In Memoriam - USS Capelin (SS-289) - Sunk 23 November 1943

USS Capelin's disappearance remains a mystery to this day.

After being out 17 days on her first war patrol, she returned to the U.S. submarine base in Darwin, Austrailia with a defective conning tower hatch mechanism, too-loud bow planes, and a malfunctioning radar tube. After these flaws were corrected, she left for her second patrol on 19 November.

Although USS Bonefish (SS-223) reported sighting a United States submarine on 2 December in Capelin's assigned area in the Molukka and Celebes Seas, nothing was heard from the boat after she departed on her second war patrol.

Postwar records revealed that on 23 November, 1943, an American submarine was attacked off Halamaera, a heavily fortified island in Capelin's patrol area. Enemy minefields are known to have been placed along the Celebes coastline, and it is suspected that Capelin was lost to a mine explosion.

76 sailors went down with Capelin.

National Archives photograph 80-G-468104

New Photographs Added to the Website

"Gene" J. Haley, Sr., served aboard USS Razorback from 1945 until 1948. He generously donated a personal collection of photographs to the museum. Many of these photographs have been on display in the museum or have been used in our videos, but we recently realized that the entire collection had never been put on the AIMM website.


There are over 40 photographs in the collection.

The entire collection can been seen at:

http://www.aimm.museum/photos-SS394-6-1945-48-Gene_Haley.asp

The entire photograph section has been re-organized, and many new photographs have been added.

Due to space limitations, only medium-quality images have been uploaded to the website. However, in most cases, a high-quality image is available upon request.

In Memoriam - USS Sculpin (SS-191) - Sunk 19 November 1943

USS Sculpin, sister ship to Squalus (SS-192), made radar contact with a fast convoy on 18 November 1943, and followed, submerged, for a dawn attack. She was detected, however, and forced deep. When she surfaced to begin another pursuit, she was seen by a destroyer that was lagging behind the convoy, and a round of depth charging ensued. Though Sculpin survived this attack with relatively minor damage, she accidentally broached when her diving officer tried to bring her to periscope depth with a depth gauge that had stuck at 125 feet.

Another round of depth charging followed Sculpin's accidental surfacing. Finally, a string of close explosions threw the deeply submerged Sculpin badly out of control, and her CO, CDR Fred Connaway, made the decision to surface and fight using the deck guns. A shell through main induction and another through the conning tower killed most of Sculpin's officers, leaving LT G. E. Brown in command. He gave the order to scuttle the boat.

12 men, including Captain John P. Cromwell, rode the boat down. CAPT Cromwell had extensive knowledge of US plans for future submarine operations. To deny the Japanese that information, he went down with Sculpin, reportedly sitting in the wardroom with coffee cup in hand. CAPT Cromwell would posthumously receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for "his great moral courage in the face of certain death."

The 42 men who escaped Sculpin were captured by the Japanese, one of whom, suffering from severe injuries was immediately thrown overboard to drown. The remaining prisoners were taken to Truk and questioned for ten days before being separated into two groups and loaded onto two Japanese aircraft carriers bound for the Japanese home islands. One of those two Japanese warships, Chuyo, was attacked and sunk by USS Sailfish (SS-192), resulting in the deaths of 19 of the 20 Sculpin survivors aboard.

In a strange twist of fate, Sailfish — at the time named Squalus — had herself been rescued by Sculpin in 1939.

The remaining Sculpin suvivors were forced to work as slave labor in the Ashio copper mines for the rest of the war and were liberated by the Allies after VJ Day.

In Memoriam - USS Corvina (SS-226) - Sunk 16 November 1943

USS Corvina (SS-226) was lost on her very first war patrol.

She had been commissioned 06 August, 1943. After her initial shakedown, she transited the Panama Canal and crossed the Pacific to the submarine base at Pearl Harbor, HI. Corvina left Pearl Harbor on 04 November. Her mission was to patrol the Japanese stronghold of Truk, the empire's main base in the South Pacific.

A large part of the Japanese surface fleet was stationed at Truk and Corvina's mission was to intercept any Japanese warships that might leave the base in response to the American attack on the Gilbert Islands.

Corvina was never heard from again.

After the war, an examination of Japanese records revealed that on 16 November, 1943, the Japanese submarine I-176 spotted an American submarine on the surface and fired three torpedoes. Two of the torpedoes hit, causing "a great explosion sound."

I-176 would later be sunk by American forces in May 1944.

In Memoriam - USS Albacore (SS-281) Sunk 07 November 1944

During her 11th war patrol, USS Albacore (SS-281) struck a Japanese mine while submerged and sank with the loss of all aboard.

The explosion was witnessed by a Japanese patrol craft which reported seeing a great amount of air bubles and heavy oil on the surface, as well as finding cork, bedding and various provisions afterward.




