Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor,
Dive with our men beneath the sea;
Traverse the depths protectively.
O hear us when we pray, and keep
Them safe from peril on the deep.
Lamh Foistenach Abu!
Posted on 11/09/2008 7:59:22 AM PST by SandRat
WHETSTONE — Like many who served during World War II, the number of men who served on the diesel submarines during the conflict is declining.
On Saturday, the Cactus Chapter of World War II submariners held its annual meeting at John Robson’s Tombstone Territories RV Park. Robson, who has hosted the reunions for about six years, said it may have been the group’s last annual meeting at his RV park.
While there were nearly 100 people in attendance, most of them men served on the nuclear submarines that were built long after the war. Five from World War II showed up for the potluck, along with their family members and a group of riders with various motorcycle organizations.
Before the event began, a number of bikers escorted a 21-foot-long model of the nuclear submarine named for Tucson into the RV park.
But emotions came out with tolling of a bell 52 times and Les Johnson read the names of the subs lost during World War II and the number of lives lost in those sinkings. Johnson served aboard the USS Batfish, SS 310.
Robson, 84, was going to read the names, but said he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
During his war service, Robson served on the USS Ray, SS 271, where he rose to chief petty officer.
During one patrol, the Ray worked as part of a wolfpack with the USS Harder, SS 257, seeking out and sinking Japanese ships.
The Harder was one of the subs remembered during Saturday’s tolling of the bell ceremony.
Robson choked up after the ceremony, saying he had friends on that boat and it was sunk two days after the Ray parted company from it.
“I was going to do it, but I couldn’t,” Robson said, his voice cracking, his eyes glistening with tears of remembrance.
It was as if a sign in the meeting room stating “Their memories forever submerged in our hearts” really moved him.
The first sub listed as lost was the USS Sealion, SS 195, which was sunk on Dec. 10, 1941. The last named called was the USS Bulhead, SS 332, which went down on Aug. 6, 1945. The Harder was lost on Aug. 24, 1944.
When it comes to submariners, they all remember the name of their boat — subs are called boats, not ships — and the vessel’s number.
For Johnson, it was difficult to read the names of the boats lost and how many of their crew went down with them.
Only one American sub was lost in 1941, but seven were lost in 1942, 17 in 1943, 19 in 1944 and eight in 1945. Most of the losses of the nearly 400 submarines constructed during World War II were in the conflict’s Pacific Theater.
Johnson said that during his patrols he had been depth charged and once bombed by an American airplane.
On his last patrol on the Batfish, the war ended. For him, that was the best news.
The 83-year-old who lives outside of Sahuarita said the Batfish was off the coast of Japan near Nagasaki during that last patrol.
Shipping was light, so the crew used the deck gun and fired at a small Japanese Army post.
They were submerged off Nagasaki Bay when the second atom bomb was dropped on that city, Johnson said. Except for perhaps the captain, no one saw the bomb go off.
Glenn Moats, 84, of Sierra Vista, also was on his last patrol when the war ended.
“It was a successful war patrol,” he said, noting his boat, the USS Moray, SS 300, sank two Japanese cargo ships.
He stayed in the Navy, retiring as a master chief petty officer. Johnson left the Navy after his short war service, first during World War II and later when he re-enlisted during the Korean War, reaching the rank of petty officer second class.
Robson said the Cactus Chapter diesel submariners will now join with “the nuclear guys” and meet with them.
But for any sailor who is lost at sea, they are not dead in their shipmates’ minds.
“They are on eternal patrol,” as many at the meeting said.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
My dad, my son and I just got back from a reunion of the Royal Air Force pilots who trained at Falcon Field in Arizona during the war. All of the old boys are in their eighties. They decided that this would be their last formal reunion. It was rather sad.
Still on patrol.
Lamh Foistenach Abu!
USS DORADO, still on patrol
"On Eternal Patrol."
Thank you all WWII submariners!
Godspeed
Lots of WWII vets still on board with great stories. I was transferred to the USS Picuda (SS382) in 1953, a diesel boat converted to a "Guppy" (snorkel boat). Up until mid 1954 we routinely got through the destroyer screen (one time with the snort mast still up!) and would take out the carriers and oilers - all this with WWII gear.
After 1954 they started coming out with equipment that would nail us every time. They'd drop concussion grenades to simulate depth charges. After one particularly loud blast, the skipper said, "Near miss." The exec said, "That 'near miss' just knocked the cork off the wardroom bulkheads."
Dunno what happened to the Picuda but I visited the Cobia 50 years later. Jesu, she even smelled the same. Major deja vu. She's worth a trip to Wisconsin and can be seen HERE.
ping
As a kid, there was a man in our neighborhood who commanded a sub during WWII in the Pacific. He stood probably 5’4” when fully stretched. He retired around 1955 and died about 1985. I never really got to hear many of his stories but do remember him describing use of the deck gun.
Amen. Thanks, and thanks to all of our warriors. Many are gone, but never forgotten.
I was privileged to take a friend to the 12th Armored Division (WWII) reunion in Abilene, Texas, this summer. It was a true honor to meet these people who helped to save this world from evil.
I served on the USS Jallao (SS-368) in the early 60's.
We sank the carrier Essex six times in one day of practice maneuvers.
Thank you for your service, Oatka. You mention mid-’54...I was born a few months later.
As a teen-ager, you and your shipmates were my heroes. I still have a lot of respect for the guys who serve on submarines. A boat designed to sink? Intentionally? Right...
Thanks for being a SS pioneer.
You cant get that smell out of your clothes for weeks even after multiple washings. Diesel and Amine.
I was given a lighter by an old vet ages ago for USS Ronquil.
Lost it along with all the other sub lighters I had.
Ronquil was the only boat I had a lighter for that I didnt work on. That was before my time.
Now all the 637 class boats are gone too.
Funny. I received a phone call from an old shipmate yesterday.
I prolly haven’t seen or heard from in 20 years
We both move in small circles.
I have guys here trying to get me involved in reunions.
I’m not that old, yet!!
We do move in small circles.
Some of the guys are getting old. I saw my old master chief a year back or so and he is getting old.
My LCPO is around here and my old Warrent officer. I dont think the later would know me. he is a bigshot now and only oversaw me in training.
Y’know, I thought the same thing for awhile...
I ran into a trick chief at Ft. Hood in ‘97 who I was convinced didn’t know me from Adam. I was wrong.
Our paths didn’t cross again until this past summer. He recognized my voice in a teleconference. Now, that’s just not right!
Yeah. This fellow was all cautious and polite I recognized his voice before he identified himself.
I was like “is this Oly?”
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