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Grayling (SS 209)


Grayling (Lieutenant Commander R.M. Brinker) departed Fremantle on 30 July 1943, for her eighth patrol, going through Makassar Strait and thence to the Philippine area. On 19 August, she reported having damaged a 6,000 ton freighter near Balikpapan, and the following day told of having sunk a 250 ton Taki Maru-type pocket tanker by gunfire in Sibutu Passage, taking one man prisoner. This was the last report received direct from Grayling. On 23 August, she completed a special mission at Pandan Bay, Panay, delivering cargo to guerrillas. This mission was reported by guerrillas. Then she departed for Tablas Strait, there to reconnoiter until 2 September, when she would patrol approaches to Manila until 10 September. She was to return to Pearl Harbor for refit, passing from SubSoWesPac to Subpac on 13 September.

She was not heard from after 19 August 1943, and on 30 September 1943, Grayling was reported as presumed lost.

Following war's end, the Japanese have submitted the following reports which bear on Grayling. On 27 August 1943 a torpedo attack was seen by the enemy at 12°-36'N, 121°-33'E, and the next day a surfaced submarine was seen at 12°-50'N, 121°-42'E. Both of these positions are in the Tablas Strait area. On 9 September a surfaced U.S. submarine was seen inside Lingayen Gulf; this ties with Grayling's orders to patrol the approaches to Manila. It is said that the freighter transport Hokuan Maru was engaged in a submarine action on the 9th in the Philippine area, but no additional data were available, and no known enemy attacks could have sunk Grayling. Her loss may have been operational or by an unrecorded enemy attack. At any rate, it is certain thatGrayling was lost between 9 and 12 September 1943 either in Lingayen Gulf or along the approaches to Manila. Commander Task Force 71 requested a transmission from Grayling on the latter date, but did not receive one.

Grayling's first patrol, made in January and February 1942, was a reconnaissance of the northern Gilbert Islands. She went to the Japanese homeland for her second patrol, and sank a freighter and damaged a sampan. Truk was the scene of Grayling's third patrol; she sank a large freighter. On her fourth patrol, this boat again went to Truk, and sank a medium tanker, while she damaged an aircraft transport.

In January and February 1943, she patrolled the approaches to Manila on her fifth patrol. Here she sank two freighters and a medium freighter-transport. Grayling patrolled the lesser islands south of the Philippines on her sixth patrol, and sank two freighters, a small freighter-transport and two schooners. Damage was done to a large tanker and two freighters. She went to the area west of Borneo for her seventh patrol, and sank a medium freighter and two sampans. Damage was done to a large tanker. Thus Grayling's total record is 16 ships sunk, totaling 61,400 tons, and six ships damaged, for a total of 36,600 tons.



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Submarine insignia.


U.S.S. Grayling (SS-209)
Name Rate   Name Rate
Arnold, D.E.
Baker, Ervin N.
Beavers, Amos R.
Becker, J.W.
Boyne, George, Jr.
Brinker, R.M.
Burch, Jesse M.
Bush, James W., Jr.
Campana, Carmine J.
Chockley, John E.
Clark, Ben R.
Clark, Curtis D.
Corbett, Robert A.
Criswell, H.W., Jr.
Dallaire, Wilbert J.
Day, Joseph E.
Dillow, Harold E.
Donaldson, Fred W.
Ellis, Wilson
Fontaine, David I.
Goodnight, Jerry C.
Grimes, Carl A., Jr.
Gurasko, Theodore J.
Harbauer, Robert E.
Harper, Joseph K.
Hawkins, Clarence H.
Hickcox, Frank J.
Hoffman, Eugene J.
Howard, Raymond
Howell, James L.
Hunt, Charles W.
Johnson, Earl
Kelley, Woodrow W.
Kelly, James E.
Keplinger, Donald L.
Kysar, Charles R.
Loudon, Leroy E.
Mabuti, Santiago P.
LT
TM1
EM2
LTJG
EM1
LCDR-CO
EM2
MoMM2
MoMM2
CMoMM
GM1
F2
SM2
LT-XO
CSM
CTM
MoMM2
Cox
EM3
PhM1
MoMM1
S1
S1
SC1
FC2
MoMM1
S1
CTM
GM3
S1
TM3
S1
S1
MoMM1
RM3
Y2
QM3
Ck2
    Maloy, F.B.
Marks, John H.
Mathis, Merlin O.
Mulvenna, George A.
Nichols, Clyde W.
Nickols, J.T., Jr.
Oeldemann, Henry C.
Oliver, Robert G.
Parrino, Anthony J.
Pawloski, John T.
Quesenberry, Merlin J.
Rainault, Albert L.
Santos, Jose C.
Sawerbrey, Alexander S.
Schmidt, Carl E.
Schmidtmeyer, Howard A.
Scott, Glendon L.
Sebourn, Lloyd E., Jr.
Sharrock, Donald P.
Shields, William S.
Simpkins, John D.
Simpson, Robert T.
Small, Robert E.
Smith, Jack C.
Smoak, Homer A.
Spencer, Don H.
Stevens, Robert F.
Sullivan, E.F.
Wallace, Winton L.
Waller, John J.
Welch, J.
Welsh, Fred
Wetsel, Arlon F.
Whitecomb, Henry O.
Wilson, James H.
Wolf, Marvin A.
Young, John H.
Zabs, Robert L.
LTJG
MoMM1
F3
CTM
Bkr1
LT
F2
EM1
GM2
MoMM1
TM1
F1
St1
S2
CEM
EM3
TM3
TM3
RM2
EM3
TM1
F2
CMM
CRM
EM1
EM2
TM3
LTJG
SC3
QM2
LTJG
MoMM1
MoMM2
EM1
TM2
F1
RM2
S1

--53--

Published: Tue Jan 31 06:35:02 EST 2017