During her first 10 war patrols, Albacore rang up an impressive score:

• Aircraft Carrier Taiho
  
• Light Cruiser Tenryu
  
• Destroyer Oshio
  
• Destroyer Sazanami
  
• An escort vessel
• A large patrol boat
  
• Six Freighters
• Two Tankers
• Two Transports

She was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation four times.

New Navy History in the AIMM Archives

A recruiting brochure from World War II has been donated to the museum.

"What Kind of Job Can I Get in the Navy?" is from 1942, just a few months after the United States entered the war. In addition to describing general Navy pay and benefits, this brochure describes 49 different specific career fields, describing pay and duties for each rating as well as related civilian jobs and general knowledge that would help an enlistee qualify for that rating.

Many of these ratings no longer exist at all, and many others only exist in greatly changed form, so this booklet provides a look back into our past.

Digital copies of this booklet are available upon request.

USS O-5 (SS-66) Sunk October 28, 1923

One of the U.S. Navy's earliest submarines, USS O-5 (SS-66) sank on October 23rd, 1923, less than a minute after being involved in a collision with the steamship SS Abangarez.

Most of the crew was able to escape the sinking submarine. One man, TM2 Henry Breault, reached the deck and realized the submarine was doomed. He also knew that a friend was still trapped in the torpedo room below. Instead of saving his own life, TM2 Breault returned below and secured the torpedo room hatches. Both men remained trapped aboard the submarine for 31 hours, until nearby cranes could be used to lift the stricken submarine enough for the men to be rescued.

TM2 Breault was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, the first Submariner to receive this award. He is also the only enlisted submariner to receive the Medal of Honor.

O-5 was salvaged shortly after her loss, but the damage was was too severe for her to be ec0nomically repaired, and she was sold for scrapping in December 1924.

Following a lengthy court case, the fault was placed on the submarine, not the merchant ship for the collision.

For more information about the loss of USS O-5, please visit "Submarine Hero: TM2 Henry Breault"

Winter / Holiday Hours Announced

The Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum will be open on the following schedule:

Starting Sunday, November 1st, with the return to Standard Time, we will begin closing at dusk, with the last tour starting 30 minutes prior to closing. (On the 1st, sunset is at 5:15 p.m.) We make this change each year for safety reasons.

Winter Hours

Friday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Sunday - 1:00 p.m. to Dusk

We will return to Spring Hours in March, when Daylight Savings Time returns.

Thanksgiving Holiday
We will be open regular hours over the Thanksgiving Weekend:

Friday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Sunday - 1:00 p.m. to Dusk

Christmast Holiday
Since Christmas falls on a Friday this year, we will be closed Christmas Day, in order to allow our employees to spend the holiday with their families. However, we will be open regular hours on Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Sunday - 1:00 p.m. to Dusk

New Years Weekend
We will be closed on New Years Day, but open regular hours on Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to Dusk
Sunday - 1:00 p.m. to Dusk

If you have any questions, or would like to book a group tour, birthday party, or overnight event, please contact the musuem at 501-371-8320.

In Memoriam - USS Darter / USS Shark / USS Tang - Lost 24 October 1944

24 October 1944 was the single worst day for the U.S. Submarine Service in World War II. Three submarines were lost.

Their stories are told in the three blog postings below, but a brief summary is:

USS Darter (SS-227) ran aground and was scuttled. Fortunately, the entire crew was saved.

USS Tang (SS-306) was sunk by a "circular run" of her own torpedo.

USS Shark (SS-314) was sunk by Japanese forces.

Graphic courtesy of the National War College Military Image Collection

In Memoriam - USS Darter (SS-227) - Grounded October 24, 1944

USS Darter (SS-227) grounded on Bombay Shoal at high speed while attempting a surface attack on the Japanese heavy cruiser Takao.

Darter had already made a significant contribution to the Battle for Leyte Gulf, sinking Admiral Kurita's flagship, the heavy cruiser Atago and damaging Takao. The damage to the latter was so severe that she turned back and did not participate in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In fact, Takao would never sail again as a warship. The loss of the two cruisers and the two destroyers tasked to escort Takao diminished the Japanese defenses and made the remaining ships more vulnerable, probably resulting in additional Japanese losses during the battle.

USS Dace, with whom she had been coordinating her attacks, responded immediately to the Darter's request for assistance, retrieving every member of her stranded crew. Darter and Dace's crews destroyed confidential equipment and papers before an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the boat herself. USS Nautilus (SS-168) arrived on October 31 and scored a number of hits with her deck guns on her grounded sister before her C.O. decided nothing of value could have survived the barrage intact.

Darter's fourth and final war patrol, served alongside Dace, won the two submarines the Navy Unit Commendation for their efforts during the Battle of Surigao Strait.

