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USS Crevalle
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USS Crevalle
USS Crevalle (SS/AGSS-291), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the crevalle, the yellow mackerel, a food fish, found on both coasts of tropical America, and in the Atlantic as far north as Cape Cod.
Crevalle was launched 22 February 1943 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, sponsored by Mrs. C. W. Fisher; and commissioned 24 June 1943.
Crevalle arrived at Brisbane, Australia, from New London 11 October 1943, and after replenishing there and at Darwin, put to sea 27 October on her first war patrol, in the Sulu and South China Seas. On 15 November she sank the passenger-cargo ship Kyokko Maru, almost 7,000 tons. On Thursday 18 November 1943, off the entrance to Manila Bay, Crevalle torpedoed the Japanese aircraft carrier Akitsu Maru, incorrectly reporting Akitsu Maru as sunk. Crevalle made two more attacks on merchant ships before returning to Fremantle, Australia, for refit 7 December.
Her second war patrol, in the South China Sea from 30 December 1943 to 15 February 1944, found her attacking a submerged Japanese submarine on 7 January, only to know the frustration of premature torpedo explosion. On 9 January she sunk a sampan with gunfire In a hazardous special mission, she laid mines off Saigon on 14 and 15 January, and on 26 January sent a Japanese freighter "Busho Maru" to the bottom. A surface action with a small patrol boat on 11 February sank the enemy craft, and on 15 February, Crevalle fired at several targets in a large convoy, prudently clearing the area before the results of her firing could be verified.
On 16 March 1944 while refitting at Fremantle, Commander F. D. Walker assumed command, and on 4 April, Crevalle sailed for the South China Sea. She sank a freighter Kashiwa Maru on 25 April, and the oiler, Nisshin Maru (16,801 tons) 6 May, and on 11 May surfaced off Negros Island in the Philippines on another daring special mission. That special mission was to transport what appeared to be very important intelligence material regarding Japanese plans that had come into the hands of guerillas. The first idea of scheduling a submarine to deploy for that task developed into an urgent need both due to the realized imortance of the documents and the Japanese hunt for them. Crevalle, on patrol off northern Borneo, was the nearest deployed submarine and was sent orders to pick up the documents with evacuation of American refugees as a cover.
She rescued 40 refugees here, including 28 women and children, and 4 men who had survived the Bataan Death March and made their escape. She also took off the family of an American missionary, who having seen his family to safety, returned ashore at the last minute to continue his ministry among the guerrillas. Along with her passengers, Crevalle recovered the important documents (the Japanese "Z plan"), and transferred all she could spare in the way of supplies to the guerrillas. In May 1944, while returning with her passengers to Darwin, Crevalle was spotted by a Japanese convoy on the third day of the journey. With four working torpedoes Capt. Walker maneuvered to attack, but was severely depth-charged by a Japanese bomber, a special ordeal for the passengers. The periscopes and radar were knocked out. They were landed safely at Darwin 19 May, 8 days after leaving the Philippines. Crevalle sailed on to refit at Fremantle.
For her fourth war patrol, Crevalle returned to the South China Sea, as well as cruising off the northern Philippines, between 21 June and 9 August 1944. In company with three other submarines for most of this patrol, Crevalle joined in a 30-hour pursuit and attack on a convoy on 25 July and 26 July, damaging one freighter Tosan Maru, and sinking the freighter "Aki Maru" already crippled by one of her groups. Two days later, Crevalle sank another freighter "Hakubasan Maru".
Refitted once more at Fremantle, Crevalle put to sea on her fifth war patrol 1 September 1944. Ten days later, she surfaced after a routine trim dive. A lookout, Bill Fritchen, was first through the hatch followed closely by the Officer of the Deck, Lt. Howard James Blind. Fifteen seconds later, the boat took a sharp down angle, and submerged with the upper and lower conning tower hatches open, washing the lookout overboard. The flow of water through the upper hatch, which was latched opened, prevented anyone in the conning tower from closing it. The lower hatch to the control was blocked by a piece of floor matting.
