Although This Small Submarine Tender Became One of the Most Decorated

Although this small submarine tender became one of The Pigeon along with her sister gunboats formed a the most decorated warships of WWII, the exploits of the strong defensive line against the various Chinese factions USS Pigeon (ASR-6) were overshadowed by the dramatic during the 1920s/1930s. events of the fall of Bataan and America’s decimated Asian Fleet. BY A.B. FEUER ong before World War II, “Spittin’ Dick” of the Submarine Salvage Vessel Pigeon, a minesweeper Finch. Since the Yangtze patrol craft carriers off Pearl Harbor. A Japanese task Hawes, the Navy’s foremost tobacco chewer, converted minesweeper. craft were built solely for river work, the Pigeon force had sailed two days previously for Lwas already legend among submariners. During the month of November 1941, Japanese and Finch were assigned as escort vessels. The the Hawaiian Islands. Richard E. Hawes joined the US Navy in 1917 warships were continually sighted at various flotilla immediately set a course for Manila. The Japanese destroyers finally as an ordinary seaman, and within eight years locations in the Pacific. The Chief of Naval The following morning, west of Formosa, a tired of playing a cat-and-mouse game had achieved the rank of Master Diver. In 1925, he Operations, Adm. Harold R. Stark, sent an Japanese seaplane circled the formation, and a with the gunboat flotilla and turned was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic efforts urgent dispatch to Adm. Thomas Hart, short time later the American ships were away from their mock attack exer- while attempting to rescue 33 men trapped in the commander of the US Asia- tic Fleet. The surrounded by seven Japanese destroyers. The cise. But the Yangtze Patrol was still sunken submarine S-51 after the boat had collided message was to the effect that the Imperial Japanese Navy’s warships harassed the many miles from any safe harbor. with a steamer, the City of Rome. organization of Japanese naval task forces, American vessels for eight hours, continually The next day, gale force winds Two years later, Dick Hawes was on hand and the number of Japanese troops, indi- requesting identification and asking what they battered the small ships as they rode when the submarine S-4 was run over by a Coast cated a possible amphibious operation were doing in Formosan waters. It was very out a monsoon. For one whole day and Guard cutter. Stormy weather and rough seas against either the Philippine Islands or Borneo. evident that the destroyers were anxious to night, the small American ships were hampered rescue operations to save the trapped On 29 November, the US Navy’s Yangtze attack the lightly armed gunboats — but it was tossed and pounded by heavy waves crew. After about 48-hours, the oxygen supply River Patrol gunboats just as evident that something was and torrential rains. aboard the submarine ran out and 40 more Luzon and Oahu were holding them back. By dawn of 3 December, the members of the “Silent Service” perished. ordered to leave That “something” weather had cleared and the seas In recognition of his exploits during the two Shanghai. About was the position- calmed. The water-logged fleet submarine disasters, Hawes was elevated to midnight 30 November, ing of their air- steamed cautiously down the officer rank and placed in command of the the gunboats rendez- west coast of Luzon, and the rescue ship Falcon. And on 12 February 1940, he voused with the following morning entered became commanding officer Pigeon and the Manila Bay. USS Pigeon (AM-47) photographed with the Standard Oil Company tanker Mei Hung alongside, while serving as a gunboat with the Yangtze River Patrol in China during the 1920s. 26 SEA CLASSICS/May 2020 seaclassicsnow.com 27.

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