United States Submarine Veterans of World War II

[Rockin Robbins]

It's not even written for us. This is what we derisively call a "vanity publication," overpriced, not meant for any but the rubes who buy it to see. Let's be charitable and call it a "yearbook." It was published in two volumes, wonderful to look at and surely cost a pretty penny in its publication date of 1986.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/US%20Sub%20Vets%20of%20World%20War%20II_zpsuxvsceh r.jpg

But, in the tradition of yearbooks, it was the submariners themselves who put the content together. Most of them are gone now, so this book is one of the few places, along with their monthly bulletin, Polaris, that you can get the undiluted dope from the submariners themselves.

Sometimes they know something we absolutely know isn't true. I'll bet they're right most of the time. Most priceless are the memories recorded here, not for us, but for each other: men who were bound together by the loss of 3,505 shipmates during the war. Every man was friends with some of those who died.

Memories

by Ernest St. Germain

USS SPEARFISH (SS 190)


I remember:

my invitation into the world of service life by the shearing of my long hair

the icy cold winds walking to and from the lake in Idaho for goat drills,

being stationed in windy downtown Chicago, to learn the inards of diesel engines

the six-high bunks of troop trains criss-crossing the country shuttling servicemen from station to station

my introduction to Spritz's Navy, and the consideration and compassion extended to correct my ways,

the first dive on a school S-boat, and how the dripping oil from the over-hard hydraulic tank vent landed in the salad bowl in the mess hall,

the pride at being assigned a United States Submarine, and of the instruction and guidance by the "old salts" aboard given so willingly to the new arrival,

the fright of the first dive of my new home near the Rafallons at an almost impossible angle, later blamed on ballast that should have been removed during overhaul,

the first sailing into Pearl Harbor and seeing first-hand what I had only picture and print knowledge of,

the warm breezes and soft rains upon my introduction to Hawaii, the anxiety and qualms I felt as we slipped out to sea for my first patrol to the unknown,

the wet forehead and sweaty palms I experienced the moment of my first call to battle stations,

the understanding and compassion of the senior engineman who kept me busy wiping engines as I experienced my first depth charges,

the daylight approaches, within gun range, of islands yet to be invaded,

the joy in rescuing survivors of downed aircraft and giving them a ride back to land,

the small sand spits in the ocean whose names were larger than they were where we spent brief moments of rest and relaxation away from the war,

the startling pink color of the favorite hotel where I shared a room with three shipmates,

the ever-present smell of diesel fuel on the boat as well as me,

the endless nights on lookout during a typhoon, trying to share time between foggy binoculars and grip a lifeline to keep from being washed overboard,

the sighting of an enemy bomber approaching us while on the surface,

the endless repairs of new engines during hot, humid days of submergence patrol,

the peace and security of sailing at night after the war with the muffled engines broken only by the wash of the sea alongside the hull,

the last time I crossed the brow and saluted the flag, concluding my short Navy career,

but most of all I remember —
that there were 52 boats and 3,505 shipmates who didn't return to share their memories with me.

Yikes! Clay Blair, Jr. Who's he? He never made my cry. Dry facts don't convey a hundredth of this simple list. And the photos! Photos I've never seen before, which are doubtless only available in this publication.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USSVWWII%20Torpedo%20Hit_zps501a3swt.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USSVWWII%20Sub%20Pic_zpsrvd7ty2c.jpg


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USSVWWII%20Loading%20Torpedoes_zpsevvj91lu.jpg

That last shot is of loading torpedoes into the forward torpedo room. It was a nasty, dirty, dangerous job where no mistakes could be made or the consequences were a lot more than a good chewing out by the OOD.

I think I'll use this thread to put some of the contents of these two volumes on record for you to see. There's more to submarines than the cold litany of sinkings. There were people involved. There was Ernest St. Germain aboard the USS Spearfish, collecting his memories and praying he would get to share them with his shipmates. Not us. We only know "Silent Victory" style dry prose. His shipmates shared the truth.

