Criteria The Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States without degree for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States. ... The Legion of Merit is awarded to members of the Armed Forces of the United States without degree for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States. The performance must merit recognition by individuals in a key position which was performed in a clearly exceptional manner. MoreHide
Comments Capt. John P. Cromwell, USN, Henry, Ill. (missing in action): As commander of Submarine Division 43 from October 1943 to March 1944, he handled the varied and complex details of his assignment with sk... Capt. John P. Cromwell, USN, Henry, Ill. (missing in action): As commander of Submarine Division 43 from October 1943 to March 1944, he handled the varied and complex details of his assignment with skill and initiative. Under his leadership his vessels completed eight war patrols and sank many tons of enemy shipping.
Dec All hands Magazine Dec 1944
http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/archpdf/ah194412.pdf MoreHide
Chain of Command
Sculpin was commanded by LCDR Fred Connaway, making his first war patrol, but CAPT John Cromwell was also onboard in case conditions warranted forming up a wolfpack with Searaven and either Spearfish or Apogon under his direction. As a senior officer, Cromwell was completely familiar with the plans for Operation GALVANIC and knew a lot more about ULTRA - and its source - than anyone else on Sculpin. It was his first war patrol also.
After a brief overhaul, Sculpin left Pearl Harbor for her ninth war patrol on 5 November 1943. After refueling at Johnston Island on 7 November, she departed for her assigned station northeast of Truk. On 29 November, COMSUBPAC radioed Sculpin to order CAPT Cromwell to activate the wolfpack. When Sculpin failed to acknowledge the message, even after several repetitions, she was assumed - correctly - to have been lost at sea. It wasn't until after the war that the details of her loss - and that of John Cromwell - to enemy action became known from both Japanese sources and surviving crewmembers who had been prisoners of war.
Other Memories
USS Sculpin (SS-191), a Sargo-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sculpin, a spiny, large-headed, broad-mouthed, usually scaleless fish of the family Cottidae.
Her keel was laid down on 7 September 1937 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 27 July 1938 sponsored by Mrs. J.R. Defrees, and commissioned on 16 January 1939 with Lieutenant W.D. Wilkin in command.
1939 ? 1941 While on her initial shakedown cruise on 23 May 1939, Sculpin was diverted to search for the sunken submarine Squalus (SS-192). Sighting a red smoke bomb and a buoy from the sunken submarine, she established communications, first by phone and then by signals tapped in Morse code on the hull. It transpired that Squalus was resting on the bottom in 40 fathoms (73 m) of water, with both engine rooms flooded. Sculpin stood by while submarine rescue vessel Falcon (ASR-2) rescued the survivors, and rendered further assistance by familiarizing the divers with the configuration of her sister ship. Sculpin aided in the salvage of the sunken vessel by sounding out the approaches to Portsmouth Harbor and preparing supplementary charts of the area where Squalus was refloated.
Following the assistance given in the recovery of Squalus, Sculpin engaged in type training off the Atlantic coast until transferred to the Pacific Fleet. Departing Portsmouth on 28 January 1940, she arrived at San Diego, California, on 6 March. She sailed west on 1 April, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 9 March, where she was based for the next 18 months. Departing Pearl Harbor on 23 October 1941, she arrived at Manila on 8 November. From Cavite, she engaged in local operations and type training until war broke out.
First?fourth patrols, December 1941 ? July 1942 Departing Cavite on the night of 8 December 1941, Sculpin and sister ship Seawolf (SS-197) escorted seaplane tender Langley (AV-3) and oiler Pecos (AO-65) as far as San Bernardino Strait. She then took station in the Philippine Sea north of Luzon on 10 December. On the night of 10 January 1942, she intercepted two ships, made a surface attack, and scored hits on the lead ship. Forced to dive because of gunfire, Sculpin was unable to assess the results of her attack. Japanese records show that American submarines sank three Japanese ships that night; possibly Sculpin should be given credit for eliminating the 3817 ton merchantman Akita Maru. Her first patrol terminated at Surabaya ("Surabaja"), Java, on 22 January.
Her second patrol, 30 January to 28 February, was in the Molucca Sea, east of Sulawesi (Celebes). On 4 February off Kendari, Java, she torpedoed a Japanese destroyer, inflicting heavy damage. After the war, Japanese records revealed that, after a submarine attack off Kendari on 4 February, Japanese destroyer Suzukaze had been forced to run aground to avoid being sunk. Three nights later, Sculpin commenced an approach on a Japanese destroyer but was detected and forced to dive. She escaped four hours later after a heavy depth charge attack by her intended victim and five other destroyers. On the night of 17 February, she was detected while making a surface attack on a destroyer and was forced to dive. During the ensuing depth charge attack, she sustained damage to her starboard main controller and starboard shaft. On 28 February, she arrived at Exmouth, Western Australia, for repairs.
