Scamp Gram MARCH 2018 NEXT MEETING 1000 HOURS, 24 MARCH 2018 14122 Midland Rd, Poway, CA 92064 USS SCAMP SS-277 1944 USS SCAMP SSN-588 1961 Page 1 of 23
USS SCAMP BASE MEETINGS on 4th THURSDAY @ 7:00 PM Veterans Association of North County @ 1617 Mission Ave. Oceanside, CA 92058 USS Scamp Base Website at www.ussvi.org/base/scamp.asp Our purpose is Perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and its Constitution. In addition to perpetuating the memory of departed shipmates, we shall provide a way for all Submariners to gather for mutual benefit and enjoyment. Our common heritage as Submariners shall be strengthened by camaraderie. We support a strong U.S. Submarine Force. The organization will engage in various projects and deeds that will bring about the perpetual remembrance of those shipmates who have given the supreme sacrifice. The organization will also endeavor to educate all third parties it comes in contact with about the services our submarine brothers performed and how their sacrifices made possible the freedom and lifestyle we enjoy today. Mike Patzius BASE COMMANDER Patzius.Mike@Gmail.com 760-630-8462 Bob Leider TREASURER BobLeider@Gmail.com 760-599-0450 Bob Bissonnette USSVI WESTERN REGION DIRECTOR rjbissonnette2011@gmail.com 619-644-8993 VICE COMMANDER / MEMBERSHIP Ken Owen BASE SECRETARY kenowen1@cox.net 760-744-1771 Michael Williams USSVI WESTERN DISTRICT 6 COMMANDER williess582@gmail.com 909-754-0326 Bob Leider, Base Storekeeper Doc Zimmer, Guest Speaker Coordinator Dave Lemly, Base Events Coordinator Dookie Mitchell, Scamp Gram Editor Page 2 of 23
MARCH 2018 Station the Maneuvering Watch, March is here and time for some base activities. This month of March will see the election that needs to be completed. King High School will have had its Veteran s Salute with King High Remembers, Saint Patrick s Day for all those who are Irish once a year, and a Saturday Brunch meeting. These brunch meetings will happen once a quarter in various areas of North San Diego County to make it easier for those who wish to attend to be able to make a meeting. This will be an excellent way to meet with the base, tell some sea stories, and have a good time with a bunch of fellow shipmates. The brunch meeting will be at 1000 March 24, 2018 at the Hamburger Factory in Poway. The website for the Hamburger Factory is www.hamburgerfactory.com The Hamburger Factory is located at 14122 Midland Rd, Poway, CA 92064. The Hamburger Factory is located next to the Poway Heritage Museum and Midland Railroad Depot [Ed. Note: See map on next page]. Troy Hendrickson reports that the facility has a meeting room and the food is great. We look forward to seeing everyone at the brunch meeting. For those bubbleheads who are Vietnam Veterans, the Veteran s Association of North County will have a welcome home celebration on March 30. See the flyer in this The Forward Room edition of the Scamp Gram. The Veteran s Association of North County website is www.vancnorthcounty.org and the main purpose is to help veterans. We, your base members hope to see you at the upcoming brunch meeting. Also, for those who can attend, the Western Regional Roundup will be happening at Sam s Town, Las Vegas April 23 27. More information can be found at http://www.wrroundup.com/ Mike Mike Patzius STS2 (SS) Base Commander USS Scamp Base Vista, CA Page 3 of 23
Page 4 of 23
1900 Scamp Gram MEETING MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 22, 2018 Meeting was called to order by Mike Patzius, Base Commander The USSVI Creed was read. Troy Hendrickson led the pledge Tolling of the Boats for Month of February: Troy Hendrickson and D00kie Mitchell Dave Lemly gave the invocation. Minutes Treasurers Report Old Business Minutes of the January 2018 meeting had been distributed previously. There were no corrections. The balance in the Base accounts are as follows: Joe McGrievy Scholarship: $1952.93 Scamp Base: $2713.85 Elections are scheduled for next month (March). We still need volunteers to fill the Vice Commander and Secretary positions. Contact Dave Lemly if you can help. We still have 3 members who have not renewed their membership. They will be contacted. A discussion was held to determine any support we can give to San Diego Base for Memorial Day. Hanging the Banner at Mother Earth Brewery is still pending. Scholarship applications are due by 15 April. Page 5 of 23
