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Casualty Info
Home Town San Francisco, CA
Casualty Date Mar 26, 1944
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Other Explosive Device
Location South China Sea
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Wall/Plot Coordinates Walls of the Missing
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
On 5 March 1944, Tullibee, commanded by Cdr. C. F. Brindupke, departed Pearl Harbor to start her fourth war patrol. She stopped at Midway to top off with fuel, and having left that place on 14 March, she was not heard from again. The area assigned to Tullibee was an open sea area north of Palau, and she was to cooperate with surface forces in the first carrier strike on Palau.
Tullibee was to leave her area not later than 24 April 1944, and on that date a dispatch was sent directing her to proceed to Majuro for refit. She was expected at Majuro about 4 May, but instructions stated that a submarine unable to transmit would not go to Majuro, but to Midway. On 6 May 1944, Midway was alerted for a submarine returning without transmission facilities, but the lookout was not rewarded and Tullibee was presumed lost on 15 May 1944.
The following story of Tullibee's loss is taken from a statement made by the lone survivor, C.W. Kuykendall, GM2c. He reports that the boat arrived on station, 25 March, and on the night of 26 March a radar contact was found to be on a convoy consisting of a large troop and cargo ship, two medium sized freighters, two escort vessels and a large destroyer.
Having solved the convoy's speed and course, Tullibee made several surface runs on the large transport, but held fire, being unable to see her due to squally weather. The escorts had detected the submarine's presence, and dropped 15 to 20 depth charges. The submarine came in to 3,000 yards, still unable to see the target, and fired two bow tubes. A minute or two later a terrific concussion shook the boat, and Kuykendall, who had been on the bridge, soon found himself struggling in the water. Since range and bearing of escorts was known, the survivor states that he is sure the explosion was the result of a circular run of one of Tullibee's torpedoes.
There were shouting men in the water when Kuykendall first regained consciousness after the blast, but after about ten minutes everything was silent, and he never again saw or heard any of the other Tullibee men. At 1000 on 27 March, an escort vessel located the swimming man, and after firing on him with machine guns, came in and picked him up. He learned here that the transport they had fired at had sunk.
The story of his captivity is much the same as the stories of survivors of Grenadier, Sculpin, Tang, Perch, and other U.S. submarines. He was questioned assiduously by English speaking officers, and beaten when he refused to give any more information than international law required. In April 1944, he was taken to Ofuna Naval Interrogation Camp, where he stayed until 30 September. From that date until rescue on 4 September 1945, he was forced to work in the copper mines of Ashio.
This submarine began her career in the Submarine Force in July 1943, with a patrol in the western Caroline Islands. In this patrol she sank one freighter and damaged another. Her second patrol was in the area south of Formosa off the China coast; here she sank a transport ship and damaged a large tanker and another transport. On her third patrol, in the Marianas area, Tullibee sank a small freighter. This gave Tullibee a total of three ships sunk, totaling 15,500 tons, and three damaged, for 22,000 tons.
Comments/Citation:
Name of Award
Silver Star
Year Awarded
1943
Details behind Award:
Awarded for actions during World War II
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander Charles Frederic Brindupke (NSN: 0-71489), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. TULLIPBEE (SS-284) during the SECOND War Patrol of that Submarine from 28 September to 16 November 1943, in enemy Japanese-controlled waters in the Pacific War Area. Displaying brilliant tactical skill and fearless determination, Commander Brindupke attacked a group of hostile vessels, sinking and damaging an important amount of enemy tonnage. Following the engagement, when the Japanese violently depth-charged and bombed the submarine, sending her to the bottom, he coolly and courageously extricated his ship and throughout the ensuing day skillfully avoided severe air and surface countermeasures by the enemy. During two later engagements, he inflicted extensive damage on a hostile tanker and carried out a devastating bombardment of installations on an enemy-held island. Commander Brindupke's inspiring leadership and the loyal devotion to duty of his officers and men were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. General Orders: Pacific Fleet Board of Awards: Serial 46 (February 18, 1944) Action Date: September 28 - November 16, 1943 Service: Navy Rank: Commander Division: U.S.S. Tullibee (SS-284)
USS Tullibee (SS-284) 4th War Patrol - 03/1944 - 03/1944
Date
Mar 5, 1944
Last Updated: Feb 12, 2010
Comments
5 Mar 1944 USS Tullibee (Cdr. C.F. Brindupke) departs Pearl Harbour for her 4th war patrol. She is ordered to patrol off the Palaus. 14 Mar 1944 USS Tullibee (Cdr. C.F. Brindupke) toppes off with fuel at Midway.
On 5 March, Tullibee stood out of Pearl Harbor to begin her fourth war patrol. Nine days later, she called at Midway Island to top off her fuel and then proceeded to her patrol area in the Palau Islands. She was scheduled to support aircraft carrier strikes against those islands on 30-31 March. On 25 March, Tullibee arrived on station and began patrolling. The next day, she made radar contact on a convoy consisting of a large passenger-cargo ship, two medium-sized freighters, a destroyer, and two other escorts. The submarine made several surface runs on the transport but kept losing her in rain squalls. Tullibee finally closed to 3,000 yd (2,700 m) and launched two torpedoes from her bow tubes at the target. About two minutes later, the submarine was rocked by a violent explosion. Apparently, one of Tullibee's own torpedoes ran a circular course and sank the submarine that had launched it. Gunner's Mate C.W. Kuykendall, on the bridge at the time, was knocked unconscious and thrown into the water. When he regained consciousness, the submarine was gone. He heard voices in the water for about ten minutes, then they stopped. The next day, he was picked up by a Japanese escort. Tullibee was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 29 July 1944; Kuykendall survived as a prisoner of war and was released after V-J Day. Tullibee received three battle stars for World War II service.