Darter's entire crew was ordered to take over the USS Menhaden (SS-377), in order to preserve their high esprit d'corps.

In Memoriam - USS Shark (SS-314) - Sunk 24 October, 1944

USS Shark (SS-314) and all of her crew were lost during their third war patrol, October 24, 1944, after a successful attack on a freighter. Her last message, received by the crew of the USS Seadragon (SS-194), indicated her C.O.'s decision to attack; a dispatch from Commander Naval Unit, Fourteenth Air Force, stated that a Japanese ship carrying nearly 2000 American prisoners of war had been sunk on October 24 by an American submarine.

Japanese records on anti-submarine warfare, obtained after the war, also mention the attack on the Japanese ship. The reports add that a Japanese destroyer, Harukaze, made contact with a submerged submarine in the same vicinity and pummeled it with seventeen depth charges. The same report mentions the surfacing of "oil, clothes, and other debris". This seems to be the most likely explanation for Shark's disappearance.

Shark had served her first patrol near the Mariana Islands as part of a coordinated attack group, working alongside Pintado (SS-387) and Pilotfish (SS-3860). This patrol proved productive; she sank two cargo ships, a passenger-cargo ship, and a freighter. Her second war patrol, served off the Volcano and Bonin Islands. Much of this patrol she served lifeguard station; she rescued two airmen from a downed topedo bomber, Lexington (CV-16). She was awarded one battle star for her efforts during World War II.

Shark was the second submarine of the same name to be lost during World War II. USS Shark (SS-174) was reported overdue and presumed lost on March 7th, 1942

In Memoriam - USS Tang (SS-306) - Sunk 24 October 1944

USS Tang (SS-306) was sunk while on her fifth war patrol, during an intense attack on a Japanese convoy. After sinking a destroyer and a tanker and damaging a transport, Tang closed on the transport, intending to sink her with the last two torpedoes remaining on board (the 23rd and 24th to be fired by Tang on this war patrol). The 23rd torpedo ran "hot, straight, and normal", however when the 24th torpedo was fired, it was observed to broach the ocean's surface and begin turning to the left in a "circular run".

Despite all attempts to escape the torpedo, Tang was struck at the aft torpedo room.

The explosion violently shook Tang, causing severe injuries as far forward as the Control Room.

Tang san by the stern, with the after three compartments flooded. The nine men from the bridge were thrown into the water and only three survived the night, swimming for approximately eight hours until they were picked up by the Japanese. A fourth man was able to escape from the flooded conning tower and was rescued as well.

Tang came to rest on the bottom, in 180 feet of water. The survivors inside the sunken submarine worked their way into the forward torpedo room, surviving a depth charge attack which started a fire in the forward battery compartment. Thirteen men were able to escape the sunken submarine, but only eight reached the surface. Of these eight, only five were able to swim until rescued.

Tang's nine survivors became Japanese Prisoners of War and despite harsh treatment and poor conditions, all survived to be rescued by American forces.

CDR Richard O'Kane received the Congressional Medal of Honor for Tang's fifth war patrol, which saw 22 of 24 torpedoes hit Japanese ships, sinking 13 vessels for a total of 107,324 tons, the most successful single war patrol of any American submarine.

In only five war patrols, Tang sank 31 ships for 227,800 tons and damaged two more. She also rescued 22 Navy arimen off the island of Truk during her second war patrol. She was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice.

New Issue of Naval History Magazine Available

The December 2009 issue of Naval History Magazine is now available in the museum store.

The contents include:

• Cornered at the Bottom of the East China Sea - The story of USS Tambor's 17-hour depth-charging ordeal during her 10th war patrol.


• The Battle of Mobile Bay


• The West Gulf Blockading Squadron During the Civil War
  


• Growing Up With the Pearl Harbor Story


• How the Japanese Did it - What the Japanese Did Right Before the Pearl Harbor Attack
  

In Memoriam - USS Escolar (SS-294) - October 17, 1944

The career of USS Escolar (SS-294) was tragically short. She set out on her first patrol on September 23, 1944 under the command of Cmdr. W. J. Millican, leaving Midway to conduct operations in the Yellow Sea alongside Croaker (SS-246) and Perch (SS-313) as part of a wolf pack known as "Millican's Marauders".

On September 30, a message was received from Escolar, stating that she had engaged a gunboat; however, the message was abruptly cut off, and no further communications were received by U.S. shore bases from Escolar. However, Perch and Croaker maintained short-range radio contact with Escolar until October 17, after which they were unable to raise her by radio. She was not heard from again and was reported as presumed lost November 27.

It is believed that Escolar was the victim of Japanese mines laid in the Yellow Sea, as post-war investigations into Japanese anti-submarine warfare records found no mention of her.

