Ferentz, John, S2c

On January 10th, 1943, the USS Argonaut (SS-166) was attacking a Japanese convoy when she was counterattacked by the convoy escorts. An allied plane witnessed her attack. The submarine was apparently damaged by a depth charge. When she came to the surface, she was subsequently sunk by gun fire from the Japanese destroyers escorting the convoy, with a loss of all crew members. Seaman 2nd Class Ferentz was officially declared dead on January 11, 1944.

John Ferentz was born February 2, 1919 in Shamokin, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, son of Matthew and Antenette â??Tessieâ?? (Yonkovig) Ferentz. He had two brothers. Older brother Malcolm served in the Army during WWII. His family lived in Shamokin, where his father worked as a brakeman and fireman and later as an engineer for the railroad.
 
John â??was educated in Shamokin Borough schools andâ?¦graduated from Shamokin High School in 1938. During his high school career he distinguished himself as a member of the football and basketball squads. Duringâ?¦1936 and 1937 he was star halfback on the famous teams coached by John Butler. Following graduation from high school, he played basketball with the Kulpmont Imperials of the North Anthracite League.
 
In 1940 he entered Georgetown University where he earned a position on the freshman football team, but due to a knee injury sustained during his high school days, he was forced to relinquish football at that school. The following year he entered West Virginia University (in Morgantown, West Virginia). He was a junior at that institution when he volunteered for serviceâ?? with the Naval Reserves on April 2, 1942 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
 
John â??was a member of the Ukrainian Church of the Transfiguration and was active in religious and social affairs of the congregation. As a member of the church dramatic club he participated in the presentation of a number of plays and entertainments.â??
 
On November 18, 1942 he reported aboard USS Argonaut as a Seaman 2nd class. USS Argonaut (APS-1, later known as SS-166) was the largest American submarine during WWII. While operating in the area southeast of New Britain in the Solomon Sea off Papau, New Guinea during her third patrol, Argonaut intercepted a Japanese convoy returning to Rabaul from Lae on January 10, 1943. A U. S. Army plane which was out of bombs saw one destroyer hit by a torpedo, saw the explosion of two other destroyers, and reported that there were five other vessels in the group. On the basis of the report given by the Army flier who witnessed the attack in which Argonaut perished, this ship was credited with having damaged one Japanese destroyer on her last patrol.
 
Argonaut was sunk by Japanese aircraft and destroyers Isokaze and Maikaze during this encounter on January 10, 1943. S2 John Ferentz was among the 8 officers and 94 crew members lost. Later issued letters of commendation indicate â??as a result of a severe counterattack the Argonaut was forced to break surface but with no regard to personal safety and in the face of imminent death, the officers and crew accepted destruction rather than surrender.â??
 
The name of John Ferentz appears on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines.

References:
1920; Census Place: Shamokin Ward 5, Northumberland, Pennsylvania; Page: 13A; ED: 121
1930; Census Place: Shamokin, Northumberland, Pennsylvania; Page: 13B; ED: 0058
1940; Census Place: Shamokin, Northumberland, Pennsylvania; Page: 19B; ED: 49-77
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966
https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/ferentz-j.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56767316/john-ferentz
Ancestry.com. U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941
Shamokin News-Dispatch, Shamokin, PA: Feb. 16, 1943, pp.1, 2
https://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08166.htm
Naval History and Heritage Command - USS Argonaut
https://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-argonaut-166-loss.html
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949
 
This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.
 
If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at sgould557@gmail.com.
 
Service number: 6504725

Submarine war patrols:
USS Nautilus (SS-168) - 3rd
USS Argonaut (SS-166) - 3rd

The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.