THE

Graduated

NATIONAL

Robert

Nimitz

Torpedo

Unites

K.

Education

Kaufman,

Fredericksburg,

September

An

McLean,

MUSEUM

States

and

Interview

USS

Gunnery

and

Naval

Captain,

Gato

Virginia

26,

OF

Research

with

2011

Texas

Academy

THE

Officer

USN

PACIFIC

Center

Retired

June

1940 WAR My name is Richard Misenhimer and today is September 26, 2011. I am interviewing Mr. Robert K.

Kaufman. Captain, US Navy, Retired by telephone. His phone number is 703-970-3776. His address is: 6251 Old Dominion Drive, Apt 159 McLean, Virginia, 22101. This interview is in support of the

National Museum of Pacific War, Nimitz Education and Research Center, for the preservation of historical information related to World War II

Mr. Misenhimer

Bob, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview today and I want to thank you for your service to our country during World War II and since.

Captain Kaufman

Thank you.

Mr. Misenhimer

Now the first thing I need to do is read to you this agreement with the Museum. “Agreement read.”

Is that okay with you?

Captain Kaufman

That is fine with me.

Mr. Misenhimer

The next 1would like to do is to get an alternative contact. We have ibund out that sometimes several years down the road we try to get back in contact with a veteran and he has moved or something. 1)o you have a son or daughter or someone we could contact if we needed to find you?

Captain Kaufman

1have a daughter here in the DC area.

Mr. Misenhimer

What is her name?

Captain Kaufman

Her name is Roberta Odenwald.

Mr. Misenhimer

Do you have an address and phone number for her?

1 Captain Kaufman

Her cell phone number is 301-938-8357.

Mr. Misenhimer

What is your birth date?

Captain Kaufman

October 21, 1919.

Mr. Misenhirner

Where were you born?

Captain Kaufman

I was born in Clarion, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Misenhirner

Did you have brothers and sisters?

Captain Kaufman

I had two older sisters, Helen and Dorothy.

Mr. Misenhimer

Were they involved in war work at all?

Captain Kauthan

No. My oldest sister’s husband was in the Navy during World War II. My middle sister Dorothy never married.

Mr. Misenhirner is your brother-in-law still living?

Captain Kaufman

No and neither are my sisters.

Mr. Misenhimer

Now you grew up during the Depression. }low did the 1)epression affect you and your flimily? CaptainKaufman

1suppose,I’vesaidthisbefore.thateverybodythat was in the town I was in,was poorand wedidn’t know it. In my high schoolclass, whatever it was 80 or 90, 1think them were probablyonly two studentsthatcamefromreallydcstitutcfamilies.The restof us got threemealsa day.

Mr. Misenhimer

Whatwas your Ihther’soccupation?

CaptainKaufman

He wasan insuranceand realestatesalesman.

Mr. Misenhimer

Washe ableto keepemployedduringthe Depression?

CaptainKaufman

Yes, he kept on going. He died the summer before I enteredthe Naval Academy; the summerof

1935.

Mr.Misenhimer

Whendid youfinishhigh school?

CaptainKaufman

I graduatedfromhigh schoolaboutMay25, 1936and enteredtheNavalAcademyon June 23. 1936.

Mr. Misenhimer

Howdid you chooseto go to the NavalAcademy?

CaptainKaufman

(Laugh)I’ve oftenbeen askedthat. I don’t know.I got interestedaboutmy sophomoreyear and kept

thinkingabout it I started workingon it when I was a junior in high school. You asked aboutthe

Depression;I think maybein the back of my mind was if I was goingto go to college,I was goingto

have to do it that way.

Mr.Misenhimer

Didyou haveany troublegetting your appointmentto the TJSNA?

3 Captain Kaufman

No, I don’t think so. I need to tell you a little bit about my method. The day of the entrance examination, the SAT — we didn’t have SATs in my day, the Congressman or the Senator had the

United States Civil Service Commission put on an examination for his candidates. My congressman did that. When I got to the examination spot early in the morning there vvere about 20 young men there with me. I don’t remember the order of the subjects but when we came back after lunch, only

four of us showed up. That was an indication that the others didn’t like that exam very much.

Mr. Misenhimer

It sounds like that.

Captain Kaufuiian

I suppose I must have done well on that exam because the Congressman nominated me and I headed

to the Naval Academy on June 23, 936.

Mr. Misenhimer

Tell me about the Academy: how was that?