In Memoriam - USS S-44 (SS-155) - Sunk 07 October 1943

Commissioned in 1925, USS SS-44 (SS-155) completed four war patrols during World War II. She sank three ships and damaged a fourth.

IJN Kako

One of the ships sunk was the heavy cruiser Kako, sunk on 10 August 1942. The previous night, Kako and three other cruisers had participated in the first Battle of Savo Island, sinking four Allied heavy cruisers, damaging a fifth cruiser and damaging two destroyers with only moderate damage to themselves.

Kako was the first major Japanese warship sunk by the single-handed action of an American submarine, and S-44's successful attack pointed the way for the successful prosecution of the war against the Japanese Navy.

S-44 departed on her fifth war patrol on 26 September, 1943 out of Attu, Alaska. During the night of 07 October, S-44 made radar contact with a vessel that the crew believed was a small merchant ship. The decision was made to attack on the surface and sink the small vessel with the submarines 4"/50-caliber deck gun.

S-44's 4"/50 Deck Gun

Unfortunately, the "merchant ship" turned out to be the Ishigaki, a Shimushu-class escort armed with three large guns and four machine guns. Outgunned, S-44 attempted to submerge, but was unable to do so before being hit in the control room, the forward battery compartment, and elsewhere throughout the submarine.

The order to abandon ship was given, and a pillow case was put up as a makeshift flag of surrender. The shelling continued and only eight men made it into the frigid Arctic waters before S-44 sank. Two men were picked up by Ishigaki and remained prisoners of the Japanese until the war ended.

Ishigaki was sunk by USS Herring (SS-233) on 31 May 1944.

All photographs courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical Center

Former USS Razorback CO Passes Away

It is with deep regret that we report the passing of Captain Leonce Arnold LaJaunie, Jr., USN (ret).

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, class of 1937, Captain LaJaunie, Jr. was Commanding Officer of USS Razorback from July 1946 to August 1948.

The above picture is from Captain LaJaunie's time aboard Razorback, and was donated to the museum by Gene Haley.

In Memoriam - USS Cisco (SS-290) - Sunk 28 September 1943

USS Cisco (SS-290) was lost on her first war patrol. Operating out of Port Darwin, Australia, she left on her patrol on 18 September, but returned that evening due to a malfunction in her main hydraulic system. After repairs, she sailed on the 19th. She was never heard from again.

After the war, an examination of Japanese records revealed that on 28 September, an attack was made on "a sub tailing oil" by both aircraft and Japanese naval vessels, including the Gunboat Karatsu, the former US river gunboat USS Luzon (PR-7) which had been salvaged by the Japanese after being scuttled in Manila Bay in May, 1942.

IJNS Karatsu was sunk a few months later by USS Narwhal (SS-167).

In Memoriam - USS Grayling (SS-209) - Sunk 09 September 1943

USS Grayling (SS-209) was lost on her eight war patrol after having damaged a 6,000 ton freighter and sinking a small 250-ton tanker. She completed a special operation in the Philippines, delivering cargo to a group of guerrillas who were fighting the Japanese.

After the war it was learned that on 09 September, 1943, the Japanese transport Hokuan Maru, a passenger-cargo vessel of around 9,000 tons, reported a submarine in shallow water west of Luzon. She made a run over the area and, "noted an impact with a submerged object." This was in Grayling's patrol area. If any other Japanese attacks were made, the records did not survive the end of the war. Therefore, this most likely the cause of Grayling's loss.

Grayling received six battle stars for her World War II service.

AIMM Returns to Fall Hours Soon

With the start of school, and as the days get shorter, AIMM is preparing to return to fall hours.

We will be open our regular schedule this week, through the holiday weekend, but starting Monday, September 8, we will return to our fall schedule:

• Monday - Thursday - Closed
  
• Friday - Open - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday - Open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday - Open 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Schools, churches and other groups wishing to schedule a group tour during the week are welcome to do so. The minimum group size is only 8 adults.

A special school rate is available to public, private, charter and even home-school groups.

Group tours can be scheduled by calling the museum office at 501-371-8320.

The Unusual Sinking of Submarine U-28

During the First World War, it was typical for German submarines to use their deck guns to sink merchant vessels, rather than using torpedoes.

On 02 September, 1917, the small German submarine U-28, 971 tons displacement and only 212 feet long, attacked the British merchant ship Olive Branch, 4,649 tons.

The submarine fired torpedoes which only damaged the merchant ship, but did not sink her. So, the German submarine surfaced in order to use her deck guns to finish off her victim.

What the Captain and crew of U-28 did not know was that Olive Branch was carrying a full load of ammunition and the initial torpedo hit had started a fire in the cargo hold.

