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NO HOPE FOR 26 IN SQUALUS (5/26/39)
Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 5/26/39 | Hanson W. Baldwin

Posted on 05/26/2009 5:41:20 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

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TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: milhist; realtime
If you would like to be added to or deleted from the Real Time +/- 70 Years ping list, send me a freepmail. You can also search for these articles by the keyword realtime, going back to the first one on January 27, 2008. These articles are posted on the 70th anniversary of their original publication date. See my profile for additional information.
1 posted on 05/26/2009 5:41:20 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
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To: fredhead; r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; GRRRRR; 2banana; ...
This is the final article I will post on Squalus, although as others pointed out, she will be raised and recommissioned as Sailfish and build an exemplary war record.
2 posted on 05/26/2009 5:43:59 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

The account of Lloyd Maness is heartbreaking. Of course he did the right thing, and saved many lives. I hope he was not too tortured by the memories over the remainder of his life.


3 posted on 05/26/2009 5:51:46 AM PDT by gridlock (Barack Obama is Kristy Yamaguchi and Dick Cheney is the Zamboni.)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

She was raised, recommissioned as USS Sailfish, and served though WWII.


4 posted on 05/26/2009 6:04:37 AM PDT by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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To: gridlock
I hope he was not too tortured by the memories over the remainder of his life.

Likewise. There is a sidebar about Petty Officer Shirley's planned wedding in yesterday's post.

5 posted on 05/26/2009 6:11:07 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

My mother’s first cousin, Powell, was on the Squalus. He was the radio man. I don’t remember but my sisters remember listening to the radio all day long when the rescue was going on.

He grew up in the same house with Mother and later died in a sub in WWII.

We have the articles when he came home after the rescue.


6 posted on 05/26/2009 6:16:07 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

Eternal Father, strong to save,
whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ, whose voice the waters heard
and hushed their raging at thy word,
who walkedst on the foaming deep,
and calm amid the storm didst sleep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

Most Holy Spirit, who didst brood
upon the chaos dark and rude,
and bid its angry tumult cease,
and give, for wild confusion, peace:
O hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power,
our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
from rock and tempest, fire and foe,
protect them wheresoe’er they go;
thus evermore shall rise to thee
glad hymns of praise from land and sea.


7 posted on 05/26/2009 6:26:11 AM PDT by gridlock (Barack Obama is Kristy Yamaguchi and Dick Cheney is the Zamboni.)
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To: cajungirl
My mother’s first cousin, Powell, was on the Squalus.

I see him on the list of the rescued from yesterday's post: Powell, Charles A., radioman, second class, of Leesville, La.

He grew up in the same house with Mother and later died in a sub in WWII.

He gave his life in a vital cause. Admiral Nimitz considered the submarine campaign the first cause of the defeat of Japan.

8 posted on 05/26/2009 6:29:57 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
I just noticed that Hanson W. Baldwin, the author of this article, also wrote last Sunday's news analysis piece on the Maginot Line and the German West Wall. I looked him up and found he will be the military editor of the Times for forty years. He will submit stories from Guadalcanal, North Africa and other locations in both theatres. He is a Naval Academy graduate, although he served in the Navy only two years.
9 posted on 05/26/2009 6:56:53 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

He came up on the last trip with the captain.

Came home on leave and made the local papers and went back and died in the pacific ocean.

He was apparently a fine man.


10 posted on 05/26/2009 7:21:54 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
An internet search yielded the information that the last survivor of the Squalus died 1 December 2008.

http://obit.byles.com/obitdisplay.html?id=609491

Carl Bryson NEW LONDON - Allen Carl Bryson, 91, formerly of Pequot Ave., New London , the last survivor of the USS Squalus, died Monday at Fairview in Groton.

He was born October 30, 1917 near Greenville, SC the son of Stella Johnson and Marion Bryson. He was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Dorothy Johns Bryson who died in 1997.

Carl joined the CCC ( Civilian Conservation Corps) and then enlisted in the Navy on January 5, 1936. After completing basic training and trade school in Norfolk, VA he served on the ships; USS Henderson, USS Medusa and the USS Mississippi. He was transferred from the Mississippi to Submarine and Diesel School in New London.

He served on the USS R-4 (SS-81) and in 1939 was assigned to the USS Squalus (SS 192) to put her into commission at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME. Carl was aboard the USS Squalus when it sank on May 23, 1939. He was rescued from the sunken sub, and then worked in the salvage crew until the boat was towed into the shipyard. He was then transferred to the USS R-14 (SS 91) in November of 1939 and in 1941 was assigned to the Escape Training Tank, where he trained Tyrone Power for the film "Crash Dive".

