further information on the following night. Barbel was never heard from again. 81 men lost.
27
USS Shark I (SS-174)
Lost on: Lost on February 11, 1942 with the loss of 59 officers and men on her 1st war patrol. Shark was the 1st US submarine sunk by enemy surface craft in the Pacific. She was most likely sunk by depth charges.
US Navy Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 172 Commissioned: 1/25/1936 Launched: 5/21/1935 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 298, Beam: 25 #Officers: 5, #Enlisted: 45 Fate: Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes. 59 men lost
28
USS Amberjack (SS-219)
Lost on: Lost on February 16, 1943 with the loss of 72 officers and men on her 3rd war patrol. Off Rabaul, she was attacked by a Japanese patrol plane, attacked by a torpedo boat and then depth charged by a subchaser.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 212 Commissioned: 6/19/1942 Launched: 3/6/1942 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 312, Beam: 27 #Officers: 6, #Enlisted: 54 Fate: She reported having been forced down on the 13th by two destroyers, and that she had recovered an enemy aviator from the water and taken him prisoner. All further messages to the vessel remained unanswered. 74 men lost.
29
USS Grayback (SS-208)
Lost on:
Lost on February 27, 1944 with the loss of 80 officers and men on her 10th war patrol. She appears to have been caught on the surface in the East China Sea by a Japanese carrier plane whose bombs made a direct hit. During this patrol she sank 4 ships totaling 21,594 tons and was tied for 11th in the number of ships sunk.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 198 Commissioned: 6/30/1941 Launched: 1/31/1941 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 307, Beam: 27 #Officers: 6, #Enlisted: 54 Fate: Sunk by Japanese aircraft in East China Sea. All 80 crewmen lost.
30
USS Trout (SS-202)
Lost on:
Lost on February 29,1944 with the loss of 79 officers and men on her 11th war patrol. She was sunk by escorts in the middle of the Philippines Basin after sinking a passenger-cargoman and damaging another in a convoy. She carried out several notable special missions, including carrying over two tons of gold bullion out of Corregidor in February 1942.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 198 Commissioned: 11/15/1940 Launched: 5/21/1940 Builder: Portsmouth Navy Yard Length: 307, Beam: 27 #Officers: 6, #Enlisted: 54 Fate: Trout topped off with fuel at Midway and was never heard from again. Japanese records indicate that one of their convoys was attacked by a submarine on 29 February 1944 in the area assigned to Trout. Possibly one of the convoy's escorts sank the Trout.