Submarine Diary by Mendenhall Corwin;

Author:Mendenhall, Corwin; [Mendenhall, Corwin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Naval Institute Press

*Under later awards criteria those honors would have been automatic.

*The captain’s review reduced the sentence to ten days’ solitary and no loss of pay. The sentence would not be carried out until we reached San Francisco.

Sculpin’s Seventh Patrol

(24 May–4 July 1943)

24 May, MondayAll morning a parade of enlisted men and officers, a number of them the captain’s and Executive Officer Al Bontier’s classmates, came aboard to talk, drink coffee, and wish us much success and a safe return. Admiral Lockwood stopped by and chatted about how much he enjoyed cruising with us down the Australian coast from Fremantle to Albany, and the stay in Albany. The crew lounged on deck, talking to visitors while waiting for the call to maneuvering watch. Condé Raguet came aboard for a cup of coffee and to wish us well. His Sargo would be following us on patrol in a few days. Classmates Joe Vasey and Benny Goodman also came to say bon voyage and good luck.

Near noon, just before we took in the lines to leave on patrol, the promised SJ (surface search) radar officer expert reported for duty. He was perspiring and obviously rushed to get on board. Another George, he was Lieutenant (jg) George Embury, USNR. His late arrival was the cause of our delay in getting under way. We needed expert help with the new radar.

Once out of the Pearl Harbor channel, the captain called all officers to the wardroom for a briefing on Sculpin’s orders:

First of all, magnetic exploders were to be used on all torpedoes—to our disgust. Our patrol area was to be off the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan, north of Tokyo. Our route would take us north of the Hawaiian chain to Midway, where we would stop long enough to get fuel and make any voyage repairs that might be needed. From Midway Sculpin would go directly to Honshu. The path was far from possible detection by Japanese antisubmarine planes, so we wouldn’t need to submerge during daytime until about 7 June, when we neared the Japanese coast.

George Embury was not a sub school graduate. His training was all in the field of electrical and electronic engineering. The exec gave me the job of teaching him to be a submarine officer; he would stand watches with me. George was eager to learn, bright, and attentive, and he seemed potentially to be a very capable officer.

25–27 MayThe 1,200-mile run to Midway was made on the surface at fifteen knots except for frequent drills and battle problems—practice dives and exercises to shake down the boat, train the crew, and, particularly, to get the new hands broken in, while we learned to use the new equipment installed in San Francisco.

Sculpin’s crew numbered sixty-nine men, more than on any previous patrol; the new radar added electronics technicians. Twenty-three men who had made all six previous patrols were still with us; the captain and I were the only officers in that category. With eight officers on board we would have more time to oversee our departments and spend less time standing watches.

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