New Business Scamp Gram The March meeting will be held on Saturday March 24, 2018 at the Hamburger Factory which is located at 14122 Midland Rd. in Poway. It will be at 1000. Look for more information in the Scamp Gram. Let's all make an effort to attend. The food is great and the location is very accessible. Break A 50/50 drawing was held and won by Bob Leider who donated the proceeds to the Base. GOOD OF THE ORDER CLOSING PRAYER Given by Dave Lemly David Kauppinen gave a video presentation on the USS Perch. Some very good information. Warren passed out current copies of upcoming events in 2018. Discussion was held on local events and National Convention Cruise in October. Meeting was adjourned at 2007 Recorded and submitted by: Ken Owen, Base Secretary FEBRUARY SAILING LIST BOB LEIDER DAVID KAUPPINEN MIKE PATZIUS DAVID LEMLY D00KIE MITCHELL KEN OWEN WARREN BRANGES TROY HENDRICKSON Page 6 of 23
USS SCAMP BASE MEETING AGENDA March 24, 2018 March Meeting Agenda: 1000 OPEN MEETING USSVI CREED PLEDGE of ALLIGIANCE CHAPLAIN - INVOCATION TOLLING of BOATS for MONTH OF MARCH MEETING MINUTES February 22, 2018 TREASURER'S REPORT March 2018 OLD BUSINESS Scamp Base balance is $2,713.85, Joe McGrievy Fund balance is $2,097.93 Election coming up in March. Base dues are due for those who have not paid up. Memorial Day Tolling of the Boats, it was suggested to work with San Diego Base to get the ceremony planned. Scholarship submissions due 15 April. Brunch Meeting at Hamburger Factory -Continued next page Page 7 of 23
NEW BUSINESS Meeting attendance, what can be done to increase base attendance Contacting members COMMITTEE REPORTS: Dave Lemly, Base Events Coordinator GOOD OF THE ORDER UPCOMING EVENTS King High School Remembers March 16 Western Regional Roundup April 23-27 Memorial Day Tolling of the Boats Julian Parade July 4th USSVI National Convention Oct 21-28, 2018 CHAPLAIN - CLOSING PRAYER ADJOURN Page 8 of 23
CHAPLAIN S Corner Binnacle List: No current available information. There is always Real Work to do Let s step forward and help our new Scamp Base Officers fulfill the responsibilities of their office and ease the load they have accepted to carry. With the departure of several of our Scamp Base Officers, there is a real need for others to be called upon to act, work, and participate. We were all created in the Good Lord s image. Psalm 8 sounds this theme in describing all humankind which surely includes each one of us. Therefore, it is a calling for all us Submariners into the responsibility of participating in the good organization, functioning, and work of our Scamp Base. Sure, the Scamp Base can operate with just a few of the members carrying the load, but the final product will run significantly smoother and we can all take pride in a proud organization if we all participate and volunteer where needed. Isn t that what we were all trained to do and a commitment we made when we joined the Submarine Service? Let us step forward to do the Real Work needed to move forward as proud members of Scamp Base. A Constant Reminder Who should be notified in the event of the death of a service member? That check list is still pertinent, I hope you saved it and I encourage you to keep it handy LeRoy R. Roy Bannach Ex-Chaplain, Scamp Base, USSVI (Retired) Page 9 of 23
USS SCAMP BASE UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS INC. SCHOLARSHIP FUND 1 1379 Via Christina Vista, CA 92084-4727 The USS SCAMP BASE of SUBMARINE VETERANS is a fraternal organization comprised of Submarine Qualified personnel; some are retired, some currently on active duty, and others that have left the Navy upon completion of service. Our chapter is located in Vista, CA and we are a Chartered "Base" of the United States Submarine Veterans Inc. National Organization. The USS Scamp Base Charitable Scholarship Fund has been named in honor of our departed World War II submariner and shipmate, Commander Joseph L. McGrievy, United States Navy. This scholarship is funded solely by donations made to the scholarship fund. This fund is tax deductable as defined by the IRS Section 501 (C)(3). Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. This is the time of year for family gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Students come home from college to spend time with loved ones and talk of the future. If you are looking to make a meaningful contribution to the future of the USS Scamp base youth, a donation of any amount to the Commander Joseph L. McGrievy Scholarship fund would be a great way to contribute. You can join us by providing a contribution of any amount to the Scholarship Fund, which will be used to award the applicant(s) that meet the selection criteria, and who are deemed deserving of the need from those who have provided us applications. This fund is open to the children and grandchildren of USS Scamp Base members. All Donors will be named and acknowledged in the USS Scamp Base monthly Scamp-Gram newsletter and at the monthly meeting. A letter and certificate acknowledging the contribution will be provided to the donor. Mike Patzius Mike Patzius Chairman, Scholarship Committee 1 This information will be maintained in the Scamp Gram through the March edition of the Scamp Gram. Page 10 of 23
USS SCAMP BASE UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS INC. SCHOLARSHIP Application Request 2 1379 Via Christina Vista, CA 92084-4727 USS Scamp Base members, This letter is being sent as a request for members to assist in the funding of The USS Scamp Base Charitable Scholarship Fund. This fund was named in honor of departed World War II submariner and shipmate, Commander Joseph L. McGrievy, United States Navy. This scholarship is funded solely by donations made to the scholarship fund. The fund is tax deductable as defined by the IRS Section 501 (C)(3). Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. This fund is open to the children and grandchildren of USS Scamp Base members. Please submit the names of Scamp Base member children or grandchildren who will be entering college for the Fall 2018 semester of college, to the Scholarship Chairman at patzius.mike@gmail.com. Applications will have to be submitted prior to 15 April 2018. The applications will be reviewed by a committee and awards will granted based on committee recommendation. Mike Patzius Mike Patzius Chairman, Scholarship Committee 2 This information will be maintained in the Scamp Gram through the March edition of the Scamp Gram. Page 11 of 23
to our Shipmates whose birthdays fall in March! MARCH BIRTHDAYS CHUCK JENNINGS RICHARD JOHNSON BOB LEIDER KEN OWEN GONZALO D. SANTA MARIA d00kie, The Periscope Gnome Page 12 of 23
USS SCAMP BASE Page 13 of 23
Page 14 of 23
MARCH LOST BOATS USS Perch (SS 176) Lost 3 March 1942, when she was scuttled and abandoned off the coast of Surabaya, Java after sustaining heavy damage from both depth charge attack and surface attack. No men were lost. 3 USS Grampus (SS 207) Lost 5 March 1943, most likely from an attack by the Japanese destroyers Minegumo and Murasame near Kolombangara Island. Lost with all hands, 71 men. USS H-1 (SS 28) Lost 12 March 1920,.after accidentally running aground on a shoal off of Magdalena Bay. Four men were lost. 4 USS Triton (SS 201) Lost 15 March 1943, presumably after being attacked by 3 Japanese destroyers. Lost with all hands, 74 men. 5 USS Kete (SS 369) Lost 20 March 1945, Lost due to unknown causes south of the Colnett Strait. Lost with all hands, 87 men. USS F-4 (SS 23) Lost 25 March 1915, off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii while performing submerged maneuvers. Lost with 21men. 6 USS Tullibee (SS 284) Lost 26 March 1944, when one of her torpedoes made a circular run during an attack on a Japanese convoy off the coast of Palau Islands. Lost with 80 men. 7 USS Trigger (SS 237) Lost 26 March 1945, near the East China Sea, presumably due to aerial bombing and surface ship depth charges. Lost with all hands, 89 men. 3 While all hands were taken prisoner by the Japanese destroyer Ushio, six men did not survive captivity, having died of malnutrition. 4 USS H-1 was originally named Sealwolf, the first submarine to carry that name. 5 One crew member had been previously transferred ashore at Wake Island due to illness. He was subsequently captured and spent the war as a POW, and was repatriated. 6 One F-4 crew member was on shore leave when the boat was lost. The F-4 was subsequently salvaged on 29 August 1915 but the ultimate cause of her loss was never pinpointed. She was the first U.S. submarine to be lost at sea. 7 One crewmember survived and was picked up by the Japanese destroyer Wakatake and spent the remainder of the war as a POW and was released after V-J Day. Page 15 of 23
