THE USS SQUALUS

ROBERT FRANKLIN GIBBS

MEMORIAL PROJECT

A JOINT PROJECT OF

SCarchaeology. org

Lonnie W. Franklin, RPA, Project Director

and

United States Submarine Veterans Palmetto Base

Base Commander, Tommy Richardson

Published by

Robert Gibbs, USS Squalus Memorial Project

SCarchaeology.org, in collaboration with Palmetto Subvets.org

L.W. Franklin, RPA, Project Director, Mrs. Tanya Venable, Research Assistant

Robert Franklin Gibbs was born in 1904, in Lexington, S.C., USA, then a rural farming community

without paved roads, economically depressed and still recovering from the reconstruction following the

Civil War. Airplanes and submarines were in their infancy, exotic, almost in the realm of science fiction.

The Orient, on the other side of the world, was as alien as outer space. The southern small-town farm-

boy Gibbs, who grew up with the smell of cotton not saltwater in his nostrils improbably became a

submariner in China and married a Russian woman in Shanghai. He earned a medal for Yangtze Service

the events about which the book and movie The Sand Pebbles was based. He was there when Japan

invaded China and sank the USS Panay; and returned to America for the first time in twelve years to

launch America’s newest experimental submarine, the USS Squalus. He had only been back 56 days

when it tragically sank during a test dive. The attempted rescue and the recovery of the sub made

headlines around the world for months. Numerous books and movies have been made about this event,

such as The Terrible Hours and Submerged .

Gibbs was not one of the lucky few heroically rescued. His wife was on a train coming to join him

when the sub sank. Speaking little English, she didn’t know about the tragedy until she arrived and had

to wait 114 days for his body to be recovered. He was buried as a celebrity. The population of Lexington

at that time was around 400 people, but over 2,000 came to his funeral. The State flags were lowered

to half-mast and the legislature passed a resolution recognizing his loss. A one-of-a-kind submarine

memorial was placed on his grave (appendix 11). His amazing story was eclipsed and virtually forgotten

just over a year later when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and hundreds of thousands of small-town boys

went to the other side of the world to fight and die in places with names that they had never before

heard.

His vandalized memorial goes to the very heart of what archaeology is - the restoration of our

past through the artifacts left behind, bringing to life again people and events that are lost, but that still

have meaning. The stone submarine resurrected a major international event, a national tragedy – and

the romance of a country boy that somehow married a Russian woman in Shanghai and sent her to be

safe with his parents. The saga of his bride, barely speaking English, going to join him in Portsmouth not

knowing he would not be there.

His fading story has prompted SCarchaeology and Palmetto SubVets to begin the following

project:

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. To determine the original state of the Gibbs/Squalus memorial.

2. To restore the memorial to its original state.

3. To record the life and service of Robert Franklin Gibbs for posterity.

METHODOLOGY

To determine the original state of the memorial, it is necessary to: (best option) find records of the

manufacture; (next) photos; (or lastly) accounts by survivors of the era. Although highly valued as

evidence in a court of law, memories are often unreliable. Eye-witness accounts are subjective and

therefore of questionable utility for scientific research.

To find any record of the manufacture, numerous phone calls were made to: monument

manufacturers – who were eventually narrowed down to: Carolina Granite & Marble Co. Lexington, S.C.

They reported that they (and reportedly only they) have been in business since the 30’s, are familiar

with the monument and would likely have been the contact point for the monument; but “her father

who would have known” has passed away and there are no remaining records that old. A representative

from the company examined the memorial and reported that the monument was made of marble, and

that the missing items were most likely made of bronze. She surmised that the submarine was probably

manufactured in North Carolina, where there were a number of unknown (deceased) artists that were

capable of that level of sculpting, or in Atlanta; and then shipped to Lexington. Additional efforts to

trace the manufacturer have been unsuccessful to this point. If deemed desirable, it is possible that

surviving train-freight records might be found.

In an attempt to find written accounts, and possibly photos; contact was made with the local

newspaper, The Lexington Dispatch, in business since 1871( 12). They referred research to USC’s South

Caroliniana Library, who had recently microfilmed all old Dispatch files. They reported that the old files

are too fragile to allow additional access.