Captain Kaufman

In much later years, within the last 15 years, I served as hat the Naval Academy calls a Blue and

Gold Officer, a Naval Academy Information Officer, interviewing and counseling candidates to the

Naval Academy. I know considerable about today’s system. Another story: The day before I entered

the Naval Academy I was in Annapolis and stayed in a hotel and visited the city. The day before that

my mother put me on a train in rur:I Pennsylvania and I woke up the next morning at Unioi Station

in Washington. I remember walking across the street and up the bill and standing on the Capitol

steps. At that time I was 16 years old. I then got to Annapolis and ran into another entrant and we

ended up rooming together for four years. To show you maybe the difference between the population

at the Naval Academy; I was from a little town in rural Pennsylvania and my roommate was from the

Bronx in New York City. We roomed together mostly peaceably for four years.

Mr. Misenhimer

Tell me about getting into the Academy. 1low did everything happen there?

4 CaptainKaufman

It’sa changefrom what it is today.Todaythe wholeenteringclassenterson one day. In my timethe classkept drifting in all summerlong. I was fairlyearly in the enteringclass in June. There were 20 to 25 a day, every weekday,all summerlong. It was certainlydifferent.I didn’t get homesick.I had

beenawayfrom homebeforeso that partwas airightbut the Naval Academyplebe year is tough.It is

different.I don’t know if anyonewould say, “Yes, I would like to do it again.” I got through plebe

yearalright.The otherdifferencebetweentodayand those manyyearsago; my roommatehada year

a ColumbiaUniversityanda lot of my classmateshad one or two yearsof collegebeforetheyarrived

at theNaval Academyand I camestraightout of high school.No collegeor prep school.Nowadays

thereare still some that have had some college but most of the entrantscome straightout of high

school.

Mr.Misenhimer

Yousaidthat you wouldnot wantto do your plebe year over. Whatwere someof the problemswith

theplebeyear?

CaptainKaufman

Youdidn’thave muchtimeof your own;particularlyplebesummer.Youkept going fromreveilleat

6:00in the morninguntil 10:00at nightwhenyou turned in. Scholasticallythings movedprettyIhst.

Themethodof instructionwasdiiThrentthan othercolleges.You studiedthe booksprettythoroughly. then you went to classand the instructormay ask if therewere any questionsand tien he issuedto eachstudent a piece of paperwith a problemon it. Then you went up to the blackboardand solved

theproblemand thatbecameyourdailygrade.The dailygradeswere a bigpart of the finalgrade.

Mr.Misenhimer

Wasthis a mathproblemor whatkindof a problemwas it?

CaptainKaufman

Math,physics, chemistryand in lateryearsnavigation,and then of course Englishand history.The

historyclasses were somewhatdifferent There was more writing.not on the blackboard,but essay-

5 type writing. In my we took what we called a lock step course. Every midshipman took the same courses with the exception of a foreign language. You had somewhat of a choice of a foreign

language. I had had two years of French so I thought I would be better off to have French and I thought it would be easier and I didn’t have to study. My sophomore year I hit the midterm exam and

a passing grade was 2.5 and I think I hit the midterm exam with a 1.2, which made me quite unsatisfactory and provided an appearance before the academic board and a re-exam which was not graded. It was a pass/fail thing. I suspect that since I was doing alright in math and physics and chemistry they decided to keep me.

Mr. Misenhimer

During your freshman year was there quite a bit of hazing by the upper classmen’?

Captain Kaufman

Yes. There was hazing, including physical hazing, which no longer exists. I don’t know how to express it. It was something we all went through. I don’t think the hazing had anything to do with it but the attrition rate at the Naval Academy in my day was much higher than it is today. The attrition at the service academies today is on the order of about 20% or maybe a little more. In my day the attrition rate was pretty close to 50%. Tnother words, half of the men that joined that summer of 1936 did not graduate.

Mr. Misenhirner

I have heard and I’m not sure if it was at the Naval Academy or where. hut if you were eating your meal you had to eat what they called a square meal.

Captain Kaufman

That’s right. You sat at attention and lifted your fork from your plate vertically and then horizontally into your mouth. That was a “square meal”.

Mr. Misenhirner

I’ve heard of that. And you had to do that all of the time during your freshman year, is that correct?

6 Captain Kaufman

Except if we won the Army/Navy game. We were able to carry on after the game until after the

Christmas break. To tell you the truth, 1don’t remember if we won or not that year. (‘Nay won 7-0.)

Mr. Misenhirner

Whatwere some other things that happened there?

Captain Kaufiian

After Christmas until the June Week and I think it is probably still called this, they call it the Dark

Ages. During the fall there were football games and in my day the whole regiment would go to the away games so that broke up the fall. I need to put this into my story. I’ve regretted it since, 1did not do very much at the Naval Academy other than study. I was not athletic. I wasn’t in any of the stage productions and I wasn’t musically inclined. In my Naval Academy years I studied but I didn’t make much of a name for myself.