8 This Month In Submarine History: On the previous page, in MARCH LOST BOATS, USS Grampus (SS 207) was lost 5 March 1943. But, it occurred to me: Just what the heck is a grampus? I knew most U.S. submarines were named for types of fish. In times like these, your computer s search engine is your friend. Here is what I found out: USS Grampus (SS 207) was not the first submarine of that name. Indeed, it was not even the first ship of that name: USS Grampus (1821), a schooner built to suppress piracy and catch slavers, was launched in early August 1821, had a small part in the Amistad 9 trials, and was lost at sea in March 1843 USS Grampus (1863), was a side-wheel steamer, originally named Ion, was used as a receiving ship for the Mississippi Squadron during the American Civil War 10 USS Grampus (SS-4), was Submarine Torpedo Boat No. 4, which was renamed A-3 and patrolled Manila Bay during World War I USS Grampus (SP-1708), originally named Boothbay, was 1,708 tons and 126 feet long, built by Neafie and Levy of Philadelphia. She was purchased from the Eastern Steamship Line of Boston, Massachusetts and commissioned 14 December 1917, at the Boston Navy Yard. Her name was changed to Grampus in November 1920. She was assigned to ferry service between the Washington Navy Yard, Indian Head, Maryland, and Dahlgren, Virginia. Grampus decommissioned 11 December 1930. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 December 1930, and she was later sold to the Buxton Line of Norfolk, Virginia USS Grampus (SS-207), a Tambor-class submarine, was lost during World War II USS Grampus (SS-523), a Tench-class submarine, served through most of the Cold War, then was sold to Brazil 8 I can be reached at d00kie@arrl.net. Please put something Scamp Base SubVet -related in the subject line to draw my attention to the likely content of the communication. 9 A 1997 movie by Steven Spielberg tells the story of Spanish schooner La Amistad in this 1839 event. 10 Interestingly, there was a stern-wheel river steamer named CSS Grampus (Confederate State Ship) at about the same time, that was used as a scout boat and transport along the Mississippi River during the War Between the States. Follow the link to see what happened to it. Page 16 of 23
The British Royal Navy also had a fondness for the name Grampus as well. It appears on 11 different vessels in British history as HMS Grampus and took the forms of sloops, gunships, a destroyer and two different submarines. The grampus is a member of the dolphin family, so it is completely understandable that its name would be popularly used for vessels. I then wondered how many confused looks I would get if I referred to the insignia that submarine sailors use to signify their special branch of the Navy as grampi??? Porch Grampa Bubblehead Grampi Didja Know? Several navies around the world are experimenting with Air Independent Propulsion which will allow conventional submarines to recharge batteries without surfacing for air. At this time, Germany, Russia, France, Japan, Sweden, China, and India have been moving in this direction. There are three different types of AIP being developed: Closed Cycle Steam Turbines, Fuel Cells, and Sterling Cycle engines. This will allow smaller, less expensive submarines to take on much larger, more expensive targets with less likelihood of detection. To learn more about this interesting advancement in technology, check out the article at the following URL: https://warisboring.com/attack-submarines-are-getting-quieter-and-deadlier/. Until next month, this is d00kie - OUT Page 17 of 23