USC’s South Caroliniana Library, was visited a number of times. Microfilmed Lexington Dispatch

articles and The State Newspaper items in their archives were reviewed. A number of news articles and

photos of the memorial service were found. One photo, taken during the memorial service, established

that the sub was not yet in place for the burial. Additionally, in an article from the 1950’s, photos of the

sub with a chain attached to rails around the deck, and a central flag, were found (13); establishing the

original status. The microfilmed news photo cannot be enlarged adequately to show how the chain was

attached, but the size of the rails and chain can be determined by reference to measurable points on the

memorial.

The State Newspaper, Columbia SC, was contacted in an attempt to find the original photo so that it

could be magnified without pixilation; but, they report that the company has been sold several times

since the photo was taken and that they are unable to locate the original.

In what was believed to be an improbable search for survivors of the era, calls were begun to every

Gibbs in the Lexington and Columbia phone book. Incredibly, the last surviving family member was

located. She reported that she is the widow of Robert Gibbs younger brother, had met Robert before he

left for the Orient and had attended his funeral in 1939. She states that she has the 48 star flag from the

burial and some old newspaper clippings that she will share with us. An appointment was made, and

she provided newspaper articles and photos of Robert Gibbs and his wife Betty, but had none of the

memorial. When asked about the original state of the memorial, she says that her husband had

removed damaged chains and rails with the intent to repair and replace them. She stated her belief

that they were possibly made of copper and that she may be able to find them. (Unfortunately, she has

not been able to do so.) She recalled placing a small flag on the submarine several times. She reported

her belief that the memorial was paid for by the family, but knows of no remaining records or other

details. She recalls that the submarine was in place for the memorial service, but warns that she was

very young, and it was a long time ago. She believes that her daughter may have more information and

would be in touch. Mrs. Gibbs daughter has since provided a great deal of memorabilia and

documentary evidence (appendix) as well as clarifying much of her mother’s recollections that were

discussed with her over the years.

Mrs. Gibbs recollection that the missing rails and chain were of copper, and the opinion of the

representative from Carolina Granite & Marble that they were likely of bronze indicates the need for

objective testing to ascertain their composition.

The St. Stephens cemetery manager, on 7/29/10, provided anecdotal info: concerning the condition

of the monument. He recalls when the chain and rails were removed but does not recall any other items

attached to the monument, nor did he know when or by whom the items were removed. He believes

that the rails and chain were made of brass or bronze, and not likely to have been made of copper. He

does not believe that a flag was on the sub’s deck, stating that the wind in that area is too strong. When

asked if he recalled how the chain was attached, he stated that he believes the chain went through

“loops or holes on the stanchions.” In a follow up conversation, he stated that he would research church

archives and contact the former owners of Lexington Dispatch who are church members. However, no

records were found and no additional information was forthcoming. He referred us to a local researcher

familiar with monument since the 60’s. She recalls when the deck “rope” was taken by “someone” who

intended to replace it. When asked if she recalled how the chain might have been attached, she recalled

“eyelets” on top of stanchions, no staffs fore or aft or mid deck. Does not recall any mid deck item, does

not recall flags or any other items having been on the sub.

We were advised of a memorial-day ceremony conducted in 2009 by a local submarine veteran’s

association. The United States Submarine Veterans Association was contacted, and they provided the

names of contacts with the Palmetto Association of the USSVI – Palmetto SubVets. That organization

was contacted and an agreement was made to jointly restore the monument. The Commander of

Palmetto Subvets owns a metal fabricating shop and could arrange for the manufacture of the missing

pieces. Fund raising as needed could be handled jointly; USSVI has agreed to match locally raised funds.

To obtain the records needed to record Gibb’s Navy story for posterity, military records were

sought from: Old Military and Civil Records, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington

D.C., and NaPers Records Center, St. Louis Mo. His continuous service records were available. They

were obtained and are a part of this report (appendix). Medical records have been kept separately from

the service records since 1994 and had to be requested separately. The medical records for service

members through 1939 are kept at NARA and were requested but were denied without “immediate

family permission.” Mrs. Gibbs was not accepted as being “immediate family.” SCA is confident that they

were improperly denied, but we determined that they were not necessary for the completion of this

project and were not pursued further.

