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Casualty Info
Home Town Burlingame, CA
Last Address 1108 Capuchino Ave Burlingame, CA
Casualty Date Feb 29, 1944
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (VA) - Honolulu, Hawaii
Wall/Plot Coordinates Court 3 (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
USS Trout (SS-202) began her 11th war patrol on 8 February 1944. She was enroute to the East China Sea. On 29 February a Japanese convoy was attacked in the area assigned to Trout, and one ship was sunk, and another severely damaged. Trout was never heard from again, and may have been sunk by one of the convoy's escorts. Radioman 3rd Class Frogner was listed as Missing in Action and later declared dead 14 April 1946.
Comments/Citation:
SILVER STAR
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Army Award) to Gordon Ingvald Frogner, Apprentice Seaman, U.S. Navy (Reserve), for gallantry in action and participation in the accomplishment of an unusual and hazardous mission for the War Department in enemy-controlled waters during January - March 1942, while a member of the crew of the U.S.S. TROUT (SS-202). Carrying a heavy load of antiaircraft ammunition urgently needed by the beleaguered forces of General Douglas MacArthur in the Philippine Islands, the U.S.S. TROUT departed from Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, for Corregidor Island, Manila Bay, at 0900 on 12 January 1942, refueling at Midway Island on 16 January 1942. The U.S.S. TROUT proceeded on the surface until 21 January, traveling submerged thereafter during daylight hours. At 0230 on 27 January 1942, an unsuccessful night attack was made on a lighted vessel, resulting in the U.S.S. TROUT being chased by the vessel at such speed as to for the TROUT to dive in order to escape. On 3 February 1942, after dark, the TROUT made rendezvous off Corregidor with an escort motor torpedo boat. The TROUT then followed the escort at high speed through a winding passage in a mine field to South Dock, Corregidor Island, where she unloaded 3500 rounds of antiaircraft artillery ammunition for the Army Forces defending Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor. Twenty tons of gold and silver, securities, diplomatic and United States mail and two additional torpedoes were loaded on the TROUT for the return voyage. The TROUT cleared the Corregidor dock at 0300, 4 February and bottomed in Manila Bay during daylight on 4 February. Surfacing that night, additional securities and mail were loaded before the TROUT departed from Manila Bay through the mine field. On the return trip one enemy merchant vessel and one patrol vessel were attacked and sunk. The U.S.S. TROUT arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 March 1942, after 51 days at sea.
Marshall Islands Operation (1944)/Sinking of the USS Trout (SS-202)
From Month/Year
February / 1944
To Month/Year
February / 1944
Description USS Trout (SS-202) was a Tambor-class submarine of the United States Navy, serving in the Pacific from 1941 to 1944. She received 11 battle stars for World War II service and three Presidential Unit Citations, for her second, third, and fifth war patrols. Trout also delivered ammunition to the besieged American forces on Corregidor and brought out 20 tons of gold bars and silver pesos from the Philippine currency reserve to Pearl Harbor.
Trout is credited with sinking 23 enemy ships, giving her 87,000 tons sunk, and damaging 6 ships, for 75,000 tons. During her first ten war patrols she made 32 torpedo attacks, firing 85 torpedoes, including 34 hits, 5 confirmed premature detonations, 5 confirmed duds, and 25 suspected duds. She was also involved in six battle surface actions and was attacked with depth charges eight times.
She was reported overdue on 17 April 1944 and presumed lost on her eleventh war patrol.
On 8 February 1944, the submarine began her 11th and final war patrol. Trout topped off with fuel at Midway Island and, on 16 February, headed via a great circle route toward the East China Sea.
Japanese records examined after the war indicate that one of their convoys, Matsu No. 1, was attacked by a submarine on 29 February 1944 in the patrol area assigned to Trout. Carrying the 29th Infantry Division of the Kwantung Army from Manchuria to Guam, Matsu No. 1 consisted of four large transports escorted by three Yūgumo-class destroyers of Destroyer Division 31: Asashimo, Kishinami, and Okinami. The submarine badly damaged one large passenger-cargo ship and sank the 7,126-ton transport Sakito Maru, which was carrying the Japanese 18th Infantry Regiment.[11] Asashimo detected the submarine and dropped 19 depth charges. Oil and debris came to the surface and the destroyer dropped a final depth charge on that spot, at the position 22°40′N 131°45′ECoordinates: 22°40′N 131°45′E. The submarine was using Mk. XVIII electric torpedoes, and it was also possible that one of those had made a circular run and sunk the boat, as happened with Tang.
On 17 April 1944, Trout was declared presumed lost with all 81 hands, including Clark and his executive officer, Lt. Harry Eades Woodworth, both of whom had made all 11 war patrols.
SILVER STAR