Her third patrol, 13 March to 27 April, out of Fremantle was in the Molucca Sea area. On 28 March, she fired a spread of three fish at a large cargo ship. The torpedoes were last seen running straight for the target, but apparently ran deep and passed under the merchant ship. A similar incident occurred on 1 April in a night attack. Sculpin, like many of her sister submarines in the early days of the Pacific war, was plagued by malfunctions of torpedo guidance systems which caused the "fish" either to take erratic courses or to run deep. The frustrated Sculpin returned to Fremantle on 27 April.
Sculpin?s fourth war patrol, 29 May to 17 June, was in the South China Sea. On 8 June, she was unsuccessful in an attack on a cargo ship, again due to torpedo malfunction. A vigorous depth charge attack kept Sculpin down while the cargo ship escaped. On 13 June, near Balabac Strait, she torpedoed a cargo ship which returned fire with her deck gun and commenced to limp away. Turning on two accompanying tankers astern of the cargo ship, Sculpin made an attack but was forced to dive to prevent being rammed by one of the tankers. Surfacing at dusk, Sculpin pursued the cargo ship, but was again driven away by accurate gunfire from the maru. She shifted her attack to a tanker, leaving the ship listing and making heavy smoke. However, no sinking was confirmed. Off Cape Varella, Indochina, early on the morning of 19 June, she torpedoed a cargo ship, making a hit forward of the stack. A heavy secondary explosion was heard, and the damaged vessel was last seen headed for the shore to beach, smoke pouring from her forward hatch. Sculpin returned to Australia on 17 July.
Fifth?eighth patrols, September 1942 ? September 1943 The waters of the Bismarck Archipelago were the theater of her fifth patrol, 8 September to 26 October. After reconnaissance operations off Thilenius and Montagu harbors of New Ireland, Sculpin commenced her search for Japanese shipping. On 28 September, she scored two hits on a cargo ship, but was forced to dive as a Japanese destroyer raced to the scene. Sculpin was under depth charge attack for three hours, during which she sustained minor damage. On 7 October, she made her first confirmed kill, the 4731-ton transport Naminoue Maru, off New Ireland. Escaping the Japanese escorts' countermeasures, she remained in the general area where, a week later, she intercepted a three-ship convoy in the shipping lane between Rabaul and Kavieng. Waiting until the escorting destroyer had made a patrol sweep to the opposite side of the convoy, Sculpin fired a spread of four torpedoes at the 2000 ton cargo ship Sumoyoshi Maru. While the blazing and sinking maru lay dead in the water, Sculpin made good her escape. Four days later, she inflicted minor damage on the light cruiser Yura, with a hit forward of the bridge, but was driven off by the cruiser?s gunfire.
Departing Brisbane on her sixth war patrol, 18 November 1942 to 8 January 1943, Sculpin worked her way past New Britain to the rich hunting grounds off Truk. After escaping a Japanese aerial attack on 11 December, she was stalking a Japanese aircraft carrier on the night of 18 December, when two destroyers attacked. One illuminated Sculpin with floodlights as both commenced heavy fire with deck guns. The submarine went deep and lay silent as the enemy depth charge attack and prolonged sonar search continued. The following night she scored two hits on a tanker, with no sinking confirmed.
Sculpin arrived at Pearl Harbor on 8 January 1943, and steamed east to San Francisco, California, for a three-month overhaul period. Returning to Pearl Harbor on 9 May, she departed Hawaii for her seventh war patrol on 24 May and operated off the northwest coast of Honshû. Three days after arriving on station, she made a surface attack on two aircraft carriers with a cruiser escort. Two heavy underwater explosions were heard as the submarine submerged. Postwar examination of Imperial Japanese Navy records revealed that the light carrier Hiyô had been moderately damaged by a torpedo attack in that area on 9 June. On 14 June, she damaged a cargo ship but was forced to dive and run silent to avoid the vigorous countermeasures of the maru?s escorts. On 19 June, she destroyed two sampans by gunfire, leaving them aflame, with decks awash. During the remainder of the patrol, she spotted other possible targets, but they all hugged the shore some running inside the 10 fathom (18 m) line. The patrol terminated at Midway Island on 4 July.
Sculpin?s eighth war patrol, 25 July to 17 September 1943, was off the Chinese coast and Formosa Strait. On 9 August, she torpedoed and sank the cargo/transport Sekko Maru off the coast of Formosa. She evaded ASW patrol craft in Taiwan Strait on 16 August and 17 August. On 21 August, she intercepted an armed cargo ship and fired a spread of three torpedoes which ran "hot, straight, and normal" but did not explode. Sculpin was immediately pounced upon by escorting destroyers and was forced to dive. The cargo ship escaped in the ensuing depth charge attack. A similar torpedo malfunction occurred on 1 September, when the splash of water resulting from the torpedo striking the target?s hull could be seen, but no detonation occurred. The submarine escaped the immediate counterattack of the escorts; and, after reconnaissance of Marcus Island, she returned to Midway Island.