The Gibb’s service records reveal much about his story, but leave much more tantalizingly

unanswered. We will almost certainly never know why he suddenly and unexpectedly left South Carolina

to go to sea, something that he had probably never seen. Mrs. Gibbs recalled Robert as “something of a

rounder, often in a little trouble.” The first time she met him she recalls, “ I was on a date with his

younger brother at a Lexington restaurant, and Rob got so drunk, he had to take him outside.” We are

told that his older brother enlisted with him, in Raleigh, N.C., 237 miles from his home, when Charleston

Naval Station was only 100 miles away; but that they were soon separated and lost touch.

After basic training, he was assigned to a brand-new by-the-book battleship, the USS Maryland,

and after a cruise through the Panama Canal to South America, Australia and New Zealand they were

home-ported in San Pedro California. That was a long way from South Carolina and probably quite a

culture shock for him. The legal drinking age in California was 21, and 19 year-old Gibbs was reputed to

have a problem with alcohol. His early performance records were not good, but he soon adjusted. He

left the navy and returned to South Carolina after his first enlistment; but after travelling all the way

across the country, re-enlisted – within 23 days - for coppersmith training; promptly dropped out of that

school, volunteered for submarines and the Asiatic fleet. He was sent to one of the small subs that

conducted exercises and patrols in the Philippines during the winter and operated off the China coast,

out of Tsingtao, during the summer months.

Submarines in those days did not have names. In general they were small, crude, cramped

vessels designed for harbor defense - justifiably referred to as pig boats; but the crews were like a

family. This was the era of the expatriate “Gob,” professional sailors that often chose the Asiatic fleet

because it was on the other side of the world and the Navy “regs” just did not apply. They often retired

to the Orient as barkeeps and never returned. Sailors of that era often volunteered for dangerous and

demanding submarine duty for the same reasons, and they lived by different rules. Gibbs seemed to

have found a home. He would not return to South Carolina for twelve years.

It was a turbulent time to be in the Orient. The young Chinese republic had only been in

existence a decade or so since Sun Yat-sen had been able to unseat bickering regional war lords that had

held dynastic power for centuries. But during their reign many western powers had established trading

privileges with series of treaties. China had become a center for foreign adventurers and profiteers.

China had more or less won their war but found that many of their ports and rivers had been taken over

by foreigners holding these old treaties and protecting their interests with troops and gunboats. It was a

time of Yangtze opium smugglers, gunrunners, and gamblers. Manila, where the subs spent the winters

was like a wild frontier and sailors were warned not to go ashore alone at first, to take someone with

them who “knew the ropes,” and there was an old saying: “if Shanghai is allowed to survive, then God

owes an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Sailors were not allowed to marry before they reached E-5 (Gibbs would have been 26,) by then

the Navy hoped that they would know better. Before then they were expected to make use of the

ubiquitous prostitutes common in every port. Venereal disease headed the list of admissions to naval

hospitals. It was considered a “self-inflicted wound” but a necessary and unavoidable occupational

hazard by the Navy, particularly among rowdy sailors in far-flung places.

Under those circumstances, it is understandable that there is an adage from that era that “nice

girls don’t date sailors.” How Gibbs met Milana Borisnova Subesco (called “Betty”) the Russian woman

that he married, is highly conjectural. She spoke only broken English, and said that what she was able to

speak, he taught her. He was not known to be able to speak Chinese or Russian. But they did, and in

1934 (Gibbs was 30) they were legally married - first in a Russian Church and later in a civil ceremony at

the American Consulate.

Very little is known about her, except that she was three years older than he and that her family

had fled during the Revolution and settled in an area of China that had a population consisting of more

Russian refugees than Chinese.

They lived in a small house in Tsing Tao China until Japan invaded in 1937. Military dependents

were involuntarily evacuated, first to Manila and then to San Francisco. Gibbs had to stay behind, and

Betty was sent to stay with his family in Lexington. It would be over a year before Gibbs was transferred

to launch America’s newest submarine, the USS Squalus. After such a long separation, he was able to

spend three weeks with her and his family before leaving for Portsmouth and the Squalus. He found a

house for them and sent for her. She was on the train to join him when the Squalus sank on 5/23/1939.

She spoke little English and a translator was sent from the State Department in Washington to

alert her when the train stopped there; but she could not understand him and arrived in Portsmouth to

find the tragedy unfolding. It would be another 114 days before she could bring him home, this time

forever.