Mr. Misenhimer

Did you ever pull any kind of stunts or anything like that at the Academy?

Captain KaufiTlan

I suppose. The upperclassmen would get us to do things that were contrary to regulations but I don’t think anything very spectacular.

Mr. Misenhimer

How many people started in your freshman class?

Captain Kaufman

1think on the order of 700. We graduated 456.

Mr. Misenhimer

How about your sophomore. junior and senior years; how did they go?

Captain Kaufman

Other than that episode that I had with French my sophomore year, the remainder of that year and all

of my junior year I had French so I had to study that. The other things I studied too. There were 456

in my class and I graduated number 138 so I did very well academically.

7 Mr. Misenhimer

Is there anything else from your time at the Academy that stands out?

Captain Kaufman

Yes one thing. A regiment of midshipmen marched at President Roosevelt’s second inauguration in

1937. I can’t remember whether the inauguration then was in March or if it had been moved to

January but I do remember it was a cold rainy day and we wore heavy overcoats. It kept getting heavier and heavier as the day wore on.

Mr. Misenhimer

In the Academy did you have any kind of weapons training?

Captain Kaufian

We were trained, particularly plebe summer, on the Springfield ‘03 rifles. We were trained on the

Lewis machine gun and on the .45 automatic. We were trained how to use gas masks. I don’t recall in

subsequent years that we had any further firearms training or anything. When we went to sea in our

second summer and our fourth summer; during those two cruises is when ‘e fired the heavy guns on the battleships.

Mr. Misenhimer

What ships were you on in that?

Captain Kaufman

On my youngster cruise, you use the terms sophomore and junior. My sophomore year was our

yomgster year and the youngster cruise was in the battleshir Arkansas. My first class cruise was on

the battleship New York. The summer in between that I went on a one-month cruise in an

old-old World War I four-stack destroyer.

Mr. Misenhimer

I-lowwere those cruises on those ships?

Captain Kaufman

One thing, on the first cruise we did the sort of things that sailors aboard ships do. [he first class

cruise later on they treated us more like junior officers. Living aboard ship certainly you came

8 togetherand learnedto do that quite well. The battleshipcruiseswere about 2 .4 months long. The destroyercruise in-betweenthat wasabouta month.

Mr.Misenhimer

OntheArkansas abouthowmanyof you cadetswereon there?

CaptainKauflnan

Abouthalf of the class.The otherhalfwas on anotherbattleship.

Mr.Misenhimer

Whatgunsdid theArkansas have; 12or 14?

CaptainKaufman

OntheArkansas the turrethad 12inchgunsandthensecondarybatterieshadfive inchguns.

Mr.Misenhimer

Didyou all get involvedinfiringthose guns?

CaptainKaufman

Yes.I’m trying to think. I oughtto be able to rememberthis but I don’t. I think we tired the turret

guns,the 12-inchguns.Wemayhavealso firedthe 5-inchguns.Yes we did.

Mr.Misenhimer

Isthereanythingin particularonthose cruisesthat standout?

CaptainKaufman

On the first cruise we wentto Europe.We went to Germany.This was in 1937and Nazi Germany

was in its ascendency.There were lots of unifbrmsaround.Some of my classmatesmade a tour of

Berlin.I didn’t. Lmade a tour on a Rhine steamerand saw a considerableamount of Germanythat

way.In the Germanyin thosedays, I don’tthink we recognizedit at the time, but WorldWar II was

comingalong.Therewere lotsof uniformsall over Germany.In my first class cruise in the summer

of 1939the war was gettingeven closer in Europeand we made a localcruise. We went to Canada

andup the St LawrenceRiver.

Mr.Misenhimer

Whatshipwas that secondone?I’veforgotten.

9 Captain Kaufman

The battleshipNew York.

Mr. Misenhimer

What were some other things that happened?

Captain Kaufman

(Laugh) Mv first class year, the summer of’ 1939 and fall of 1939, around there, I was a senior midshipman and quite used to the whole thing. I don’t recall it all. I had certainly gotten over any feeling of inferiority or whatever that I had when I started as a plebe. As a plebe I did have one concern. Being with all of these people that had college before we got there, I was real worried whether I was going to make it through plebe year. Once I did that, then I knew that I could make it

the rest of the way. One thing I did not mention. I don’t remember what other aspects of what I am

going to tell you pertained to. but when I graduated, I graduated as the next to the youngest member

from the class of’1940. 1am now the youngest surviving member of that class.