Ninth patrol, November 1943 Following a brief overhaul period at Pearl Harbor, Sculpin departed Hawaii on 5 November 1943. Ordered to patrol north of Truk, she was to intercept and attack Japanese forces leaving Truk to oppose the forthcoming invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. Sculpin and two other submarines were to form a wolf pack to make coordinated attacks on the enemy. Captain John P. Cromwell was on board Sculpin to coordinate the wolf pack operations.
After refueling at Johnston Island on 7 November, Sculpin proceeded to her assigned station. On 29 November, Captain Cromwell was ordered to activate the wolf pack. When the submarine failed to acknowledge, the message was repeated 48 hours later. The submarine was presumed lost on 30 December and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 25 March 1944.
The account of Sculpin?s final patrol was given by the surviving members of her crew, who were liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps after V-J Day. On 16 November, she had arrived on station and had made radar contact with a large, high-speed convoy on the night of 18 November. Making a fast end run on the surface to attack on the morning of 19 November, she was in firing position but was forced to dive when the convoy and its escorts zagged toward her. When the Japanese task force changed course, Sculpin surfaced to make another run, but was discovered by a rear guard destroyer only 600 yards away. Crash diving, the submarine escaped the first salvo of depth charges. A second string of "ash cans" knocked out her depth gauge and caused other minor damage. She evaded the destroyer in a rain squall and attempted to come to periscope depth. The damaged depth gauge stuck at 125 feet (38 m), so the submarine broached and was again detected. She immediately submerged and the destroyer attacked with a pattern of 18 depth charges. There was considerable damage, including temporary loss of depth control. As a result, Sculpin ran beyond safe depth so that many leaks developed in the hull. So much water entered that the submarine was forced to run at high speed to maintain depth. This made tracking easy for the Japanese sonar. A second depth charge attack knocked out Sculpin?s sonar, leaving her blind.
The submarine?s commanding officer, Commander Fred Connaway, decided to surface and give the crew of the doomed vessel a chance for survival. With her decks still awash, Sculpin?s gunners manned the deck guns but were no match for the destroyer?s main battery. A shell hit the conning tower and killed the bridge watch team, including Commander Connaway, and flying fragments killed the gun crew. The senior ship?s officer surviving ordered the submarine to be scuttled. Before he opened the vents, he informed Captain Cromwell. The captain possessed vital information concerning the forthcoming assault on the Gilbert Islands and subsequent operations. Fearing he might reveal these plans under the influence of torture or drugs, he refused to leave the stricken submarine giving his life to escape capture. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his act of heroism and devotion to country.
Forty-two of Sculpin?s crew were picked up by the Japanese destroyer Yamagumo. One badly wounded sailor was thrown back in the sea because of his condition. The survivors were questioned for about ten days at the Japanese naval base at Truk, then were embarked on two aircraft carriers returning to Japan. The escort carrier Chuyo carried 21 of the survivors in her hold. On 2 December, the carrier was torpedoed and sunk by Sailfish (SS-192) and twenty of the American prisoners perished; one man was saved when he was able to grab hold of a ladder on the side of a passing Japanese destroyer and hauled himself on board. (Ironically, Sailfish ? at the time named Squalus ? was the same submarine that Sculpin had helped to locate and raise some four-and-a-half years before.) The other 21 survivors arrived at Ofuna, Japan, on 5 December, and, after further questioning, were sent to the Ashio copper mines for the duration of the war.
