USS Grunion Found

[Mike Malanaphy]

Hi Guys,

Saw an article today that the navy has confirmed the sunken submarine in 3,000 feet of water off Kiska is in fact the missing USS Grunion lost sometime after 30 July 1942. The three sons of her commander, Mannert L. Abele, sponsored a private search which located the wreck via side scan sonar and took video of the wreck. There were no photos but the early war Gato conning tower is clearly visible as she is laying almost on her port beam. The ship appears intact.

Evidently, the sons located information on a Japanese website regarding merchant sinkings that a troop transport was attacked on the surface by a subnmarine on 31 JUly near Kiska. They troop transport claimed a hit on the submarine's conning tower and she sank. that infornmation sparked their subsequent successful search.

[old_pop2000]

Hi Gys,

Saw an article today that the navy has confirmed the sunken submarine in 3,000 feet of water off Kiska is in fact the missing USS Grunion lost sometime after 30 July 1942. The three sons of her commander, Mannert L. Abele, sponsored a private search which located the wreck via side scan sonar and took video of the wreck. There were no photos but the early war Gato conning tower is clearly visible as she is laying almost on her port beam. The ship appears intact.

Evidently, the sons located information on a Japanese website regarding merchant sinkings that a troop transport was attacked on the surface by a submarine on 31 July near Kiska. They troop transport claimed a hit on the submarine's conning tower and she sank. that information sparked their subsequent successful search.

I read that same article. It's fascinating to see the interest in forensic archeology these days.

[Mike Malanaphy]

I read that same article. It's fascinating to see the interest in forensic archeology these days.

Hi Dennis,

The proliferation of quality underwater equipment will be a boon to finding many more missing ships.

[old_pop2000]

Hi Dennis,

The proliferation of quality underwater equipment will be a boon to finding many more missing ships.


Absolutely. It's already proved to be a veritable gold mine to underwater archeologists, military historians and the like.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Guys,

Saw an article today that the navy has confirmed the sunken submarine in 3,000 feet of water off Kiska is in fact the missing USS Grunion lost sometime after 30 July 1942. The three sons of her commander, Mannert L. Abele, sponsored a private search which located the wreck via side scan sonar and took video of the wreck. There were no photos but the early war Gato conning tower is clearly visible as she is laying almost on her port beam. The ship appears intact.

Evidently, the sons located information on a Japanese website regarding merchant sinkings that a troop transport was attacked on the surface by a subnmarine on 31 JUly near Kiska. They troop transport claimed a hit on the submarine's conning tower and she sank. that infornmation sparked their subsequent successful search.

Mike:

Was Grunion one of the early war heavy hitters? I seem to recall that most of the very successful early war boats were lost in action. Pre-radar days I think.

[Mike Malanaphy]

Mike:

Was Grunion one of the early war heavy hitters? I seem to recall that most of the very successful early war boats were lost in action. Pre-radar days I think.

Hi Ed,

Unfortunately not, according to Blair she was lost on her first patrol off the Aleutians. She got wartime credit for 3 destroyers for 4,500 tons whch was reduced two 2 300 ton patrol boats after the war. For a while it was thought she had been torpedoed by he I-25 which claimned a sinking in the area, but later deternmined to be a Russian sub enroute to Vladivostok after being turned over for lend lease. Abele had made a name for himself coming out from the Atlantic after he rescuied 16 survivors from a life boat in heavy weather off Panama.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Hi Ed,

Unfortunately not, according to Blair she was lost on her first patrol off the Aleutians. She got wartime credit for 3 destroyers for 4,500 tons whch was reduced two 2 300 ton patrol boats after the war. For a while it was thought she had been torpedoed by he I-25 which claimned a sinking in the area, but later deternmined to be a Russian sub enroute to Vladivostok after being turned over for lend lease. Abele had made a name for himself coming out from the Atlantic after he rescuied 16 survivors from a life boat in heavy weather off Panama.


Mike:

Talk about bad luck. I wonder how often that sort of friendly fire occurred? I know that a few US subs were lost to attack by our own aircraft. It reached the point where the USN would escort subs to and from harbor to avoid misidentification by patrolling aircraft.

[Mike Malanaphy]

Mike:

Talk about bad luck. I wonder how often that sort of friendly fire occurred? I know that a few US subs were lost to attack by our own aircraft. It reached the point where the USN would escort subs to and from harbor to avoid misidentification by patrolling aircraft.

Hi Ed,

Dorado by aicraft in the Carribean and Seawolf in the Pacific are the only US ones I know of. I was trying to find some information on the Soviet lend lease American submarine sunk by I-25, but ran across the four Britsh subs given to the Soviets instead. One, a U class, was sunk by a British Liberator as she headed for Murmansk. Got to study those recognition books. :)

[john964]

Hi Ed,

Dorado by aicraft in the Carribean and Seawolf in the Pacific are the only US ones I know of. I was trying to find some information on the Soviet lend lease American submarine sunk by I-25, but ran across the four Britsh subs given to the Soviets instead. One, a U class, was sunk by a British Liberator as she headed for Murmansk. Got to study those recognition books. :)IIRC Surcouf was run down by a freighter near Panama

[john964]

Mike:

Talk about bad luck. I wonder how often that sort of friendly fire occurred? I know that a few US subs were lost to attack by our own aircraft. It reached the point where the USN would escort subs to and from harbor to avoid misidentification by patrolling aircraft.Ed, I have several books on the submarine war and not one has any referance to subs being escorted in and out of port. Several make referance to safe travel lanes and radioing in ETA's but no meetings with escorts.

[Ed Rotondaro]

Ed, I have several books on the submarine war and not one has any referance to subs being escorted in and out of port. Several make referance to safe travel lanes and radioing in ETA's but no meetings with escorts.

John:

I'll go back and check my sources.