Mr. Misenhimer

How many people are still surviving from your class?

Captain Kaufman

About 50.

Mr. Misenhimer

That’s good.

Captain Kaufman

We had a reunion about a year ago and there were ii ol’us there.

Mr. Misenhirner

How was graduation? What all happened there’?

Captain Kaufman

I’m trying to remember who the speaker was. It wasn’t FDR. It has gone through a number of

changes over the years. In those days the graduation week was called June Week and it occurred in

June. Nowadays it falls in line with other colleges and universities and graduation is called

10 Commissioning Week and occurs in the latter part of May. In my day graduation was in June. 1have

a story connected to that. There were six of us. We got our ship assignments earlier in the spring. 1 was assigned to a new heavy cruiser horneported in Norfolk. There were six of LIS that were assigned

to it. One of them was going to be delayed in joining it because he was a member of the crew that

had a regatta after graduation. We graduated on Thursday. About Tuesday on June Week the

Commandant of Midshipmen sent for the five of us and told us that he knew we had 20 days leave

written into our orders, “1-lowever,” he said, our new commanding officer wanted us aboard on

Friday before noon. We graduated on Thursday and wended our way to Norfolk independently and

joined the ship Friday morning. The Naval Academy, knowing that time was going to be of the

essence, had arranged to ship our baggage down by truck. At our first luncheon in the ward room as

brand new naval officers a messenger came down and told us that our baggage had arrived. I

volunteered to go up and check it in. Each of us had two bags, a trunk and what they called a cruise

box. The cruise box had uniforms and books that you wanted to keep. I had my brand new officer’s

uniform, a full dress uniform, sword, and all that kind of stufE I went up to check it in and everything

was there but my trunk. I came back down and waited until lunch was over and went around to the

ship’s Executive Officer and told him my sad story and he said, “You had better get on the phone and

call the Naval Academy.” I called the supply department and the person that 1 got on the phone said,

“That went out.” I said, “Would you please go look.” He came back after what seemed like an hour

and was probably five minutes and said, “Yes, it’s here. What do you want us to do with it?” I said,

“This ship is sailing at 4:00 (it was nnw 1:00) can you have it flown down here?” He said, “What?

You can’t find a naval aviator around here on a Friday afternoon.” To shorten the story, about 3:30 a

station wagon came screaming up to the dock and they hadn’t been able to get my trunk into the

backseat of a single engine biplane so they stuffed it all into a sea bag but I had all my gear when we

sailed that afternoon for Rio de Janeiro.

Mr. Misenhirner

What ship were you on?

11 Captain Kaufman

The Wichita. After having done those midshipman cruises on those old ships, and the Wichita was only a couple of years old, it was one of the reasons I had put in to get to it; things were very pleasant. They had a nice new ship with new equipment and all that sort of stuff.

Mr. Misenhirner

What is the CA number of the Wichita?

Captain Kaufman

CA-45. I left it the day before the Wichitaleft the Atlantic logo to the Pacific.

Mr. Misenhirner

What happened after you got on the Wichita?

Captain Kaufman

When I got on the Wichita I was assigned to the communications department as the ship’s signal oficer. I was supposed to learn how to send and receive flashing lights and semaphore flags and that sort of thing. I could do the semaphore but I never could learn very well the flashing lights. I ‘as only the signal officer for about four months. I was transferred to a gunnery division and became the turret officer in turret one in the Wichita and held that position for the next two years. almost. That was one of the most satisfying jobs I ever held. When you went to battle stations and buttoned up the turret you were there by yourself ‘Fherewas nobody to look over your shoulder.

Mr. Misenhimer

Let me go back and ask a question. When you graduated. I’ve seen where they threw all those hats in the air, did you all do that?

Captain Kaufman

Yes, certainly. People always ask, did you get them back? The answer was no. The hats that you used were probably an old hat. The cap device was probably new. The covers could be detached and washed and you always had a clean white cover on the hat. The hat itself had seen plenty of use and it was time to throw it away.

12 Mr. Misenhirner

So you didn’t worry about getting them back then?

Captain Kaufman

No.

Mr. Misenhimer

Who was the Commandant of the USNA when you were there?

Captain Kaufman

I think you are really asking me who the Superintendent was. The Superintendent was Rear Admiral

David Sellers. I can’t remember what he had done before that.

Mr. Misenhimer

Go ahead with your story.

