USS Grayback, submarine missing for 75 years, found off Japan - YouTube A U.S. Navy submarine missing for 75 years has been found off Okinawa, Japan. The broadcast was also honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award as part of CBS News division-wide coverage of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Privacy Policy. Asked by: Herminio Kris. What was the most successful US submarine ww2? According to Japanese reports, the submarine exploded and sank immediately, but antisubmarine craft were called in to depth-charge the area, clearly marked by a trail of air bubbles, until at last a heavy oil slick swelled to the surface.". His team had. 330, September 1944, Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. Required fields are marked *. Grayback has finally been found. Read about our approach to external linking. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. [11] The wreck was discovered about 100 nautical miles (190km; 120mi) from the coordinates established by the U.S. Navy in 1946 because of an error in its translation of the original Imperial Japanese Navy combat action reports. One blew a gasket on a manhole cover, and the submarine, leaking seriously, was ordered back to Brisbane, Australia, where she arrived 23 January. Grayback has finally been found. The USS Grayback sailed out of Pearl Harbor on Jan. 28, 1944 for its 10th combat patrol. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Is climate change killing Australian wine? They realised that the original Japanese mission logs of where the USS Grayback had sunk had been mistranslated, leaving out a digit, and were wrong by at least 100 miles (160km). I just could not believe it."I wish my parents were alive to see this, because it would certainly make them very happy, he added. Here are the details of its glory and its tragic end. Mr. Bihn, who was born three years after the Grayback went down, remembers him as a constant presence in his maternal grandparents home, where a black-and-white photo of the submarine hung in the living room near a black frame holding Mr. Kings Purple Heart medal and citation. WWII submarine USS Grayback, missing 75 years, discovered off coast of Japan The sub was sunk with 80 sailors on board by a Nakajima b5N carrier bomber Feb. 26, 1944. Grayback sank to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, where she remained undiscovered for nearly a century. Ask a science question, get a science answer. On January 28, 1944, the USS Grayback set sail from Pearl Harbor on its tenth and final combat mission of World War II. She was one of twelve Tambor -class fleet. She was sunk near Okinawa on 27 February 1944. In a night surface attack, Grayback fired a spread of six torpedoes at the seven freighters and their three escorts. Attached to the United States Atlantic Fleet, Grayback conducted her shakedown cruise in Long Island Sound from Newport, New London, and New York City. The worst such accidentindeed, the deadliest civilian maritime disaster in historyoccurred on December 20, 1987, when the passenger ferry MV Doa Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait, roughly 110 miles (180 km) south of Manila. According to a news release, the Lost 52 team discovered that historical documents erred in the translation of the longitude of where the Grayback sank. The Grayback had only two torpedoes remaining, so it was ordered back home. 336, March 1945, Last edited on 17 November 2022, at 23:46, List of United States Navy losses in World War II, "Lost World War II Submarine Rediscovered 75 Years Later", "WWII submarine USS Grayback, missing 75 years, discovered off coast of Japan", "World War II submarine USS Grayback found off coast of Japan", "USS Grayback: Missing WW2 submarine found after 75 years", "American Submarine Lost in WWII Located Off Okinawa", "Navy Submarine, Missing for 75 Years, Is Found Off Okinawa", Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Grayback_(SS-208)&oldid=1122509168, 11,000 nautical miles (20,000km) at 10 knots (19km/h), This page was last edited on 17 November 2022, at 23:46. The Grayback was responsible for sinking a fleet tanker and two transport ships, including one already damaged by the Shad. The action began on the night of 18 to 19 December; Grayback attacked a convoy of four freighters and three escorts. Here are some of the many other notable events attributed to Grayback: The Grayback left Pearl Harbor for the last time on Jan. 28, 1944, on its way to the East China Sea for its 10th war patrol. 329 August 1944, Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. About a month later, the sub radioed that it had sunk two Japanese army cargo ships. On March 17, 1942, the sub took down its first target, a 3,291-ton cargo ship off Port Lloyd in the Japanese-held Bonin Islands. With Grayback running 100 feet beneath the surface, the untutored Roby successfully removed the infected appendix, and his patient was back standing watch by the end of the patrol. A plaque on the front of the wreckage identifies the submarine as the USS Grayback, The USS Grayback first launched in 1941 and travelled to Australia as well as Japan, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. A team of ocean explorers discovered the likely resting place of 80 U.S. sailors presumed dead when one of the most successful American submarines of World War II