Hull Number: SS-215
Last Captain: CDR T. B. (Ben) Oakley
Date Lost: 8 November 1944
Location: Western coast of the Philippines, the South China Sea
Fatalities: 85
Cause: Uncertain
Construction
Growler was a Gato class submarine completed by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, CT in March of 1942.
Loss Narrative
Growler departed Fremantle, Australia for her eleventh patrol on 20 October 1944. CDR Oakley was the senior officer in command of a wolfpack that included USS Hake (SS-256) and USS Hardhead (SS-365). On 8 November, Growler made contact with a small convoy and ordered the other boats to join the attack. The other boats reported hearing a torpedo explosion and a number of depth charges. After this, Growler was not heard from again, in spite of three days of searching. Japanese records show no claims in the area at that time. Still, it seems most likely that Growler was sunk by the IJN Shigure, a destroyer; the IJN Chiburi, an escort vessel; and the IJN CD-19, a coastal defense vessel.
Prior History
Growler departed Pearl Harbor for her first patrol on 24 June 1942 under the command of CDR Howard Gilmore. Her patrol area would be in the area of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. On 5 July, she sank one Japanese destroyer and heavily damaged two more. This patrol ended at Pearl Harbor on 17 July at Pearl Harbor.
Her second patrol began on 5 August 1942. Growler arrived off Formosa on 21 August. Two days later she fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but they failed to explode. Two days after that, she fired torpedoes at a passenger/cargo ship but missed. For her efforts, Growler was the target of 53 depth charges that did little damage. Growler then sank a gunboat, three freighters and a sampan before arriving back at Pearl Harbor on 30 September 1942.
Growler’s third patrol was in the area of the Solomon Islands. She sighted a number of ships but was unable to attack. She ended the patrol at Brisbane, Australia, on 10 December.
Growler’s fourth patrol began on New Year’s Day, 1943 and was in the area of the Gilberts and Palau. She sank a freighter on 16 January. On 30 January, she attacked a convoy but could only damage one ship before being driven deep by escorts. On 7 February, Growler spotted what was thought to be a gunboat. Instead, it was the new IJN Hayasaki, a supply ship. As Growler approached for a surface attack, the supply ship spotted the submarine and turned to ram. By now, Growler was too close for torpedoes to arm, so Gilmore ordered left rudder and rammed the supply ship amidships. The Japanese then opened fire with machine guns, killing two and wounding two others. Gilmore himself was hit and realized he couldn’t make it back into the boat. He ordered “Take her down.” Reluctantly, the executive officer complied. Gilmore gave his life to save his boat. For this, he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
The XO was able to get the boat under control, in spite of the 18 feet of the bow bent at 90 degrees and the conning tower leaking water through the machine gun holes. Growler limped into Brisbane , Australia where a whole new bow was grafted on. Other changes and improvements were made. LCDR Arnold Schade, the XO, would be given command of the Growler for the next three patrols. However, the patrols were uneventful except for sinking one freighter and damaging another on the boat’s fifth patrol. Mechanical problems caused Growler to end the seventh patrol early and head to Hunters Point in San Francisco for an overhaul.
Growler began her eighth patrol on 21 February 1944. This patrol was plagued by bad weather. It ended at Majuro on 16 April and the captain was transferred to new construction.
Growler’s ninth patrol, under CDR Oakley, began at Majuro on 14 May 1944. It would be in the area off Luzon. Growler was part of a wolfpack with the USS Seahorse (SS-304) and the USS Bang (SS-385). She was only able to sink one small transport and damage a large tanker.
