USN
Gato Class Submarine
1944
Wartime History
In her first patrol, in the area west of the
Philippines, ROBALO damaged a large enemy freighter.
Her second patrol was in the South China Sea near Indo-China where she sank a 7,500-ton tanker.
Departed Fremantle on June 22, 1944 to conduct her third war patrol in the South China Sea in the vicinity of the Natuna Islands. After traversing Makassar and Balabac Straits, she was to arrive on station about July 6th and stay there until dark on August 2, 1944.
Sinking History
On July 2nd a contact report stated ROBALO had
sighted a Fuso-class battle ship with air cover and two destroyers
for escort, just east of Borneo. No other messages were received
from ROBALO and when she did not return from patrol, she was reported
as presumed lost. Lost in the on July 26, 1944 with 81
crew lost. ROBALO under Cmdr. M.M. Kimmel.
Survivors POW Fates
The following information was received via the Philippine guerrillas
and an U.S. Navy enlisted man who was a prisoner of war at Puerto
Princesa Prison Camp, Palawan, Philippines. On August 2, 1944, a note
dropped from the window of the prison cell in which survivors
from ROBALO were held was picked up by an American soldier in
a work detail and given to H.D. Hough, Y2c, USN, another prisoner.
On 4 August, Hough contacted Mrs. Trinidad Mendosa, wife of guerrilla
leader Dr. Mendosa, who furnished further information on the survivors.
From these sources, he put together the following facts.
ROBALO was sunk July 26, 1944, two miles off the western coast of Palawan Island as a result of an explosion of her after battery. Four men swam ashore, an officer and three enlisted men: Samuel L. Tucker, Ens.; Floyd G. Laughlin, QM1c; Wallace K. Martin, SM3c, and Mason C. Poston, EM2c. They made their way through the jungles to a small barrio northwest of the Puerto Princesa camp. They were captured there by Japanese Military Police, and confined in the jail. They were held for guerrilla activities rather than as prisoners of war, it is said. On August 15, 1944, a Japanese destroyer evacuated them, and nothing further is known of their destination or whereabouts. The Japanese may have executed them or the destroyer may have been sunk. At any rate, they were never recovered and their note stated that there were no other survivors. It is doubted that a battery explosion could be sufficiently violent to cause the sinking of the ship; more likely ROBALO struck an enemy mine.
Sailors Lost On USS ROBALO (SS-273)
| Ackley, J. W. S1 Bailey, J. B. TM2 Bell, R. W. SM1 Boehles, J. P. TM1 Breeden, C. E. EM3 Brereton, W. A. MOMM1 Brokman, G. S1 Cagle, C. "L", Jr. MOMM1 Carter, H. E. LCDR Changary, S. J. MOMM3 Clark, E. O. S1 Clifford, M. "D" "R" S1 Cooperman, H. M. RT2 Cotterman, S. N. PHM1 Cress, D. C. RM3 Dickerson, D. E. CMOMM Dittman, C. L. TM2 Downey, W. L. MOMM2 Dvoracek, J. L., Jr. F1 Ervin, L. F. MOMM1 Fell, C. W. LCDR Fink, D. E. RM3 Flanagan, A. J. GM3 Fondon, G. M. F1 Fricker, J. J. SC2 Gerdes, H. J., Jr. ENS Gleaton, E., Jr. CK2 Graham, K. E. EM1 Hamilton, H. L., Jr. TM3 Hart, J. F., Jr. TM3 Hood, H. T. TM3 Jurst, J. A. MOMM2 Ivey, H. B. RT1 Jackson, N. M. TM2 Jambor, W. E. GM1 Johnson, E. H. MOMM1 Johnson, N. Y. SC1 Kesteron, W. G. MOMM2 Kimmel, M. M. LCDR Konen, A. C. S2 |
Laughlin, F. G. QM1 Leahey, R. J. SC3 Lefebvre, J. W. CEMA Levy, D. J. MOMM3 Lovell, D. W. EM1 Lutman, J. A. ENS McKnight, H. F., Jr. LTJG Martin, R. E. EM2 Martin, W. K. SM3 Marx, M. J. EM2 Matthews, W. G. Y1 Nichols, H.E. F1 Niclas, J. R. MOMM2 O'Brien, J. J. MOMM2 O'Rourke, E. P. F1 Paw, E. J. FC2 Phelps, B. B. TM1 Poston, M. C. TM1 Priddis, J. F. CEM Proseus, R. J. LT Ramsier, H. L. MOMM1 Root, C. A. MOMM1 Russell, S. J. F2 Smith, S. W. GM3 Sonemann, W. F. RM3 Speener, R. W. S1 Spencer, S. E. CTMA Taylor, H. P. MOMM1 Tucker, S. L. ENS Usealman, H. E. S2 VanDeurzen, J. R. MOMM3 Varney, E. G. S1 Virga, C. R. F1 Vogel, F. P. TM3 Wilkerson, D. f. MOMM2 Williams, D. L. STM1 Wilson, F. J. CMOMM Winnan, R. O. EM3 Wlodarczyk, S. J. S1 Wood, C. E., Jr. QM3 Zea, C. K. TM3 |