While the submarine was firing her deck guns, the ship's cargo exploded, sinking the submarine.

Some reports have said that the explosion was so severe that a truck was thrown into the air and came crashing down on the submarine. While this may not be true, there is no doubt that U-28 was sunk by the explosion of her victim.

There were no survivors from the submarine.

Source: Great Britain's National Maritime Museum:
http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.17867

Webcam is Down

We have been advised that the problem with the webcam is a mechanical problem, not a computer problem and it will have to be replaced. Unfortunately, the replacement cost is prohibitive and, given the current fiscal realities, will not happen in the near future.

In Memoriam - USS Pompano (SS-181) - Sunk 29 August 1943

After leaving Midway on 20 August 1943 to start her seventh war patrol, USS Pompano (SS-181) was never heard from again.

Her orders were to patrol off the east coast of Honshu, the Japanese home island, from 29 August to 27 September and then to return to Midway.

Examination of Japanese records after the war revealed no recorded attack that could have caused Pompano's loss, nor any attacks by Pomano on Japanese shipping.

It is probable that Pompano was sunk in an unrecorded attack, since the Japanese records are understandable incomplete. Other possibilities include loss to a mine, as the waters in Pompano's operational areas were heavily mined. A circular run of one of her own torpedoes cannot be ruled out, as at least two other American submarines are known to have suffered the same fate. Finally, some kind of operational accident, such as a fire, or some other peril of the sea could have claimed Pompano. It is likely that we will never know her true fate or final resting place.

For more information, including a list of the officers and men lost aboard USS Pompano,

In Memoriam - USS Harder (SS-257) - Sunk 24 August, 1944

Official U.S. Navy Photograph
USS Harder

Official U.S. Navy Photograph
CDR Sam Dealey

USS Harder (SS-257) under the command of CDR Sam Dealey, was sunk by Japanese ships off the Philippines in the pre-dawn hours of 24 August, 1944 while on her sixth war patrol.

Harder had been operating with USS Haddo (SS-255) and USS Hake (SS-256) as a "wolf-pack," or a group of submarines operating together and conducting coordinated attacks together. On 21 August, the wolf-pack was joined by three other submarines and made an attack on a convoy, sinking four Japanese merchant ships. Over the next two days, the wolf-pack attacked two different groups of Japanese ships, sinking several frigates and a destroyer. Haddo, having expended all of her torpedoes, left the wolf-pack on the 23rd.

Early the next morning, while cruising only 600 or so yards apart, Harder and Hake sighted a minesweeper and a destroyer operating together. As they approached, they were detected and the Japanese ships attacked. Hake was able to avoid the attack, but heard a series of 15 depth charges explode.

The Japanese records note that after the attack, "much oil, wood chips and cork floated in the vicinity."

Harder was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her first five patrols, and CDR Dealey was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his fifth war patrol, which included sinking five Japanese destroyers in five days.

In Memoriam - USS S-39 (SS-144) - 16 August 1942

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph

USS S-39, a 211-foot long submarine commissioned in 1923 and armed with only four torpedo tubes, conducted peacetime operations as part of the Asiatic Fleet during the 1920s and '30s, remaining in the Far East as WWII approached. During the war, she attempted to curtail Japanese minelaying efforts and waylay their logistics ships, but experienced little success. During her third war patrol, she managed to sink the Japanese oiler Erimo.

During the summer of 1942, S-39 operated out of Australia, patrolling near the Lusiade and Soloman Islands. On her fifth war patrol, she accidentally ran aground near Rossel Island on 08 December 1942. Due to the heavy surf pounding on her hull, the decision was made to abandon ship. Two sailors, Lieutenant C. N. G. Hendrix and W. L. Shoenrock, CCStd, volunteered to swim to a nearby reef and rig mooring lines to it. Using these lines, most of the crew reached the safety of the reef before the Australian minesweeper Katoomba arrived to collect the entire crew.

The submarine was left to be destroyed by the sea. The crew were all rescued without loss of life.

New Kid's Bridge to Play With at the Museum

Here at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (AIMM), while we would like to think that a submarine would be pretty fun by itself, we know that there is always room for improvement.

In order to add to the educational experience while also improving the "fun" side of the museum, especially for the younger kids, we have added a replica ship's bridge.

The bridge has a combination of controls from an ocean going ship and a river tugboat.

The helmsman's wheel spins, the four rudder controls move, as do the valve controls and both throttles.

This project was made entirely from donated items, including the helmsman's wheel. AIMM would like to thank everyone who donated time or materials to make this project possible.

The kid's bridge has been dedicated in the memory of Captain Glen R. "Pappy" Sears, USN (ret), Razorback's former Commanding Officer.