GUEST PRESENTATION: USS Pickerel (SS-177) - Perpetuating the Memory by David Kauppinen The USS Pickerel (SS-177) was a Porpoise Class submarine commissioned January 26, 1937 at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT, with Lieutenant Leon J. Huffman in command The USS Pickerel was part of the Asiatic Fleet in 1940 and 1941. During the first week of December 1941, the Pickerel, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Barton Bacon, Jr. along with several other submarines, was conducting torpedo practice near Manila. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, she returned Cavite Naval Base, conducted needed maintenance, loaded torpedoes, took on supplies, and left again on December 8. Her first patrol was along the coast of Indochina (Vietnam) looking for troop transport ships known to be there, but unfortunately they had already left the area. After failing to score on this short patrol, the Pickerel returned to Manila Bay on December 29 to resupply. Since the USS Sea Lion (SS-195) had been badly damaged in the December 10 Cavite attack, her crew was divided up among the other submarines, and the Pickerel compliment increased by one officer and nine men. Due to the dangerous conditions in the area, she left again on December 31 for her second patrol. On January 10 she sank a 2,929 ton armed cargo ship with two torpedoes in a submerged night attack. Patrols 3 and 4 were frustrating for the entire crew due to the lack of targets in the assigned areas. On July 10, 1942 she departed Brisbane to her fifth patrol area near the Marianas Islands where, on August 1, she damaged a 4,000 ton freighter. The patrol ended at Pearl Harbor on August 26 and she subsequently departed to Mare Island for a refit. Page 18 of 23
While undergoing maintenance and refit, the fairwater was cut down fore and aft of the conning tower, two 20mm anti-aircraft guns were installed on the new elevated decks, and two external torpedo tubes were added (see photo below). As constructed, the Porpoise class submarines originally had 4 torpedo tubes in the bow and 2 torpedo tubes in the stern, so the new external tubes were numbered 7 and 8. In addition, during the refit period Executive Officer Lieutenant Commander Augustus Alston, Jr. became the new Commanding Officer of the USS Pickerel. She headed back to Pearl Harbor in late December 1942. Page 19 of 23
The USS Pickerel left Pearl Harbor for her sixth war patrol on January 22, 1943 with orders to patrol the Kurile Islands area north of Japan. On February 15 she sank a 1990 ton auxiliary vessel and on the 20 th she destroyed two sampans with gunfire. The Pickerel arrived back at Pearl Harbor on March 3. Below is an excerpt from the sixth patrol report detailing problems with the recently installed external torpedo tubes. Another issue identified in the sixth patrol report was crew member experience. Page 20 of 23
The USS Pickerel departed Pearl Harbor on March 18, 1943 on her seventh war patrol. After topping off fuel at Midway Island on March 22, she headed for the east coast of Honshu, Japan, and was never heard from again. During the post-war review of Japanese records, she was credited with sinking Submarine Chaser Number 13 on April 3. In addition, that same day aircraft and ships had dropped 23 bombs and 26 depth charges on a submarine off Shiranuka Lighthouse on the northern tip of Honshu. Large amounts of oil on the surface convinced the Japanese that the submarine had been destroyed. However, on April 7 a cargo ship was sunk by a submarine in the USS Pickerel's area and there were no other American subs in the vicinity, consequently she was credited with that sinking also. Some believed the boat may have escaped the depth charge attack, but was sunk several days later by one of the many mines the Japanese had placed in the waters around Honshu. During her short career, the USS Pickerel sank 4 ships for a total of 6,472 tons and was awarded 3 battle stars. Eternal Patrol April 3 or 7,1943, 74 men lost. Sailors, rest your oars Page 21 of 23
The following report, signed by COMSUBPAC Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, documents why the USS Pickerel (SS-177) was declared lost on May 12, 1943: Page 22 of 23
USS Pickerel SS-177 Loss.docx / djkauppinen/3-17-18 END OF PRESENTATION Page 23 of 23