#27 USS Grayback (SS 208) 2/26/44 - WWII US Submurine Force - Lost boats (sitios de interés)
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USS GRAYBACK (SS 208)
February 26, 1944 - 80 Men Lost
by JOCS(SW/AW) Darrell D. Ames
The late Adm. “Skip” Lockwood (COMSUBPAC 1943-1946) once described Cmdr. Johnny Moore as “an aggressive leader who guided his charges into battle at full speed.” As commanding officer of the USS Grayback (SS-208) during World War II, Cmdr. Moore used this energetic approach in directing his vessel to sink nine enemy ships totaling 44,000 tons.
Overall, the ship is credited with sinking 22 enemy ships totaling 83,900 tons and damaging nine enemy ships totaling 49,300 tons during her ten war patrols. It was during the tenth and final patrol that the great ship met it’s ultimate fate.
At the beginning of the war Grayback was under the command of Cmdr. Willard A. Saunders. Prior to Moore assuming command, the ship already had a deadly reputation. In 1942 alone Grayback, along with four other U.S. Submarines (Gudgeon, Tautog, Triton and Seadragon) acting independently, combined to sink 81 enemy ships from Pearl Harbor to the East China Sea. It was a lethal group.
In 1943 Cmdr. Moore assumed command of Grayback and joined two other subs (USS Shad and USS Cero) to form the first rendition of Capt. Charles “Swede” Momsen’s ‘wolf-pack’ of Submarine Squadron Two. Generally, submarine skippers objected to “wolf-packing.” They felt operating independently was more efficient and they all lived in dread that someday this method would sooner or later result in the sinking of one friendly submarine by another. Fear of friendly fire notwithstanding, “wolf-packing” was here to stay and Momsen’s first group was just as deadly as the 1942 subs operating alone.
Cmdr. Johnny Moore lacked experience in fleet boats, but because of his fine record of service in “R” and “S” boats, senior leaders believed he was headed for greatness. Moore was an athlete at the Naval Academy (boxing and soccer) and was considered one of his class leaders. “Professionally, Johnny was tops and we placed him second to no one in the class,” said Cmdr. Hank Munson, a former Academy classmate of Moore’s. Cmdr. John MacGregor, commanding officer of “wolf-pack” partner USS Shad, labeled Moore as a “go-getter” with a “vivacious personality.”
Following her success as a “wolf-pack” member in 1943 Grayback was tasked to operate independently the following year. The ship left Pearl Harbor on January 28, 1944 to begin her tenth and final patrol. The area of what was to be her final mission was located in the East China Sea east of the coast of Chekiang Province, China. After fueling up at Midway on February 3rd the boat received orders to patrol the area running east and west between Luzon in the Philippine Islands and Formosa until sunset February 20th, and then to proceed to her original area of responsibility.
"On July 20, 1943, at the foot of Coburn Mountain, Paul and Fred Coburn were lying in bed in the boy's room of the family home. Fred told Paul 'this is my last night to sleep here because I am going to marry Miss Doris Cantrell tomorrow.' Fred and Doris were married the following day, July 21, 1943 by Brother Charlie D. Thorn. They were only able to share two weeks together because Fred was home on leave from duty onboard USS Grayback (SS 208) and never returned." - Bob Bentley
Grayback’s first report came on February 24th, stating that she had sunk or damaged 44,000 tons of shipping thus far on the patrol. The boat had expended the majority of her torpedoes and had only five aft and one forward remaining. The next day, February 25th, Moore reported to Lockwood at Submarine Headquarters in Pearl Harbor that he had fired four of his six remaining torpedoes and had damaged two more ships. Lockwood ordered Moore to return to Pearl Harbor immediately. The ship was never heard from again.