Brief Career of CSS Arkansas Ended 147 Years Ago Today

Originally laid down near Memphis, TN in October 1861, CSS Arkansas was supposed to be delivered to the Confederate Navy three months later. By the time she actually entered service on 12 July 1862, the Union Navy controlled much of the Mississippi.

Arkansas saw combat almost immediately, engaging Union ships three times on 14 July as she made the dash from the Yazoo River to the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, then under seige by Union naval forces. Her presence at Vicksburg forced the Union ships to keep up steam constantly (rather than remaining at anchor and being vulnerable to attack) and this drain on their resources eventually forced them to withdraw, breaking the siege. Arkansas' career ended when she set forth from Vicksburg to support a Confederate attack on Baton Rouge. On 06 August, 1862, her engines failed during an engagement with the Union ironclad Essex. She ran aground and was intentionally burned to prevent her capture.

In 21 days, CSS Arkansas was in five battles with Union ships. She badly damaged many of her opponents and established a fearsome reputation during her short career.

More information about CSS Arkansas can be found on the US Naval Historical Center website, or by visiting the new exhibit "We Fought Them" at the museum, which will run through September.

World War II Deck Logs Now Available

All of Razorback's World War II Deck Logs, from April 1944 through September 1945, have been scanned and converted to Adobe PDF files (as a bonus, we've also got the deck logs for October - December 1945).

The Deck Logs complement the Patrol Reports well, because the Deck Logs provide an even deeper look into the training of Razorback's crew as well the day-to-day conditions aboard an American submarine, deep inside Japanese waters, during World War II.

AIMM would like to thank Calvin Moon, former Razorback WWII crewmember for copying these deck logs at the National Archives and sending us the copies.

Look for more stuff in the coming weeks!

The Deck Logs can be found at:

http://www.aimm.museum/SS-394-WWII-Deck-Logs.asp

The Submarine Review - July 2009 Issue

The July 2009 issue of The Submarine Review, published by the Naval Submarine League, has arrived at the AIMM Library.

In addition to the regular features about recent worldwide submarine developments, there are several other interesting articles:

"The Development and Evolution of the FBM System - A Class of 1946 Cold War Story"

"The Role of Polaris Submarines in the Cuban Missile Crisis"

Book Review - "Sabotage in the Arctic - Fate of the Submarine Nautilus". This new book tells the story of USS O-12 (SS-73), which had a brief civilian career as the polar exploring submarine Nautilus in the early 1930s and for many years held the record for reaching the northernmost latitude (82 degrees North) that any ocean-going vessel reached under her own power. To find out the rest of the story, you will have to at least read the book review...

Digital Cruise Books Available!

AIMM has just finished digitizing the 1968-69 and 1970 WESTPAC Cruise books for USS Razorback. Each of these books contains photographs of the crew and their adventures in the Pacific. Digital copies of the books are now available for purchase in our gift shop.

A CD with both Cruise Books is $12, including postage. CDs will be shipped in a padded envelope.

CDs can be ordered by calling the museum at 501-371-8320 or dropping us an e-mail. We can accept checks, Visa, Mastercard and even Paypal.

The Saga of CSS Arkansas Continues

On the morning of 15 July, 1862 three Union vessels were sighted steaming toward CSS Arkansas -

• the Ironclad Gunboat Carondelet, armed with a total of 14 guns and a veteran of several river battles with Confederate forces
  
• the wooden Gunboat Tyler, with 7 guns
• the wooden Ram Queen of the West, with 4 guns

Arkansas, armed with a total of 10 guns (2 8-inch guns in the forward ports, 2 6.4-inch rifled guns in the stern ports and and three different guns in each broadside) was both out-numbered and out-gunned. Her Confederate Army gunners had never fired such large guns before and they had no training as naval gunners. Her gunpowder, soaked by a boiler leak only the previous day, was suspect at best. Protected by makeshift armor and facing three well-equipped ships and with two large Union fleets nearby, Arkansas was facing near-certain destruction just days after entering service...


A running gun battle quickly ensued. The two smaller ships fled downriver, hoping to reach the safety of the large Union fleet above Vicksburg. Carondelet, a veteran of several river battles, closed with Arkansas. In the words of one witness:

"The Arkansas ranged up along side her" (Carondelet) "and, pouring a broadside into her with her port guns, compelled the Carondelet to strike her colors and run ashore in a sinking and crippled condition." John A. Wilson, Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 33, Page 5

Her Commanding Officer wounded in the battle and her pilot killed, Arkansas now had to face the Union fleet above Vicksburg. In all, there were 33 Union vessels. This well experienced Union force had fought down the Mississippi River, winning battle after battle against Confederate opponents. Yet having won one battle, CSS Arkansas was ready for a second. In the words of a Union sailor,

"On the morning of the 15th of July, at about 7 o'clock" (a.m.) "we were suddenly aroused...The first words I heard were "the Rebel ram Arkansas is coming down upon us."..."Around us lay the combined power of Farrgut's and Davis's fleets. Frigates, gunboats, iron-plated boats, wooden rams and iron-cased rams were anchored along the banks for a mile and a-half."

