The Second Patrol

     Commenced on 30 December 1943, from Fremantle Harbor, Western Australia with, once again Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Henry G. Munson as her Captain and LCDR  Frank Walker as her Executive Officer. The CREVALLE was ordered to patrol the South China Sea. She was cruising on the surface at night while crossing the Flores and Java Seas when Radar reported a contact ahead. Upon submerging sonar picked up high-speed propeller sounds in the early morning of the 7th of January 1944 that sounded like a submarine on the surface. Upon picking up the contact during the night, the nationality of the ship was unknown. After repeated attempts, to establish identification, resulted in the Japanese sub curiously emitting what appeared to be the proper responses. However, as dawn finally broke it was clearly established that the contact was indeed a Japanese submarine of the RO class . The boat attempted an attack. Two stern tubes were made ready and two torpedoes were dispatched on their way to the target. This almost perfect approach was reneged by the premature magnetic firing mechanism on the torpedoes, as both of them missed fired before reaching their mark. The Japanese submarine dove out of harm's way to live to fight for another day.

    Plaguing problems with the early magnetic firing torpedoes (fish) marred the first patrols of the United States Submarine Service. It would sometimes take six shoots to get one non-premature exploding fish or a complete dud. What frustration to put your life on the line and have the torpedo explode before it hit the target or have it pass harmlessly under the enemy's vessel and come out the other side eventually exploding at the end of the run. One can only speculate that if these brave sailors had a reliable weapon, it could have thwarted the commitment of the Japanese to continue the War, or at least brought the conflict to a faster conclusion.

See: The great torpedo scandal, 1941-43 by Frederic J. Milford 

    While proceeding up Makassar Strait two days later on 9 January 1944 a small (5 ton) Japanese sailing Vessel was stopped by CREVALLE and sunk by the gun crew with the boats 20 mm guns. On the 11th Of January 1944, CREVALLE surfaced in the Sulu Sea to make a life and death radio request of Commander Task Group 71 for a rendezvous with the USS CABRILLA (SS-288). One of the crew had developed acute appendicitis and as CABRILLA was heading back to base she could transport the sailor to surgical help. CREVALLE received instructions to meet CABRILLA at dawn on 12 January 1944 in the South China Sea. The link up with CABRILLA was accomplished in good order by underwater communications (UQC Telephone) as both boats were submerged. It was standard operating procedure that no two boats in a hostile zone would be on the surface, at the same time and in close proximity to each other during daylight hours. The transfer was started at 0730 with CREVALLE surfaced. The patient Dempster, A. J. Yeoman 1st Class (YN1), U.S.N. and his escort Pace, V. M. Torpedo man 3rd class (TM3), U.S.N.R. were gently placed over the side in a rubber raft. The CREVALLE left the scene and submerged while constantly monitoring the raft and it's passengers through periscope observation. CABRILLA immediately surfaced, quickly retrieved the acutely ill submariner and re-submerged the boat. CREVALLE just as swiftly surfaced to retrieve Torpedo man Pace and the rubber raft re-submerging to continue her patrol at 0845. 

Note: See YN1 Dempster and the Crevalle Crew as they appeared at their reunion in Sept 1998 .

    CREVALLE then transited to The Saigon River on the coast of French Indochina (now The Peoples Republic of Vietnam ) for an extremely hazardous special mission. In the mouth of the river, on 14 and 15 January 1944 they planted 11 time delay mines right under the noses of the Japanese coast defenders on Great Catwick Island. The Japanese troops were sequestered in a very formidable fortress that had a commanding overlook of the river. At one point, the fortress was abeam (lined up with the bridge) of the sub. A destroyer flashed recognition signals at CREVALLE but they just nonchalantly ignored them and bravely dove in very shallow waters (about 80 feet) to complete the mine laying operation.

