This Fallen Navy Profile is not currently maintained by any Member.
If you would like to take responsibility for researching and maintaining this Fallen profile please click
HERE
Casualty Info
Home Town Birmingham, AL
Last Address Birmingham, AL
Casualty Date Feb 11, 1942
Cause KIA-Body Not Recovered
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery and Memorial - Manila, Philippines
Wall/Plot Coordinates (cenotaph)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
The USS Shark (SS-174) departed Manila on 9 December 1941, was ordered back on 19 December. She embarked again reported on 7 February 1942 that she was pursuing a Japanese cargo ship. She was never heard from again. She was presumed lost on 7 March 1942. Ensign Philabert was listed as missing in action and later declared dead 16 February 1943.
Comments/Citation:
Frank Florestine Philabert, Jr., was born on March 24, 1918, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Francis Florestine and Olivia (Montgomery) Philabert. He had one sister, Olivia. He grew up in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, graduated from Ramsey High School. He later graduated from the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Like his father, Frank worked as a chemical engineer.
Â
On July 6, 1940 he entered the Naval Reserves in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from the Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. He was commissioned as an Ensign on November 14, 1940.
Â
He reported aboard USS Shark (SS-174) on November 17, 1941. Shark was part of the Asiatic Fleet based at Manila, where she engaged in fleet tactics and exercises until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Departing Manila on 9 December 1941 she was at sea during the Japanese bombing raids on Manila the next day. For the next week, Shark patrolled Tayabas Bay until ordered back to Manila on 19 December to embark Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander-in-Chief, Asiatic Fleet, for transportation to Soerabaja, Java.
Â
On 6 January 1942, Shark was almost hit with a torpedo from an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine. A few days later, she was ordered to Ambon Island, where an enemy invasion was expected. On 27 January, she was directed to join the submarines patrolling in Strait of Malacca, then to cover the passage east of Lifamatola and Bangka Strait. On 2 February, Shark reported to her base at Soerabaja that she had been depth-charged 10 mi (16 km) off Tifore Island and had failed to sink a Japanese ship during a torpedo attack. Five days later, she reported chasing an empty cargo ship headed northwest. No further messages were received from Shark. On 8 February, she was told to proceed to Makassar Strait and later was told to report information. Nothing was heard and, on 7 March, Shark was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes, the first American submarine lost to enemy anti-submarine warfare. A Japanese report of anti-submarine attacks available now records at least three attacks, which might have been on Shark.
Â
Ens Frank F. Philabertâ??s name appears on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Philippines and on the USS Shark (SS-174) Memorial in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A memorial stone is in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Jefferson county, Alabama.