Awards Sculpin was awarded eight battle stars for her service in World War II, in addition to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
Criteria The Medal of Honor is awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one's life, above and beyond the call of duty. This gallantry must be performed either while engaged in action ag... The Medal of Honor is awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one's life, above and beyond the call of duty. This gallantry must be performed either while engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or, while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. MoreHide
Comments Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Captain John Philip Cr... Awarded for actions during the World War II
The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Captain John Philip Cromwell (NSN: 0-58950), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commander of a Submarine Coordinated Attack Group with Flag in the U.S.S. SCULPIN, during the 9th War Patrol of that vessel in enemy-controlled waters off Truk Island, 19 November 1943. Undertaking this patrol prior to the launching of our first large-scale offensive in the Pacific, Captain Cromwell, alone of the entire Task Group, possessed secret intelligence information of our submarine strategy and tactics, scheduled Fleet movements and specific attack plans. Constantly vigilant and precise in carrying out his secret orders, he moved his undersea flotilla inexorably forward despite savage opposition and established a line of submarines to southeastward of the main Japanese stronghold at Truk. Cool and undaunted as the submarine, rocked and battered by Japanese depth charges, sustained terrific battle damage and sank to an excessive depth, he authorized the Sculpin to surface and engage the enemy in a gunfight, thereby providing an opportunity for the crew to abandon ship. Determined to sacrifice himself rather than risk capture and subsequent danger of revealing plans under Japanese torture or use of drugs, he stoically remained aboard the mortally wounded vessel as she plunged to her death. Preserving the security of his mission, at the cost of his own life, he had served his country as he had served the Navy, with deep integrity and an uncompromising devotion to duty. His great moral courage in the face of certain death adds new luster to the traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
Action Date: 19-Nov-43
Service: Navy
Rank: Captain
Company: Commanding Officer
Regiment: Submarine Attack Group
Division: U.S.S. Sculpin (SS-191) MoreHide
Criteria The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, kill... The Purple Heart may be awarded to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the Armed Forces, has been wounded, killed, or who has died or may die of wounds received in armed combat or as a result of an act of international terrorism. MoreHide
Criteria The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal decoration awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (when operating under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain (or colonel in th... The Combat Action Ribbon is a personal decoration awarded to members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (when operating under the control of the Navy) in the grade of captain (or colonel in the Marine Corps) and below who have actively participated in ground or surface combat. MoreHide
Criteria The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or,... The American Campaign Medal was awarded for For thirty days service outside the Continental United States but within the American Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946; or, an aggregate service of one year within the Continental United States during the same period under the following circumstances: On permanent assignment outside the continental limits of the United States; or, On permanent assignment as a member of a crew of a vessel sailing ocean waters for a period of 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service outside the continental limits of the United States in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non consecutive days; or, For service in active combat against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat; or, For service within the continental limits of the United States for an aggregate period of one year. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following condi... The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal was awarded for for qualifying service within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and March 2, 1946, under any of the following conditions: On permanent assignment within the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; or, For service in a passenger status or on temporary duty for 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days; or, For service in active combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations against the enemy and awarded a combat decoration or furnished a certificate by the commanding general of a corps, higher unit, or independent force that the individual actually participated in combat. MoreHide
Criteria The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine ... The American Defense Service Medal was awarded for service in the Armed Forces between September 8, 1939, and December 7, 1941. Army members had to serve 12 months to be eligible, but Navy and Marine Corps members were eligible based on any length of service. MoreHide
Other Memories
USS Maryland (BB-46), a Colorado-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the seventh state.
Her keel was laid down 24 April 1917 by Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 20 March 1920 sponsored by Mrs. E. Brook Lee, wife of the Comptroller of the State of Maryland and commissioned on 21 July 1921 with Captain C.F. Preston in command.
With a new type of seaplane catapult and the first 16 inch (406 mm) guns mounted on a U.S. ship, Maryland was the pride of the Navy. Following an east coast shakedown she found herself in great demand for special occasions. She appeared at Annapolis, Maryland, for the 1922 United States Naval Academy graduation and at Boston, Massachusetts, for the anniversary of Battle of Bunker Hill and the Fourth of July. Between 18 August and 25 September she paid her first visit to a foreign port transporting Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes to Rio de Janeiro for Brazil's Centennial Exposition. The next year, after fleet exercises off the Panama Canal Zone. Maryland transited the canal in the latter part of June to join the battle fleet stationed on the west coast.
She made a goodwill voyage to Australia and New Zealand in 1925, and transported President-elect Herbert Hoover on the Pacific leg of his tour of Latin America in 1928. Throughout these years and the 1930s she served as a mainstay of fleet readiness through tireless training operations. In 1940 Maryland and the other battleships of the battle force changed their bases of operations to Pearl Harbor. She was present at battleship row along Ford Island during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
Seaman Leslie Short, addressing Christmas cards near his machine-gun, brought the first of his ship's guns into play, shooting down one of two torpedo planes that had just released against USS Oklahoma (BB-37). Inboard of Oklahoma, and thus protected from the initial torpedo attack, Maryland managed to bring all her antiaircraft batteries into action. Despite two bomb hits she continued to fire and, after the attack, sent firefighting parties to assist her sister ships. The Japanese announced that she had been sunk, but 30 December, battered yet sturdy, the ship entered the repair yard at Puget Sound Navy Yard.
She emerged 26 February 1942 not only repaired but modernized and ready for service. During the important Battle of Midway, the old battleships, not fast enough to accompany the carriers, operated as a backup force. Thereafter Maryland engaged in almost constant training exercises until 1 August, when she returned to Pearl Harbor.
Assigned sentinel duty along the southern supply routes to Australia and the Pacific fighting fronts, Maryland and Colorado operated out of the Fiji Islands in November and advanced to the New Hebrides in February 1943. Her return to Pearl Harbor after ten months in the heat of the South Pacific brought the installation of additional 40 mm antiaircraft protection.
