Capt. Hazzard Rex Anderson John Batty Ed Block Dave Callow Howard D. Eckhart Charles Haislip Morrell Hatt

Phil Matuzic Weyman Pouncey D. Read Stevens Frank Toon Hugh Trimble Jim Vander Moere John Votrobeck Jr John Yacko

Capt. William Hazzard, from letter dated 2 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

My greatest regret was the routine dive we made {19 March 1945} when I was in the conning tower and the hatch did not close. Some officer {OOD} got his foot stuck under the lower conning tower hatch {while trying to help close it} and we flooded a lot of gear. But for the quick thinking of someone in the control room we would have lost the boat. All I had to do was to reach up and sound the surface alarm since it was a routine dive {morning trim dive} with no enemy in sight. I instead got preoccupied with the foot caught under the lower hatch. Of such errors ships are lost, but fortunately one person reacted instinctively and immediately, even though he was not aware whether the enemy was in sight or not - or whether a plane was about to bomb us.

15 AUGUST 1945

I can’t say with any degree of accuracy exactly what my thoughts were , but I guess the first to come to mind was “Thank God it’s over and we are all relatively safe for the foreseeable future.” In my case, after 14 war patrols in three boats which must have kept the guardian angels of the crews of these boats very busy.

My second thoughts had to do with the expectations of getting home to see Dorothy and twin sons, David and Alan, for the first time.

I regret that there was no time to see you all at one time to say good-bye for the loyal and expert support you all provided in making BLENNY’s four patrols successful and a definite contribution to the war’s efforts.

{NOTE: Capt. Hazzard left the BLENNY immediately after the war ended to work on the book: United States Submarine Operations in World War II. His contribution dealt with the records of subs in the Southwest Pacific.}

Ed Block, from letter dated 2 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

Was on the BLENNY for about 5 1/2 years, and I had so many good times that I can't remember most of them. Three things happened aboard ship that I will never forget.

First of all, right after we went in commission our first sea trials were something to behold. We were making, I think, about 10 dives a day for a week and the skipper turned the ship everyway but loose. Can't believe we did so many things in such a short time to be ready for our patrols in the South Pacific.

The next thing I remember is on our first patrol, 1st day of December 1944, 1st day on station. We made our 1st contact with a coastal patrol boat. We started to chase him to close the range so we could fire a torpedo or two. Come to find out, he was chasing us. We did a fast 180 degree turn, fired two torpedoes down the throat while we were diving. As we were going down the skipper said he could see them firing depth charges at us. The first salvo sent us to the bottom which, if I remember, was about 185 feet. The skipper was telling the diving officer to take her deep, and the diving officer said we were hitting bottom now. As it was, we lost a sound head and scraped the bottom of the ship. It seems to me that we took a total of 44 depth charges that day. A lot of the crew found out what war was like. We grew up fast. About a week later we made an early morning contact we believed to be the same ship and sank him with two torpedoes. He went down in less than 60 seconds.

Dave Callow, from letter dated 5 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENT

The BLENNY was patrolling on the surface off the coast of Indonesia in the South China Sea. We had been on the receiving end of a severe depth charging that day. Since it was a dark night and I was the OOD for the 2000-2400 watch, we arranged for two members of the auxiliary gang to come topside to do the routine maintenance task of lubricating topside grease fittings. They also could check on any topside damage that could cause noise while we were submerged. If it were necessary to dive before completion of this task, I was to blow a whistle to recall those on deck.

Everything went smoothly and grease fittings had been serviced from the bow aft to the torpedo room hatch when I received a radar report of an aircraft heading right at us. This contact was reported to the captain and we were ordered to dive the boat. Because of a following sea and wind the people on deck could not hear my whistle. They knew we were diving when the air from the open main ballast vents was blowing up their pant legs. Orders were given to delay the dive by shutting the main vents and to open the upper conning tower hatch. Within seconds the hatch opened, three of us jumped through it, the hatch was closed, the vents were opened and the dive was resumed. As I recall, the last range on the aircraft was 1400 yards. Fortunately, he didn't drop anything on us.

AN AMUSING INCIDENT

We picked up several downed aircraft Army fliers from the waters near Formosa and brought them back to Subic Bay. They really enjoyed the good food that they were being served while on the BLENNY. Some of them became incensed when we wouldn't let them have ice cream for breakfast!

15 AUGUST 1945

Chief of the Boat Elmer Nasi and I, the newly assigned Exec. Officer, were standing on deck forward while sound tests on selected equipment were being conducted. We were sharing our thoughts about how we might fare on the next patrol. Suddenly all of Subic Bay and the surrounding jungle erupted! There were lights, flares, smoke, horns, whistles, bells, small arms fire.....every kind kind of demonstration imaginable. Needless to say, we were ecstatic when we received the light message from the tender that the war was over. We weighed anchor, got underway on four engines and cut in all four smoke generators on our way back to the nest alongside the tender. We all thought we would be heading home within a few days. BLENNY was one of nineteen submarines that soon departed from Subic Bay heading for San Diego. However, BLENNY and one other boat were assigned to defend the island of Guam. Seventeen months had elapsed before we rejoined our loved ones in San Diego in early 1946.