For her tenth patrol, Growler was lead in a wolfpack with the USS Sealion II (SS-315) and the USS Pampanito (SS-383) . This was in the area of the Formosa Straits. On 31 August, the wolfpack attacked a convoy and claimed a number of sinkings. (Pampanito was out of position for these first attacks.) On 12 September, the wolfpack attacked another convoy. Growler sank a frigate and a destroyer while the rest of the pack sank a number of other vessels. This was the patrol where Pampanito rescued 73 British and Australian soldiers who were POWs on one of the marus. This occurred near Hainan Island. Sealion II came to assist and rescued 54 men. USS Barb (SS-220) and USS Queenfish (SS-393) arrived two days later and rescued 32 more soldiers. Growler ended her tenth patrol on 26 September at Fremantle , Australia.
Growler was lost on her 11th war patrol. JANAC credited her with 10 sinkings for 32,607 tons total for her WW2 service.
Growler was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for patrols 1, 2, 4 and 10.
Her second patrol began on 5 August 1942. Growler arrived off Formosa on 21 August. Two days later she fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but they failed to explode. Two days after that, she fired torpedoes at a passenger/cargo ship but missed. For her efforts, Growler was the target of 53 depth charges that did little damage. Growler then sank a gunboat, three freighters and a sampan before arriving back at Pearl Harbor on 30 September 1942.
Growler’s third patrol was in the area of the Solomon Islands. She sighted a number of ships but was unable to attack. She ended the patrol at Brisbane, Australia, on 10 December.
Growler’s fourth patrol began on New Year’s Day, 1943 and was in the area of the Gilberts and Palau. She sank a freighter on 16 January. On 30 January, she attacked a convoy but could only damage one ship before being driven deep by escorts. On 7 February, Growler spotted what was thought to be a gunboat. Instead, it was the new IJN Hayasaki, a supply ship. As Growler approached for a surface attack, the supply ship spotted the submarine and turned to ram. By now, Growler was too close for torpedoes to arm, so Gilmore ordered left rudder and rammed the supply ship amidships. The Japanese then opened fire with machine guns, killing two and wounding two others. Gilmore himself was hit and realized he couldn’t make it back into the boat. He ordered “Take her down.” Reluctantly, the executive officer complied. Gilmore gave his life to save his boat. For this, he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
The XO was able to get the boat under control, in spite of the 18 feet of the bow bent at 90 degrees and the conning tower leaking water through the machine gun holes. Growler limped into Brisbane , Australia where a whole new bow was grafted on. Other changes and improvements were made. LCDR Arnold Schade, the XO, would be given command of the Growler for the next three patrols. However, the patrols were uneventful except for sinking one freighter and damaging another on the boat’s fifth patrol. Mechanical problems caused Growler to end the seventh patrol early and head to Hunters Point in San Francisco for an overhaul.
Growler began her eighth patrol on 21 February 1944. This patrol was plagued by bad weather. It ended at Majuro on 16 April and the captain was transferred to new construction.
Growler’s ninth patrol, under CDR Oakley, began at Majuro on 14 May 1944. It would be in the area off Luzon. Growler was part of a wolfpack with the USS Seahorse (SS-304) and the USS Bang (SS-385). She was only able to sink one small transport and damage a large tanker.
For her tenth patrol, Growler was lead in a wolfpack with the USS Sealion II (SS-315) and the USS Pampanito (SS-383) . This was in the area of the Formosa Straits. On 31 August, the wolfpack attacked a convoy and claimed a number of sinkings. (Pampanito was out of position for these first attacks.) On 12 September, the wolfpack attacked another convoy. Growler sank a frigate and a destroyer while the rest of the pack sank a number of other vessels. This was the patrol where Pampanito rescued 73 British and Australian soldiers who were POWs on one of the marus. This occurred near Hainan Island. Sealion II came to assist and rescued 54 men. USS Barb (SS-220) and USS Queenfish (SS-393) arrived two days later and rescued 32 more soldiers. Growler ended her tenth patrol on 26 September at Fremantle , Australia.
Growler was lost on her 11th war patrol. JANAC credited her with 10 sinkings for 32,607 tons total for her WW2 service.
Growler was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for patrols 1, 2, 4 and 10.
Submarine Photo
Captain Photo
CDR T. B. (Ben) Oakley
