Wahoo Read online

  “The story of the submarine Wahoo is significant because it was one of the most successful American boats, sinking 25 enemy ships in seven patrols.… The author, who served as Wahoo’s second in command on her first five patrols, includes the kind of personal details that bring history alive.… O’Kane’s study is most significant for the lessons it offers.”

  —The Cleveland Plain Dealer

  “[Wahoo] will bring exciting reading pleasure to the casual reader—and chills to the spines of old submariners.”

  —Captain Murray B. Frazee Jr., USN (Ret.) Veteran of eleven World War II submarine patrols

  “Once I had commenced reading, I was loath to put it down. Wahoo will surely become a classic.”

  —Martin Sheridan, Boston Globe war correspondent and the only reporter to make a WW II submarine war patrol

  CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  LETTER FROM AUTHOR

  SAILING LISTS

  PROLOGUE

  Part One

  MARE ISLAND TO PEARL HARBOR

  Part Two FIRST PATROL

  IN THE CAROLINES

  Part Three SECOND PATROL

  IN THE SOLOMONS

  Part Four THIRD PATROL

  BRISBANE TO PALAU AND PEARL

  Part Five FOURTH PATROL

  THE EAST CHINA AND YELLOW SEAS

  Part Six FIFTH PATROL

  THE KURILS AND HONSHU

  Part Seven SIXTH AND SEVENTH PATROLS

  THE SEA OF JAPAN

  EPILOGUE

  GLOSSARY

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  CHARTS

  Caroline Islands Adjacent Truk

  Bougainville

  Vitiaz Strait

  *Running Gun & Torpedo Battle (Initial Engagement)

  *Running Gun & Torpedo Battle

  East China Sea

  Yellow Sea

  The Kurils and Honshu

  Sea of Japan

  Sea of Japan (showing attack sites)

  DIAGRAMS

  Cutaway Submarine

  Midship Cross Section

  Submarine Approach and Attack

  Twenty-nine cribbage hand

  PHOTOGRAPHS

  Submarine Interiors

  Third and Fourth Patrols

  *Battle charts by Deville G. Hunter, SM1c (which belie any sensational writing about this action).

  Area Charts by Author

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I take this opportunity to thank the following individuals, departments, activities, and ships who provided information, documents, and assistance essential to this book:

  R. Adm. J. D. Kane and Dr. Dean Allard, directors of the Naval Historical Center for Operation Orders and the later Japanese IJN Report.

  The National Archives and Records Service for muster roles.

  Mare Island Naval Shipyard for printing microfilm and mutual photographic work.

  ComSubPac’s staff, who almost prophetically had sent Wahoo’s original Battle Charts to me.

  Capt. John B. Griggs and author Forest Sterling for their first-hand accounts of Wahoo’s sixth patrol.

  Rev. Chandler C. Jackson for clarifying letters and phone calls.

  All shipmates who filled out the Wahoo Watch Quarter and Station Bill on the samples provided.

  James E. Lavine for Commander Morton’s Night Orders Book.

  USS Dixon AS 37 for the loan of charts to plot Wahoo’s patrols for pantographing to page size.

  Photographer Russell Booth for submarine interiors and other exacting work; Tony Mesler for his extensive drafting.

  Chief Clint Orr, Sub Vets WW II Historian, for the timely procurement of the Japanese account of Wahoo’s final encounter.

  Finally, I am deeply indebted to my wife, Ernestine G. O’Kane, for meticulous editing, suggestions for clarification, and whose support and patience for three years made completion of the book possible.

  Forgive me for writing first to the relatives of all who sailed on Wahoo’s final patrol:

  We who had served in Wahoo grieved with you when she was pronounced overdue and presumed lost. Your kin were our shipmates, filling billets we had held, with each one of them important to the submarine’s success. They all deserve a place in this book, but that being impossible in the narrative, I have prepared exact sailing lists for the accompanying pages, so that no one will be left out. You will find the lists unique, with numerals showing the precise patrols for each crewman.

  You may wonder why this account was not written years ago. The answer will become clear in the final pages, and when learning of the brave action of your kin, you will think of him with pride and a misty eye as do I.

  I have received concurrence from the Secretary of the Navy that the Presidential Unit Citation goes with the ship’s name, not the iron; the type commander to specify the manner of its display. Wahoo’s PUC passed to her successor, USS Wahoo SS 565, who spent her entire commission in keeping the peace. God willing, may the next Wahoo fare thus well and fly the PUC pennant with equal pride.

