A few heroes unremembered.

    Being in the 9^th grade in 1941, and my home room teacher having a son who was a commander of a submarine in the Pacific theater of operations, I have had this this interest.  Delivering papers during this time also let me be aware of the events then known of WW 11. While Germany had Wolf Packs, we had our own Submarine Force. 

    Borrowing from a good friend an official copy of the Submarine Operations in WW 11, let me just note a couple of those who put their lives on the line to help win the word.  

    As recorded in official records.

    “The USS Sculpin made contact with a fast moving enemy convoy, and her commander directed an end-around at full power. Closing at dawn on the attack, the submarine was detected and the convoy zigged toward her, forcing her deep. About an hour later, surfacing to start another end-around, she was sighted by a rear-guard destroyer. She made a quick dive and was depth-charged.

    “Sculpin suffered only minor damage during this barrage. But the depth gage was out of commission, and when the diving officer attended to bring the submarine to periscope depth, the gage stuck at 125  feet. As a result Sculpin broached. She went under immediately but the enemy had signed her, and the attack was resumed.

  “About noon a string of 18 depth charges exploded around her. Sculpin was badly hurt.   (major damage noted).  The Commander Cannaway decided to surface and fight it out with the deck guns.

  “Attacking the Japanese destroyer, the submarine put up a furious battle.  ….her deck gun was no match for the heavily armed DD.  A shell smashed into the Sculpin’s conning tower, and hull.  (List of officers killed) The  command  was given to scuttle and abandon ship.

   “About 12 men rode the ship down.  Among them was Captain Cromwell.  (Forty two of ‘Sculpin crew were taken prisoners…one severely wounded was thrown overboard by the Japanese)”
    Now this is the hero part in the record. “Captain Cromwell, chose to go  down with the submarine and he did so because he possessed vital information concerning “Operation Galvanine” and other was war plans-information which might be extracted from him by torture.”  He posthumously received the Medal of Honor for this act.

    All of this information above became known when the sailors as POWs were liberated.  

Information taken from Page 288.