Other vessels he served on were USS O-4 (SS 65), USS Sea Robin (SS-407), USS Tench (SS 417) USS Valcour (AVP 55), USS Macon (CA 132), USS Fulton (AS 11) USS Leyte (CVS 32) and USS Sunbird (ASR 15). He retired with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Four after 30 years of service.

Self taught, he furthered his education while in the Navy by attending the University of Illinois and the College of William and Mary. From 1966 to 1979 worked at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics as a planner and project head.. He also taught English to Russian emigrants from 1979 to 1996.

Carl was a member of the Navy Lodge in Kittery ME., the Brainard Lodge of Masons, the Sojourners, was a life member of the SubVets of World War II, The US Submarine Veterans, Inc and the Holland Club.

He is survived by his three children and their spouses; Gordon W. Bryson and his wife Liz of Kamuela, HI, Capt. Eric C. Bryson and his wife Mary of Atlantic Beach, FL and Allyn B. Donath and her husband Tim of Mystic and 6 grandchildren; Carl, Richard, Nathaniel, Chelsea, Joshua and Rachel. He also leaves behind his dear friend Georgia Gore.

11 posted on 05/26/2009 6:41:34 PM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

From DANFS:

Sailfish

A large gamefish inhabiting tropical seas, related to the swordfish, but possessing scales and a large sail- like dorsal fin.

(SS-192: dp. 1,450 (surf.), 2,350 (subm.); 1. 310’6” b. 27’1”, d. 13’8”; s. 20 k. (surf.), 8.75 k. (subm.), cpl. 55; a. 8 21” tt., 1 3”, 2 .50 cal. mg.; cl. Sargo)

The first Sailfish (SS-192), a diesel-powered attack submarine, was laid down on 18 Oetober 1937 as Squalus by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth N.H., launched on 14 September 1938, sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C. Hart, and commissioned on 1 Mareh 1939, Lt. O. F. Naquin in command.

On 12 May, Squalus began a series of test dives off Portsmouth. After successfully completing 18 dives she went down again off the Isle of Shoals on the morning of 23 May. Failure of the main induction valve caused the flooding of her after engine room, and the submarine sank stern first to the bottom in 60 fathoms of water.

Her sister ship, Scullpin (SS-191), located the stricken ship and established communications. The newly developed McCann rescue chamber, a revised version of the Momsen diving bell, was used in rescu- ing the 33 survivors, but 26 men were trapped and lost in the flooded after portion of the ship.

The submarine was refloated using cables passed underneath her hull and attached to pontoons on each side. After overcoming tremendous technical difficulties in one of the most grueling salvage operations in Naval history, Squalus was raised, towed into Ports- mouth Navy Yard on 13 September; and formally decommissioned on 15 November. The submarine was renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940. After recondi- tioning, repair, and overhaul, she was recommissioned on 15 May 1940, Lt. Comdr. Morton C. Mumma in command.

With refit completed in mid-September, Sailfish de- parted Portsmouth on 16 January 1941 and headed for the Pacific. Transiting the Panama Canal, she arrived at Pearl Harbor in early March, after refueling at San Diego. The submarine then sailed west to Manila where she operated with Submarines, Asiatic Fleet until the attack on Pearl Harbor.

That day, Sailfish departed Manila on her first war patrol off the west coast of Luzon. On the night of 13 December, she made contact with a convoy escorted by three Japanese destroyers. After two of her torpedoes missed a troopship, she fired two more “fish” at one of the three destroyers. She claimed a hit, but was forced to dive to escape the vigorous depth charge counter- attack. Postwar analysis of Japanese records failed to establish damage to her target. She returned to Manila on the 17th.

Her second patrol began on 21 December and took the submarine to waters off Taiwan. On the morning of 27 January 1942, she attacked a cruiser and re- ported that the target was damaged. However, the damage could not be assessed since the heavy’s two escorts forced Sailfiah to dive deep and run silent. Running at 260 feet, the submarine eluded the destroy- ers and proceeded south toward Java. She arrived at Tjilatjap, Java, on 14 February for refueling and rearming.

Departing 19 February for her third patrol, she headed through Lombok Strait to the Java Sea. After sighting the cruiser, Houston (CA-30), and two escorts heading for Sunda Strait following the Allied defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea, Sailfish intercepted an enemy destroyer on 2 March. Following an unsuccess- ful attack on the Japanese warship, she was forced to dive deep to escape the depth charge attack of the destroyer and patrol aircraft. That night, she con- tacted a carrier-type vessel, escorted by four destroy- ers. Sailfish torpedoed and sank the aircraft ferry, Kamogawa Maru, near the approach to Lombok Strait. Leaving the ship aflame and dead in the water, Sailfish dove to escape vigorous depth charge attack. After eluding Japanese destroyers and aircraft, she arrived at Fremantle, Australia, on 19 March.