  Respectfully,

  Sebastopol, California

  Patrolled in USS Wahoo Prior to Seventh Patrol

  2 James H. Allen F3c

  1-5 Jesse L. Appel S2c

  1-5 Richard W. Ater S2c

  6 John F. August S2c

  1-2 Raymond O. J. Baldes MM1c

  5 Charles J. Ballman MM2c

  1-3 Raymond G. Beatty RM1c

  1-2 Edward L. Bland, Jr. SOM3c

  1-3 Carl A. Brockhauser F1c

  1-2 Clyde A. Burnum TM1c

  1 Orville F. Chick F3c

  3 Fred B. Chisholm MoMM1c

  3 John W. Clary MoMM1c

  3 Jack E. Clough TM3c

  5-6 Harry Collins MoMM2c

  5 Kenneth R. Cook BM3c

  1 William E. Coultas F1c

  5-6 Helmit O. Dietrich SC1c

  1-3 David E. Dooley S1c

  1 Ira Dye Ltjg

  3-6 Dennis L. Erickson EM2c

  1 Dale E. Eyman TM1c

  1 Sidney F. Flateau CMM

  1-4 Oakley R. Frash MM2c

  5 Donald W. Gilbert MoMM2c

  2-3 Henry P. Glinski F2c

  1-3 George W. Grider Lt

  2-4, 6 John B. Griggs Ltjg

  1-5 James C. Hall S1c

  1-2 William J. Hanrahan MM1c

  1-2 Marius S. Hansen MM1c

  1-4 Daniel J. Hargrave F2c

  1-4 Theodore L. Hartman EM3c

  1 Walter C. E. Heiden EM3c

  5-6 William H. Hodges EM2c

  4-5 Earl T. Holman MM1c

  6 Carl C. Hood FC2c

  1-4 Deville G. Hunter SM1c

  1-5 Chandler C. Jackson Lt

  2 Willie James MA1c

  5 Clifford T. Janicek S1c

  1-3 Edward Jesser MM1c

  1-2 Clarence E. Johnson F1c

  6 Donald O. Jonson TM2c

  1-2 Marvin G. Kennedy LtCdr

  1-2 John Kochis MM1c

  4 Jerome T. Kohl PhM1c

  1-5 Stephen Kohut MM1c

  1-5 Fertig B. Krause, Jr. SM1c

  2 Sylvester J. Laftin TM1c

  1 Joseph R. LaMaye TM3c

  3-4, 6 James E. Lane CBM

  1,5 James E. Lavine BM3c

  2-6 Richard H. Lemert MM1c

  1-3, 5 Andrew K. Lenox CMM

  1-3 Leslie J. Lindhe PhM1c

  1 Stanley A. Lokey BM3c

  4 Duncan C. MacMillan Comdr

  4 Clyde C. Mayberry S1c

  1 Henry J. Meditz F3c

  1-4 James H. Miller F2c

  5 John A. Moore LtCdr

  1-4 James Morris TM3c

  1-5 Edward F. Muller MM2c

  1 Chester M. Myers TM3c

  1-5 Richard H. O’Kane LtCdr

  1 Lester L. Osborn S2c

  1
-5 Roger W. Paine, Jr. Lt

  1-5 Joe D. Parks FC3c

  3-5 Walter P. Patrick TM2c

  1-5 Ralph R. Pruett CEM

  1-4 Russel H. Rau CTM

  4-5 Burnell A. Redford CMM

  3-5 Cecil C. Robertson F1c

  1-5 John C. Rowls SC1c

  1 Earl C. Schreier F1c

  1 C. J. Smith MA2c

  1 Edward A. Smith SC3c

  2-6 Forest J. Sterling Y2c

  1-2 Kelly R. Thaxton MM2c

  1 Maurice J. Valliancourt S2c

  1-2 Lonnie L. Vogler S1c

  2 Harlan C. Whaley S2c

  2-4 William F. Young S1c

  3-6 Charles A. Zimmerman S1c

  Sailing List of USS Wahoo for Seventh War Patrol

  2-7 Floyd Anders F1c

  6-7 Joseph S. Andrews EM1c

  7 Robert E. Bailey SC3c

  2-7 Arthur L. Bair TM3c

  2-7 Jimmie C. Berg F1c

  7 Donald R. Brown Ens

  6-7 Chester E. Browning MoMM2c

  5-7 Clifford L. Bruce MoMM2c

  1-7 James P. Buckley RM1c

  7 William W. Burgan Lt

  3-7 John S. Campbell Ens

  1-5, 7 William J. Carr CGM

  1-7 James E. Carter RM2c

  2-7 William E. Davison MoMM1c

  1-7 Lynwood N. Deaton TM1c

  7 Joseph S. Erdley EM3c

  5-7 Eugene F. Fiedler Ltjg

  6-7 Oscar Finkelstein TM3c

  7 Walter O. Galli TM3c

  6-7 Cecil E. Garmon MoMM2c

  4-7 George E. Garrett MoMM2c

  2-7 Wesley L. Gerlacher S1c

  4-7 Richard P. Goss MoMM2c

  7 Hiram M. Greene Lt

