VENTING SANITARY INBOARD Issue 268, November 2016 OUR CREED: FORWARD BATTERY “To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates BASE COMMANDER who gave their lives in George Hudson pursuit of their duties while serving their 503.843.2082 country. That their [email protected] dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a VICE COMMANDER constant source of Jay Agler motivation toward 503.771.1774 greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and SECRETARY patriotism to the United Bill Long States of America and 503.939.4134 its Constitution.” TREASURER Mike Worden 503.708.8714 CCOOMMMMAANNDDEERR’’SS LLOOGG CHAPLAIN/NOMINATION COMMITTEE CHAIR A BRIEF HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY Scott Duncan 503.667.0728 On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as “the Great CHIEF OF THE BOAT War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal Arlo Gatchel holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day 503.771.0540 became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. WAYS & MEANS OFFICER THE GREAT WAR & ARMISTICE DAY Vacant Though the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, November 11 remained in the public imagination MEMBERSHIP CHAIR/SMALL as the date that marked the end of the Great War. In November 1918, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson STORES BOSS proclaimed November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day’s observation included Dave Vrooman parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief 503.466.0379 pause in business activities at 11:00 am. On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the war was buried at Arlington National BYLAWS CHAIR/PAST BASE Cemetery in Washington, D.C.; the U.S. Congress COMMANDER had declared the day a legal federal holiday in Ray Lough honor of all those who participated in the war. On 360.573.4274 the same day, unidentified soldiers were laid to rest at Westminster Abbey in London and at the Arc de TRUSTEE Triomphe in Paris. Gary Webb 503.632.6259 On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring anniversary of [November 11, 1918] NEWSLETTER EDITOR should be commemorated with thanksgiving and Alan Brodie prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace 360.247.6640 through good will and mutual understanding between nations” and that the president should issue an annual HISTORIAN/POC/ALL-AROUND proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day. By that time, 27 state legislatures had made OOD UY th th G G November 11 a legal holiday. An act approved on May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal Federal holiday, Bob Walters “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day.” 503.284.8693 (See “Commander’s Log,” Page 6) OONN EETTEERRNNAALL PPAATTRROOLL:: BBOOAATTSS LLOOSSTT IINN TTHHEE MMOONNTTHH OOFF NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR USS Albacore (SS-218) USS Scamp (SS-277) Class: Gato Class Class: Gato Class Launched: 17 Feb 1942 Launched: 20 Jul 1942 Commissioned: 1 Jun 1942 Commissioned: 18 Sep 1942 Builder: Electric Boat Co., Builder: Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, Groton, Connecticut Kittery, Maine Length: 311’ 9” Length: 311’ 9” Beam: 27’ 3” Beam: 27’ 3” Lost on 7 November 1944 Lost on 11 November 1944 85 Men Lost 83 Men Lost USS Albacore left Pearl Harbor on 24 October 1944, Lieutenant Following a thorough overhaul after completing her seventh war Commander Hugh Raynor Rimmer, U.S. Naval Academy Class of patrol, USS Scamp departed from Pearl Harbor on her eighth and 1937, in command. She topped off her fuel tanks at Midway Island final war patrol on 16 October 1944. She fueled at Midway Island on 28 October and was never heard from again. on 20 October, then set a course for the Bonin Islands. According to Japanese records captured after the war, a On 9 November, Scamp acknowledged a message changing her submarine presumed to be Albacore struck a naval mine very patrol area. At that time she reported her position to be about 150 close to the shore off northeastern Hokkaidō on 7 November 1944. miles (240 km) north of the Bonin Islands with all 24 torpedoes A Japanese patrol boat witnessed the explosion of a submerged aboard and 77,000 gallons of fuel remaining. submarine and saw a great deal of heavy oil, cork, bedding, and food supplies rise to the surface. On 21 December, Albacore was On 14 November, Scamp was ordered to take up the life guard presumed lost. Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel station off Tokyo Bay in support of B-29 Superfortress bomber strikes, Register on 30 March 1945. but failed to acknowledge the message. Scamp was never heard from again. From records available after the war it appears that Albacore holds the distinction of sinking the most warship tonnage Scamp was sighted by Japanese planes and was reportedly of any U.S. submarine. During the war, she was credited with depth charged by the Japanese warship Kaibokan to the south of sinking 13 Japanese ships (including two destroyers, a light cruiser, Tokyo Bay on 11 November 1944. and the aircraft carrier Taihō) and damaging another five. In addition to being awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, Albacore Scamp was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 April 1945. received nine battle stars for her service in World War II. She was awarded seven battle stars for her World War II service. USS Growler (SS-215) USS Corvina (SS-226) Class: Gato Class Class: Gato Class Launched: 22 Nov 1941 Launched: 9 May 1943 Commissioned: 20 Mar Commissioned: 6 Aug 1943 1942 Builder: Electric Boat Co., Builder: Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut Groton, Connecticut Length: 311’ 9” Length: 311’ 9” Beam: 27’ 3” Beam: 27’ 3” Lost on 16 November 1943 Lost on 8 November 1944 82 Men Lost 86 Men Lost Following her commissioning on 6 August 1943, USS Corvina USS Growler’s 11th and final war patrol began out of Fremantle on cleared New London, Connecticut on 18 September 1943 and 20 October 1944 in a wolf pack with USS Hake (SS-256) and USS arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 October 1943 for service in the Hardhead (SS-365). On 8 November the wolf pack, headed by Pacific theater of operations. She put out from Pearl Harbor on her Growler, closed a convoy for attack with Growler on the opposite maiden war patrol on 4 November, topped off her fuel tanks at side of the enemy from Hake and Hardhead. The order to Johnston Island two days later, and was never heard from again. commence attacking was the last communication ever received from Growler. Corvina’s assignment had been a dangerous one: to patrol as closely as possible to the heavily guarded stronghold of Truk and After the attack was underway, Hake and Hardhead heard what to intercept any Japanese sortie endangering the forthcoming sounded like a torpedo explosion and then a series of depth American invasion of the Gilbert Islands. charges on Growler’s side of the convoy, followed by silence. All efforts to contact Growler for the next three days proved futile. Japanese records report that Japanese submarine I-176 launched three torpedoes at an enemy submarine south of Truk at latitude Although it is possible that Growler was sunk by one of her own 5° 50' N, longitude 151° 10' E. on 16 November, claiming two hits torpedoes, it is probable that the convoy's escorts, the Japanese which resulted in the explosion of the target. The loss of Corvina destroyer Shigure, and frigates Chiburi and CD-19, sank her. The with her entire crew of 82 was announced on 14 March 1944, submarine, a veteran of seven successful war patrols, was making Corvina the only American submarine to be sunk by a ultimately listed as lost in action against the enemy, cause Japanese submarine in the entire war. unknown. Growler received eight battle stars for her World War II service. (See “Boats Lost in the Month of November,” Page 3) Venting Sanitary Inboard – Page 2 BBOOAATTSS LLOOSSTT IINN TTHHEE MMOONNTTHH OOFF NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR (Continued From Page 2) USS Sculpin (SS-191) The ship’s senior surviving officer, Lieutenant George E. Brown, Class: Sargo Class ordered Sculpin abandoned and scuttled. Before he opened the Launched: 27 Jul 1938 vents, he informed Captain Cromwell. Fearing he might reveal the Commissioned: 16 Jan 1939 plans for the Tarawa invasion under the influence of torture or Builder: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard drugs, Cromwell refused to leave the stricken submarine, giving his Kittery, Maine life to escape capture. He was posthumously awarded the Medal Length: 310’ 6” of Honor for his act of heroism and devotion to country. Beam: 26’ 10” Lost on 19 November 1943 Forty-two of Sculpin’s crew were picked up by Yamagumo. One 63 Men Lost badly wounded sailor was thrown back in the sea because of his condition. The survivors were questioned at the Japanese naval Following a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Sculpin departed base at Truk, then were embarked on two aircraft carriers that Hawaii on 5 November 1943. Ordered to patrol north of Truk, she were returning to Japan. was to intercept and attack Japanese forces leaving Truk to oppose the forthcoming invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. The carrier Chuyo carried 21 of the survivors in her hold. On 2 December, Chuyo was torpedoed and sunk by USS Sailfish; twenty Sculpin and two other submarines were to form a wolf pack to of the American prisoners perished.