Captain Kaufman

We went to Rio de Janeiro setting sail on June 7. 1940. We crossed the line (Equator) with all the due ceremony. Knighted by King Neptune. Dumped into a tank of water all that sort of stuff I came through without any problems but my roommate slipped and fell as he was running down the last gauntlet after all the ceremonies. He banged up his leg pretty badly and he spent the first time we were in Rio in his bunk. Flowever he recuperated. We were up and down the east coast of South

America for the next several months.

Mr. Misenhimer

How was Rio?

Captain Kaufman

Rio was great except we were told to go ashore. particularly in the evenings, with at least two ofus and preferably three or four together. The reason I bring that up is that we also went into Montevideo and Buenos Aires. I remember at Montevideo we never thought about that. It was city ith no crime against people walking around. We went to Rio, Buenos Aires, Montevideo. a little town in the

southern part of Brazil, Rio Grande doSul in the southern end in Brazil. It was quite a cruise.

13

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Roosevelt

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understanding extractions.

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Misenhimer

Misenhirner

Misenhimer

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1941-1942

everybody

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14

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called

submarine a

move

Pearl

of

back

long,

for

were

chair

and

my

weeks

me

was

In

with

an

Then

for

half

the

one

I

in

built

was

incident

World

back

over

1967

When

hour

and

stayed

Commander

still

officer

an

sinking

a

and

gun

of

in

day

tenders

couple

for

an

a

a

airplane to

and

1

there

the

this

we

War

desk.

was

a

couple

crews

and

in

Pearl.

office

inlaid

that

table

then

then

next

but

full

the

got

of

in

in

in

it 11

I I

to. them. were

would one

him dropped Foley

back him said, something

gave Captain head

Captain Mr. left. Skipper

That sent (laugh)

boat back

stories

around

I

suppose

We

afternoon.

Misenhimer

over

the

aboard

up

was

him

not

with

“Yes,

up

up

About

got

come

to

got

with

That

Kaufman and

granted

said

submarine quite

the

on

to

the

fortunate.

tell.

a

a

us

I

being

the

pen

do

I

the

and

personal

my

tell

conning

twilight

he

up

then,

(which side.

got

know

We

a

that.

I

Japanese

and

number

bridge

don’t

there

binoculars said,

we

it

the

our

loose

were

He

and

“Our

down

How

I—Ic

we

a

had

of

stories

we

tower

piece

attention. message

and remember

didn’t

he

Captain,

didn’t

and

course

took

steaming

on

of

a

surfaced.

intelligence

soldier

did

until

went

Japanese

we

depth

and

deck.

of

he

hatch

because

know

you

some

do

had

paper

we

said,

from

the

down

probably

We

the

up

how

charges.

it

along

get

He

weren’t

and

I

a

exactly

again.

main

pretty

soldier

had

and

got

“Captain,

couple

people

and

the

this

people

I

well

requested

on

requested

was

one

the

more

I’m

Chief

deck

had

deck

Japanese

a

Another

close.”

Finally

we

going

what

couple

aboard,

morning

first

of

involved

in

are

sure

him

did.

was

people

and

there

lookouts

of

the

permission

depth

watch

going

to

22

permission

we

He

to

he

Naval

of

The interesting

soldier?

wasn’t

awash

which

afterbattery

do).”

copy

on

is

thought

miles

were

said,

in

up

charges

to

on

escorts

a

the

and

them.

Operations,

topside

depth

The

the

he

and

the

is

gone

able

“That’s

away

surface

to

another

me.

unhappy

to

we

inscription

thing

bridge.

people

dumped

held

were

go

to

Maybe

charge

for

compartment

come

there were

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and

break

down

not

that

more

in

us

but

story

wrestled Admiral

I

we

the

of

that

down

up

was

going

was

the

back

the what

we

contact

he

off

the

than

and

daylight

happened

on

that

we

boat

something

had,

could

on

other

the

for

there.”

ship’s

I

to

the

check

are

a

the

didn’t

it

King,

mean.

I

over and

shoot

depth

quite

will

we

minute.

into

bridge.

officers

sure

complaining bridge,

and

got

officers

to

move

And

have

it

that

the

the

bring

a

It’s

charge

him

in

hear

I

have

out.

long

into

would

Then

the

boat

side

We

the

the

submarines

still

to

have

away

and

them.

this

Then

a

stuck

time

water.

a

get

brought

Captain

and

Skipper

and

and

convoy

he

there.”

rubber

swing

throw

about

thing

other

from

back

was

and

We

our

the

we

we

his It

around some

that

we him tender wardroom. around.

was Mr. of Sure

(laugh) that come compartment in

Mr. Japanese. serial looked

What Captain soldier

I

Where

don’t

pretty

the

never

Misenhimer Misenhimer

compartment

a

up

we

enough

patrol forward

number.

tender

pretty

tender

and

was

took

alright. like

remember and

He

sank He

Kaufman

bad

tried

The

was here

that

Somebody

turned

there

had

was

one

there

that

raw

or

between

shape.

was

word

by

to

That

We

perfectly

at?

been

in

not.

that look

we

find

was

himself

sores.

really

whether

was

him

crammed

the

quartered

was

had

went

on?

