After vanishing off the coast of Okinawa 75 years ago, the wreck of the USS Grayback (SS-208) was located resting on the seabed of the Philippine Sea. This significant find was made over 100 nautical miles from the site previously identified by the US Navy, and the revelation offered a profound sense of closure and solace to the families of the sailors lost when the submarine was sunk.
USS Grayback (SS-208)
The USS Grayback entered service on June 30, 1941, under the leadership of Lt. William A. Saunders. As one of the pioneering fleet submarines in the US Navy, she played a crucial role in the triumph of the Allied forces in the Pacific Theater.
Equipped with four General Motors V16 diesel engines, four high-speed General Electric electric motors and two 126-cell Sargo batteries, Grayback boasted impressive capabilities, reaching speeds of 20.4 knots on the surface and 8.75 knots submerged. With a range of 11,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, the submarine could submerge continuously for 48 hours while maintaining a speed of two knots.
For engagements with enemy vessels, Grayback was armed with an arsenal of 24 torpedoes housed in ten 21-inch torpedo tubes, complemented by a Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon. As well, a single three-inch deck gun was part of her armament. The submarine operated with a crew of 54 enlisted men and six officers, ensuring efficient operations.
USS Grayback‘s (SS-208) service during World War II
After the US entered World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Grayback became actively engaged in combat. Initially commissioned into the Atlantic Fleet, she ranked 20th in total tonnage sunk by American submarines, targeting and sinking 14 enemy ships (63,835 tons). Recognized for her exceptional service, Grayback earned eight battle stars throughout the conflict.
In February 1942, Grayback departed from Maine, bound for Hawaii. During her first war patrol along the coasts of Saipan and Guam, she engaged in a four-day standoff with a Japanese submarine. Despite the enemy vessel firing two torpedoes, Grayback managed to escape. A month later, she achieved her first sinking, taking out the Japanese cargo vessel Ishikari Maru.
Subsequent patrols led Grayback through the South China Sea and St. George’s Passage, where the challenges included bright moonlight, intense enemy patrols and treacherous waters. Despite these obstacles, her presence, along with that of her sister ships, played a crucial role in the success of the Guadalcanal Campaign, America’s inaugural major land offensive in the Pacific.
Grayback continued to accumulate an impressive number of kills and earned recognition for saving six crewmen who survived the crash of their Martin B-26 Marauder in the Solomon Islands. While she faced a streak of misfortune during her sixth patrol, her reputation improved in subsequent ones, including her involvement in one of the first wolfpacks organized by the Submarine Force.
Of all her patrols, Grayback‘s 10th proved to be her most successful – and, tragically, it also marked the submarine’s final mission.
A successful final mission in the Pacific Theater
On February 24, 1944, the crew of the USS Grayback radioed that they’d successfully sunk two Japanese cargo ships and damaged two others. The next day, their final transmission reported the sinking of the enemy tanker Nanho Maru and the damaging of Asama Maru. Left with only two torpedoes, the submarine received orders to return to her base in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Despite an expected arrival at Midway Island on March 7, 1944, Grayback was nowhere to be found. By March 30, she was officially declared missing, with no survivors.
Captured Japanese records shed light on Grayback‘s final moments. Following an attack on convoy Hi-40, the submarine utilized her last two torpedoes to sink the cargo ship Ceylon Maru in the East China Sea on February 27.
Subsequently, a Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber spotted the submarine and delivered a 500-pound bomb, causing Grayback to “explode and sink immediately” to the Pacific Ocean floor. Anti-submarine aircraft were then deployed to drop depth charges over the area, ensuring the vessel was definitively out of commission. For nearly a century, Grayback remained undiscovered in that location.
Unexpected discovery within the USS Grayback (SS-208)
During the Second World War, 52 American submarines were lost, taking the lives of 374 officers and 3,131 sailors. The Lost 52 Project is an initiative dedicated to locating all 52 vessels, to bring closure to the families of those who lost their lives. Using state-of-the-art technology, the team captures images and 3D scans of the wrecks they discover to help document each submarine.
On November 10, 2019, the Lost 52 Project announced it had located the USS Grayback some 50 nautical miles south of Okinawa, roughly 1,400 feet below the surface. Her deck gun was found 400 feet away from the main wreckage. The damage the submarine had sustained appeared consistent with what was listed in the Japanese report. There was severe damage aft of the conning tower, and part of the hull had imploded. As well, the bow had broken off at an angle.
It’s a miracle they even found the wreck, considering the original coordinates translated by the US Navy were 100 nautical miles off, thanks to a clerical error that was off by just one number.
The team set up a dive team to explore the wreckage, but what they found inside overshadowed the celebratory mood around such an incredible discovery. Tim Taylor, one of the team leads, shared how he felt with The New York Times, “We were elated, but it’s also sobering, because we just found 80 men.”
Prayers of family members have finally been answered
Raymond Parks, Gloria Hurney’s uncle, served as an electrician’s mate, first class, and was among those lost aboard the USS Grayback. Hurney, along with others, had resigned themselves to the belief they’d never find the wreck. However, the Lost 52 Project proved them wrong.
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While the discovery of Grayback was bittersweet, it also brought closure and peace to the families who waited three-quarters of a century to learn where their loved ones were laid to rest.