July 18, 1945 (Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto, Japan) It was after 4 A.M. and Commander Fluckey rubbed his eyes as he peered over the map spread before him. Telling of the Barb’s attacks on Japanese shipping early in 1945, Clay Blair Jr. wrote in the book “Silent Victory: The U.S. Eugene Fluckey threw out the operating manual to become one of the deadliest American submarine … From my experience with bastards, they achieve about equal results. Swish also had the rare distinction of being on board the same submarine through 12 arduous war patrols—five in pursuit of German shipping in the Atlantic off Europe and seven against Japan in the Pacific. Green Beret’s new book challenges you to find resiliency, The Navy's most successful World War II sub also killed an enemy train, Navy Columbia-Class Submarine Quieting "Electric Drive ... ›, 6 jobs in the military that require insane brainpower - We Are The ... ›, This is what makes SWCC crews so lethal - We Are The Mighty ›, This submarine was lost with almost all hands. Twenty minutes later the holes had been dug and the explosives and batteries hidden beneath fresh soil. Aviation Anxiously watching the skies, Commander Fluckey noticed plumes of cirrus clouds, then white stratus capping the mountain peaks ashore. Military Issue equipment, clothing, boots, MREs, MOLLE gear and much more. Enamored of the sub’s utility attacking beach targets, Swish used the boat’s 5-inch deck gun to obliterate a leather-tanning factory that made pilot uniforms, and later directed the boat’s gunnery to set a shipyard afire. On January 8th the Barb had emerged victorious from a running two-hour night battle after sinking a large enemy ammunition ship. It earned her crew a Presidential Unit Citation, among numerous other awards and decorations. A day later, as the sub raced ahead on four main engines, lookouts spotted an enemy periscope and sounded the diving alarm. Web every day. The news from Markuson caused the men digging the placement for the explosive charge to continue their work more slowly and quietly. Militaria William Walker. The USS Barb was a Gato-class submarine operated by the United States in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. He had them practice bird whistles as a means of signaling each other in the dark. How Many Potatoes Do You Need to Run Doom? FINALLY, "Lucky" Fluckey would lead the saboteurs himself. © Copyright 1998-2020 by Olive-Drab.com LLC. "H" Names But there’s one big difference. I qualified him then and there! How could I do that?”, “Swish, I don’t want a bastard, I want a leader,” the skipper later recalled saying. Stumbling through noisy waist-high grasses, crossing a highway and then into a 4-foot drainage ditch, the saboteurs made their way to the railroad tracks. 1 in sinkings, with 24, but No. "N" Names Having previously observed munitions trains moving on tracks close to the shore, the Barb's crew had improvised tools, explosives and a contact switch capable of doing the job. 8 volunteers paddled ashore in rubber boats and walked 400 yards to a set of railroad tracks. In recognition of one outstanding patrol, Barb received the Presidential Unit Citation. That abruptly changed when Eugene Fluckey, 33, the boat’s prospective commanding officer, became skipper and picked Saunders to be his chief of the boat. Fluckey’s comment about wanting to blow up the target perked the ears of Chief of the Boat Paul Golden “Swish” Saunders. Surplus This page last modified 12 October 2011. What's the First Species Humans Drove to Extinction. Having previously observed munitions trains moving on tracks close to the shore, the Barb's crew had improvised tools, explosives and a contact switch capable of doing the job. The boilers of the locomotive blew, shattered pieces of the engine blowing 200 feet into the air. For all his exploits, Admiral Fluckey said he was most proud of one thing. The Navy honored Swish Saunders as one of the service’s most decorated enlisted men. The cause was complications of Alzheimer’s disease, said his daughter, Barbara Bove. Everything was ready. Watching from the deck of the Barb, Commander Fluckey allowed himself a sigh of relief as he noticed the flashlight signal from the beach announcing the departure of the shore party. Rear Adm. Eugene B. Fluckey, one of America’s most daring submarine commanders of World War II and a recipient of the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in Annapolis, Md. Read More "L" Names "X" Names The skipper emphasized the sub would wait no more than three hours—just 15 minutes before the first glimmer of dawn, when the boat would be exposed. Crewmembers aboard the Barb were also the first American combatants to set foot on Japanese home soil — in order to "sink" an enemy train. Silhouetted in the fireworks, the jubilant saboteurs reached the Barb and went below as the sub disappeared into the depths. The men had come too far to be disappointed by a switch failure. 7XL T-Shirts & join us, Check out NeatoShop's large selection of T-shirts 23, 1945, eight members of Barb's crew landed on mainland Japan under intense cloud cover and a dark moon. USS Barb (SS-220) in San Francisco Bay, near the Mare Island Navy Yard, CA, 3 May 1945. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'olive_drab_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',341,'0','0']));In the fall of 1942, USS Barb was sent to operate in European waters, taking part in Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Three men were posted as guards, Markuson assigned to examine a nearby water tower. In addition to the Medal of Honor ribbon at the top of the flag identifying the heroism of its captain, Commander Eugene "Lucky" Fluckey, the bottom border of the flag bore the image of a Japanese locomotive. "G" Names Carl LaVO is the author of Slade Cutter and Back from the Deep. No one would suspect an American submarine so close to shore or in such shallow water. Barb's insignia is painted on her fairwater, behind Commander Fluckey. When you lead men, they ship over and want to stay with you.”, Saunders worried about making a mistake as COB. Even a Japanese POW being held on the Barb wanted to go, promising not to try to escape. Billy Hatfield was excitedly explaining how he had cracked nuts on the railroad tracks as a kid, placing the nuts between two ties so the sagging of the rail under the weight of a train would break them open. The obvious choice for the mission was the COB himself, a wiry 26-year-old Virginian who had earned his moniker quivering like a pointer dog as he “swished” back and forth directing the firepower of the Barb in surface gun action and rocket launches that were to revolutionize submarine warfare. Commander Fluckey stayed in the Navy after the war, eventually reaching the rank of Rear Admiral. They could see as Japanese shipments moved from trains on the island to the ships. In addition to an outstanding combat record during WW II, the Barb may be the only US submarine that "sank" a railroad locomotive and train. The train arrived as the crew was reboarding Barb, triggering a huge explosion that completely destroyed the engine and its 16-car train, pyrotechnics that were cheered by the Barb's crew from its deck. He began a professional auto-racing career in California and Mexico, and earned his pilot’s license. On July 23, 1945, the Barb approached the coast, sank a frigate, then surfaced about 950 yards offshore. The USS Barb was a Gato-class submarine operated by the United States in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Battle flag of USS Barb (SS-220) including the train the crew derailed in an operation to the Japanese home islands in World War II. But the boat had come through it all without a single casualty. The Barb had "sunk" a Japanese TRAIN! If a disputed credit for another ship is counted, Barb would have ranked first in the latter category. For the boat’s daring, the crew earned a Presidential Unit Citation and Fluckey the nation’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.

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