The Java and Celebes Seas were the areas of her fourth patrol-22 March to 21 May. She made only one contact and was unable to attack the target before returning to Fremantle.

The submarine’s fifth patrol-13 June to 1 August- was off the coast of Indochina in the South China Sea. On 4 July, she intercepted and tracked a large cargo- type vessel but discovered the intended target was a hospital ship and held her fire. On 9 July, she inter- cepted and torpedoed a Japanese freighter. One of a pair of torpedoes struck home and the ship took a fif- teen degree list. As Sailfish went deep, a series of explo- sions was heard, and no further screw noises were detected. When the submarine surfaced in the area an hour and one-half later, no ship was in sight. However postwar examination of Japanese records confirmed no sinking in the area on that date. Sailfish observed only one other enemy vessel before the end of the patrol.

Shifting her base of operations to Brisbane, SS-192 got underway for her sixth patrol on 13 September and headed for the western Solomons. On the night of 17 and 18 September, she encountered eight Japanese destroyers escorting a cruiser, but she was unable to attack. On 19 September, she attacked a minelayer. The spread of three torpedoes missed, and Sailfish was forced to dive deep to escape the depth charge counter- attack. Eleven well-placed charges went off near the submarine, causing much minor damage. Sailfish re- turned to Brisbane on 1 November.

Underway for her seventh patrol on 24 November Sailfish proceeded to the area south of New Britain. Following an unsuccessful attack on a destroyer on 2 December, the submarine made no other contacts until 25 December, when she scored a hit on a Japanese submarine. Postwar analysis of Japanese records could not confirm a sinking in the area. During the remain- der of the patrol, she made unsuccessful attacks on a cargo ship and a destroyer before ending the patrol at Pearl Harbor on 15 January 1943.

After an overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 27 January to 22 April, Sailfish returned to Pearl Harbor on 30 April. Departing Hawaii on 17 May for her eighth patrol, she stopped off to fuel at Midway and proceeded to her station off the east coast of Honshu. Several contacts were made but were not attacked due to bad weather. On 15 June, she encoun- tered two freighters off Todo Saki. Firing a spread of three torpedoes, she observed one hit which stopped the maru dead in the water. Sailfish went deep to escape an ensuing depth charge attack and listened over the sound gear as the cargo ship, Shinju Maru, broke up and sank. Ten days later, she torpedoed and sank the passenger cargo ship, Iburi Maru, in the same general area. During the twelve hours period following the sinking of the Iburi Maru, Sailfish was pinned down by a sustained search and depth charge attack in which over 97 charges were dropped. She suffered only minor damage, and Sailfish set course for Midway on 26 June, arriving there on 3 July.

Her ninth patrol-25 July to 16 September, in the Formosa Strait and off Okinawa-produced no worth- while targets, and Sailfish returned to Pearl Harbor.

After refit at Pearl Harbor, she departed on 17 November for her tenth patrol, which took her south of Honshu. Prior to arriving on station, after refueling at Midway, she intercepted a fast convoy of Japanese ships on the night of 3 December about 240 miles southeast of Yokosuka. The group consisted of a car- rier, a cruiser, and two destroyers. Despite high seas whipped up by typhoon winds, shortly after midnight of the 4th, Sailfish maneuvered into firing position and fired a spread of three torpedoes at the carrier, scoring two hits. She went deep to escape the escorting de- stroyers, but resurfaced within a few hours to resume the attack. Before dawn, she fired another spread of three “fish,” scoring two more hits on the stricken carrier. Eluding the Japanese ASW attack, which was hampered by the raging seas, Sailfish came to peri- scope depth at dawn and saw the carrier dead in the water, with a list to port and down by the stern. Preparations to abandon ship were in progress. Later in the morning, Sailfish fired another spread of three torpedoes, scoring two final hits. Loud internal explo- sions and breaking-up noises were heard, while the submarine went to test depth to escape a depth charge attack. Shortly afterwards, the carrier, Chuyo, went to the bottom.

After escaping a strafing attack by a Japanese fighter on 7 December, she made contact and com- menced tracking two cargo ships with escorts on the morning of 13 December south of Kyushu. That night she fired a spread of four torpedoes at the two freight- ers. Two solid explosions were heard, including an internal secondary explosion. Sailfish heard Totai Maru break up and sink as the destroyers made a vigorous but inaccurate depth charge attack. When Sailfish caught up with the other freighter, she was dead in the water, but covered by a screen of five destroyers. Rather than face suicidal odds, the submar- ine quietly cleared the area. On the night of 20 Decem- ber, she intercepted an enemy hospital ship, which she left unmolested.

