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BigWalleye · 07-10-14, 06:55 AM

This image shows the bow of the USS Growler (SS-215), a Gato-class submarine of 1520 tons displacement, after it rammed a kaibokan (small unarmored IJN patrol vessel of approximately 750 tons displacement) on February 7, 1943.

The kaibokan got near Growler in darkness and low visibility and attempted to ram the sub. Growler tried to turn away, but did not respond in time and instead rammed the kaibokan amidship at 17 kts. The kaibokan raked Growler with heavy automatic weapons fire, fatally wounding her skipper, Commander Howard Gilmore. Unable to get below, Cmdr. Gilmore ordered a dive, saving the sub from further damage. For this, Howard Gilmore became the first submariner to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

It is worth noting that the kaibokan also survived the encounter.

07-10-14, 06:55 AM	#2
BigWalleye Sea Lord Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: On the Eye-lond, mon! Posts: 1,987 Downloads: 465 Uploads: 0	This image shows the bow of the USS Growler (SS-215), a Gato-class submarine of 1520 tons displacement, after it rammed a kaibokan (small unarmored IJN patrol vessel of approximately 750 tons displacement) on February 7, 1943. The kaibokan got near Growler in darkness and low visibility and attempted to ram the sub. Growler tried to turn away, but did not respond in time and instead rammed the kaibokan amidship at 17 kts. The kaibokan raked Growler with heavy automatic weapons fire, fatally wounding her skipper, Commander Howard Gilmore. Unable to get below, Cmdr. Gilmore ordered a dive, saving the sub from further damage. For this, Howard Gilmore became the first submariner to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. It is worth noting that the kaibokan also survived the encounter.