[lit-ideas] An Odd Bit of HIstory: The Sub That Sank a Train
- From: "John McCreery" <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Anthro-L <ANTHRO-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:04:32 +0900
My wife forwarded this to me and our (former) Navy pilot daughter.
John
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One of the many great stories of Yankee ingenuity at
war. Anyone would love to have this submarine captain as his commander...
NOTE: RADM Eugene Fluckey USN (Ret), the renowned
skipper of the submarine BARB died at 93 last month (June 07)
U.S.S. Barb: The Sub that Sank a Train
In 1973 an Italian submarine named Enrique Tazzoli
was sold for a paltry $100,000 as scrap metal. The submarine, given to the
Italian Navy in 1953 was actually an incredible veteran of World War II
service with a heritage that never should have passed so unnoticed into the
graveyards of the metal recyclers. The U.S.S. Barb was a pioneer, paving
the
way for the first submarine launched missiles and flying a battle flag
unlike that of any other ship. In addition to the Medal of Honor ribbon
at the top of the flag identifying the heroism of its captain, Commander
Eugene "Lucky" Fluckey, the bottom border of the flag bore the image of a
Japanese locomotive. The U.S.S. Barb was indeed, the submarine that "SANK A
TRAIN".
July, 1945 (Guam)
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz looked across the desk
at Admiral Lockwood as he finished the personal briefing on U.S. war ships
in the vicinity of the northern coastal areas of Hokkaido, Japan. "Well,
Chester, there's only the Barb there, and probably no word until the patrol
is
finished. You remember Gene Fluckey?"
"Of course. I recommended him for the Medal of Honor," Admiral Nimitz
replied. "You surely pulled him from command after he received it?"
July 18, 1945 (Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto, Japan)
It was after 4 A.M. and Commander Fluckey rubbed his
eyes as he peered over the map spread before him. It was the twelfth war
patrol of the Barb, the fifth under Commander Fluckey. He should have
turned
command over to another skipper after four patrols, but had managed to
strike a deal with Admiral Lockwood to make one more trip with the men he
cared
for like a father, should his fourth patrol be successful. Of course,
no one suspected
when he had struck that deal prior to his fourth and what should have
been his final
war patrol on the Barb, that Commander Fluckey's success would be so great
he would be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Commander Fluckey smiled as he remembered that patrol. "Lucky" Fluckey they
called him. On January 8th the Barb had emerged victorious from a running
two-hour night battle after sinking a large enemy ammunition ship. Two weeks
later in Mamkwan Harbor he found the "mother-lode"...more than 30 enemy
ships. In only 5 fathoms (30 feet) of water his crew had unleashed the
sub's
forward torpedoes, then turned and fired four from the stern. As he pushed
the Barb to the full limit of its speed through the dangerous waters in a
daring withdrawal to the open sea, he recorded eight direct hits on six
enemy ships. Then, on the return home he added yet another Japanese
freighter to the tally for the Barb's eleventh patrol, a score that
exceeded
even the number of that patrol.
What could possibly be left for the Commander to accomplish who, just three
months earlier had been in Washington, DC to receive the Medal of Honor? He
smiled to himself as he looked again at the map showing the rail line that
ran along the enemy coast line. This final patrol had been promised as the
Barb's "graduation patrol" and he and his crew had cooked up an unusual
finale. Since the 8th of June they had harassed the enemy, destroying the
enemy supplies and coastal fortifications with the first submarine launched
rocket attacks. Now his crew was buzzing excitedly about bagging a train.
The rail line itself wouldn't be a problem. A shore patrol could go ashore
under cover of darkness to plant the explosives...one of the sub's 55-pound
scuttling charges. But this early morning Lucky Fluckey and his officers
were puzzling over how they could blow not only the rails, but one of the
frequent trains that shuttled supplies to equip the Japanese war machine.
Such a daring feat could handicap the enemy's war effort for several days, a
week, perhaps even longer. It was a crazy idea, just the kind of operation
"Lucky" Fluckey had become famous...or infamous...for. But no matter how
crazy the idea might have sounded, the Barb's skipper would not risk the
lives of his men. Thus the problem... how to detonate the charge at the
moment the train passed, without endangering the life of a shore party.
PROBLEM? Not on Commander Fluckey's ship. His philosophy had always been "We
don't have problems, only solutions".
11:27 AM "Battle Stations!" No more time to seek solutions or
to ponder blowing up a train. The approach of a Japanese freighter with a
frigate escort demands traditional submarine warfare. By noon the frigate
is laying on the ocean floor in pieces and the Barb is in danger of
becoming the hunted.