In the vast amphibious campaigns of the Pacific the firepower of Maryland and her sister ships played a key role. Departing the Hawaiian Islands on 20 October for the South Pacific, Maryland became flagship for Rear Admiral Harry W. Hill's Southern Attack Force in the Gilbert Islands Invasion, with Major General Julian C. Smith, Commander, Second Marine Division, embarked. Early on 20 November her big guns commenced five days of shore bombardment and call fire assignment in support of one of the most gallant amphibious assaults in history, at Tarawa. After the island's capture, she remained in the area protecting the transports until she headed back to the United States 7 December.
Maryland steamed from San Pedro, California, on 13 January 1944, rendezvoused with TF 53 at Hawaii, and sailed in time to be in position off the well-fortified Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on the morning of 31 January. Assigned to reduce pillboxes and blockhouses on Roi Island, the old battleship fired splendidly all day and again the following morning until the assault waves were within 500 yards of the beach. Following the operation she steamed back to Bremerton, Washington, for new guns and an overhaul.
Two months later Maryland, again readied for battle, sailed westward 5 May to participate in the biggest campaign yet attempted in the Pacific war -- Saipan. Vice Admiral R.K. Turner allotted TF 52 three days to soften up the island before the assault. Firing commenced 0545 on 14 June. Silencing two coastal guns, Maryland encountered little opposition as she delivered one devastating barrage after another. The Japanese attempted to strike back through the air. On 18 June the ship's guns claimed their first victim but four days later a G4M Betty sneaked in flying low over the still-contested Saipan hills and found two anchored battleships. Crossing the bow of Pennsylvania, she dropped a torpedo which opened a gaping hole in Maryland's bow, portside. Casualties were light and in 15 minutes she was underway for Eniwetok, and shortly thereafter to the repair yards at Pearl Harbor.
With an around-the-clock effort by the shipyard workers, on 19 August, 34 days after arrival, the ship again steamed forth for the war zone. Rehearsing briefly in the Solomons, she joined Rear Admiral J. B. Oldendorf's Western Fire Support Group (TG 32.5) bound for the Palau Islands. Firing first on 12 September to cover minesweeping operations and underwater demolition teams, she continued the shore bombardment until the landing craft approached the beaches on 15 September. Four days later organized resistance collapsed, permitting the fire support ships to retire to the Admiralty Islands.
Reassigned to the Seventh Fleet, Maryland sortied 12 October to cover the important initial landings in the Philippines at Leyte. Despite floating naval mines, the invasion force entered Leyte Gulf on 18 October. The bombardment the following day and the landings of 20 October went well, but the Japanese decided to contest this success with both kamikazes and a three-pronged naval attack.
Forewarned by submarines and scout planes, the American battleship-cruiser force steamed 24 October to the southern end of Leyte Gulf to protect Surigao Strait. Early on 25 October the enemy battleships Fusô and Yamashiro led the Japanese advance into the Strait. The waiting Americans pounded the enemy ships severely. First came torpedoes from the fleeting PT boats, then more torpedoes from the destroyers, which destroyed the battleship Fusô. Next came gunfire from the cruisers. Finally, at 0355 the readied guns of the battleship line opened fire. Thunderous salvos of heavy caliber fire slowed the enemy force and set the Japanese battleships on fire. Leaving their doomed battleships behind, the decimated enemy ships fled; only a remnant of the original force escaped subsequent naval air attacks. Similarly other U.S. forces blunted and repulsed attacks by the center and northern enemy forces during the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf.
In the aftermath of this important victory, Maryland patrolled the southern approaches to Surigao Strait until 29 October; after replenishment at Manus, Admiralties, she resumed patrol duty 16 November. Japanese air attacks continued to pose a definite threat. During a raid on 17 November, guns of TG 77.2 splashed 11 of the attacking planes. Shortly after sunset two days later, a determined suicide plane dove through the clouds and crashed onto Maryland between turrets Nos. 1 and 2. Thirty-one sailors died in the explosion and fire that followed; however, the sturdy battleship continued her patrols until relieved 2 December. She reached Pearl Harbor on 18 December and during the next two months workmen repaired and refitted "Fighting Mary."
After refresher training, Maryland headed for the western Pacific 4 March 1945, arriving Ulithi on 16 March. There she joined Rear Admiral M.L. Deyo's TF 54 and on 21 March departed for the invasion of Okinawa. She closed the coast of Okinawa 25 March and began hitting assigned targets along the southwestern part of the Japanese island fortress. In addition, she provided fire support during a diversionary raid on the southeast coast drawing enemy defenses from the main amphibious landings on the western beaches. On 3 April she received a fire support call from Minneapolis (CA-36). The cruiser was unable to silence entrenched shore batteries with eight inch (203 mm) fire and called on "Fighting Mary's" mighty 16 inch (406 mm) guns for aid. The veteran battleship hurled six salvos which destroyed the enemy artillery.
