Hull Number: SS-216
Last Captain: LCDR Mannert Abele
Date Lost: Unknown date, August 1942
Location: The Aleutian Islands
Fatalities: 70
Cause: Uncertain
Construction
Grunion was a Gato class submarine completed in April of 1942 by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, CT.
Loss Narrative
Grunion’s first war patrol was around Kiska, Alaska. On 15 July, she reported being attacked by a destroyer and that they had fired torpedoes at the vessel but missed. Later that day, Grunion engaged three sub chasers and claimed sinking two and damaging the third. On 19 July, she set out to join other submarines patrolling near Kiska. On 28 July, she reported attacking enemy shipping but missing. On 30 July, she reported heavy anti-submarine activity and was told to leave the area for Dutch Harbor. Grunion was never heard from again. Air searches found nothing.
There are no records of an attack on Grunion after 30 July. The Japanese had not planted mines in the area. In August of 2007, a wreck was found in the Behring Sea. In 2008, the Navy confirmed it was the Grunion. Research of the wreck and Japanese records support two different possibilities. One is that Grunion was struck by a shell from what had been the target, the Kano Maru. That and a dive plane casualty could have forced the Grunion below crush depth.
There is also some evidence that Grunion could have been a victim of a circular-running torpedo. Such a torpedo could have hit the periscope without exploding. The damage from such a collision might have caused significant flooding and sinking. The Abele family believes this was the case.
It may be that neither suspected cause is true. However, in any case, our malfunctioning torpedoes likely did contribute to the loss of Grunion. The Kano Maru crew reported torpedoes that had missed and others that hit but didn’t explode. Had the torpedoes worked properly, the Kano Maru likely would have been sunk and unable to fight.
There are no records of an attack on Grunion after 30 July. The Japanese had not planted mines in the area. In August of 2007, a wreck was found in the Behring Sea. In 2008, the Navy confirmed it was the Grunion. Research of the wreck and Japanese records support two different possibilities. One is that Grunion was struck by a shell from what had been the target, the Kano Maru. That and a dive plane casualty could have forced the Grunion below crush depth.
There is also some evidence that Grunion could have been a victim of a circular-running torpedo. Such a torpedo could have hit the periscope without exploding. The damage from such a collision might have caused significant flooding and sinking. The Abele family believes this was the case.
It may be that neither suspected cause is true. However, in any case, our malfunctioning torpedoes likely did contribute to the loss of Grunion. The Kano Maru crew reported torpedoes that had missed and others that hit but didn’t explode. Had the torpedoes worked properly, the Kano Maru likely would have been sunk and unable to fight.
Prior History
En route to the Pacific, after her shakedown cruise, Grunion spotted 16 seamen in a lifeboat. They turned out to be Americans from the USAT Jack (a U. S. Army cargo ship) which had been sunk by a U-boat that morning. Grunion searched the area but could find no more survivors. She landed the survivors she had recovered at Coco Solo in the Canal Zone on 3 June 1942. From there, she proceeded to Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii (TH.) Grunion left Hawaii on 30 June for refueling at Midway and then on to her patrol area around Kiska.
Grunion was lost on her first war patrol and JANAC credited her with sinking the two sub chasers.
Grunion was lost on her first war patrol and JANAC credited her with sinking the two sub chasers.
Submarine Photo
Captain Photo
LCDR Mannert Abele