Parks, Edward Schley, Jr., LT

USS Triton (SS-201) began her final war patrol on 16 February 1943. After a series of Successful attacks early in March, she reported attacking a convoy on 15 March and was being depth charged. This was the last communication from the Triton. Post- war examination of Japanese records indicates that they had sunk a submarine slightly northwest of Triton's reported position. Lieutenant Parks was listed as Missing in Action and later declared dead 9 April 1944.

Lieutenant Edward Schley Parks Jr., United States Navy, Service Number O-107063. (Listed in some references as Lieutenant, Junior Grade)
 
Early Life
 
Edward Schley Parks Jr. was born on 31 May 1919 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. His father, Edward Schley “Dewey” Parks Sr., born 13 July 1898 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, died 1 January 1983 in 4)
Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia, was an Automobile Parts Salesman. His mother, Ann Agnes LaHatte was born on 3 July 1896 in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia and died on 18 November 1984 in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia. Edward’s parents were married 23 May 1918. Edward was the eldest of five children in the family; he had three younger brothers and one younger sister. He was a graduate of Georgia Tech.
 
Military
 
Edward Schley Parks Jr. joined the Navy in June 1941. After submarine school in New London, Connecticut and additional follow-on training, he was assigned to the submarine USS Triton (SS-201).
 
On 15 March 1943, USS Triton while at sea between Rabaul and Shortlands Basin in the  Admiralty Islands, north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean was most probably sunk by a Japanese destroyer depth charge attack.
 
From Find-A-Grave.com
 
U.S. Submarine Losses World War II, NAVPERS 15,784, 1949 ISSUE The fourth of our submarines lost in the Solomons-Bismarck area in the early part of 1943, TRITON, commanded by LCDR George K. MacKenzie, Jr., left Brisbane on 16 February 1943 to begin her sixth patrol in that area. She hunted for traffic between Rabaul and Shortland Basin on her way north, and began to patrol the equator between 154° 00'E and 156° 00'E, on 23 February.
 
She reported on 26 February of having seen smoke on 22 February, and that she obtained evidence of enemy radar on Buka. Moving westward, she patrolled areas northwest of SNAPPER and southeast of TRIGGER from 26 February to 6 March, when she left her area to attack a convoy in TRIGGER's area. Her report on 7 March, amended by another 8 March, stated that the convoy had been composed of 5 ships and 1 DD escort. She reported their speed and course and the fact that she had sunk two AK's of the convoy and damaged another, claiming 3 hits out of 6 torpedoes fired at noon 6 March. A circular torpedo run forced her deep, where she was depth charged by the destroyer. She had later tried two night attacks, one dawn attack, and one afternoon attack, all without success, and was returning to her area at the time she sent the message. About eight hours after this message came, TRITON transmitted another telling of another night attack on a convoy. She claimed 5 hits of 8 torpedoes fired, and, although she could not observe results due to gunfire and attack by the escorting destroyer, she believed two more freighters to be sunk.
 
The last word received from TRITON came on 11 March 1943 when she reported, "Two groups of smokes, 5 or more ships each, plus escorts. . . Am chasing". She was ordered to stay south of the Equator, and was informed of the area (an adjacent one) assigned TRIGGER.
 
On the morning of 13 March TRITON was told that three enemy destroyers had been sighted at 02° 00'S, 145° 44'E on a northerly course. She was informed that they were probably on a submarine hunt or were a convoy cover and had missed contact.
 
TRITON, on 16 March, was ordered to change her area slightly to the east. TUNA and GREENLING were placed in adjacent areas (to the south and west, respectively) on 22 March, and all were to disregard areas when on the chase, and to avoid when encountering a submarine. TRITON was told to clear her area on 25 March 1943, and return to Brisbane. When she failed to make her report of position, new results, and estimated time of arrival when it was expected, she was ordered to do so. No report was received and she was reported as lost on 10 April 1943.
 
Information available now that the war is over shows that TRITON was, without a doubt, sunk by the enemy destroyers of which she was given information on 13 March. Enemy reports show that these ships made an attack on 15 March at 00° 09'N, 144° 55'E. This position was slightly north and west of TRITON's area, but she undoubtedly left her area to attack the destroyers or the convoy they were escorting. The report of the attack by the destroyers leaves little doubt as to whether a kill was made, since they saw "a great quantity of oil, pieces of wood, cork, and manufactured goods bearing the mark 'Made in U. S. A'." In addition, TRIGGER, in whose area this attack occurred, reported that on 15 March she made two attacks on a convoy of five freighters with two escorts at 00° 00'N, 145° 00'E. At this time she was depth charged, but not seriously, and she heard distant depth charging for an hour after the escorts had stopped attacking her. Since she was only about ten miles from the reported Japanese attack cited above, it is presumed that she heard the attack, which sank TRITON. Apparently by this time the destroyers had joined their convoy TRITON was a most active and valuable member of the Submarine Force prior to her loss.
 
In total, TRITON is credited with sinking 16 ships, totaling 64,600 tons, and damaging 4 ships, of 29,200 total tons. Her first patrol, conducted around Wake Island, resulted in no damage to the enemy, but her second, in the northern part of the East China Sea, was very productive. In ten days she sank two freighters and damaged a freighter-transport and another freighter. She went back to the East China Sea for her third patrol, and again was most successful. She sank a trawler, two freighters, a freighter-transport, two sampans, and a submarine. The latter was I-164, and was torpedoed south of Kyushu on 17 May. TRITON's fourth patrol was made in the Aleutians. During it, she is credited with sinking two escort type vessels.
 
On her fifth patrol, TRITON went into the Solomons area. She sank a tanker and two freighters, in addition damaging a tanker of 10,200 tons and a freighter. She was credited with having sunk two medium freighters on her last patrol.
 
Death and Burial
 
Edward Schley Parks Jr. was Declared Dead, Missing in Action or Lost at Sea on At Sea on 15 March 1943 in the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal. He is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines and at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, Section MK, Site: 154.
 
Sources
 
https://www.fold3.com/memorial/636363399/parks-edward-schley-jr-lt
 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49347908
 
https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=14136
 
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92657627/the-atlanta-constitution/