CONCLUSION

Part 1. To determine the original state of the Gibbs/Squalus memorial.

No documentary evidence concerning the manufacture was discovered; but photos were found

that, combined with current examination and measurement, establishes the original state of the

submarine memorial. It originally had 18 stanchions (1/4”diameter X 2 5/16” in 5/16”diameter X 5/8”

deep holes drilled in the deck; holding chain (size and type undetermined) around the circumference of

the deck and a typical memorial flag in a central positioned hole in the foredeck. The lack of any type of

residue in the mounting hole implies that the staff was made of wood. The deck cannon and propellers

suggested by anecdotal evidence are not indicated in either photos or remaining evidence of

attachment.

Cacotheline tests, but substituting muriatic acid for diluted hydrochloric acid, resulted in a

positive for tin, indicating that the missing metal pieces were bronze. A resin-based residue was found in

the bottom of the stanchion holes, probably indicating that the stanchions were glued in place originally.

The method of chain attachment is unknown, but careful analysis of the photo (under magnification)

does not indicate eyelets or holes on the stanchions. The method of attachment remains unknown, but

brazing is suggested.

Part 2. To restore the memorial to its original state.

Palmetto SubVets has agreed to manufacture and replace the chains and rails. During testing it

was discovered that the submarine replica had never been attached to the monument’s base. It has

been simply sitting there since 1939. Arrangements were been made for this to be corrected, and

repairs have been confirmed by SCarchaeology. There is an old adage in research, “never begin the

research until the funds have been secured.” All costs to this point have been absorbed by

SCarchaeology without having to solicit contributions. Contributions to either organization are

welcomed and tax deductible, but it is the opinion of SCA that considering the minimal restoration

needed to the monument, fund raising can probably be handled within the Palmetto Subvets

membership with matching-funds assistance by USSVI.

Part 3. To record the life and service of Robert Franklin Gibbs for posterity.

The Gibbs/Squalus memorabilia and artifacts have been conserved and accepted by The

University of South Carolina’s Caroliniana library where they will be preserved and made available to

researchers. The Military Museum branch of the South Carolina State Museum has expressed an

interest in the Gibb’s artifacts for possible use in a future display. A cooperative agreement between

USC and the SC Museum is expressly sought. A memorial booklet, funded by SCarchaeology, is being

prepared for presentation to the Lexington County Museum, and the Lexington County Library.

Palmetto Subvets has an annually scheduled Memorial Day Ceremony commemorating the

service of Robert Gibbs, covered by local press and media. Mrs. Gibbs has offered the memorial flag for

use in services.

With apologies to my editor and my academic colleagues, this exercise is intended for the general

interest reader. I have therefore chosen not to encumber this paper with attributions and references. A

supplemental appendix is included as enhancement. We will be glad to provide researchers will other

information that they made require. Contact: http://scarchaeology.org/contact.asp

APPENDIX

Continuous Service Record # 110315, verified by The Department of the Navy, Bureau of Navigation

Robert Franklin Gibbs, service # 261-31-38

*Note, supplemental information indicated in *italics was added by the editor and is not a part of the original CSR.

Nov. 9, 1922 -enlisted at Navy recruiting station, Raleigh, NC.

Enlistment medical notes: 5’10 1/2” tall, 143 lbs., l.brown hair, blue eyes, ruddy complexion, scars on r.side,r.knee, l.knee, I

shinbone. Education not recorded

12/21/1922 -assigned to: naval training center, Hampton Roads Va. Seaman 2c.

12/31/23 -assigned to: USS Maryland. San Pedro, Calif.

*USS Maryland was a 1921 battleship “The pride of the Navy, 18 August-25 September, 1922 Rio,1923 fleet exercises

Panama Canal to Pacific, Australia New Zealand 1925 (corresponds with low conduct 1.0’s) conduct rated high 4.0 3/23 –

3/25 By 6/25 as low as 1.0, by 9/25 back to 4.0 proficiency as 3.8 promoted to seaman 1st class, ratings: 3.6-3.8

11/8/26 -end of enlistment, discharged San Pedro Cal.

12/2/26 -re-enlisted Raleigh NC for coppersmith school, Hampton Rds. Va.