Maryland continued fire support duty until 7 April when she sailed with TF 54 to intercept a Japanese surface force to the northward. These ships, including the mighty Yamato, came under intense air attacks that same day, and planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force sank six of ten ships in the force. At dusk on the 7th Maryland took her third hit from enemy planes in ten months. A suicide plane loaded with a 500 pound (230 kg) bomb crashed the top of Turret No. 3 from starboard. The explosion wiped out the 20 mm mounts, causing 53 casualties. As before, however, she continued to hit enemy shore positions with 16 inch (406 mm) fire. While guarding the western transport area on 11 April, she splashed two planes during afternoon raids.
On 14 April Maryland left the firing line as escort for retiring transports. Steaming via the Mariana Islands and Pearl Harbor, she reached the Puget Sound Navy Yard at Bremerton, Washington, on 7 May the next day for extensive overhaul. Completing repairs in August, she now entered Operation Magic Carpet fleet. During the next four months she made five voyages between the west coast and Pearl Harbor, returning more than 8,000 combat veterans to the United States.
Post war Arriving Seattle, Washington, on 17 December, she completed her Operation Magic Carpet duty. She entered Puget sound Naval Shipyard on 15 April 1946 and was placed in commission in reserve on an inactive basis 16 July. She decommissioned at Bremerton 3 April 1947 and remained there as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Maryland was sold for scrapping to Learner Company of Oakland, California, on 8 July 1959.
On 2 June 1961 the Honorable J. Millard Tawes, Governor of Maryland, dedicated a lasting monument to the memory of the venerable battleship and her fighting men. Built of granite and bronze and incorporating the bell of "Fighting Mary," this monument honors a ship and her men whose service to the Nation reflected the highest traditions of the naval service. This monument is located on the grounds of the State House, Annapolis, Maryland.
Maryland received seven battle stars for World War II service.
Sculpin was commanded by LCDR Fred Connaway, making his first war patrol, but CAPT John Cromwell was also onboard in case conditions warranted forming up a wolfpack with Searaven and either Spearfish or Apogon under his direction. As a senior officer, Cromwell was completely familiar with the plans for Operation GALVANIC and knew a lot more about ULTRA - and its source - than anyone else on Sculpin. It was his first war patrol also.
After a brief overhaul, Sculpin left Pearl Harbor for her ninth war patrol on 5 November 1943. After refueling at Johnston Island on 7 November, she departed for her assigned station northeast of Truk. On 29 November, COMSUBPAC radioed Sculpin to order CAPT Cromwell to activate the wolfpack. When Sculpin failed to acknowledge the message, even after several repetitions, she was assumed - correctly - to have been lost at sea. It wasn't until after the war that the details of her loss - and that of John Cromwell - to enemy action became known from both Japanese sources and surviving crewmembers who had been prisoners of war.
USS Sculpin (SS-191), a Sargo-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sculpin, a spiny, large-headed, broad-mouthed, usually scaleless fish of the family Cottidae.
Her keel was laid down on 7 September 1937 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 27 July 1938 sponsored by Mrs. J.R. Defrees, and commissioned on 16 January 1939 with Lieutenant W.D. Wilkin in command.
1939 ? 1941
While on her initial shakedown cruise on 23 May 1939, Sculpin was diverted to search for the sunken submarine Squalus (SS-192). Sighting a red smoke bomb and a buoy from the sunken submarine, she established communications, first by phone and then by signals tapped in Morse code on the hull. It transpired that Squalus was resting on the bottom in 40 fathoms (73 m) of water, with both engine rooms flooded. Sculpin stood by while submarine rescue vessel Falcon (ASR-2) rescued the survivors, and rendered further assistance by familiarizing the divers with the configuration of her sister ship. Sculpin aided in the salvage of the sunken vessel by sounding out the approaches to Portsmouth Harbor and preparing supplementary charts of the area where Squalus was refloated.
Following the assistance given in the recovery of Squalus, Sculpin engaged in type training off the Atlantic coast until transferred to the Pacific Fleet. Departing Portsmouth on 28 January 1940, she arrived at San Diego, California, on 6 March. She sailed west on 1 April, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 9 March, where she was based for the next 18 months. Departing Pearl Harbor on 23 October 1941, she arrived at Manila on 8 November. From Cavite, she engaged in local operations and type training until war broke out.
First?fourth patrols, December 1941 ? July 1942
Departing Cavite on the night of 8 December 1941, Sculpin and sister ship Seawolf (SS-197) escorted seaplane tender Langley (AV-3) and oiler Pecos (AO-65) as far as San Bernardino Strait. She then took station in the Philippine Sea north of Luzon on 10 December. On the night of 10 January 1942, she intercepted two ships, made a surface attack, and scored hits on the lead ship. Forced to dive because of gunfire, Sculpin was unable to assess the results of her attack. Japanese records show that American submarines sank three Japanese ships that night; possibly Sculpin should be given credit for eliminating the 3817 ton merchantman Akita Maru. Her first patrol terminated at Surabaya ("Surabaja"), Java, on 22 January.
