USS Sea Wolf

Japan, Naval War

bigpigeon.us webpage WWII-Japan > Naval War with Japan > © 2023 by Robert A. Christiansen, The US Submarine Force, updated by RAC 15 Aug 2023.

Japan is an island nation and thus is dependent on maritime traffic. When WW II ended, Japan was being brought to its knees in several respects, one being the destruction of its maritime fleet. Over half of the loss in tonnage was due to United States Navy submarine attacks.

During WW II, 263 US submarines went on combat patrols. Of these, 52 were lost. Almost all losses occurred in the Pacific Theater. Around 3,500 submariners died.

WW II Japanese Naval & Merchant Ship Tonnage Lost by US Military Action

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Sources for Big Pigeon's Naval War with Japan >  US Submarine Force webpage:

• The page header image, USS Sea Wolf, is taken from the Sea Wolf (SS-197) Photo Archive at http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08197.htm and shows the Sea Wolf at Mare Island, California in 1943.
• The bar chart WW II Japanese Naval & Merchant Ship Tonnage Lost by US Military Action - https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/japanese-naval-merchant-shipping-losses-wwii.html.
• http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/SubLosses/SS_losses-Intro.html#chron 
• http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/SubLosses/index.html#index 
• https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/wwii.htm 
• https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/wwii-submarine-losses.html 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_losses_in_World_War_II 

Pottawattamie Area WW II Dead - Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force:

• Taken from the bigpigeon.us WWII Roster module.

​† Anderson, Edward Franklin, SN 621-91-60, US Navy, Monona & Woodbury Cos.

• Submarine S-28 (SS-133); DNB abt 4 Jul 1944 off Oahu, Hawaii Territory; S-28 disappeared after submerging during a training exercise; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Bargenquast, Arnold Frank, SN 321-39-14, US Navy, Shelby Co.

• Submarine USS Seawolf (SS 197); DNB 4 Oct 1944 near Morotai, Dutch Indies, SW Pacific; Seawolf sunk by friendly fire, all 83 crew & 17 US Army passengers dead; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Daughtrey/Daugherty, Gilbert Pryor, SN 701-04-70, US Navy, Pott. Co. & Jackson Co., MO

• Submarine USS Growler (SS 215); KIA 8 Nov 1944, W of Manila Bay, Philippines, South China Sea; Growler likely sunk by Japanese depth charge, all 86 dead;  Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Isom, Lyman LeRoy, SN 316-62-54, US Navy, Harrison Co.

• Submarine USS Triton (SS 201); KIA 15 Mar 1943 in sea lanes NW of Admiralty Is., Triton sunk by Japanese destroyers; 74 dead, no survivors; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR. 

† Larson, Paul Lewis, SN 321-30-06, US Navy, Shelby Co.

• Submarine USS Tang (SS-306); KIA 25 Oct 1944 in Formosa Strait, W of Formosa; Tang sunk by circular run of its own torpedo; 69 dead, nine survivors; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Messerschmidt, William George Jr., SN 316-95-00, US Navy, Shelby & Harrison Cos.

• Submarine USS Pompano (SS-181); KIA ~ Sep 1943 Pacific Ocean; Pompano failed to return to Midway Is. from patrol off Japan; 78 dead, no survivors; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force;  BNR.

† Million, Franklin Alexander, SN 620-37-21, US Navy, Taylor Co. 

• ​Submarine USS Trout (SS-202); 11th patrol; likely KIA 29 Feb 1944 in East China Sea by IJN destroyer Asashimo depth charges; all 81 dead; US Naval War w/ Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Rhoads, Guy Benjamin, SN 648-06-39, US Navy, Custer Co., NE

• Submarine USS Seawolf (SS 197); DNB 3 Oct 1944 off Morotai, Dutch Indies, S of the Philippines; Seawolf sunk by friendly fire, all 83 crew & 17 US Army passengers dead; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Seidell, Daniel Ryan, SN O-165834, US Navy, Polk Co. & Douglas Co., NE

• Submarine USS Amberjack (SS 219); KIA 16 Feb 1943 off Rabaul, New Britain, Bismarck Archipelago; Amberjack sunk by Japanese depth charge attack; 60 dead, no survivors; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Stearns, Kirk Comstock, SN 316-67-15, US Navy, Mills Co.

• Submarine USS Tullibee (SS-284); KIA 26 Mar 1944 off Palau Is., E of the Philippines, Central Pacific; Tullibee sunk by circular run of its own torpedo, 80 dead, one survivor; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.​

† Sturges, Edgar Allen, SN 620-17-09, US Navy, Woodbury Co.

• Submarine USS Scorpion (SS-278); KIA Feb 1944 east China Sea, probably near entrance to Yellow Sea from a Japanese naval mine; no survivors, no information in Japanese naval records; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.

† Wall, Vernon Palmer, SN 648-07-99, US Navy, Pott. Co.

• Submarine USS Seawolf (SS-197); KIA 3 Oct 1944 off Morotai, Dutch Indies, S of the Philippines; Seawolf sunk by friendly fire, all 83 crew & 17 US Army passengers dead; Naval War with Japan > US Submarine Force; BNR.