• Gato Class Submarine
• Keel laid: January 27, 1943, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI
• Launched: August 1, 1943
• Commissioned: November 30, 1943
• Displacement: 1,526 tons surfaced; 2,424 tons submerged
• Length: 311′ 9″
• Beam: 27′ 3″
• Operating depth: 300′
• Complement: 6 officers, 54 enlisted
• Armament: ten 21″ torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3″/50 deck gun, two .30 cal. machine guns

Lieutenant James S. Clark took command of Golet, departed Midway Island on May 28, 1944 to patrol off northern Honshū, Japan, and was never heard from again.

Golet had been scheduled to depart her area on July 5 and was expected at Midway Island about July 12 or July 13. She failed to acknowledge a message sent her on July 9 and was presumed lost July 26, 1944.

Japanese antisubmarine records available after the war revealed that Golet was the probable victim of a Japanese antisubmarine attack made June 14, 1944. These records mention that the attack brought up corks, rafts, and other debris and a heavy pool of oil, all evidence of the sinking of a submarine.

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Patch(es) were obtained from:
NavSource Online (Submarine Photo Archive).
Patch on right contributed by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI, home of the Cobia SS 245. Patch on left courtesy of Mike Smolinski.

• R-1 Class Submarine
• Keel laid: March 28, 1918, at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA
• Launched: August 15, 1919
• Commissioned: Sepetember 23, 1919
• Displacement: 569 tons surfaced; 680 tons submerged
• Length: 186′ 2″
• Beam: 18′
• Depth limit: 200′
• Complement: 2 officers, 27 enlisted
• Armament: four 21″ torpedo tubes forward, 8 torpedoes, one 3″/50 deck gun

In February 1942, R-12 commenced patrols primarily from Guantanamo Bay and Key West, Florida. During March and April 1943 she was at New London, then in May she returned to Key West, Florida, where she trained submariners for the remainder of her career.

Shortly after noon on June 12, 1943, R-12, while underway to conduct a torpedo practice approach, sounded her last diving alarm. As she completed preparations to dive, the forward battery compartment began to flood. The collision alarm was sounded and a report was made that the forward battery compartment was flooding. Orders were given to blow main ballast, but the sea was faster. In about 15 seconds R-12 was lost with all but the 5 men on watch on the bridge: 42 officers and men and the Brazilian observers she was carrying were unable to escape.

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Patch(es) were obtained from:
NavSource Online (Submarine Photo Archive).
Originally contributed by Mike Smolinski.

USA Today, today has an article entitled MIT powers a lightbulb without wires, which describe wireless transfer of energy. Although I can honestly say that I do not have an idea how such a transfer could take place – I can say that I contemplated the thought more than 30 years ago of putting a solar array into orbit and beaming the resultant power to a ground receiving station for distribution. A constant stream of renewable energy.

A key question that I immediately asked myself was addressed in the above mentioned article. Is it safe for living organisms? The short term answer seems to be, yes. However, I have my doubts. We’re beaming electromagnetic radiation through our bodies at an ever increasing rate. Radio stations, TV stations, police bands, wireless phones, cell phones, WiFi, more and more of the electromagnetic spectrum is sent through our bodies. Is there a limit to how much the body can absorb and still be harmless?

What are the results of 30, 40 or 50 year studies? There was a day when radiation was considered a curious novelty, then 50 years down the road we’re seeing long term results from low levels of ionizing radiation. Things like increases in birth defects, higher incidence in cancer and the like.

So although I am all for this exciting technology, I would advocate extensive long term studies to ensure safety.

• Gato Class Submarine
• Keel laid: July 14, 1941, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME
• Launched: January 15, 1942
• Commissioned: May 4, 1942
• Displacement: 1,526 tons surfaced; 2,410 tons submerged
• Length: 311′ 10″
• Beam: 27′ 3″
• Operating depth: 300′
• Complement: 6 officers, 54 enlisted
• Armament: ten 21″ torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3″/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns

Herring’s eighth war patrol was to be both her most successful and her last. Topping off at Midway Island on May 21, 1944, Herring headed for the Kurile Islands patrol area. Ten days later she rendezvoused with Barb (SS 220), and was never heard from or seen again. However, Japanese records prove that she sank two ships, Ishigaki and Hokuyo Maru, on the night of May 30 & 31. Herring’s exact manner of loss can be determined from these records also. Two more merchant ships, Hiburi Maru and Iwaki Maru, were sunk while at anchor in Matsuwa Island on the morning of 1 June 1944. In a counter-attack, enemy shore batteries scored two direct hits on the submarine’s conning tower and “bubbles covered an area about 5 meters wide, and heavy oil covered an area of approximately 15 miles.” On her last patrol, Herring had sunk four Japanese ships for a total of 13,202 tons. In all she had sunk six marus totalling 19,959 tons, a Vichy cargo ship, and a German U-boat.

Herring received five battle stars for her service in World War II.

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Patch(es) were obtained from:
NavSource Online (Submarine Photo Archive).
Originally contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)