Her second patrol, 30 January to 28 February, was in the Molucca Sea, east of Sulawesi (Celebes). On 4 February off Kendari, Java, she torpedoed a Japanese destroyer, inflicting heavy damage. After the war, Japanese records revealed that, after a submarine attack off Kendari on 4 February, Japanese destroyer Suzukaze had been forced to run aground to avoid being sunk. Three nights later, Sculpin commenced an approach on a Japanese destroyer but was detected and forced to dive. She escaped four hours later after a heavy depth charge attack by her intended victim and five other destroyers. On the night of 17 February, she was detected while making a surface attack on a destroyer and was forced to dive. During the ensuing depth charge attack, she sustained damage to her starboard main controller and starboard shaft. On 28 February, she arrived at Exmouth, Western Australia, for repairs.
Her third patrol, 13 March to 27 April, out of Fremantle was in the Molucca Sea area. On 28 March, she fired a spread of three fish at a large cargo ship. The torpedoes were last seen running straight for the target, but apparently ran deep and passed under the merchant ship. A similar incident occurred on 1 April in a night attack. Sculpin, like many of her sister submarines in the early days of the Pacific war, was plagued by malfunctions of torpedo guidance systems which caused the "fish" either to take erratic courses or to run deep. The frustrated Sculpin returned to Fremantle on 27 April.
Sculpin?s fourth war patrol, 29 May to 17 June, was in the South China Sea. On 8 June, she was unsuccessful in an attack on a cargo ship, again due to torpedo malfunction. A vigorous depth charge attack kept Sculpin down while the cargo ship escaped. On 13 June, near Balabac Strait, she torpedoed a cargo ship which returned fire with her deck gun and commenced to limp away. Turning on two accompanying tankers astern of the cargo ship, Sculpin made an attack but was forced to dive to prevent being rammed by one of the tankers. Surfacing at dusk, Sculpin pursued the cargo ship, but was again driven away by accurate gunfire from the maru. She shifted her attack to a tanker, leaving the ship listing and making heavy smoke. However, no sinking was confirmed. Off Cape Varella, Indochina, early on the morning of 19 June, she torpedoed a cargo ship, making a hit forward of the stack. A heavy secondary explosion was heard, and the damaged vessel was last seen headed for the shore to beach, smoke pouring from her forward hatch. Sculpin returned to Australia on 17 July.
Fifth?eighth patrols, September 1942 ? September 1943
The waters of the Bismarck Archipelago were the theater of her fifth patrol, 8 September to 26 October. After reconnaissance operations off Thilenius and Montagu harbors of New Ireland, Sculpin commenced her search for Japanese shipping. On 28 September, she scored two hits on a cargo ship, but was forced to dive as a Japanese destroyer raced to the scene. Sculpin was under depth charge attack for three hours, during which she sustained minor damage. On 7 October, she made her first confirmed kill, the 4731-ton transport Naminoue Maru, off New Ireland. Escaping the Japanese escorts' countermeasures, she remained in the general area where, a week later, she intercepted a three-ship convoy in the shipping lane between Rabaul and Kavieng. Waiting until the escorting destroyer had made a patrol sweep to the opposite side of the convoy, Sculpin fired a spread of four torpedoes at the 2000 ton cargo ship Sumoyoshi Maru. While the blazing and sinking maru lay dead in the water, Sculpin made good her escape. Four days later, she inflicted minor damage on the light cruiser Yura, with a hit forward of the bridge, but was driven off by the cruiser?s gunfire.
Departing Brisbane on her sixth war patrol, 18 November 1942 to 8 January 1943, Sculpin worked her way past New Britain to the rich hunting grounds off Truk. After escaping a Japanese aerial attack on 11 December, she was stalking a Japanese aircraft carrier on the night of 18 December, when two destroyers attacked. One illuminated Sculpin with floodlights as both commenced heavy fire with deck guns. The submarine went deep and lay silent as the enemy depth charge attack and prolonged sonar search continued. The following night she scored two hits on a tanker, with no sinking confirmed.
Sculpin arrived at Pearl Harbor on 8 January 1943, and steamed east to San Francisco, California, for a three-month overhaul period. Returning to Pearl Harbor on 9 May, she departed Hawaii for her seventh war patrol on 24 May and operated off the northwest coast of Honshû. Three days after arriving on station, she made a surface attack on two aircraft carriers with a cruiser escort. Two heavy underwater explosions were heard as the submarine submerged. Postwar examination of Imperial Japanese Navy records revealed that the light carrier Hiyô had been moderately damaged by a torpedo attack in that area on 9 June. On 14 June, she damaged a cargo ship but was forced to dive and run silent to avoid the vigorous countermeasures of the maru?s escorts. On 19 June, she destroyed two sampans by gunfire, leaving them aflame, with decks awash. During the remainder of the patrol, she spotted other possible targets, but they all hugged the shore some running inside the 10 fathom (18 m) line. The patrol terminated at Midway Island on 4 July.