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USS Crevalle
USS Crevalle (SS/AGSS-291), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the crevalle, the yellow mackerel, a food fish, found on both coasts of tropical America, and in the Atlantic as far north as Cape Cod.
Crevalle was launched 22 February 1943 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, sponsored by Mrs. C. W. Fisher; and commissioned 24 June 1943.
Crevalle arrived at Brisbane, Australia, from New London 11 October 1943, and after replenishing there and at Darwin, put to sea 27 October on her first war patrol, in the Sulu and South China Seas. On 15 November she sank the passenger-cargo ship Kyokko Maru, almost 7,000 tons. On Thursday 18 November 1943, off the entrance to Manila Bay, Crevalle torpedoed the Japanese aircraft carrier Akitsu Maru, incorrectly reporting Akitsu Maru as sunk. Crevalle made two more attacks on merchant ships before returning to Fremantle, Australia, for refit 7 December.
Her second war patrol, in the South China Sea from 30 December 1943 to 15 February 1944, found her attacking a submerged Japanese submarine on 7 January, only to know the frustration of premature torpedo explosion. On 9 January she sunk a sampan with gunfire In a hazardous special mission, she laid mines off Saigon on 14 and 15 January, and on 26 January sent a Japanese freighter "Busho Maru" to the bottom. A surface action with a small patrol boat on 11 February sank the enemy craft, and on 15 February, Crevalle fired at several targets in a large convoy, prudently clearing the area before the results of her firing could be verified.
On 16 March 1944 while refitting at Fremantle, Commander F. D. Walker assumed command, and on 4 April, Crevalle sailed for the South China Sea. She sank a freighter Kashiwa Maru on 25 April, and the oiler, Nisshin Maru (16,801 tons) 6 May, and on 11 May surfaced off Negros Island in the Philippines on another daring special mission. That special mission was to transport what appeared to be very important intelligence material regarding Japanese plans that had come into the hands of guerillas. The first idea of scheduling a submarine to deploy for that task developed into an urgent need both due to the realized imortance of the documents and the Japanese hunt for them. Crevalle, on patrol off northern Borneo, was the nearest deployed submarine and was sent orders to pick up the documents with evacuation of American refugees as a cover.
She rescued 40 refugees here, including 28 women and children, and 4 men who had survived the Bataan Death March and made their escape. She also took off the family of an American missionary, who having seen his family to safety, returned ashore at the last minute to continue his ministry among the guerrillas. Along with her passengers, Crevalle recovered the important documents (the Japanese "Z plan"), and transferred all she could spare in the way of supplies to the guerrillas. In May 1944, while returning with her passengers to Darwin, Crevalle was spotted by a Japanese convoy on the third day of the journey. With four working torpedoes Capt. Walker maneuvered to attack, but was severely depth-charged by a Japanese bomber, a special ordeal for the passengers. The periscopes and radar were knocked out. They were landed safely at Darwin 19 May, 8 days after leaving the Philippines. Crevalle sailed on to refit at Fremantle.
For her fourth war patrol, Crevalle returned to the South China Sea, as well as cruising off the northern Philippines, between 21 June and 9 August 1944. In company with three other submarines for most of this patrol, Crevalle joined in a 30-hour pursuit and attack on a convoy on 25 July and 26 July, damaging one freighter Tosan Maru, and sinking the freighter "Aki Maru" already crippled by one of her groups. Two days later, Crevalle sank another freighter "Hakubasan Maru".
Refitted once more at Fremantle, Crevalle put to sea on her fifth war patrol 1 September 1944. Ten days later, she surfaced after a routine trim dive. A lookout, Bill Fritchen, was first through the hatch followed closely by the Officer of the Deck, Lt. Howard James Blind. Fifteen seconds later, the boat took a sharp down angle, and submerged with the upper and lower conning tower hatches open, washing the lookout overboard. The flow of water through the upper hatch, which was latched opened, prevented anyone in the conning tower from closing it. The lower hatch to the control was blocked by a piece of floor matting.
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