[propbeanie]

Where did you find a gem like that? My dad is coming up on his 90th birthday. Him and a buddy of his at work went and enlisted in the navy together. They met a 3rd fellow in boot camp who ended up becoming my dad's brother-in-law (they married sisters). Dad is the only one of the 3 that also served in Korea. He's also the only one still alive (natural causes for the other 2). You couldn't get any of the 3 to talk much about their experiences, but get them in one place together, and they were on liberty in Manila all over again... None of them did subs, but they were all 3 in a typhoon, and all three in the Battle for Leyte Gulf. One on a destroyer, one on an LST, and the 3rd in an LCVP. But they'd talk about SP in Boston after the war. Or Basic. Stuff like that, unless no one else was around. The Greatest Generation. He's still got his dress blues. I've been trying to get my dad to sit with me, and let me "interview" him, but so far, no go. Tough part is, he lives six hours away.

It'd be very fitting to "hear" more from the book.

[XTBilly]

Great thread RR. I'd love to see more !

Billy.

[Rockin Robbins]

You know I have to type the exerpts, take photos on my cell phone to get their stuff on Subsim. Somehow that's appropriate, because it is very special stuff and I really haven't scratched the surface.

This came from my wife's grandfather, Warren Watkins of the USS Kraken, one of the latter boats of the war. He came back with no confirmed kills, but a couple of real ones, nonetheless. His boat isn't in this publication but he took great pride in being a member of the US Submarine Veterans of World War II. I have a copy of Thunder Below with the autograph and personal inscription from Eugene Fluckey. They were family, these submariners. Every success was everyone's success. Every death was very, very personal.

They didn't believe that anyone outside their family could possibly understand their experiences. They were probably right, but it's priceless that their thoughts and deeds live on in this priceless set of volumes.

More to come!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USSVWWII%20Embossing2_zpszakiuqvf.jpg

Look at that quality embossing and gold leaf on the cover. These guys really cared about their "yearbook" and were prepared to pay for it. Again.

Photos courtesy of my LG G4 cell phone. Nothing Apple has is half as good.

[max-peck]

Looking forward to more images RR :up:

[Captain Dave]

Thanks RR.

[Rockin Robbins]

It's past time for another installment. Sorry, been a bit busy with real life and the Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate project. But none of that would be possible without the sacrifice of these guys in the US Submarine Veterans of World War II.

Sometimes we forget the mindset of the war. This was no politically correct "create more democracies," win the hearts and minds of the enemy time. It was nothing short of seeking the utter defeat and total subjugation of the Japanese people. This war was fought to win, and that would involve some unsavory acts. Tough toenails, we didn't pick this fight. But we would end it.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000009_zpsao6vlebe.jpg

Maybe that generation has something of truth to say to this generation? NAW!!!!!:wah:

These guys had a love/hate relationship with S-boats. Most of them had served or trained on an S-boat, so they were intimately familiar with the fact that the death warrants were half-signed for those who served on them in wartime. S-boat sailors were worthy of great respect.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001003_zpsxxa57jax.jpg

One thing about these sailors. They took photos of things we wouldn't. Things that meant a lot to them personally, but which didn't have much to do with winning the war.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001005_zpsn89ywbwz.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001004_zpsnafke9ys.jpg

Maybe not the most important, but surely the most urgent thing on a submariner's mind was this seldom seen plaque:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001007_zpscwanfohh.jpg

And shared intimacies between the crew. There's a reason that Eugene Fluckey and not Dick O'Kane, is my absolute favorite submarine commander. Fluckey had an inclusive brand of leadership, where he openly acknowledged that yes, he was proud of the choices he had made, but it was his crew who made the execution of those choices possible. After receiving a trip to the White House and being presented the Medal of Honor, soon-to-be Admiral Fluckey (rhymes with Ducky) sent personal notes of thanks to each crew member, thanking them for the courage and dedication it took to earn THEIR medal of honor.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001006_zpsalrbxcjh.jpg

Now that's a leader you'll go to hell for and look forward to the trip.