Sculpin?s eighth war patrol, 25 July to 17 September 1943, was off the Chinese coast and Formosa Strait. On 9 August, she torpedoed and sank the cargo/transport Sekko Maru off the coast of Formosa. She evaded ASW patrol craft in Taiwan Strait on 16 August and 17 August. On 21 August, she intercepted an armed cargo ship and fired a spread of three torpedoes which ran "hot, straight, and normal" but did not explode. Sculpin was immediately pounced upon by escorting destroyers and was forced to dive. The cargo ship escaped in the ensuing depth charge attack. A similar torpedo malfunction occurred on 1 September, when the splash of water resulting from the torpedo striking the target?s hull could be seen, but no detonation occurred. The submarine escaped the immediate counterattack of the escorts; and, after reconnaissance of Marcus Island, she returned to Midway Island.
Ninth patrol, November 1943
Following a brief overhaul period at Pearl Harbor, Sculpin departed Hawaii on 5 November 1943. Ordered to patrol north of Truk, she was to intercept and attack Japanese forces leaving Truk to oppose the forthcoming invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. Sculpin and two other submarines were to form a wolf pack to make coordinated attacks on the enemy. Captain John P. Cromwell was on board Sculpin to coordinate the wolf pack operations.
After refueling at Johnston Island on 7 November, Sculpin proceeded to her assigned station. On 29 November, Captain Cromwell was ordered to activate the wolf pack. When the submarine failed to acknowledge, the message was repeated 48 hours later. The submarine was presumed lost on 30 December and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 25 March 1944.
The account of Sculpin?s final patrol was given by the surviving members of her crew, who were liberated from Japanese prisoner of war camps after V-J Day. On 16 November, she had arrived on station and had made radar contact with a large, high-speed convoy on the night of 18 November. Making a fast end run on the surface to attack on the morning of 19 November, she was in firing position but was forced to dive when the convoy and its escorts zagged toward her. When the Japanese task force changed course, Sculpin surfaced to make another run, but was discovered by a rear guard destroyer only 600 yards away. Crash diving, the submarine escaped the first salvo of depth charges. A second string of "ash cans" knocked out her depth gauge and caused other minor damage. She evaded the destroyer in a rain squall and attempted to come to periscope depth. The damaged depth gauge stuck at 125 feet (38 m), so the submarine broached and was again detected. She immediately submerged and the destroyer attacked with a pattern of 18 depth charges. There was considerable damage, including temporary loss of depth control. As a result, Sculpin ran beyond safe depth so that many leaks developed in the hull. So much water entered that the submarine was forced to run at high speed to maintain depth. This made tracking easy for the Japanese sonar. A second depth charge attack knocked out Sculpin?s sonar, leaving her blind.
The submarine?s commanding officer, Commander Fred Connaway, decided to surface and give the crew of the doomed vessel a chance for survival. With her decks still awash, Sculpin?s gunners manned the deck guns but were no match for the destroyer?s main battery. A shell hit the conning tower and killed the bridge watch team, including Commander Connaway, and flying fragments killed the gun crew. The senior ship?s officer surviving ordered the submarine to be scuttled. Before he opened the vents, he informed Captain Cromwell. The captain possessed vital information concerning the forthcoming assault on the Gilbert Islands and subsequent operations. Fearing he might reveal these plans under the influence of torture or drugs, he refused to leave the stricken submarine giving his life to escape capture. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his act of heroism and devotion to country.
Forty-two of Sculpin?s crew were picked up by the Japanese destroyer Yamagumo. One badly wounded sailor was thrown back in the sea because of his condition. The survivors were questioned for about ten days at the Japanese naval base at Truk, then were embarked on two aircraft carriers returning to Japan. The escort carrier Chuyo carried 21 of the survivors in her hold. On 2 December, the carrier was torpedoed and sunk by Sailfish (SS-192) and twenty of the American prisoners perished; one man was saved when he was able to grab hold of a ladder on the side of a passing Japanese destroyer and hauled himself on board. (Ironically, Sailfish ? at the time named Squalus ? was the same submarine that Sculpin had helped to locate and raise some four-and-a-half years before.) The other 21 survivors arrived at Ofuna, Japan, on 5 December, and, after further questioning, were sent to the Ashio copper mines for the duration of the war.
Awards
Sculpin was awarded eight battle stars for her service in World War II, in addition to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.