6:07 PM Solutions! If you don't look for them, you'll never
find them. And even then, sometimes they arrive in the most unusual
fashion. Cruising slowly beneath the surface to evade the enemy plane now
circling overhead, the monotony is broken with an exciting new idea.
Instead of having a crewman on shore to trigger explosives to blow
both rail and a
passing train, why not let the train BLOW ITSELF up. Billy Hatfield was
excitedly explaining how he had cracked nuts on the railroad tracks as a
kid,
placing the nuts between two ties so the sagging of the rail under the
weight
of a train would break them open. "Just like cracking walnuts," he
explained. "To complete the circuit (detonating the 55-pound charge) we hook
in
a microswitch .....between two ties. We don't set it off, the TRAIN does."
Not
only did Hatfield have the plan, he wanted to be part of the volunteer
shore party.
The solution found, there was no shortage of volunteers, all that was needed
was the proper weather...a little cloud cover to darken the moon for the
mission ashore. Lucky Fluckey established his own criteria for the volunteer
party: ...No married men would be included, except for Hatfield...The party
would include members from each department...The opportunity would be split
between regular Navy and Navy Reserve sailors.. At least half of the men
had to have been Boy Scouts, experienced in how to handle themselves in
medical emergencies and in the woods....FINALLY, "Lucky" Fluckey would lead
the saboteurs himself.
When the names of the 8 selected sailors were announced it was greeted with
a
mixture of excitement and disappointment. Among the disappointed was
Commander Fluckey who surrendered his opportunity at the insistence of his
officers that "as commander he belonged with the Barb," coupled with the
threat from one that "I swear I'll send a message to ComSubPac if you
attempt this (joining the shore party himself)." Even a Japanese POW being
held on the Barb wanted to go, promising not to try to escape.
In the meantime, there would be no more harassment of Japanese shipping or
shore operations by the Barb until the train mission had been accomplished.
The crew would "lay low", prepare their equipment, train, and wait for the
weather.
July 22, 1945 (Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto, Japan)
Patience Bay was wearing thin the patience of Commander Fluckey and his
innovative crew. Everything was ready. In the four days the saboteurs had
anxiously watched the skies for cloud cover, the inventive crew of the Barb
had built their microswitch. When the need was posed for a pick and shovel
to bury the explosive charge and batteries, the Barb's engineers had cut up
steel plates in the lower flats of an engine room, then bent and welded them
to create the needed tools. The only things beyond their control was the
weather....and time. Only five days remained in the Barb's patrol.
Anxiously watching the skies, Commander Fluckey noticed plumes of cirrus
clouds, then white stratus capping the mountain peaks ashore. A cloud cover
was building to hide the three-quarters moon. This would be the night.
MIDNIGHT, July 23, 1945 The Barb had crept within 950 yards of the
shoreline. If it was somehow seen from the shore it would probably be
mistaken for a
schooner or Japanese patrol boat. No one would suspect an American
submarine so close to shore or in such shallow water. Slowly the small
boats were
lowered to the water and the 8 saboteurs began paddling toward the enemy
beach. Twenty-five minutes later they pulled the boats ashore and walked on
the
surface of the Japanese homeland. Having lost their points of navigation,
the saboteurs landed near the backyard of a house. Fortunately the residents
had no dogs, though the sight of human AND dog's tracks in the sand along
the beach alerted the brave sailors to the potential for unexpected
danger.
Stumbling through noisy waist-high grasses, crossing a highway and then
stumbling into a 4-foot drainage ditch, the saboteurs made their way to the
railroad tracks. Three men were posted as guards, Markuson assigned to
examine a nearby water tower. The Barb's auxiliary man climbed the ladder,
then stopped in shock as he realized it was an enemy lookout tower...an
OCCUPIED tower. Fortunately the Japanese sentry was peacefully sleeping and
Markuson was able to quietly withdraw and warn his raiding party.
The news from Markuson caused the men digging the placement for the
explosive charge to continue their work more slowly and quietly. Suddenly,
from less than 80 yards away, an express train was bearing down on them. The
appearance was a surprise, it hadn't occured to the crew during the planning
for the mission that there might be a night train. When at last it passed,
the brave but nervous sailors extracated themselves from the brush into
which they had lept, to continue their task. Twenty minutes later the holes
had been dug and the explosives and batteries hidden beneath fresh soil.
