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Casualty Info
Home Town Houtzdale, PA
Last Address Houtzdale, PA
Casualty Date Feb 26, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates Court 3 (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
USS Grayback's (SS-208) 10th war patrol, her most successful, was also her last. She left Pearl Harbor, 28 January, 1944, and by 25 February had sunk three ships and damaged three others. On 27 February she sank another ship but was apparently attacked by carrier based aircraft (according to Japanese reports) and sunk. Fire Controlman Second Class Gavlak was listed as Missing in Action and later declared dead 12 January 1946.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 2506016
Submarine war patrols: USS Grayback (SS-208) - 9th and 10th
Navy Unit Commendation
For ourstanding heroism in action during the Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth War Patrols in restricted waters of the Pacific. Tracking her targets relentlessly in wide coverage of her assigned sectors, the USS Grayback bodly penetrated formidable enemy screens to strike at every quarter. Repeatedly forced to deep submergence by unusually heavy deapth charging, she continued to launch her torpedoes against strongly escorted convoys with deadly purposes and, under superb handling of her skilled officers and men, achieved a notable combat record in vital ships sunk or damaged and contributed essentially to the steady weakening of the enemy's shipping strength and to the blocking of his life line of supply. Ceaseless in her vigilance and daring in her sustained offensive, she fought gallantly throughout numerous gruelling patrols, rendering distinctive service in thwarting the war efforts of a fanatical enemy until she failed to return after the overwhelming counter-attacks suffered during the Tenth War Patrol. The USS Grayback leaves behind her an imspiring tradition of intrepidity and aggressiveness, reflecting the valor, the daring seamanship and fortitude of her ship's company.
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
Hull number AD-15 Dixie Class Destroyer Tender:
Laid down, 7 December 1938, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
Launched, 9 December 1939
Commissioned USS Prairie (AD-15), 5 August 1940, CAPT. John B. W. Waller in command
During World War II Prairie was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
During the Vietnam War Prairie participated in the following campaign:
Vietnam War Campaign
Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign, 16 t o17 March 1973
Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 26 March 1993
Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
Title transfer to MARAD, 1 April 1993
Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 April 2 1993 (some sources indicate 6 April 1993) to "Nishant Import & Export" of the United Arab Emirates for $960,000. Towed to India in April 1993 and scrapped
USS Prairie earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service
Specifications: Displacement 18,000 t. (lim) Length 530' 6" Beam 73' 4" Draft 24' 5" Speed 19.6 kts (trial) Complement
officer 123
enlisted 1,576 Armament
four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
four single 40mm AA gun mounts
two 3pdr gun mounts
Aft two 5"/38 mounts and all 40mm gun mounts later removed, and helicopter platform added Largest boom capacity 20 t. Ship's Service Generators four 750Kw 450V A.C. Fuel Capacity
NFSO 24,555 Bbls.
Diesel 2,705 Bbls. Propulsion
two New York Shipbuilding Parsons-design steam turbines
four Babcock & Wilcox "A" (three drum expansion type) boilers 485psi 720°.
double De Laval Main Reduction Gear two propellers, 11,000shp