Eventually

I

around

out

at

some

where

this

had

middle

don’t

over

gotten

about

shined

We

sea

happy

what

to

alongside,

Japanese

it

a

motion

to

eat.

by

got

with

was

Japanese-English

at

know

him

he

all

of

happened.

a

around

all

up.

to himself

After

was

at

squad

him

the

we

in

in

stay

sailors.

those

the

When

if

on

the

on

the

not

and

knew

war

we

aboard

on he

of

on

end

it.

this

for

Marshall

after

a

people

the

the had

Marines most

knew

I

dock.

it

the

The

about

headed

of

raft.

several

came

submarine

messing

torpedo

been

and

submarine

the

dictionary

assigned

Americans.

staring

or

We

23

him.

Islands

time

patrol

the

and

aboard

the

if

days.

went

we

room

compartment

We

that

pharmacist’s

submarine

at

for

tender

guard

for

we

or

him

Between found

and

alongside

don’t

for

him

is

including

which

New

the

got

the

and

a

he

that

to

locked

rest

few

out

know

in

last

was

Guinea.

eat,

over

started always

we the

and

and

would

of days

mate

how

we

most

asked

the

if

had

the

his sun

there

went

brought

he

heard

the

right

long

had

people

treated

It

life. this

be

prisoner

sailors,

and

may

was

for

and

Captain

alongside

notified

a

of

prisoner

hack

he

Anyway,

the

watch

his

him

have

one

called

in

him.

him

had

had

saltwater

name,

the

up

down

aboard.

or

had

been

and

there.

After

and

been

topside.

never

and

a

intermediate

the

the

we

submarine

him

the

rank,

he

on

he

the

other. Captain.

brought

floating

the

I-Ic

He

he

seen

would

hatch.

a

in

came

deck

ship

The

was

war

and

had

had

the

It a Captain Kaufman

I think it was either the seventh or eighth Gato patrol.

Mr. Misenhimer

How many patrols were you on the Gab?

Captain Kaufman

I made five. I was on 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Mr. Misenhimer

How many total patrols did the Gab make?

Captain Kauhan

I think about 14 or 15.

Mr. Misenhirner

You were not on it for the ?

Captain Kaufman

No. Not only was I not on it; that was the summer of 1942 and I was still on the Wichita and I mentioned that we had been on a covering force for a Murrnansk convoy, and that’s where we were. We were, at the Battle of Midway, off the co’ cf Norway. Mr. Misenhirner

How many times were you all depth charged while you were on the Gab? Quite a few.

Captain Kaufinan

On these five patrols I would guess 15 times.

Mr. Misenhimer

What was it like being depth charged?

Captain Kaufman

Some of the light bulbs would break. Dust Fromthe overheads would come cascading down. I dont know what it is like when you have severe damage because during the time that I was aboard we never got any severe damage. Ilowever, when I joined Gato in the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, just before, when it had first come in, it was getting towards the end of the overhaul when I joined it.

24

back was torpedo

projectiles

fuse one then

crew in very

shooting projectiles, The

on Merchant Mostly can depth They

sort Captain Mr.

Captain

last Did

Mr. Yes

the

the

really

Misenhimer

Misenhimer

you

of

patrol

of but

bigger

deck

on

many

and

at

and

came

charge

same

fuse

the

thing

merchant

us.

a

1 Kaufman

Kaufman

on

all

at

don’t

most

lower

gun

knocked

be

ships.

gun

that

we

convoys

Earlier

than

this

of

you sink

because

port in

done

around,

to

the

we

there

had

crew

of remember

Commander

guy

where

set

time

quite

the

One

and

ships

projectile

had

these,

by

on

them

were

them

or

I

Captain

they

with

and

the

setting.

We

thing a

got

a

we

then

they

single

or

depth

few

Captain

he

out

Pm

to the

wouldn’t

some were

made

had

the a

was

I

could

and had torpedo

ships

go

thought Foley

didn’t

He

kind charge.

ships

talking

count.

