February 27th - On This Date - USN Submarine Service

 1917 - 

PCU O-8 (SS-69) keel laid as O-8 at Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, MA.

1917 - 

PCU O-10 (SS-71) keel laid as O-10 at Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, MA.

1919 - 

PCU S 35 (SS-140) launched at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, CA; sponsored by Miss Louise C. Bailey.

1944 -  

USS GRAYBACK (SS-208)'s tenth patrol, her most successful in terms of tonnage sunk, was also to be her last. She sailed from Pearl Harbor 28 January 1944, for the East China Sea. On 24 February GRAYBACK radioed that she had sunk two cargo ships 19 February and had damaged two others. On 25 February she transmitted her second and final report. That morning she had sunk tanker Toshin Maru and severely damaged another. With only two torpedoes remaining, she was ordered home from patrol. Due to reach Midway on 7 March, GRAYBACK did not arrive. ComSubPac reluctantly listed her as missing and presumed lost with all hands.

From captured Japanese records the gallant submarine's last few days can be pieced together. Heading home through the East China Sea, GRAYBACK used her last two torpedoes to sink the freighter Ceylon Maru. That same day, a Japanese carrier-based plane spotted a submarine on the surface in the East China Sea and attacked. According to Japanese reports the submarine "exploded and sank immediately" but antisubmarine craft were called in to depth-charge the area, clearly marked by a trail of air bubbles, until at last a heavy oil slick swelled to the surface. GRAYBACK had ended her last patrol, one which cost the enemy some 21,594 tons of shipping.

The fighting submarine's career, so tragically ended, had been an illustrious one. GRAYBACK ranked 20th among all submarines in total tonnage sunk with 63,835 tons and 24th in number of ships sunk with 14. Submarine and crew had received two Navy Unit Commendations for their 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th war patrols.

Eighty men were lost with GRAYBACK that day.

She was the twenty-seventh U.S. submarine loss of World War II.

GRAYBACK received eight battle stars for World War II service.

1944 -  

PCU BESUGO (SS-321) launched at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. P. J. Homer.

2004 -  

The Honorable Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, toured the Los Angles-class attack submarine USS CHARLOTTE (SSN-766) pierside Naval Submarine Base Pearl Harbor, HI. The Secretary arrived in Hawaii following a trip to the Asia-Pacific region that included visits to Japan, Singapore and Guam.

COB