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USS Robalo (SS-273)

Robalo departed Fremantle 22 June 1944 on her third war patrol. She set a course for the South China Sea to conduct her patrol in the vicinity of the Natuna Islands. After transiting Makassar and Balabac Straits, she was scheduled to arrive on station about 6 July and remain until dark on 2 August 1944. On 2 July, a contact report stated that Robalo had sighted a Fuso-class Japanese battleship with air cover and two destroyers for escort. The ship was then just east of Borneo no other messages were ever received from the submarine and when she did not return from patrol, she was presumed lost.

On 2 August a note was dropped from the window of a cell of Puerto Princessa Prison Camp on Palawan Island in the Philippines. It was picked up by an American soldier who was on a work detail nearby. The note was in turn given to H. D. Hough, Yeoman Second Class, who was also a prisoner at the camp. On 4 August he contacted Trinidad Mendosa, wife of guerrilla leader Dr. Mendosa who furnished further information on the survivors.

From these sources it was concluded that Robalo was sunk on 26 July 1944, 2 miles off the western coast of Palawan Island from an explosion in the vicinity of her after battery, probably caused by an enemy mine. Only four men swam ashore, and made their way through the jungles to a small barrier northwest of the Puerto Princessa Camp, where Japanese Military Police captured them and jailed them for guerrilla activities. On 15 August, they were evacuated by a Japanese destroyer and never heard from again. Robalo was struck from the Navy list on 16 September 1944.

S1 James W Ackley

TM2 John B Bailey

SM1 Robert W Bell

TM1 Jerome P Boehles

EM3 Charles E Bredden

MoMM1 Walter A Brereton

S1 Gilbert Brokman

MoMM1 Columbus L Cagle Jr.

LCDR Hubert E Carter

MoMM3 Stephen J Changary

S1 Edward O Clark

S1 Marvin D.R Clifford

RT2 Herman M Cooperman

PhM! Stanley N Cotterman

RM3 Donald C Cress

MoMMC Darrell E Dickerson

TM2 Calvin L Dittman

MoMM2 Wallace L Downey

F1 James L Dvoracek Jr.

MoMM1 Lyle F Ervin

LCDR(XO) C.W Fell

RM3 Dean E Fink

GM2 Arthur J Flanagan

F1 George M Fondon

SC2 John J Fricker

ENS Herman J Gerdes Jr.

CK2 Elliott Gleaton Jr.

EM1 Kimball E Graham

TM3 Howard L Hamilton Jr.

TM3 James F Hart Jr.

TM3 HarleyT Hood

MoMM2 Jack A Hurst

RT1 Holly Berry Ivey

TM2 Nyle M Jackson

GM1 William E Jambor

MoMM1 Emil H Johnson

SC1 Nathan Y Johnson

MoMM2 William G Kesterson

LCDR(CO) Manning M Kimmel

S2 Arthur C Konen

QM1 Floyd G Laughlin

SC3 Richard J Leahey

EMC John W Lefebvre

MoMM3 Donald J Levy

EM1 Denzel W Lovell

ENS J.A Lutman

EM2 Ray E Martin

SM2 Wallace K Martin

EM2 Marvin J Marx

YN1 William G Matthews

LTjg H.F McKnight Jr.

F1 Harvey E Nichols

MoMM2 John R Niclas

MoMM2 John J O'Brien

F1 Edward P O'Rourke

FC2 Edward J Paw

TM1 Billy B Phelps

EM2 Mason C Poston

EMC John F Priddis

LT Reginald J Proseus

MoMM1 Harold L Ramsier

MoMM1 Charles A Root

F2 Stanley J Russell

GM3 Stephen W Smith

RM3 Walter F Sonemann

S1 Russell W Speener

TMC Samuel E Spencer

MoMM1 Herschel P Taylor

ENS Samuel L Tucker

S2 Harold E Usealman

MoMM3 Joseph R VanDeurzen

S1 Elmer G Varney

F1 Ciro R Virga

TM3 Frederick P Vogel

MoMM2 Dale F Wilkerson

SM1 Davie L Williams

MoMMC Frederick J Wilson

EM3 Roland O Winnan

F1 Sigmund J Wlodarczyk

QM3 Claude E Wood Jr.

TM3 Calvin K Zea