    Early in the morning of the 26th of January 1944, a radar contact was made on a large cargo ship with a small trawler catcher type of escort. A sudden unusual pre dawn change of base course of the two target vessels thwarted a dawn attack. A high-speed end around maneuver was made and a favorable position for an attack was gained at about 1300. Another unfortunate zigzag by the ship just at the firing point prevented a second attack. Second daylight end around was made and thankfully at 2200 that evening four torpedoes were launched in a surface radar approach. One terrific incredibly accurate hit caused a fireball of an explosion and the ship swiftly sank in about three minutes. The escort made a pathetic and futile attempt to overhaul the attacking submarine but CREVALLE had better than a nine-knot speed advantage. The suddenly, very lonely Japanese escort, was left in the lurch. This was accomplished, in no small measure, by the tenacity of CREVALLE and her crew's excellent submarine handiwork.

    Near Alice Channels, a 150-ton armed Japanese tug, with a depth charge rack mounted on her stern, was encountered on 11 February 1944 and a surface gun battle began immediately. The tug was wild in its shooting and CREVALLE maneuvered to remain just out of the effective Japanese deck guns firing range. A four inch shell penetrated the depth charges that were stowed on her topside and this blew the tugs stern completely off. With a hole blown through the forward section of the vessel, the target burning and rapidly sinking CREVALLE withdrew to continue the patrol.

    In the early morning of 15 February 1944 contact was established with a seven-ship convoy north of Halmahera Island . This large bevy of targets was tracked by Radar for the rest of the day while CREVALLE remained on the surface at a safe distance and out of visual contact with the Japanese. A night surface attack was initiated shortly after dusk and it was noted that several other ships had joined the hapless group. Nine torpedoes were expended for six hits on several of the ships. Some of the ships spotted CREVALLE and tried to ram the submarine while firing their deck guns, as many shells fell close to the boat. CREVALLE quickly dove to avoid these calamities and commenced submerged evasion tactics. The forward torpedo tubes were reloaded and made ready. The attack redeveloped on very large merchantmen, with a full six-torpedo bow tube salvo launched. However due to a speed error fed to the Torpedo Data Computer (TDC) (this was done manually) only one torpedo struck the ship. However this apparently was enough, as the ship was observed sinking shortly thereafter. In the ultimate confusion of attacking a large convoy, full damage could not be observed but the commanding officer of the boat was of the opinion that only two of the enemy vessels slipped away unscathed. CREVALLE had fired at several targets in this large convoy, and because of the close proximity of a Japanese base Captain Munson prudently cleared the area before the results of her firing could be completely verified.
 
    As all of her torpedoes were exhausted, a course was set for Fremantle. On the way to Australia several enemy vessels were spotted. This valuable information was broadcast on the submarine radio command line, for the use of any nearby Allied Submarines.

    The 291 Boat was on this patrol for 61 days 51 days of which were spent in enemy controlled waters. She had steamed a distance of thirteen hundred miles. The patrol resulted in the sinking of three ships and some smaller auxiliary vessels. The force commander credited CREVALLE and crew with 19,801 tons of enemy shipping sunk and 20,000 tons damaged. LT Commander Munson was awarded a gold star in lieu of a second Navy Cross as a result of this highly successful endeavor.

    Arriving at Fremantle on 28 February 1944, Division 161 was again accomplishing the refit and repair work when the former executive office The Executive Officer LCDR,  Francis D. Walker Jr. U.S.N., was ordered to relieve the newly promoted Commander Henry G. Munson, U.S.N. as the CREVALLE'S skipper. Commander Munson later was in command of the USS RASHER (SS 269)  when they accomplished the highest tonnage of Japanese ships sunk during a single patrol by a United States Submarine. He later became a teacher at a High School: A remembrance by one of his former student's follows:

    "I somehow stumbled across your sub's website while doing research on the Internet and noted that Henry G. Munson was one of CREVALLE'S captains during W.W.II. In 1969 more than thirty years ago, then Mr. Munson was my physics teacher at Princeton High School, in Princeton, New Jersey. I guess he was about 60 or so at that time. He was authoritarian but very patient and fair; the latter qualities were important, as physics was not my strong point. There was a rumor at the time that he had been the captain of a submarine in W.W.II that had a very impressive record; he never mentioned it (although he did acknowledge "Captain Munson" once when one of the students called it out), but it always seemed believable. Such is now confirmed. Thanks for the information, Robin Grover, Alexandria, VA".

