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Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Japanese Navy and the awesome U.S. Navy Silent Service

Today (69 years ago), December 7, 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and began World War II in the Pacific. 

About the photo: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Imperial Japanese Navy. He planned and led the attack against the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.

The Imperial Japanese Navy threw the first blow, but it was the United States Navy that brought our enemy to their knees and more than half the counter-punches delivered by the Navy came from the Silent Service: the submariners.

United States Navy submarine losses during WWII:

The decisive role played by the Silent Service during WW II is often overlooked and the significance of their contribution is not fully understood. The Submarine Service represented only 1.6% of all Navy personnel during the war but they accounted for over 55% of all Japanese ships sunk and one-third of the Imperial Japanese Navy ships. 

Submariners paid a high price for this accomplishment. They suffered the highest percentage causality rate of any branch of the service, almost 23%. Fifty-two U.S. submarines were lost during WW II with over 3,500 men. Forty additional men were lost either from gunfire or accident. The Submarine Service was 100% volunteer. It still is today.

USS Pampanito (SS-383) is a World War II Balao class Fleet submarine museum and memorial that is open for visitors daily at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. Pampanito made six patrols in the Pacific during World War II during which she sank six Japanese ships and damaged four others.

Today the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy are extremely close allies. As this is being written Japan, the United States, South Korea and Australia are conducting joint naval exercises in the Pacific. Our relationship has changed a lot in 69 years.

Take a look at this photo taken December 5, 2010 of the Japanese Destroyer Ikazuchi (DD 107) coming alongside the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to be refueled during a joint training exercise. Former enemies who today watch each other's backs.

Below is a list of each of the fifty-two submarines lost during WW II. Click on a boat name to read the names of the United States Navy submariners lost with their boat.

Lost on Patrol During World War II

1941USS SEALION (SS-195)
1942USS S-36 (SS-141)
 USS S-26 (SS-131)
 USS SHARK (SS-174)
 USS PERCH (SS-176)
 USS S-27 (SS-132)
 USS S-39 (SS-144)
 USS GRUNION (SS-216)
1943USS ARGONAUT (SS-166)
 USS AMBERJACK (SS-219)
 USS GRAMPUS (SS-207)
 USS TRITON (SS-201)
 USS PICKEREL (SS-177)
 USS GRENADIER (SS-210)
 USS RUNNER (SS-275)
 USS R-12 (SS-89)
 USS GRAYLING (SS-209)
 USS POMPANO (SS-181)
 USS CISCO (SS-290)
 USS S-44 (SS-155)
 USS DORADO (SS-248)
 USS WAHOO (SS-238)
 USS CORVINA (SS-226)
 USS SCULPIN (SS-191)
 USS CAPELIN (SS-289)
1944USS SCORPION (SS-278)
 USS GRAYBACK (SS-208)
 USS TROUT (SS-202)
 USS TULIBEE (SS-284)
 USS GUDGEON (SS-211)
 USS HERRING (SS-233)
 USS GOLET (SS-361)
 USS S-28 (SS-133)
 USS ROBALO (SS-273)
 USS FLIER (SS-250)
 USS HARDER (SS-257)
 USS SEAWOLF (SS-197)
 USS SHARK II (SS-314)
 USS TANG (SS-306)
 USS ESCOLAR (SS-294)
 USS ALBACORE (SS-218)
 USS GROWLER (SS-215)
 USS DARTER (SS-227)
 USS SCAMP (SS-277)
1945USS SWORDFISH (SS-193)
 USS BARBEL (SS-316)
 USS KETE (SS-369)
 USS TRIGGER (SS-237)
 USS SNOOK (SS-279)
 USS LAGARTO (SS-371)
 USS BONEFISH (SS-223)
 USS BULLHEAD (SS-332)
 ADDITIONAL LOSSES

Learn more about the attack on Pearl Harbor:

Here are some important sites that will fill in some of the details of the attack that shocked the nation and drove the American people to war in the Pacific. 

Ships sunk/damaged at Pearl (from delsjourney.com)
  

Naval History and Heritage Command - photos of the attack




Pearl Harbor sailors from USS Oklahoma discovered after 67 years

on Tuesday, December 07, 2010

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