Finally and the most important reason for this book of memories for the United States Submarine Veterans of World War II:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/Lost%20Subs_zpswunmp3q6.jpg

I'll close with a poem written by Captain HB Morris:
Born in the shop of the devils
designed by the brains of a fiend
loaded with gadgets, torpedoes and missiles
they call it a Submarine

The bards will sing of the albatross' flight
and men that go down to the seas
but never a word for the sailor's plight
who tails below deck in his dungarees

So I'm going to tell you the story
in a very laconic way
of the men who serve without glory
in the bowels of this demon each day

We eat in a spot most confined
and sleep suspended on hooks
You think we just never mind
'cause our story is not published in books

Life in these coffins is atrocious
and that's not in sea goin' terms
The air is simply obnoxious
so vile it kills off the germs

Not are we troubled with varmints
there's conditions a cockroach won't stand
The cooties leave all your garments
and quickly shove off for land

And those extra bucks for our trouble
to submerge these crates out of sight
is earned far more than double
by working all day and all night

And that bonus for hazardous life
and confinement on this type of boat
is blown by that lonesomest wife
making time with some other bloke

Machinist's mates reek with fuel oil
electricians with H2SO4
A gunner's mate's greasy with toil
and torpedo slush stinks even more

When we dock in a Navy yard
We can tell by the look on their face
that our liberty's gonna be marred
quarantined by some plague on the base

Now if ever a flat-top sailor
starts feeling disgruntled and mean
just ask Mr Bupers the favor
to ship on a Submarine

[Rockin Robbins]

And a fine pre-war portrait of the Nautilus!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001002_zps6ejmqble.jpg

[SilentPrey]

Amazing. Thanks, RR

[captcrane]

Out friggin Standing!

[Rockin Robbins]

Isn't it amazing how poetry fills this thing? Poetry was alive and kickin' in the 1940s. Today you can't find contemporary poetry. It's died and we can't even find the body. I don't know whether that's good or bad.

Another thing my wife's grandfather gave me was his autographed copy of Thunder Below. That was my fist dose of understanding why Eugene Fluckey was much more than a blowhard, as many try to portray him. He had a genuine affection and admiration for the men who served in the submarine force, no matter what their capacity or which boat they served on.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/100_7762.jpg

[aanker]

Wonderful Topic... thank you RR, priceless!

[Rockin Robbins]

I know we like to decorate our conning towers, but what did an authentic conning tower look like in the war?
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001008_zpsfx4rscud.jpg

And just how do you do one of those snazzy crew photos on an S-boat? VERY carefully as the S-28 appears to be listing due to the off-center weight of her crew!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000014_zpstzeh9pdx.jpg

Here's another S-boat with crew sharing deck space with the deck gun.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000015_zpsx72gxady.jpg

Here's the fantail of a fleet boat on the cruise in the Pacific.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001001_zpslnzdzdi6.jpg

And hull number 272 under construction at Grouton. That's the Redfin!
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000012_zpsyiwjequi.jpg

And a formation of subs from Hydeman's "Hellcats" returning from the Sea of Japan in July 1945
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000011_zpspntitfud.jpg

Here's a two page spread of Submarine Squadron 5 in 1949 at San Diego, CA.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000016_zpszmghwrwg.jpg

And finally (for now) a nice usable logo of the US Submarine Veterans of WWII. They've disbanded now, as there were too few of them still alive to continue to function credibly as an organization. Their only website is on the Wayback Machine. But we'll never forget them, will we?
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903000013_zpsvr6wapio.jpg

[max-peck]

And shared intimacies between the crew. There's a reason that Eugene Fluckey and not Dick O'Kane, is my absolute favorite submarine commander. Fluckey had an inclusive brand of leadership, where he openly acknowledged that yes, he was proud of the choices he had made, but it was his crew who made the execution of those choices possible. After receiving a trip to the White House and being presented the Medal of Honor, soon-to-be Admiral Fluckey (rhymes with Ducky) sent personal notes of thanks to each crew member, thanking them for the courage and dedication it took to earn THEIR medal of honor.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201607180903001006_zpsalrbxcjh.jpg

Now that's a leader you'll go to hell for and look forward to the trip

Roger that RR

I have just started reading Thunder Below
I am only at the end of his first patrol, but from what I read, he knows what he is doing, and also how to lead his crew :up:

It looks to me as if he leads from that bottom up - rather than the top down
If that makes sense? :)

[Rockin Robbins]

Roger that RR

I have just started reading Thunder Below
I am only at the end of his first patrol, but from what I read, he knows what he is doing, and also how to lead his crew :up:

It looks to me as if he leads from that bottom up - rather than the top down
If that makes sense? :)
There's a reason he was picked to be Lockwood's successor and made an admiral. He bagged the highest tonnage score of the war when boats routinely returned to base with all torpedoes still loaded.