2/16/27 -dropped from training

3/17/27 -assigned to: USS Kane (14 days, 3/17-31)

*USS Kane (DD-235) was a Clemson-class destroyer commissioned in 1920…most likely transport to Charleston, listed on

board but not rated. The boat was on the way to Nicaragua and Honduras – but Gibbs was transferred before it left.

3/31/27 -assigned to: USS Hopkins

*USS Hopkins was a Clemson class destroyer launched 26 June 1920, 1927 Hopkins operated out of New England ports in

the summer, Charleston, South Carolina, in the winter, and the Caribbean Sea in the spring

8/4/27 -admitted to: Newport RI naval hospital patient (8/4 – 9/30)

9/30/27 – 12/1/27 -reassigned to: USS Hopkins

12/12/27 -assigned to: USS Dobbins

*USS Dobbins was a 1921 destroyer tender (noted under treatment)

12/13/27 -reassigned to: USS Hopkins, for transport to submarine school

12/31/27 – 4/18/28 -assigned to: Sub base New London Conn.

Under instruction completed 6 wk. course in submarine and torpedo tr’g school, Mk 3.0

8/20/28 -assigned to: USS Henderson as transportation to USS Canopus

9/7/28 – 12/14/28 -assigned to: USS Canopus

*USS Canopus was a former 1919 passenger liner converted to a submarine tender

conduct rating 1.5

12/31/28 -assigned to: S-36

*S-36 was a submarine, assigned to the western Pacific, conducting exercises and patrols and undergoing overhauls in the

Philippines during the winter and operating off the China coast, out of Tsingtao, during the summer months.

8/13/29 -qualified SS D.S. Gurney (xo)

6/15/29 -promoted to:TM3

7/1/30 -promoted to:TM2 conduct 4.0

12/10/30 -reenlisted Cavite P.I., 2 years

4/11/31 – -sent to Naval Hospital via USS Nitro (ammunition ship) Puget Sound

*Patient until7/13/31

8/26 -8/31 -sent to “general detail” back as a patient

*9/18/31 For reference, Japanese invade Manchuria

9/30/31-1/27/32 -assigned to: USS West Virginia

*USS West Virginia was a Colorado class battleship, 1921 9/30/31-1/27/32

3/31/31-4/29/32 -assigned to: USS Litchfield

*USS Litchfield was a 1920 Clemson class destroyer, (pacific to Hawaii)

6/30/32 – 9/13/32 -reassigned to: USS Canopus

9/30/32 -assigned to: S-39

*S-39 was a submarine, same type & class as S-36 previously described

10/1/32 -requalified SS R.E. Hanson xo

3/28/34 -transferred to: Naval Hospital Canacao P.I

3/31/34 – -back to duty on S-39

3/15/1935 -received: Yangtze Service Medal

*7/7/37 For reference: Japanese invade Shanghai

*12/12/37 For reference: Japanese sink USS Panay in Nanjing

12/16/36 -re-enlisted 3 years at sea

5/16/37 -promoted to: TM-1

4/30/38 -qualified as shell back south bound for Dutch East Indies

9/30/38 – 11/04/38 -hospitalized: Naval Hospital Canacao PI

2/20/39 -assigned to: USS Henderson for transport to San Francisco

3/28/39 -arrived San Francisco

3/29/39 -requalified SS C.F. Naquin xo

3/31/39 -assigned to USS Squalus * (note discrepancy in dates)

*USS Squalus was America’s newest submarine, Naquin was CO, not XO as recorded in CSR

5/23/39 -declared dead by Sec.of Navy

Navy Recruiting Poster (For the Orient) 1923

The type that Gibbs might have seen

Robert Gibbs, date unknown

Birth Certificate (re-issued in China) for Milana Borisnova Subesko hereafter known as Betty Gibbs

USS Maryland, newly launched, Gibb’s first duty station The USS S-39,

Gibb’s submarine assignment before being sent to the Squalus

The Gibbs Squalus Memorial before being damaged

The Gibbs Squalus Memorial in 2009

Photos and stories of the USS Squalus, the historic heroic rescue of most of the crew, the

recovery of the sunken submarine and the subsequent re-christening as the USS Salifish are not listed

here since literally hundreds of articles, books, and movies are available. One of the best is The Terrible

Hours, by Peter Maas.

L.W. Franklin, MA, RPA, formerly TM2 (SS), USS Chopper, SS-342