  6-7 William R. Hand EM2c

  7 Leon M. Hartman MM3c

  2-7 Dean M. Hayes EM2c

  1-7 Richie N. Henderson Lt

  7 William H. Holmes EM1c

  6-7 Van A. House S1c

  6-7 Howard J. Howe EM2c

  6-7 Olin Jacobs MoMM1c

  5-7 Robert L. Jasa F1c

  3-7 Juan O. Jayson CK3c

  1-7 Kindred B. Johnson TM1c

  1-4, 6-7 Dalton C. Keeter CMoMM

  5-7 Wendell W. Kemp QM1c

  7 Paul H. Kessock F1c

  5-7 Eugene T. Kirk S1c

  5-7 Paul H. Krebs SM3c

  7 Paul H. Lape F2c

  7 Clarence A. Lindemann S1c

  7 Robert B. Logue FC1c

  7 Walter L. Lynch F2c

  5-7 Stuart E. MacAlman PhM1c

  6-7 Thomas J. MacGowen MoMM1c

  1-7 Thomas J. McGill CMoMM

  6-7 Howard E. McGilton TM3c

  1-7 Donald J. McSpadden TM1c

  6-7 Albert J. Magyar MM3c

  3-7 Jesus C. Manalesay St3c

  6-7 Paul A. Mandjiak MM3c

  6-7 Edward E. Massa S1c

  6-7 Ernest C. Maulding SM3c

  6-7 George E. Maulding TM3c

  6-7 Max L. Mills RT1c

  2-7 George A. Misch Ltjg

  2-7 Dudley W. Morton Comdr

  5-7 Percy Neel TM2c

  6-7 Roy L. Oneal EM3c

  1-7 Forest L. O’Brien EM1c

  6-7 Edwin E. Ostrander F1c

  1-7 Paul D. Phillips SC1c

  4-7 Juano L. Rennels SC2c

  5-7 Henry Renno S1c

  3-7 Enoch H. Seal, Jr. TM2c

  1-7 Alfred Simonetti SM2c

  6-7 Verne L. Skjonsby LtCdr

  1-7 Donald 0. Smith BM1c

  1-7 George V. Stevens MoMM2c

  6-7 William C. Terrell QM3c

  6-7 William Thomas S1c

  1-7 Ralph 0. Tyler TM3c

  1-7 Joe Vidik EM2c

  1-7 Ludwig J. Wach Cox

  5-7 Wilbur E. Waldron RM3c

  1-7 Norman C. Ware CEM

  1-7 Kenneth C. Whipp F1c

  7 William T. White Y2c

  1-7 Roy L. Witting F1c

  PROLOGUE

  Her keel had been laid in June of 1941, and about 7 months later at the launching ceremony on February 14, she was christened Wahoo. Like all newer United States submarines, she bore the name of a fish, hers being of the Peto family. Her mission had been decreed on the night of Pearl Harbor, “Conduct unrestricted submarine warfare,” and after commissioning, Wahoo would be the twentieth new submarine to engage the enemy. She would also be my first new ship, culminating seven consecutive years in warships, for threatening wars had kept me and contemporary officers on continuous sea duty.

  From the Naval Academy in 1934, I had served a year in the cruiser Chester as a junior gun division and then signal officer. From there came over 2½ grand years under mild and wild skippers in the last of our four-pipe destroyers, Pruitt. She served as a demanding school in all basic shipboard assignments, and in seamanship unavailable in larger or slower ships. Then during overhaul at Mare Island, north of San Francisco, came the true highlight when my boyhood chum, Ernestine Groves, and I were married on June 1, 1936. Pruitt’s change of home port to Hawaii, her conversion to a light minelayer, and subsequent operations twice separated our family, but orders to submarine school squared that away. Together again and with our infant daughter, Marsha, we drove from Mare Island through torrential rains and washouts to Shreveport, Louisiana, and arrived at New London, Connecticut, in the middle of a blizzard. Six months later, I reported to the submarine of my choice, the Argonaut, and in the area of our choice, right back in Hawaii.