When he had a dangerous mission, like sinking a train, it was all volunteers. He blew up that train with a scuttling charge. They couldn't give him the medal of honor for it because there's a once per lifetime restriction on it. His was the only ground operation on the Japanese home islands during the war!

[max-peck]

And as if to emphasise my point about him being a natural leader - what do I read in the next chapter?

He is in between his first and second patrols, choosing a new COB, and he picks Swish.

He calls in Swish - who doesn't seem to feel that he is up to the job.

Swish - 'Captain, all the men are my friends. As COB I'd have to tell them off and discipline them? How could I do that?'

Fluckey - 'Swish, I don't want a b-------, I want a leader. We don't drive men on board the Barb. We lead them. From my experience with b-------, they achieve about equal results. But there's one big difference. When you lead men, they want to ship over and stay with you. Anything else?'

Swish - 'Sir, there's all that responsibility. What if I goof?'

Fluckey - 'On responsibility, you'll grow with it and enjoy it as you shape things and people. On goofing - so you goof. Don't hide it or cover up. Do your best to correct your mistakes and don't be afraid to ask for help from anyone from top to bottom. You'll find people are complimented when you ask for help. . . . . . In submarines we hang our rates on the gangway when we come aboard. It's what you can do that counts with me'

Oh man - I read this on the train on the way into work and found it truly inspirational, and also quite moving. I knew I was going to have to post it on SUBSIM this evening

That is the kind of boss you want
That is the kind of boss you need
That is the boss who you know has your back every time
That is the boss who you will do your utmost best for, and always go the extra mile

I honestly cannot put into words how impressed I am with this man - a true natural born leader

Any SUBSIM members who have not read Thunder Below, please please please do yourself a favour and buy it now :salute:

[Subnuts]

Found a couple used copies of the four(!) volume set available on Amazon.com. Wish I had $150 just laying around...:-?

[Rockin Robbins]

I'll continue to post more. I only have the first two volumes. They really are priceless and just about irreplaceable. I can't imagine any submariner parting with his copy willingly.

[Rockin Robbins]

Speaker's Address
Northwest Regional Conference
United States Submarine Veterans of World War II
6 May, 1973
Speaker unknown

In his invitation to be a part of this ceremony and to bring the address, President Corner said he wanted a "short address on our purpose." I thnk he had a single emphasis on the word purpose and a double emphasis on the word short. I believe he is familiar with preachers!

One thing his invitation did was make me look up the purpose of our organization. It is a noble one. In reading it, two words stuck in my mind. The first word was unity. The purpose says "you are assembled to promote and keep alive the spirit and unity that existed among submarine crewmen during WWII!" Yet the individuals you refer to are a most uncommon group. They came from the fabric mills of New England and the cotton mills of the South. From the mountains of Tennessee and the desert of Arizona. From the rain-drenched forests of the Northwest and the arid wasteland of the Southwest. There were rich and poor, schooled and unschooled, professionals and beginners in their midst. They were named Kelly and O'Malley, Jones and Smith, Pulaski and Oshinski, Bernstein and Cohen. In peaceful times there is little likelihood that they would have ever met or known each other. Before 1941 they seemed to have little in common. But then it happened, and that uncommon group suddenly found a common bond. That bond was freedom. They all loved freedom enough to fight and die for it.

The were not the first, nor were they the last to discover this common bond. I think it is important that we realize that you don't buy freedom like you buy a loaf of bread. Instead, you buy it like you do a home. There must be the initial down payment. For freedom, that was made at Concord and Lexington. Then there must be continual payments. These are made by each succeeding generation. Those whom we honor here made the payment for their generation--which is also yours and mine. And there are hallowed graves in our country today of individuals who have already made the payment for this generation. Pearl Harbor and Inchon were unknown to them. But Vietnam they knew all too well.

So the payment for freedom goes on year after year, generation after generation. I wish this morning that I could say that this house of freedom is paid for and that freedom is now a reality for everyone. But I can't. Unfortunately, man has not yet learned to live with his fellow man on terms that make such living possible. We pray that day may soon come.