So

been

there

off

of

several

a

fired

a

set

had

we

while

three

not

fuse

these

that

by was

but

run

some

comment

jammed

It

it

some

didn’t

it

about

it

gotten

extract

timing.

on

is

list

would

there

that

and

percussion

battle

inch.

you

AA

in

in

place

the

war

and

command

the

it

have

3

were

shallow.

projectiles

some

were

the

It in

projectile

went

on

surfaces

be

or

As

I ships?

records.

where

was

a

don’t

25

torpedo

4

that

and

any

on

I

torpedo

rounds

some

fuses

off

or

said,

later

it?

we

they We

you

more

a

remember

just maybe

on

up

and

submarine

fishing

I

that

were either

replaced

surfaced

of

ships

are

and

had

tube

was

beyond

of

the

3-inch

went

5

leading

them

I

a

in

the

way,

next

and

boats

and

think

small

three

what

an

by

the

on

rescue

gunnery

antiaircraft

off

the

shot

firing

one

area

push

a

and

I

me

one,

inch craft

target

I

had

on

five

based tube

went

at

vessel

into.

some where

it

and

contact.

one

gun.

already

them

were

officer

inch.

out

had

So

it

off

projectiles.

I

we

morning

patrol

They

on,

or

just

think

I

we

with

too

It

been

told

right

left

haul

discussed

The

was

After

I

weren’t

happened

set

small

were

boats

him

the

maybe

the

crushed

over

it

anti-aircraft a

that

the

we

three

in.

deck

The

ship.

to

shooting

to

and

the

timer

finding

Things

I

started

it

set

on

use

think

other

to

with

gun.

by

inch

gun

that

We

the

the

be

a a

was temperance

was New

hotel

horseback miles

gallop Yes. Mr. went

before had ButI

Captain Captain

When Yes. Mr. Mr. would

Captain But I What were

We

don’t

went

Brisbane

Misenhirner

Misenhimer Misenhimer

a

exhausted

in

I Brisbane

Guinea.

fairly

back

and

never

were

week

you

to

can’t attract

one

he

have

Montana

Kaufman

Kaufman Kaufman

into

they

a

to

joined ere

morning

riding.

some

close

got

hotel

remember

off.

little

my

Pearl

some

was

Brisbane

is

would

and

over

in

map

on

One

ports to

or

the

and

town

the

I

Brisbane

1-larbor.

aircraft;

New

then

beside

the

had

to

Wyoming

only

have

in

of

Navy.

that’s

that

if

Perth.

once.

east

front

named

never the

the

Guinea

that

Australian

an

you

a

so

did

coast.

other

bar

the

barrel

We

was

We

Aussie

We

of

we

been

went

or

you

Toowoomba.

would me.

one

I

went

were

departed

at

rented

think.

someplace

officers

Submarines

of

get

the

into?

astride

Army

Mime

we

port

beer

into

in

close.

to

end

After

stayed

a

Midway;

that

go

Did

at and

from

camp.

Ma]

Bay

couple

a

of

ashore

the

like

(laugh)

you

horse

you

we

Toowoomba

operated

uro

the

I

in.

in

there.

26

went

bar.

The

left

that.

went

New go

first

we

in

of

Every

and

before

They the

into

The

this

soldiers

were

incountry.

horses

or

I-Ic

into?

out

Guinea.

meet

Marshall

any craft

afternoon

the

other

would

and

had

of

in

had

any

a second

were

in

there

Brisbane

on

we

ridden

officer

couple

It

Australia?

two

I’ve

of

keep

fire,

Islands.

is

yelling

were

several

the

we

right

patrol

forgotten

hotels.

the

we

horses

that

and

of Australian

would

coming

on

left

We

bar

at

mornings

times.

that

was

Perth

mc.

the

One

as

because

open

went

go

now.

I

with

southeastern

Half

a

down

made.

on

And

over

people?

of

youngster,

until into

the

and

but

me,

of

them

of

we

to

a

But

Milne

west

them

that

75

course

road

his

went

the

figured

yes

to

was

barrel

home

coast.

tip

other

were

long

Bay.

at 100

out

we

we

of

a

a it

was

as

Captain

If got No.