  The USS Argonaut SM 166 was our largest submarine, the SM designating her as a minelayer. But she also mounted two 53-caliber, 6-inch deck guns that could hurl 116-pound projectiles over 20 miles, and forward she had four torpedo tubes, carried loaded, with eight more torpedoes in their skids—all of this besides her main armament of seventy-eight mines, launched from great mine tubes aft. Fortunately, I was familiar with all of this, including commissary and communications, my first two assignments. Only underwater sound was new to me, so after the required year, I was able to satisfy the qualification board of two captains, and I wore twin dolphins.

  In September of 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed a Limited Emergency, and all operations took on a most serious note. Our son James was born the same month. The Pacific Fleet arrived in 1940, and commencing in the fall of 1941, our submarines slipped quietly from Pearl Harbor with their torpedo tube outer doors open for firing, but only if attacked. I had been promoted to lieutenant, my qualification for command had been approved, and again I left my family in Honolulu as Argonaut proceeded to patrol south of Midway Atoll.

  Orders had specified a submerged patrol, so after arriving in the area, two blasts on the Klaxon sounding diving alarm, AHOOGA, had taken us down during each morning twilight. A skirmish with two destroyers on the night of Pearl Harbor was our only action with the enemy, but ever-increasing humidity, due to lack of air conditioning, caused electrical grounds, and we fought the ensuing small fires instead. The nightly Fox radio schedule had contained briefs of the attack, and one message contained my orders to Mare Island, as executive officer of the submarine Wahoo building there. Argonaut was scheduled for new engines at the same yard, so now just to get her there.

  One after another, the electrical motors of our major machinery had burned until we were compensating the boat by blowing water between tanks and pumping to sea with our one remaining pump. A lesser captain would have taken her home, but our skipper, Steve Barchet, an Annapolis All American, stayed with our mission: to defend Midway. Little did we know that Argonaut’s guns, mines, and torpedoes were all that was available to help oppose an expected assault.

  On January 22, 1942, with a full section in clean, scrubbed dungarees at quarters, Argonaut entered Pearl Harbor to witness devastation far beyond anything we had expected. In charge, I faced the ranks to port or starboard as we passed each damaged, sunken, or capsized ship, some of them vessels in which our older hands had served. But older or younger, the sight became blurred as tears streamed down our cheeks.

  We found our families fine and waiti
ng on 1 week’s notice for evacuation from the islands. After the unloading of mines, ammunition, and all but two torpedoes, I was able to join Ernestine and the children at the Roy Craws, our gracious landlords, who had brought them to a spare apartment in their Waikiki beachfront home.

  On January 29, Argonaut sailed for Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving 10 days later, just ahead of our automobile. Thus, I was able to find and rent one of a group of excellent homes across from Hamilton Field, north of San Francisco and 20 miles from Mare Island. One month later, I met the Lurline, carrying 5,000 passengers, and brought my family home, where they would have all the facilities of the airfield only a short walk away.

  The specified date in my orders arrived, and after a last lunch in Argonaut, I left my shipmates and many friends with whom I had served for nearly 4 years and walked along the waterfront towards the submarine in which I would be second in command as her executive officer.

  Part One

  MARE ISLAND TO PEARL HARBOR

  1

  From the dock, Wahoo appeared ready for sea, but the coming and going of Navy Yard workmen at a hurried pace told that there was much still to be done aboard. That was not yet my business, but the officers and enlisted men who would man her were my concern, so I walked to Wahoo’s dockside office across the quay. Looking back, I could see her sleek upper hull, longer than a football field, and thoughts of Argonaut faded.

  Lt. George W. Grider and Lt. (jg) Roger W. Paine, Jr. greeted me, and over coffee, we brought each other up to date. George, two classes junior to me, had also served in destroyers, and after sub school, in the newer submarine, Skipjack. Sandy haired, lean, and with a pleasing southern manner, he would be a fine shipmate. His seniority marked George as our engineering officer, a billet he had already assumed. Roger, 5 years my junior, was similarly lean, but with dark hair and a more serious smile. After attending submarine school, he had served in the Pompano, which had a torpedo data computer (TDC). Knowing how to manipulate this machine, which would direct Wahoo’s torpedoes, had assured his assignment as torpedo and gunnery officer, and like George, Roger would be an asset to any wardroom.

  Chief Torpedoman’s Mate (CTM) Russel H. Rau, from New London, had also served in Pompano, where he had been chief of the boat, the key enlisted submarine billet, and had two supporters in Roger and George for the same assignment in Wahoo. Short, stocky, and muscular with receding hair gave Chief Rau an authoritative, fatherly appearance. If there had been any question, the Watch Quarter and Station Bill he was already preparing would have settled it, for the bill already showed the assignments of many crewmen.