    The New Skipper of CREVALLE, LCDR, Walker had distinguished himself previously as the executive officer of the USS SEARAVEN (SS-196). When his skipper LCDR, Ted Aylward became acutely ill, the then Lieutenant Walker had to take over the boat and bring it in to Darwin Australia. This event had taken part in the early first months of the war as SEARAVEN was in the Philippines when hostilities with Japan broke out.

  The Crew for the Second Patrol

Commissioned Officers

Bowdler, T.W.E., Lt. (jg) USNR

Blind, H.J., Lt. (jg) USNR

Gromer, J. H. Ens. USN

Morin, G.F., Lt. USNR 

Munson, H.G. Cdr.USN Commanding Officer

Ruhe, W.J.., Lt.  USN

Walker, F.D. Jr. Lt. Cdr. USN Executive Officer

Chief Petty Officers

Bridges, Winfield E., CTM(PA) USN

Doyle, George C., CMoMM(AA) USN

Lee, Pomerory Jr., CMoMM(AA) USN

Howard, James H., CTM(AA) USN

Mc Lees, Gerald C., CEM(AA) USN

Staudt, William M., CMM(PA) USN

Sutter, Fredrick CGM (AA) USN

Thies, Joe R., CEM(PA) USN  

Enlisted Crew Members

Anderson, Herbert C., MoMM2c USN

Barnes, Frank , MoMM1c USN

Biehl, Henry T., RT1c V6 USNR

Bower, Albert F., RT2c V6 USNR

Brim, John R., S2c V6 USNR

Bunn, Clifford R. MoMM1c USNR

Chase , Volney O. S1c USN

Crowley, Joseph D. TM1c, USN

Dempster, Albert J., Y1c USN

Dogan, Fred F., MoMM2c USN

Ducharme, Armand N., EM1c USN

Enright, George F. Jr., S1c USN

Elliott, Walter J., FCS1c USN

Fox, Ernest E. F2 V2 USNR

Fritchen, William L., GM3c V6 USNR

Gaines, Robert E, MoMM2c(T) USNR

Graham, Ivan H., F3c (SV) USNR

Hamilton, Calvin C. TM3c USN

Heyn, Allen C., F2c USN

Helbick, Joseph J., MoMM1c USN

Heagy, Robert L., MoMM1c 0-1 USNR

Howie, Robert C., MoMM2c USN

Ingram, Fred, SM2c USN

Jandl, Edward P., QM3c USN 

Jenigen, Albert., S1c V6 USNR 

Jester, Halbert M., TM1c USN

Keane, Edward F., S1c USN 

Langfieldt, Maurice Edward, TM3c V6 USNR

Larsen, James Louis, MoMM3c V6 USNR

Lenatz, John Joseph, TM3c USN 

Llano, Lewis C., F1c USN

Locktov, Leon, TM2c USN

Mays, Hosey., StM1c V6 USNR

Minkley, Ernest E., TM2c V6

Muirhead, Lloyd H., TM2c V6 USNR

Mullen, Joseph G., RM1c USN 

Munyan, Curtiss A., EM3c USN

Murry, Lester L. EM2c USN

Nelson, Lester W., MoMM1c V6 USNR

Pace, Vincent M., TM2c V6 USNR

Pennyman, Timothy M., StM1c V6 USNR

Pitts, Louis F., RM1c USN

Rennecke, Wyman John, EM1c USNR

Ricksecker, Guy M., MoMM1c USN

Roraback, Gilbert L., TM3c V6 USNR

Shaw, Garland R. RM1c USN

Smith, Edward W., SC1c USN

Snellings, Earl M., QM1c USN

Stafford, Lester R., EM3c V6 USNR

Stokes, Frank H., SC3c USNR

Stutzman, Gerald W., RM2c V6 USNR

Tackett, William MoMM1c USN

Tedoldi, Charles E., EM3c USN

Truman, Horace Lynn, MM1c USN

Wall, Lucius P., TM1c USN

Westmoreland, James E., SC1c USN

Wheeler, Frank D., EM3c USN

Wiesniewski, Francis Walter, F2c USN

Williams, George F., EM1c USN

Wolken, Arther, QM3c USN

Yeager, Robert L., F1c, USNR

Yocum, Edward C., EM2c V6 USNR