sank after leaving Pearl Harbor more than 75 years ago. Grayback arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 May, then proceeded to San Francisco, California, for a much needed overhaul and modernization. Read about our approach to external linking. Courtesy Lost52 Project Researchers recently discovered a flaw in the translation of Japanese war records that misrepresented the spot where the Grayback may have sank. Here are some of the many other notable events attributed to Grayback: The Grayback left Pearl Harbor for the last time on Jan. 28, 1944, on its way to the East China Sea for its 10th war patrol. The USS Grayback sailed out of. About a month later, the submarine reported sinking two Japanese cargo ships on. The Grayback, credited with sinking 14 enemy ships, was discovered south of Okinawa with much of its body still in tact. She was sunk near Okinawa on 27 February 1944. The discovery of the USS Grayback prompted me to wonder: what happens to human remains in shipwrecked submarines? Together, they've set out to find the wrecks of every American submarine lost in the war, an effort they dubbed the Lost 52 Project. Are the microbes we live with capable of consuming our entire bodies? Private explorers found the U.S.S. In two years, it went on 10 successful war patrols, during which it sank a total of 63,835 tons and 14 ships. Grayback's first war patrol from 15 February to 10 April 1942 took her along the coast of Saipan and Guam. Soon after, though, it was reported that the sub was damaged by enemy aircraft, but it still managed to sink an enemy naval transport on Feb. 27. The rest, as they say, is history, except that now a new chapter can be opened one that can bring closure to the families of the long lost sailors who gave their lives for the greater good. The mystery began on Jan. 28, 1944, when the Grayback, one of the most successful American submarines of World War II, sailed out of Pearl Harbor for its 10th combat patrol. On 30 March, ComSubPac listed her as missing and presumed lost with all hands. The sub exploded and sank immediately, and there were no survivors. "I committed from the very beginning, when I was a little girl, that I was going to find him or follow him or keep his memory alive," she told ABC News. The Grayback was the 20th most successful submarine during WWII and earned two Navy commendations and eight battle stars for its service. Grayback continued on patrol, torpedoing and damaging several Japanese ships. The Department of Defense provides the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security. In May 1943, it was credited with sinking the Japanese cargo ship Yodogawa Maru and the freighter England Maru, seriously damaging the destroyer Yugure with torpedoes and damaging two other freighters. After four days, Grayback shook off the other submarine and continued on patrol. Thanks to a Japanese amateur researcher, the wreck of the USS Grayback has been located off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, 75 years after the submarine mysteriously went missing in March 1944. According to Japanese reports, the submarine "exploded and sank immediately," but antisubmarine craft were called in to depth-charge the area, clearly marked by a trail of air bubbles, until at last a heavy oil slick swelled to the surface. On: July 7, 2022. Grayback, one of WWII's most successful U.S. submarines, was discovered 1,400 feet . How many submarines did Germany have in World War II? An underwater exploration project found the submarine off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, after finding military documents with the correct coordinates to locate it. It was listed as presumed lost on March 30, 1944. On 26 February 1944, Grayback suffered damage when land-based Japanese naval aircraft attacked her in the East China Sea, 2547N, 12845E, but sank the naval transport Ceylon Maru the next day . When the US entered the war, she sailed for the Pacific on the 12th January 1942. What was the name of the US submarine that sank the last Japanese submarine during World War II? The submarine exploded and sank without a trace. Stories of sunken ships have fascinated the world for centuries, including the story of the USS Grayback. The submarine was lost on Feb. 26, 1944, after a 500 pound bomb from a Japanese bomber sunk it . She sailed from Pearl Harbor on 28 January 1944 for the East China Sea. The USS Grayback, credited with sinking 14 enemy ships, was discovered south of Okinawa with much of its body still intact. They were searching an area where the ocean was 1,400 feet deep, and their main search tool was a 14-foot-long autonomous underwater vehicle weighing thousands of pounds that Mr. Taylor likened to an underwater drone. USS Grayback SS-208. Grayback beneath 1,400 feet of water after realizing that a mistranslated Japanese war record had pointed searchers in the wrong direction. In 2010 he found his first submarine, the U.S.S. The USS Grayback is about 426 metres below sea level (1,400 ft), so from the chart we can see that its local ambient temperature is around 15 - 20 degrees C. This is pretty good for microbial life. Grayback sailed from Pearl Harbor on 28 January 1944 for the East China Sea. A later project involved converting the uncompleted heavy cruiser Seydlitz into the carrier Weser, but that was curtailed in June 1943, and the Soviets scrapped what they found of it after the war. With almost a quarter of her crew untested in battle Grayback departed Pearl Harbor for the East China Sea on 2 December for her ninth war patrol. Check local listings for \"CBS This Morning\" broadcast times. The USS Grayback SS-208 was launched on 30th June 1941 and attached to the Atlantic Fleet. Was the USS Grayback submarine ever found? Which submarine sank the most ships in ww2? About a month later, the sub radioed that it had sunk two Japanese army cargo ships. How many US submarines are still on patrol? 