Stress to the ultimate degree: Coping with danger on U.S. submarines during the Second World War (Highest death rate of WW II)

Sage Journals ^ | 03/04/2020 | Michael Sturma

[Az Joe]

Must be a misprint yes. 52 lost “in action”.

https://maritime.org/pamphist/subslost.htm

Submariners paid a high price for this accomplishment, however, with the highest percentage causality rate of any branch of the service, almost 23%.

The decisive role played by the Silent Service during WW II is often overlooked, or the significance of their contribution is not fully understood. The Submarine Service represented only 1.6% of all Navy personnel during the war but they accounted for over 55% of all Japanese ships sunk, including one-third of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Fifty-two U.S. submarines were lost during WW II with over 3,500 men. Many additional men were lost either from gunfire or tragic mishap. It should always be remembered that these men were all volunteers.

Below is a list of each of the fifty-two submarines lost during WW II. Click on a submarine to see a list of the personnel lost on each submarine.

[Captain Walker]

That’s a remarkable story; some 800 men lost their lives in that typhoon.

[blam]

Here's the WW2 sub I served on in the early 60's.

USS Jallao (SS-368)

[Captain Walker]

There is an interesting anecdote about a corpsman aboard a sub during the war who performed an appendectomy; I think anyone here would enjoy this:

history.navy.mil

[FarCenter]

Brother in law’s uncle.

https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/saarm-a-h.htm

[Jamestown1630]

That's a wonderful story. And, “Yes sir, I can do it,” seems to be the typical attitude of Submariners. My hat goes off to them.

(I worked for many years for a veterinarian who was so brilliant and careful at his work that I often said that I'd never hesitate to allow him to treat me in a pinch. When you really know a good man's character, you'll trust him with your life.)

Your story reminds me somewhat of the woman in Antarctica who had to do breast cancer surgery on herself. She was a doctor, but that must have been a very daunting experience nevertheless.

[Jamestown1630]

The original of that one was probably in the Pacific at the same time my Marine father was.

[Freedom4US]

Almost 10,000 U.S. aviators were killed just in training right here in America. There are crash sites all over.


My dad didn't serve in the war, he was a little too young, but he served right after on a Diesel boat. It wasn't the safest job in the world. He told me lots of cool stories, some not so cool. He said ordinarily surfacing was a very regimented thing, with a lot of back and forth commands, "aye aye sir" and disciplined. One time though, they kept descending for some reason. I don't recall what the crush depth was, but all the good order and discipline went out the window. The captain got on the intercom and yelled "TAKE THIS SON OF A BITCH UP!!!" Hm.

[Freedom4US]

Pfft!!

The Soviet doctor stationed in Antarctica - weather was bad, couldn’t get a flight out. He had to perform an appendectomy on himself!! A couple guys held up a mirror so he could see better what he was doing.

[Az Joe]

Only 22

[Captain Walker]

The Soviet doctor stationed in Antarctica - weather was bad, couldn’t get a flight out. He had to perform an appendectomy on himself!! A couple guys held up a mirror so he could see better what he was doing.

If he had his tool kit, I don't think this is as big a deal as you think, particularly if he was able to administer local anesthesia to himself. (The only life at risk was his own; win, lose, or draw, he wasn't going to be suffering from guilt for the rest of his life in the event of a mistake.)

What made the surgery on the sub unique was that not only did the corpsman not have the right tools, he had never performed the operation before.

[Captain Walker]

I stand corrected here; he had assisted at appendectomies during his training.

[Fightin Whitey]

I think it takes a very specific kind of person.

It took a man of the first order, that's for damned sure.