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USS Grayback (SS-208)

 

 

On 24 February 1944 GRAYBACK radioed that she had
sunk two cargo ships 19 February and had damaged two others. On 25
February she transmitted her second and final report. That morning she
had sunk tanker TOSHIN MARU and severely damaged another. With only two
torpedoes remaining, she was ordered home from patrol. Due to reach
Midway on 7 March, GRAYBACK did not arrive. On 30 March ComSubPac
reluctantly listed her as missing and presumed lost with all hands.
 
From captured Japanese records the gallant submarine's last few days can be pieced together. 
Heading home through the East China Sea, on 27
February GRAYBACK used her last two torpedoes to sink the freighter
CEYLON MARU. That same day, a Japanese carrier-based plane spotted a
submarine on the surface in the East China Sea and attacked. According
to Japanese reports the submarine "exploded and sank immediately," but
antisubmarine craft were called in to depth-charge the area, clearly
marked by a trail of air bubbles, until at last a heavy oil slick
swelled to the surface. GRAYBACK had ended her last patrol, one which
cost the enemy some 21,594 tons of shipping.

 


 


MoMM1 Stanley H Bangert

MoMM2 Harold X Barbour

SC1 James E Barnett

TM2 Frederick R Bell

EM3 James W Bennett

MoMM1 Robert P Blanan

QM3 Ralph  Bloodsworth

MoMM1 Forrest L Boyer

EM3 James J Brandt

RM1 William J Brasch

RMC Thaddeus  Bukowski

MoMM2 Wilbur E Campbell

PhM1 Ross L Capshaw

S2 Robert E Carey

MoMM2 Henry L Case

RM3 James N Chotas

MoMM2 Fred M Coburn

SC3 Lee Roy  Cox

TM3 Marshall R Davidson

YN2 Vance E Davis

COX James R Dodson

S1 George R Ferry Jr

EM3 Clifton E Fieber

F2 Carleton F Fielding

SM1 Joseph R Forsythe Jr.

MoMM2 Kenneth W Fox Jr.

MoMM3 Milton L Francis

FC2 Charles B Gavlak

MoMM3 Marshall L George

SM1 Bernardino  Gildo

MoMM3 John H Gray

TM2 Frederick A Hall

RM1 Alfred S Halpert

S1 Earl E Halvorson

S1 L.I Handlowich

RT1 Robert V Hansen

EM1 Theodore  Hefler

EM1 Richard B Hitch

TM2 Frederick C Holzman Jr

F1 William C Hooks

QM2 Albert  Hrudka

SM3 Robert A Irizarry

TM2 August N Jackson

S1 Lee F Jacobs

F1 Francis R James

TM1 James A Jones

EM3 John P King

EMC Harry T Knops

MoMM2 Walter A Koller

S1 Raymond E LaRiviere

MoMM3 Leslie H Leaf

ENS Robert O Littlejohn

TM3 Douglas H.N Lockyer

MoMM2 Louis J Meyers

CDR(CO) John A Moore

MoMMC William G Nicholson

EM3 James T Northam

TM2 Thomas F O'Meara

EM1 Raymond A Parks

LTjg Melvin C Phillips

EM3 Alfred  Pinho Jr.

EM3 Wilbur L Ralston

ENS Vincent M Rauber

SM2 Vicente U Rivera

LT William C Roy Jr.

S2 George K Schellinger

TM1 Edward F Sessler

TMC Ralph T Shaw

RM3 Isaure V Silveira

LT Charles H Smith

EM3 Sidney  Solomon

TM3 August H Southern

MoMMC Lee C Stanford

LT(XO) John H Stewart

S2 Robert E Stockman

SC1 Stanley J Waliszewski

John C Wyatt