"Torpedoman Marshall Ray Davidson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ewing Davidson of Garfield, Ark., was reported missing in action in a telegram received by his parents Easter morning from the Navy department. Petty Officer Davidson enlisted in the Navy at Pineville, Mo., in September, 1942, and was assigned to submarine service in March, 1943. He was an all-round athlete at Washburn High School, Washburn, Mo., and is survived by his wife and two year old son." - Provided by Dale Pilant and Mrs. Carrie Rose
Grayback had been expected to arrive at Midway Island on or about March 7th. Had Moore failed to receive or understand Lockwood’s order to come home immediately and remained on station the full time she would have reached Midway on or about March 23rd. On March 10th, in an effort to establish Grayback’s position, Lockwood requested information from Moore regarding the best “hunting grounds” to locate and destroy enemy shipping. No reply was received and on March 30th the Grayback was officially declared “Lost at Sea.”
Japanese records state that on February 26th a carrier plane near Okinawa discovered a submarine on the surface about 300 miles east of Grayback’s last reported position. According to the Japanese report, the plane landed a “direct hit at the sub which exploded and sank immediately.” Surface craft continued the attack where the sub went down until bubbles and a large oil slick appeared. Had Moore received the message from Lockwood and headed home right away, Grayback would have been in the approximate position reported in the Japanese attack.
Moore and his crew of 80 officers and men are on eternal patrol and were posthumously awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.
Sailors Lost on USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) 2-26-44
Bangert, S. H.,MOMM1 Barbour, H. X.,MOMM2 Barnett, J. E.,SC1 Bell, F. R.,TM2 Bennett, J. W.,EM3 Blanan, R. P.,MOMM1 Bloodsworth, R.,QM3 Boyer, F. L.,MOMM1 Brandt, J. L.,EM3 Brasch, W. J.,RM1 Bukowski, T.,CRMA Campbell, W. E.,MOMM2 Capshaw, R. L.,PHM1 Carey, R. E.,S2 Case, H, L.,MOMM2 Chotas, J. N.,RM3 Coburn, F. M.,MOMM2 Cox, L. R.,SC3 Davidson, M. R.,TM3 Davis, V. E.,Y2 Dodson, J. R.,COX Ferry, G. R.,S1 Fieber, C. E.,EM3 Fielding, C. F.,F2 Forsythe, J. R., Jr.,SM1 Fox, K. W., Jr.,MOMM2 Francis, M. L.,MOMM3 Gavlak, C. B.,FC2 George, M. L.,MOMM3 Gildo, B.,ST1 Gray, J. H.,MOMM3 Hall, F. A.,TM2 Halpert, A. S.,RM1 Halvorson, E. E.,S1 Handlowich, L. I.,S1 Hansen, R. V.,RT1 Hefler, T.,EM1 Hitch, R. D.,EM1 Holzmann, F. C., Jr.,TM2 Hooks, W. C.,F1 Hrudka, A.,QM2 Irizarry, R. A.,SM3 Jackson, N.,TM2 Jacobs, L. F.,S1 James, F. R.,F1 Jones, J. A.,TM1 King, J. P.,EM3 Knops, H. T.,CEMA Koller, W. A.,MOMM2 Lariviere, R. A.,S1 Leaf, L. H.,MOMM3 Littlejohn, R. O.,LTJG Lockyer, D. H. N.,TM3 Mayo, R. L.,CDR McKelvey, F. H.,LTJG Meyer, F. W. H.,TM3 Meyers, L. J.,MOMM2 Moore, J. A.,CDR Nicholson, W. G.,CMOMMA Northam, J. T.,EM3 O'Meara, T. F.,TM2 Parks, R. A.,EM1 Phillips, M. C.,LTJG Pinho, A., Jr.,EM3 Ralston, W. L.,EM3 Rauber, V. M.,ENS Rivera, V. U.,ST2 Roy, W. C., Jr.LT Schellinger, G. K.,S2 Sessler, E. F.,TM1 Shaw, R. T.,CTMA Silveira, I. V.,RM3 Smith, C. H., Jr., LT Solomon, S.,EM3 Southern, A. H.,TM3 Stanford, L. C.,CMOMMA Stewart, J. H.,LT Stockman, R. E., Jr.,S2 Waliszewski, S. J.,SC1 Wyatt, J. C.,GM1