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U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues
Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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Rear Admiral Richard H. O'Kane (1911-1994) - Nov 22nd, 2004
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Born on 2 February 1911 Durham, New Hampshire, and a member of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1934, Richard O'Kane served in two of the most successful submarines of World War II. As Mush Morton's executive officer in Wahoo, O'Kane worked the periscope while Morton ran the attack. The highly successful team was broken up when Wahoo returned to Mare Island for refit in 1943 and O'Kane was detached for new construction.
Taking command of the new Balao Class boat Tang, O'Kane returned to Pearl Harbor, departing on his first war patrol in Tang on 22 January 1944. His first attack on a small convoy was delayed while Tang was forced deep to avoid one of the escorts. After evading a depth charge attack, O'Kane returned to periscope depth, firing three torpedoes at Gyoten Maru, the first of 24 enemy ships O'Kane would sink.
Commanding Officer, USS Wahoo (SS-238), at right
With his Executive Officer, Lieutenant Richard H. O'Kane, on Wahoo's open bridge, at Pearl Harbor after her very successful third war patrol, circa 7 February 1943.
Five days later, O'Kane made a night surface attack on another convoy, sending two more freighters to the bottom. Over the next three days Tang sank two more ships, bringing her total bag for her first war patrol to five ships for a total of 21,400 tons (JANAC credit, the original wartime estimate was 42,000 tons). Having fired all of his torpedoes, O'Kane returned to Pearl Harbor.
Returning to sea after rearming, Tang took up a lifeguard position off Truk, where she rescued 22 downed American airmen.
On her third and fourth patrols, Tang sank another twelve ships, adding another 50,600 tons to her tally.
RADM W. L. Friedell, Commandant Mare Island Navy Yard, welcomes LCDR Richard O'Kane, Executive Officer, Wahoo (SS-238) back to Mare Island for an overhual on 29 May 1943. O'Kane's family are with him.
At the end of September 1944, Tang set off on her fifth war patrol. She sank two freighters on 10 October. Two weeks later O'Kane found a ten-ship convoy. Going in on the surface again, O'Kane slipped past the escorts, quickly sinking three freighters. A troop transport attempted to ram, but O'Kane evaded, remaining on the surface where he could use his speed to slip away from the escorts before submerging.
Oil painting by Commander Albert K. Murray, USNR, Official U.S. Navy Combat Artist, depicting Commander O'Kane on board the submarine Tang (SS-306) in 1944.
Another convoy was found the next night, and O'Kane again took Tang in on the surface. This time the escorts were more alert, but O'Kane stayed up, firing six torpedoes at three different ships. All six hit, taking out two transports and a tanker.
After firing three more torpedoes, hitting the tanker, and transport, and sinking an attacking destroyer, O'Kane withdrew to reload his tubes with his last two torpedoes.
Returning to finish off the transport, O'Kane fired both torpedoes. The first ran true, but the second made a circular run, hitting Tang aft and sinking her. O'Kane and the eight men on the bridge went into the water. One other officer made it out of the conning tower before the boat went under. Only O'Kane and three others were still alive by morning. Five other men managed to get to the surface alive after Tang went to the bottom. The nine survivors were picked up by the Japanese and imprisoned until the end of the war.
USS Tang (SS-563)
Sponsor and official party at the ship's launching ceremonies, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, 19 June 1951.
Present in the front row are (left to right):
Miss Marsha G. O'Kane, Maid of Honor;
Mrs. Richard H. O'Kane, Sponsor; and
Commander Richard H. O'Kane, USN, former Commanding Officer of the first USS Tang (SS-306).
RADM O'Kane was imprisoned on Formosa. He was later transferred to a secret prison camp near Tokyo, where he was not registered and was therefore listed as "Missing in Action" until the camp's liberation two weeks after V-J Day. Upon his release, RADM O'Kane weighed just 88 pounds. After his recovery, his commands included USS Pelias and USS Sperry, as well as the submarine schools in New London, Submarine Division Thirty-Two, and the Submarine Squadron Seven.
He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his exemplary service on the Tang on March 27, 1947. RADM O'Kane's other military decorations include the Navy Cross with two Gold Stars, the Legion of Merit with the Combat "V," the Purple Heart, the Commendation Ribbon, and the Prisoner of War Medal. He also wrote two books based on his experiences in WWII, Clear the Bridge and Wahoo.
USS Tang (SS-306)
The submarine's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Richard H. O'Kane (center), poses with the twenty-two aircrewmen that Tang rescued off Truk during the carrier air raids there on 29 April-1 May 1944. The photograph was taken upon Tang's return to Pearl Harbor from her second war patrol, in May 1944.
He retired in 1957 as a rear admiral, and passed away in Petaluma, California on 16 February 1994. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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