On 21 December, in the approach to Bungo Suido, Sailfish intercepted six cargo ships escorted by two destroyers. With five torpedoes left, she fired a spread of three, scoring two hits on the largest target. Diving to escape the approaching destroyers, the submarine detected breaking-up noises as Ugo Maru went to the bottom. Sailfish terminated her tenth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1944.

After an extensive overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 15 January to 17 June 1944, she returned to Hawaii and sailed on 9 July in company with Green- ling (SS-213) and Billfish (SS-286) to prey on ship- ping in the Luzon-Formosa area. On the afternoon of 7 August, Sailfish made contact with an enemy convoy. She maneuvered into a firing position and launched a spread of three torpedoes at a small tanker. One hit caused the tanker to disintegrate into a column of water, smoke, and debris.

The next target she contacted was a battleship es- corted by four destroyers, which she detected shortly after midnight on 18 August. Sailfish fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the heavy, but one of the escorts ran into the path of the lethal fish and was severely dam- aged or sunk by one or more of the torpedoes.

On 24 August south of Formosa, SS-192 made radar contact with an enemy convoy consisting of four cargo ships escorted by two small patrol craft. Working into firing position, Sailfish launched a salvo of four torpe- does, scoring two hits. The cargo ship, Toan Maru, was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. Shortly afterwards, the ship broke in two and sank. Resurfacing after escaping a depth charge attack, Sailfish closed on a second cargo ship of the convoy, scoring two hits out of four torpedoes fired. The submarine’s crew felt that the cargo ship either had been sunk or badly damaged, but the sinking was not confirmed by postwar examination of Japanese records. Sailfish terminated her eleventh patrol at Midway on 6 September 1944.

Her twelfth patrol-26 September to 11 December- was conducted between Luzon and Formosa, in company with Pomfret (SS-391) and Parche (SS-384). After passing through the edge of a typhoon, Sailfish arrived on station. On 12 October, she rescued eleven Navy fliers who had ditched their stricken aircraft after strikes against Japanese bases on Formosa. She sank a sampan and damaged a tug with her deck gun as the enemy craft tried to capture the downed aviators. The following day, she rescued another flier. The submar- ines pulled into Saipan, arriving 24 October, to drop off their temporary passengers, to refuel, and to make minor repairs.

After returning to the patrol area with the wolfpack, she made an unsuccessful attack on a trans- port on 3 November. The following day, Sailfish dam- aged two destroyers but was slightly damaged herself by a bomb from a patrol aircraft. With battle damage under control, Sailfish eluded her pursuers and cleared the area. After riding out a typhoon on 9 and 10 November, she intercepted a convoy on the evening of 24 November heading for Itbayat Philippines. After alerting Pomfret of the convoy’s location and course, Sailfish was moving into an attack position when one of the escorting destroyers headed straight for her. Sailfish fired a three torpedo spread “down the throat” and headed toward the main convoy. At least one hit was scored on the destroyer and her pip faded from the radar screen. Suddenly Sailfish received an unwel- eome surprise when she came under fire from the destroyer that she had believed to be sunk. SS-192 ran deep after ascertaining there was no hull damage resuiting from a near miss from the escort’s guns. For the next four and one-half hours, Sailfish was forced to run silent and deep, as the Japanese kept up an un- comfortably accurate depth charge attack. Finally the submarine was able to elude the destroyers and slip away. Shortly afterwards, Sailfish headed for Hawaii via Midway and completed her twelfth and final war patrol upon arriving at Pearl Harbor on 11 December.

Following refit, she departed Hawaii on 26 December 1944 and arrived at New London, Conn., via the Pan- ama Canal on 22 January 1945. For the next four and one-half months, she provided training services out of New London. Next, she operated as a training ship out of Guantanamo Bay from 9 June to 9 August. After a six-week stay at Philadelphia Navy Yard, she arrived at Portsmouth, N.H., on 2 October and entered the navy yard for deactivation. Decommissioned on 27 October 1945, she was initially scheduled to be a target ship in the A-bomb tests or to be sunk by conventional ordnance. However, she was placed on sale in March 1948 and struck from the Navy list on 30 April 1948. The hulk was sold to Luria Brothers of Philadelphia for scrap on 18 June 1948.

She was awarded nine battle stars for service in the Pacific and received the Presidential Unit Citation for outstanding performance on her tenth patrol.


12 posted on 05/26/2009 9:54:02 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: PAR35
By my unofficial count Sailfish sank 1 aircraft ferry, 5 cargo ships, an aircraft carrier, and a tanker. She was depth charged at least 10 times, bombed once and strafed once. She also resuced 11 downed fliers who were about to be captured by the Japanese.

I'd say she earned her keep.

13 posted on 05/27/2009 6:45:08 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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