What

Mr.

was

Bangkok,

Captain

Have

Mr.

were

That’s Captain

They

Mr.

screened trying

a

Yes. Captain

stumble

Were

saying,

Mr.

you

little

make

to

Misenhirner

one

Misenhirner

My

with

Misenhirner

Misenhimer

The

in

does

you didn’t

the

the

are

to

correct

bit

the

Kaufman

“Let

Kaufiuian

sure

Kaufman

next

Kaufman

and

of

windows

think

operated

one

only

Australian

more

one been

more

a

my

hotel

have

flag

I

that

him

to

in

didn’t

in

thing

although

back of

duties,

familiar

Australia.

last

like

Lieutenant

Manila,

at

when

a

out”

an

the

or

lot

Toowoomba.

tour in

to

people

either.

example

screen

of had

R&R

and

This

my

Australia

the

with

I

the

one

before

didn’t

recollection

recalled

Admiral

the

friendly?

was do?

doors.

station

appliances

Army

in

to

other

Tokyo,

I

get

since

not

give

retired.

from

lingo,

left

for

a

half

a

you

the

real

normal

is,

soldiers

the

that

arid

the

were

the

I

I

war?

but

good

don’t

ship

had

we

one

1920s

Army

I

flag

yelling,

had

in

gone

the don’t

27

look.

in

know

Vietnam.

Lieutenant

when

I-long

either.

would

boat

to

have

I

“Hold

how

don’t

the

was

I

Kong.

call

was

a

to

Philippines

We

there;

good

his

think

say

duty

it

a

I

had

an

head

youngster

got

this,

one.

keeping

Aide

but

I

one

was

to

up.”

but

I

in

I

several

de

was in

don’t

in

1967 the

(laugh).

the and

Canberra

Camp.

any

also

standard

boat

think

the

Oi

and

Aussie

the

those

I

early

The

in

the

did

the

and

commanding

proper

of

such

command

horse

but homes.

houses

1930s.

we

living

I

things

had

shape

never

didn’t

was

We

had

I’m

in I

the

kid.

got

an

some

and

kept

acquired

in where

“Like

generally

Captain

in

On

I

getting

Mr. widow

pretty

Captain

I Mr.

ofstulTis

What

officer

don’t

can’t

a

the

overnight

diving

in

the

get

submarine.

Misenhimer

He

Misenhirner

pestering

other

and

would

world

a

heavy

I

remember

Gab,

there

of

shot

behind.

him

just lot

Kaufman

Kaufman

had

30%

lost

all

what

got

alarm

people

of

at.

off

went could

you

were

run

the

depth

a how

moored.

30%

practically

me other

I

man

Iliad

I

my

I

sounded

don’t

enlisted

was

consider

from

whether

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to

was

any

nuts

down.

you

of

charge

back,

things,

that

get

to

the

the

remember

A problems

the

San

stand

when

do.

remember

aboard.

raw

couple men

He

(we Executive

couldn’t

experienced

your

I

morale?

it

attack

Francisco

asked

particularly

was

was

living

recruits.

made

the

assigned

most

of

at

He

the

ever

aboard

one

diving

for

take

the

all.

getting

a

inside

Officer

was

same

frightening

couple

down

him day

Most being

men

Chief

I

to

if

it.

do

just

maybe

alarm

the

and

that

you

day

and

real

In

have

in

on

of

to

scared

of

Petty

dying

staff.

the

them

World

I

San we

the piece

when

are

practice

went

ten

scared

think

time

28

one

crew

had

Officers Gab

young,

Diego. about Making

to

days

had

of

the

story

ofL”

in

War

I

get

the

on

was

back

pipe,

dives

World

at

been

time

and

that.

out

depth

you

Mare

I

to

my

In

II.

came

arrangements

concerned

didn’t

to

the

day

tell

to

to

on

peace

came

when

get

times

War

new

sub

sea charge

Island

the

overhaul

around

after

you.

used

hear

the

11?

and

school

way

construction

time

we

on

People

day

then

and

on

personnel

anything

to

fiht

to

came

the

down)

for

I

was

deck

after

it.”

me

but

I

suppose

that

had

his

Wichita

the

keep

completed

and

I

had

into

we

or

day?”

only

trips

I

a

submarines

about

war.

pool

might

young

not,

said,

asking

never

had

the

we

recall

and

when

Finally, I

sent

but

this

to

shipyard

Every

keep

would

be

been

and

fellow

all

sit

me,

we

leaving

one

until

we

him

that

on

and

he saying,

to

look

“How

to

have

time

were

that

case

that

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and

we sea

sort

try

we

we

a a

I

a

into Mr.

Captain

Yes,

They

I Captain

Mr.

They

Captain

But

was

Mr. and bomb

(laugh) Captain

volunteered

Mr.

knew

Were submarines”

something

would

was

brand

Misenhimer they

Misenhimer

other

Misenhimer

Misenhimer

office

by

going

never

never

on

you

what

submarines.

Now

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Naval

tell

There

him

around

you

Operations.

there

were

the

early

for

last

several

lunch.

time

December

Before

I

other

saw he