2012-2023 On Secret Hunt - All Rights Reserved She was credited with the sinking of cargo ship Yodogawa Maru. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. USS Grayback discovered 75 years later The submarine, credited with sinking 14 enemy ships during WWII, was recently discovered off the coast of Japan. The Grayback was one of the most successful submarines of World War II, but it never returned from its last mission in late February 1944. On 3 January 1943, Grayback sank I-18, one of 25 Japanese submarines destroyed by western submarines during the war. Advertisement. Six have been found in the decades since, and now the Grayback can be added to the list of subs whose demise is no longer a mystery. "We are grateful for their sacrifices, and we will never forget our veterans. On the next to last day of the expedition, the drone reported a malfunction one-third of the way through a planned 24-hour mission. The USS Grayback, a World War II sub, sank in February 1944 and had been missing ever since. It is my hobby, and also my passion.. One of those names was John Patrick King. The Lost 52 Project - whose aim is to locate lost US submarines from World War Two - led the mission to find the USS Grayback off the coast of Okinawa. Tim Taylor, an undersea explorer, set up the Lost 52 Project with the goal of finding the wrecks of every American submarine lost in World War II. The records from 1949 show that the US authorities believed that the USS Grayback sank approximately 100 miles south-east of Okinawa in the open ocean. A 75-year-old mystery has been solved, and the families of 80 American sailors lost at sea will now have closure: the U.S.S. This is how the Naval History and Heritage Command documented its demise: "That same day [Feb. 27], a Japanese carrier-based plane spotted a submarine on the surface in the East China Sea and attacked. The error went undetected until last year, when an American undersea explorer asked a researcher, Yutaka Iwasaki, to go through the wartime records of the Imperial Japanese Navy base at Sasebo. In 1943 she joined a very successful Submarine Wolf Pack in the company of SS-225 Cero and SS-235 Shad. North Carolina Class (46,700 Long Tons) . A sonar image of the U.S.S. THE GERMAN NAVY commenced World War II with fifty-six submarines, of which only twenty four were suitable for operations in the Atlantic. Iwasaki found that the coordinates on the tape did not match the US Navy coordinates. She ranked 20th among all U.S. submarines in total tonnage sunk during World War II, with 63,835 tons, and 24th in number of ships sunk, with 14. In a matter of hours, Mr. Taylor was looking at the hull of the Grayback and, lying about 400 feet away, was the submarines deck gun, which had been blown off when the bomb exploded. Thanks to a Japanese amateur researcher, the wreck of the USS Grayback has been located off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, 75 years after the submarine mysteriously went missing in March 1944. His third Navy Cross would be awarded posthumously, after the submarine sent 21,594 tons of Japanese shipping to the bottom on its last mission. Its the first U.S. submarine to be found in waters off Japan. Through the latter half of 1942, the Grayback damaged several freighters and was a general menace to enemy escorts, submarines and shipping vessels. The Lost 52 Project is an organization dedicating its time and resources to finding these lost subs. Moore, left Pearl Harbor on 28 January 1944, to begin her tenth war patrol in the East China Sea east of the coast of Chekiang Province, China. The USS Grayback's data plaque, photographed in 1941. In a video taken by the vehicle that surveyed the wreck, Mr. Bihn said, the camera tilted upward at one point to show the conning tower, and a plaque reading U.S.S. Records indicate that the sub and its 80-member. The original coordinates had been mistranslated and were missing a digit. A World War II submarine that was sunk with 80 sailors on board and has been missing for three-quarters of a century was found, according to an organization dedicated to finding dozens of lost war subs. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9c842299433894570c80e0bc7bfe01a" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The wreck has severe damage aft of the conning tower, consistent with Japanese reports of a direct bomb hit in that area. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}2547N 12845E / 25.783N 128.750E / 25.783; 128.750, Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. He quickly spotted two anomalies on the sea floor, and readied another of the ships remotely operated vehicles to visit the bottom. