Clamagore
This page is dedicated to RADM. William
S. Post, Jr., shown above as CO, USS Newport News (CA-148) in 1957. He began his Navy career by
enlisting in 1925. A year later he competed and won a Fleet Appointment to the Navy Academy from which he graduated in 1930. After serving in
3 cruisers and 2 destroyers, he entered Submarine School. He served in
the submarines R-11, Shark, and Argonaut before becoming Commanding
Officer of USS Gudgeon (SS 211) and then USS Spot (SS 413). As CO of
Gudgeon and Spot, he was awarded 3 Navy Crosses, 2 Silver Stars, the
Legion of Merit, and Presidential Unit Citation. He also was awarded a
host of campaign ribbons. RADM. Post made a total of 7 War Patrols in
Argonaut, Gudgeon, and Spot. Following are abstracts of Patrols:
USS Gudgeon:
USS Spot:
Admiral
Post passed away on 17 December 2001.
Obituary from The Annapolis Capital.
The Fleet Submarine is the
Model-A of the Navy! No other class of ship has proven so valuable and has done so much in helping the Navy perform
its mission. These ships were all built during or shortly after World War II.
Here's what Admiral Samuel E. Morison has to say about these submarines
in his classic "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II":
"The
United States (fleet) submarine was destined to be one of the most
devastating weapons in the Pacific. General Tojo, after
the war, said that
the destruction of her merchant marine was one of
the three factors
factors that defeated Japan, the other two being leapfrog
strategy and
fast carrier operations......Nearly one third of all
Japanese combatant
ships destroyed and nearly two thirds of merchant tonnage
sunk was
the work of United States (fleet) submarines."
Fifty-two Fleet submarines were
lost during World War II. Of the nearly 17,000 U.S. Navy personnel who served in submarines, 3,505 were lost
with their ships. This attrition rate of 21% was the highest of any U.S.
Armed Forces group.
After the war, the fleet
submarines were modified for snorkel. Many also underwent streamline and battery modifications to GUPPY
(I,IA,II,IIA, and finally in the 1960's: III). They were the first of the
cold warriors. Many skippers received Legions of Merit Awards
for their exploits in wearing out their Soviet counterparts in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. Many were around in the early 1970's when they were finally phased out by the SSN's.
They did their job!
The author served in the following converted Fleet Submarines:
Sea Owl Web Site
The Best Submarine Site On The
Internet! Way to go Roy!!
USS
Clamagore (SS 343)
cvanews.org
Clamagore at Patriot's Point
USS
Darter (SS 563)
USS Entemedor (SS 340)
Shown at left are Admiral John S.
McCain and
his son CDR. John S. McCain, Jr. aboard
Submarine Tender USS Proteus (AS 19) in Tokyo Bay at the time of the Japanese surrender. The elder McCain
was Commander, Task Force 38, a Fast Carrier Task Force. The son was
CO, USS Dentuda (SS 335) moored alongside. Prior to Dentuda, He was CO
USS Gunnel (SS 253), the subject of the below story, and rose to become
Admiral J.S. McCain, Jr. who was CINCPAC at the height of the VietNam era.
The two McCains are the only Father/Son Four-Star Admiral combination in
Naval History. Click on the photo above for USS John S. McCain Home Page.
The two Admirals are the Grandfather and Father of Senator
John S. McCain III.
USS Gunnel (SS 253):
Award-Winning story of a WWII Fleet Submarine.
Give
'em Hell by James M. Lavelle, Jr.
In honor of his Father who served in
USS Gunnel (SS 253)
RADM Eugene B. "Lucky" Fluckey and USS BARB (SS-220)
CMOH + 4 Navy Crosses
Thunder Below
Adm Fluckey's Medal Of Honor Citation
USS Barb
sinks a railroad train.
USS Barb:
Story of 11th War Patrol
USS Barb War
Patrols:
Battle Flag of
USS Barb
For the
Love of Barb: By CDR Jim Richards
Message to Today's Submariners
Biography
of Vice Admiral Charles Bowers “Swede” Momsen.
Service Record of VADM Momsen.
Rescue and Salvage of U.S.S. Squalus by Commander
Charles B. Momsen, USN
Navy names destroyer to honor submarine hero!
More
Commisioning
Pre-Commissioning Unit USS
MOMSEN (DDG-92).
Online
Library of Selected Images:
Bob
'Dex' Armstrong: Stories of the After Battery Rat!
Maritme.Org: Take a virtual tour of USS
Pampanito (SS 383) moored in San Francisco.
Fleet Type Submarine Online:
Navpers 16160. First in a series of submarine training manuals after WW II.
International Community of Submariners Association: Great Britain.
Order Diesel Submarine Photos:
USS Becuna (SS 319): Virtual Tour!
Loss of
USS Cochino (SS 345): 26-Aug-1949 when it was sunk in Norwegian Sea after
onboard fire.
Memorial to
crew Lost Aboard USS Snook (SS 279): 84 Men lost including Victor
Gregorini.
Battle Stations Missile!: Remembering the Regulus Submarine Era!
USS COD Submarine Memorial
TDC
Restoration
Submarine Wives
Club: Support group for
wives, girlfriends and family members of submariners.
Razorback enroute to North Little Rock:
USS
Tirante (SS 420) Web Site: Original CO: George Street CMOH.
Original XO: Edward Beach (Run Silent, Run Deep)
Subnet:
A Tribute To Those In The Silent Service: Article in the Seattle Post
Intelligence about USS Tirante in WWII!