"And slowly steaming along the hollow of the bend in the river, just above us, was a long, low, dull, red, floating object."

"Slowly, steadily, gallantly, the Rebel Ram kept on her way, as though she belonged to us and was quietly choosing an anchorage."

"The Benton, Hartford and gunboats below poured a perfect shower of balls upon her."

"It did not even hasten her speed, and proudly she turned a point, disappeared from sight and anchored under the batteries at Vicksburg."

"I doubt whether such a feat was ever before accomplished and whoever commanded her should be known and honored." Letter written by a Union crewman aboard USS Richmond, Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 12, Page 167

Safely under the guns at Vicksburg, Arkansas needed to repair the damage done that day before she could fight again. Her Army gun crews were detached to rejoin their unit, and in the words of one of Arkansas' officers,

"As well as we could, we put the ship to rights and the day wore away. As soon as dark began to set in, it was evident that the enemy meant mischief." LT George W. Gift, CSN

Yet even damaged, Arkansas' mere presence was enough to cause the Union forces problems. One of the mortar boats in the Union fleet ran aground and rather than even risk capture, it was set on fire and allowed to blow up.

The Union fleet was forced to keep steam up constantly, which in addition to quickly burning up the available supplies of coal, also greatly added to the discomfort of the hot Southern summer.

Arkansas' saga is not yet over...

Photograph of CSS Arkansas model courtesy of Old Steam Navy, Dallas, TX. Lower artwork courtesy of the Naval Historical Center.

Brief Career of CSS Arkansas Started Nearly 150 Years Ago

On the morning of 12 July 1862, nearly 150 years ago, the Ironclad Ram CSS Arkansas, her guns manned by Confederate soldiers from Missouri, set sail on her maiden voyage...

Construction work on CSS Arkansas began in Memphis, TN in October, 1861. She was supposed to have been delivered to the Confederate Navy by January, 1862.

However, she was still incomplete in May 1862, when Union forces closed in on Memphis. In order to prevent her capture, she was towed up the Yazoo River into Mississippi to the area of Greenwood, MS. Her incomplete sister ship, CSS Tennessee, was burned when Memphis fell to Union forces. It was hoped that, safe from capture, the much-needed warship could be quickly completed.

However, when her newly appointed Commanding Officer, CAPT Isaac N. Brown arrived, he found the engines in pieces, the guns without their needed carriages and the railroad iron, intended as armor, lying at the bottom of the river. CAPT Brown ordered a recovery mission and the armor was pulled out of the mud. CAPT Brown then had his ship towed to Yazoo City, MS, where he pressed both local craftsmen and 200 Confederate Army soldiers into service as construction crews. Forges were borrowed from nearby farms. Men who refused to work were arrested.

After five weeks of toil under the Mississippi summer sun, Arkansas was fully outfitted, lacking only the curved armor intended for her stern and pilot house. Complete or not, the ship had to get underway - river levels were falling, and Arkansas was in danger of being trapped.

On the morning of 12 July 1862, 147 years ago today, CSS Arkansas, her guns manned by Confederate soldiers from Missouri, set out for Vicksburg, then under siege by Union forces.

Within a few miles, Arkansas was forced to stop. Steam from her boilers had leaked into the forward powder magazine, soaking the gunpowder and rendering it useless. A clearing was located on the bank of the river. The wet gunpowder was spread out on tarpaulins in the hot summer sun to dry. With constant attention, and by shaking and stirring the powder, it was dry enough to use by sundown and the Confederate Navy's newest ship was ready for action...

To be continued...

Artwork courtesy of the Naval Historical Center

New Deck Logs Online

USS Razorback's deck logs for 1948 have been scanned and uploaded to the website.

These deck logs provide a window into the world of submarine operations in the period immediately following World War II.

Each month is a separate Adobe PDF file.

The deck logs can be found on the AIMM Website.

Perils of the Noon Meal - Part 3

The following completes a reprint of an article originally published in the April-June 2001 Issue of American Submariner Magazine, the official publication of the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. and reprinted with the author's permission.

Perils of the Noon Meal

Part Three
By Maurice Lee Barksdale CS2(SS)
USS Razorback (SS-394)

Another time, we were submerged and I was in the middle of serving the second sitting for the noon meal. All was well. The crew was muttering their usual complaints about the meal while asking for seconds. The Exec had the Conn, and I heard the command, “Prepare to snorkel”. One of my mess cooks was qualified, and he immediately started to assist me in rigging the After Battery for snorkel (I had just made Commissaryman Second Class). We finished the checklist, and I yelled into the Control Room, “After Battery rigged for snorkel”. Minutes later, I heard the Exec give an order that I had heard hundreds of times, “Commence snorkeling”.