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? . The submarines had now expended all torpedoes, and on 10 November, they returned to Midway. Did they find the missing Indonesia submarine? Mr. Taylor set up the Lost 52 Project to track down missing American submarines from World War II, relying on technology that had become available only in the last 10 to 15 years. The Grayback was slated to arrive in Midway in March, but never arrived and was listed as "presumed lost" by the end of the month. Would the bodies mummify? Prior to its disappearance, the submarine had transmitted several victorious . The tremendous accomplishments of American submarines were achieved at the expense of 52 subs with 374 officers and 3,131 enlisted volunteers lost during combat against Japan; Japan lost 128 submarines during the Second World War in Pacific waters. And obviously it's not.". So every day is precious.. He set up the privately funded Lost 52 Project to track down the rest, relying on technology that had become available only in the last 10 to 15 years. However, the destroyer evaded the torpedoes and dropped 19 depth charges on Grayback. Only a week out of port, Pharmacist's Mate Harry B. Roby was called upon to perform an emergency appendectomy, the second to be done on a patrolling submarine. Unlike the drone, this one was steered manually from the mother ship, and had high-definition cameras. *USS Grayback Crew, Jack Dewey Forward, Was lost in an airplane accident off Midway Island and not aboard the sub when it was lost. The search was conducted by U.S. and Japanese researchers who were the first to realize that an error in. Finding the remains of the submarine has solved another of the mysteries of World War II and has given closure to the 80 families that waited 75 years to know where their loved ones were. With only two torpedoes remaining, she was ordered home from patrol. http://bit.ly/1OQA29B Each weekday morning, \"CBS This Morning\" co-hosts Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil deliver two hours of original reporting, breaking news and top-level newsmaker interviews in an engaging and informative format that challenges the norm in network morning news programs. Why did Germany not have aircraft carriers? The presence of Grayback and her sister ships in these waters, and the threat they presented to shipping and the number of enemy escorts they tied up, were important factors in the successful conclusion of the Guadalcanal campaign, America's first offensive campaign in the Pacific war. As Commander Moore did 75 years before, Mr. Taylor launched his mission to Okinawa this spring from Hawaii. An official website of the United States Government, Seventy-five years after a U.S. Navy submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, the family members of its, One of the first photos of the USS Grayback under 1,400 feet of water after it was discovered off the Okinawa cost on June 5, 2019. The USS Grayback was commissioned on June 30, 1941, and set sail for Pearl Harbor about six months later, quickly becoming a major part of the wars submarine offensive. [14] The deck gun was found about 400ft (about 120m) from the primary wreckage.[15]. USS Thresher, the first submarine in her class, sank April 10, 1963 during deep-diving trials after flooding, loss of propulsion, and a failed attempt to blow the emergency ballast tanks, causing it to exceed crush depth. Mr. Bihn got a text message from his sister Katherine Taylor (no relation to Tim Taylor) two weeks ago, saying the Grayback had been found. The USS Grayback was commissioned on June 30, 1941, and set sail for Pearl Harbor about six months later, quickly becoming a major part of the war's submarine offensive. Whats The Difference Between Dutch And French Braids? On 24 February, Grayback radioed that she had sunk two cargo ships on 19 February, in an attack on Japanese convoy TAPA 02, sinking the army cargo ship Taikei Maru, and the army cargo ship Toshin Maru, that had rescued Taikei Maru's survivors, both cargo vessel's people being rescued by the Japanese destroyer Harukaze. Fifty-two submarines of the United States Navy were lost during World War II. What happens to human remains in shipwrecked submarines? Grayback lying at a depth of 1,427 feet off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The USS Grayback has finally been found. Yutaka Iwasaki, a Japanese amateur researcher, had delved into the records of the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Navy base at Sasebo. [16] The bow is broken off at an angle, and a portion of the hull near the stern imploded. In May 1943, it was credited with sinking the Japanese cargo ship Yodogawa Maru and the freighter England Maru, seriously damaging the destroyer Yugure with torpedoes and damaging two other freighters. She was launched on 31 January 1940, sponsored by Mrs. Lydia Ballou Brown (ne Chappell), wife of Rear Admiral Wilson Brown, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and commissioned on 30 June 1941 with Lieutenant Willard A. Saunders in command. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In December 1943, on its ninth combat patrol, the Grayback used all of its torpedoes to take out four freighter ships carrying more than 10,000 tons. With the new data and newly discovered Japanese mission logs, the searchers were able to refocus their efforts and, using groundbreaking robotics and technology, found the dilapidated sub 100 miles from the area recorded in the original historical records.