Then the second word that stood out was patriotism. When I was a young man, consciously or unconsciously, strong home patterns, strong patriotic feelings, and strong religious belies provided a sort of conscience and care for our total society. Our belief in God and country was adequate to provide the cement that held together our American way of life. There wasn't a question of what to do then the national anthem was played or the flag passed by.

I don't mean that we all agreed. We didn't. But there is a great deal of difference between discrediting something or someone on one hand and offering honest criticism on the other. Dissent and debate, including public assembly and protest, have always been a part of the American way of life. They are characteristic of an alert and vigorous people. We teach our citizens to have convictions. We urge them to voice these convictions.

But all too often we forget a very important point. That point is—there is no quick, easy, and absolute solution to many of the world's problems. We have to remember that we live in a real world and not a dream world. Dreams have no limits; the real world has practical limits—or at least limitations. And we must continually distinguish in our own minds the world of our dreams and aspirations and the tough, cruel demanding world of reality, where advantage, gain and privilege are accomplished by work, sweat, tears and accountability.

Therefore, this morning, I have two suggestions that I would like to offer as a fitting memorial to those whom we honor here. The first is that you and I continue to dream the seemingly impossible dream. That dream in which we see man living in harmony in a world dominated by peace and freedom, by equality and opportunity, by friendship and brotherhood. And the second is that we resolve to do all in our power to make that dream come true. Not forgetting that it will take hard work, that we will face setbacks, and that we will even become discouraged at times. But remembering always that the achievement of that dream is worth every effort we put onto it. And if, by the grace of God, we only manage to take a few short strides toward that goal in our lifetime, we shall still know that we have offered up the best gift of all to a departed comrade.


May we all work and continue to create that dream of peace and freedom, equality and opportunity. It humbles me to know that this man was one my generation would have cast aside and discarded, "You want to retire, get out of the way" as Steppenwolf not very kindly put it. This guy said a lot of challenging things and overpaid for the right to say it. Salute, sir, whoever you are!

[propbeanie]

Amen, brother.

[Rockin Robbins]

One thing that was special to our World War II submariners was their sub tender. These guys were pretty ugly looking ships to our eyes but everything good in a submariner's life came from one of these, so they were cherished. A whole chapter of the United States Submrine Veterans of World War II, volume 2 is devoted to them.

The first tender used in World War II was the Holland. Named after the genius/madman who was the main competitor of the basic design that became the S-boat and the Fleet Boat, Holland had some pretty weird ideas. But he succeeded in getting a submarine in the water first for the US Navy, the USS Holland. I guess you'd have to call Holland the father of American submarines in much the same way as the Wright brothers were the father of airplanes. No, airplanes don't look anything like what the Wright brothers flew, and they work entirely differently, but the Wrights were first. Holland is like that. Here is AS-3 Holland:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030006-01_zpsvni3oljp.jpeg

Here is AS5, USS Beaver, the second submarine tender used in the Pacific War.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030002-01_zps8jwvlmft.jpeg

USS Sperry, AS-12 got around more than most, serving at Pearl Harbor, Midway, Majuro, Guam and Brisbane, Australia.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030001-01_zpsvkwhlg9g.jpeg

AS-13, USS Griffin took a shellacking at Subic Bay during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030004-01_zpsrk3tep2e.jpeg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030005-01_zpst55p9oss.jpeg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030003-01_zpsmx5c75hy.jpeg

One of the more famous Sub Tender photos of the war made it into this "yearbook."
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030000-01_zpspajzzqm7.jpeg

And here's why the men looked forward to the Sub Tender so much, as a sub enters the harbor after a long and dangerous cruise to join up with its tender once more. Leave, supplies, repairs, entertainment, exchange between crews of different boats, swapping stories, news and lies all awaited them on arrival back to their submarine tender.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/USVWWII/201608301302030007-01_zpsr8e08b4j.jpeg

Scanned from my copy of the United States Submarine Veterans of World War II, courtesy of my wife's grandfather, Warren Watkins from the USS Kraken. He never talked about what he did. But he cherished his books from the USSVWWII conventions. Those books weren't meant for us. They were meant for the brotherhood. I'm privileged to pass on some of the treasures found there.