The quiet of the boat was shattered by the familiar sound of diesel engines coming alive. Suddenly, the entire sequence was interrupted by the groaning, high-pitched sounds of exhaust gases desperately searching for an outlet. This was followed by an extremely loud sequence, which meant that hot air was giving up its attempt to escape, and was retreating back to the engine housing. There was total silence as all of the engines shut down. I looked directly overhead at the snorkel exhaust valve. The indicator was in the “locked” position. I began to think many things. Why did I volunteer for submarine duty? Would it be possible to swim back to port? Were there any openings in my old anti-submarine squadron? I heard the Exec yell from the Conning Tower, “Who is the duty cook”? “Barksdale”, yelled my ‘friends’ in the Control Room. “Ask Barksdale to come up to the Conning Tower”, bellowed the Exec. I stepped through the after battery hatch into the Control Room desperately trying to think up a logical reason why the snorkel exhaust valve was not in the “Power” position. I was brain dead. As I looked at my “buddies” in the Control Room for help, it suddenly appeared that I had been stricken with bubonic plague, as no one seemed to know me. There were many giggles.

I finally thought, “Maybe the Exec will remember that nice chocolate pie that I sent up to the Wardroom last week”, or “Maybe he will think about the nice New England Pot Roast that he likes so much”. The only thing the Exec was thinking about was why the snorkel exhaust valve was not in the “Power” position. “Barksdale, did you hear the order to prepare to snorkel?”

“Yes sir!”

“What did you do?”

“I started to work through the snorkel checklist, sir!”

“Did you complete the check list?”

“Yes sir!”

“Then what happened?”

“I, I, I must have…”

“You must have what?”

The Exec was a good guy, but he was very unhappy, as the Division Commander was in one of the surface craft monitoring our movement. He reminded me that I had just made Second Class, that I wore the Dolphins of a qualified submariner, and strongly suggested that I would have neither if the Razorback was not snorkeling in a very short period of time. Needless to say, all was well when we received our second command to “Commence snorkeling”.

Several months later, I was able to redeem myself from all of my past transgressions. Yes, it was during the noon meal. We were working with aircraft. They were the cat, we were the mice. Up and down, up and down, all morning. My most important job, as the duty cook, was to yell into the Control Room as we dove, “Main Induction shut and locked”. This particular morning, the Chief Gunner’s Mate was working the Christmas Tree (yes, we had a Gunner’s Mate and a Boatswain’s Mate on the Razorback. Now take that, you Nukes). The diving alarm sounded, and I looked up at the main induction. I started to shout, “Main Induction shut and loc…”, when I noticed that the main induction had just shifted to the “Open” position. I yelled into the Control Room, in a voice that could be heard in Brooklyn, “Gunner, you just opened the main induction”. Things happened fast. “Blow the forward group. Blow the after group”. It was the fastest surface that I ever remember. I received an “Atta boy” from the Captain, Exec, COB, and many others.

I still do not like the noon meal, and when friends and associates ask me to “do lunch”, I usually reply, “No thanks. Been there, done that”.

Perils of the Noon Meal - Part 2

The following continues a reprint of an article originally published in the April-June 2001 Issue of American Submariner Magazine, the official publication of the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. and reprinted with the author's permission.

Perils of the Noon Meal

Part Two
By Maurice Lee Barksdale CS2(SS)
USS Razorback (SS-394

One day I was cooking pork chops for lunch. We were submerged, and everything was peaceful and nice. I was seasoning the pork chops with a two-pound can of pepper that had a lift off top with holes. As I was shaking the can of pepper, the top came off, and I heard something go “whoosh”. The galley exhaust system had completely inhaled the can of black pepper, and it was now making its rounds through the ventilation system. I heard coughs and sneezes immediately, in the Forward Engine Room, followed by Maneuvering, After Torpedo Room, Forward Torpedo Room, Forward Battery, Control, Conn, Radio, Sonar, and finally my pepper returned to me in the After Battery. Tears were streaming down numerous eyes, and I became very unpopular fast! Next came the “Surface, Surface, Surface” klaxon, and the smell of fresh air as the boat was ventilated. Then came a visit by the COB, Exec, and the Captain. The Captain always called me, “Barks”. Through eyes as red as tomatoes, he said, “Barks, are you a communist agent, or are you trying to sabotage this boat?”

“No sir”, I replied. “I’m just trying to cook the noon meal”. Two-pound cans of black pepper were no longer allowed on the U.S.S. Razorback.