During planning for the mission the saboteurs had been told that, with the
explosives in place, all would retreat a safe distance while Hatfield made
the final connection. If the sailor who had once cracked walnuts on the
railroad tracks slipped during this final, dangerous proceedure, his would
be the only life lost. On this night it was the only order the saboteurs
refused to obey, all of them peering anxiously over Hatfield's shoulder to
make sure he did it right. The men had come too far to be disappointed by a
switch failure.
1:32 A.M. Watching from the deck of the Barb, Commander
Fluckey allowed himself a sigh of relief as he noticed the flashlight
signal from
the beach announcing the departure of the shore party. He had skillfully,
and
daringly, guided the Barb within 600 yards of the enemy beach. There was
less than 6 feet of water beneath the sub's keel, but Fluckey wanted to
be close in case trouble arose and a daring rescue of his saboteurs became
necessary.
1:45 A.M. The two boats carring his saboteurs were only
halfway back to the Barb when the sub's machinegunner yelled, "CAPTAIN!
Another train coming up the tracks!" The Commander grabbed a megaphone and
yelled through the night, "Paddle like the devil!", knowing full well that
they wouldn't reach the Barb before the train hit the microswitch.
1:47 A.M. The darkness was shattered by brilliant light and
the roar of the explosion. The boilers of the locomotive blew, shattered
pieces
of the engine blowing 200 feet into the air. Behind it the cars began to
accordian into each other, bursting into flame and adding to the
magnificent fireworks display. Five minutes later the saboteurs were
lifted to the
deck by their exuberant comrades as the Barb turned to slip back to safer
waters. Moving at only two knots, it would be a while before the Barb was
into
waters deep enough to allow it to submerge. It was a moment to savor, the
culmination of teamwork, ingenuity and daring by the Commander and all his
crew. "Lucky" Fluckey's voice came over the intercom. "All hands below deck
not absolutely needed to maneuver the ship have permission to come topside."
He didn't have to repeat the invitation. Hatches sprang open as the proud
sailors of the Barb gathered on her decks to proudly watch the distant
fireworks display. The Barb had "sunk" a Japanese TRAIN!
On August 2, 1945 the Barb arrived at Midway, her twelfth war patrol
concluded. Meanwhile United States military commanders had pondered the
prospect of an armed assault on the Japanese homeland. Military tacticians
estimated such an invasion would cost more than a million American
casualties. Instead of such a costly armed offensive to end the war, on
August 6th the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a single atomic bomb on the
city of Hiroshima, Japan. A second such bomb, unleashed 4 days later on
Nagasaki, Japan, caused Japan to agree to surrender terms on August 15th. On
September 2, 1945 in Tokyo Harbor the documents ending the war in the
Pacific were signed.
The story of the saboteurs of the U.S.S. Barb is one of those unique, little
known stories of World War II. It becomes increasingly important when one
realizes that the 8 sailors who blew up the train at near Kashiho, Japan
conducted the ONLY GROUND COMBAT OPERATION on the
Japanese "homeland" of World War II. The eight saboteurs were: Paul
Saunders, William Hatfield, Francis Sever, Lawrence Newland, Edward
Klinglesmith, James Richard, John Markuson, and William Walker.
NOTE: Eugene Bennett Fluckey retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral, and
wears in addition to his Medal of Honor, FOUR Navy Crosses... a record of
awards unmatched by any living American. In 1992 his own history of the
U.S.S. Barb was published in the award winning book, THUNDER BELOW. Over the
past several years proceeds from the sale of this exciting book have been
used by Admiral Fluckey to provide free reunions for the men who served him
aboard the Barb, and their wives. Admiral Fluckey was born in Washington ,
D.C. in 1913 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935. He died 28
June 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland.
.........................................................................
The Sub That Sank a Train
The U.S.S. Barb was a pioneer, paving the way for the first submarine
launched ... story of the saboteurs of the U.S.S. Barb is one of those
unique, little known ...
www.homeofheroes.com/profiles/profiles_fluckey.html
The Mariners' Museum: Newport News, Virginia
Flag crafted by the crewmen of the U.S.S. Barb stands out as one of
the more remarkable. ...
in graphic form around the Barb logo of "One Eyed Herman" in ...
www.mariner.org/exhibitions/highlights/ephemera_barb.php
http://ussvi2008.com/
USSVI 2008 Convention
Now Hear This! Please, check back often for information about the.
2008 USSVI Convention in Fort Worth, Texas. September 1st through
September 7th 2008 ...
http://ussvi2008.com/
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
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