LOST HANDS PGS 10-22 (Page 2
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“ or some reason we always called him days after Pearl Harbor and anti-Japanese Jim,” Bruce Abele said in his soft- fervor was extremely high. The submarine Fspoken New England accent. One slid down the ways at Electric Boat’s can hear the caring and fondness filling his Groton, Connecticut, shipyard as invited voice as he reflected on his father, L/Cmdr. guests looked on. Lieutenant Commander On 1 March 1941, the keel of Grunion is laid down at Electric Mannert L. “Jim” Abele, skipper of the Abele had previously commanded the Boat Company. World War II Gato-class submarine USS submarine R-13. His new boat was commis- Grunion (SS-216). Bruce and his two brothers sioned at Submarine Base, New London, The submarine transited the Panama Canal on 6 — John and Brad — were only kids when their Connecticut, on 11 April 1942, and for the next six- June 1942, and crossed the eastern Pacific Ocean father and his 69 shipmates went missing during the weeks the skipper put his newly built vessel through without incident. A couple of ships were spotted, as dark, early days of WWII. its paces. A test dive to 315-feet and torpedo trials in were a few US patrol planes. The voyage took 17-days Bruce is now in his 80s and, like his brothers, a Long Island Sound were included. with the boat arriving at Pearl Harbor on the morning man of many accomplishments. In Bruce’s voice one On 24 May, Grunion sailed for the Pacific Theater of of 20 June. Grunion sailed into Pearl Harbor, past the can hear the sense of self-imposed responsibility; War. As they zig-zagged along the eastern seaboard, over-turned battleship Oklahoma, and the wreck of the responsibility to the families of each man aboard his Abele worked to identify each vessel they came across. once mighty Arizona, sitting on the bottom of the father’s sub, a mission that continues to this day, On 29 May, Grunion passed from the Atlantic Ocean harbor. The crew could see salvage workers attending more than 70-years after Grunion went missing. That into the Caribbean Sea, cruising submerged past to each ship. Grunion tied up at the undamaged determination led to one of the Abele brothers’ Mayaguana Island and through the Windward Passage. submarine base, the reason for her mission visible greatest personal achievements — finding the final En route to the Panama Canal, on 31 May, Grunion across the channel. resting place of their father and his crew, thereby came across 16 survivors from the Army Transport At Pearl Harbor, Grunion underwent a rigorous bringing closure not only for themselves, but also for USAT Jack. The ship was torpedoed by the U-558, training schedule to get the boat and her crew into the families of the Grunion’s crew. and the survivors had been floating in their damaged top fighting condition. The submarine would conduct Yet, Bruce and his brothers did not find the lifeboat for 108-hours when they were rescued by torpedo attack training using Mk. 14 exercise Grunion alone. Solving the mystery of the Grunion Grunion. One other raft was known to have cast off torpedoes modified so they could later be retrieved was a journey that took time, technology, resources, from the sinking transport, but after a dedicated and used again. Once torpedo training was done for and — above all else — the generosity of others along search Abele was forced to continue his journey. Those the day, the tables were turned with a cadre of collaborators from around the globe. men were never found. Steaming across the and the submarine served as a Caribbean Sea, the Jack’s survivors were landed at target for US destroyers ENGAGING THE ENEMY AT KISKA the Submarine Base at Coco Solo, Panama Canal attempting to track the sub Topside view of the Grunion, looking aft on 9 July 1941. Mrs. Margaret N. Hooper, wife of Adm. Stanford C. Zone, on 3 June. Among those rescued were Jack’s using sonar and as a target for Hooper, broke the traditional bottle of champagne chief mate Peter Korb, first engineer George F. Drew, depth charge runs. Grunion simultaneous to their attack on across the bow of the Gato-class submarine USS and Lt. (jg) A.O. Lund, chief of the ship’s Naval used this part of the cat-and- Midway Atoll. Grunion (SS-216) on 22 December 1941 — just 15- Armed Guard. mouse game to perfect its With Oahu passing by the ability to hide from its pursuers. stern that afternoon, Grunion Because of her short life, USS Grunion was not well photographed. The weekend of 26/28 June attacked a training target in This view shows the sub at rest on 20 March 1942 at Electric Boat Company. was probably spent on one last Kauai Channel, firing ten liberty call as Grunion got rounds of 3-in/50-cal from the underway at 9:05 am local time deck gun and some .50-cal on 30 June. Grunion’s ultimate machine gun fire raked the destination would be the Aleut- target as well. ian Islands, specifically in the Official Navy understanding area around Kiska Island. The of Grunion’s activities for the Japanese had occupied both period 15-30 July is very Attu and Kiska on 3/4 June, sketchy. Radio transmission was 10 SEA CLASSICS/September 2018 seaclassicsnow.com 11.