John Batty, from a letter dated 10 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENT

Sitting on top of the periscope shears, the darkest night there was on the first run, looking for a target when the sea was very high.
Sitting in the forward room by myself while going through a mine field.
Standing {see, he didn’t SIT all the time!} on deck with a Thompson machine gun protecting our people when they were after the Japs in a lifeboat covered with canvas, and they suddenly jumped up.

Rex “Andy” Anderson, from a letter dated Sept., 1993 (Deceased, 1994)

15 August 1945

When I looked at that picture of you in San Diego in 1946, I immediately thought of the last day of the war. You, Callow, someone else and I were on the bridge when we got word the war had ended. You fired off a very pistol, dived over the side, grabbed the spent casing, used it to pour water over your head and was swimming around like a dolphin. Callow and I were talking about this the other day on the phone. Oh, what memories!

Morrell Hatt, letter dated 6 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

The first big thing I remember was the sinking of three tankers and Capt. Hazzard letting us look through the periscope to see them burn.

The second was when we fired torpedoes at a decoy ship and missed. We were caught at periscope depth when the first depth charges went off. The depth charges followed us all the way to the ocean floor where we sat still for many hours. I remember Capt. Hazzard saying that we may have one chance to get out of here. He went to his wardroom and brought back a small torpedo-like device with twin screws which he put into a small tube and fired. It went about 200 yards and when the screws started turning, the Japs picked up the noise and followed it. Then we headed off in the other direction.

15 AUGUST 1945

I was on the BESUGO when the war ended. We had just finished our seven day shake down cruise and was coming into Fremantle at night and heard horns blowing and lots of noise. We didn’t know the war was over until we docked. We were supposed to go on patrol the next day.

John Yacko, letter dated 10 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENT

The one I most recall is the BLENNY’s 3rd patrol when on a trim dive the conning tower hatch was blown open, flooding the conning tower and pump room. It was a busy time following for the electrical and maintenance gangs working over the many flooded motors and pumps to get them back in operation.

Another remembrance is the night surface attack in the Java Sea on two anchored boats. After firing a salvo of torpedoes from the stern tubes, the aft torpedoman secured his tubes, ran up on deck to man the 5” gun and watched his own torpedoes go off. I thought that was neat.

On a personal note, a proud moment for me was the time Capt. Hazzard presented me with two bottles of beer while on patrol for sighting a small lugger over the horizon before the radar operator picked it up.

Weyman E. Pouncey, from a letter dated 8 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENT

Vivid in my memory. . . While operating in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Tsingtao China a major cubical jam occurred in maneuvering . . . .an electrical explosion results in a huge fire ball being sucked through the aft engineroom hatch rendering Buzz (A. J. Bussiere) and me unconscious. This time I felt sure the both of us were goners. But once again, ole Doc Taylor worked his miracle on us. {This was after the war.}

15 AUGUST 1945

Regarding the Japanese surrender. . . We threw a fantastic party after tying up alongside the other SubPac boats in Subic Bay, P.I. We all sat on the deck around the after torpedo room hatch while {Skinny} Cooper and Sandy Sanford provided the entertainment decked out in lace trimmed skivvy shorts. A few cups of coffee spiked with the Gillie...torpedo juice . . . we distilled will sure put you in orbit!!! The aftermath and severe case of shakes will never be forgotten........

COMMENT

The very best years and the most revered memories of my life experiences revolve around the submarine service. The respect and friendship of those I served with has always, and will continue to be, of prime importance to me. They just don’t make friends like these anymore!!!

Jim Vander Moere, from letter dated 12 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

The most serious event that is clearly in my memory was the time on the fourth run when we were operating along the Malayan Peninsula in the Gulf of Siam. On 7 August 1945 we surfaced right under a Jap plane and he dove on us and dropped a bomb that landed right alongside the boat and exploded before Capt. Hazzard could get off the bridge. I was in the crew’s mess and we could hear the whine of the engines over the intercom as he made his dive. Of course we had no trouble hearing and feeling the bomb when it went off. In looking back , many times I have given thanks. This was probably our closest call of the entire war and it was only 8 days before war’s end. Then, of course, the BULLHEAD was lost the day before on 6 August 1945. All our losses were painful, but the ones in the last days seem very bad.

The most humorous event that sticks in my mind was also on the fourth run when we were boarding so many junks and sampans. My recollection of the event is that “Smokey” Lind, our head cook, was feeling bad that he did not get to participate, so he asked the Capt. if he could take part. Capt. Hazzard agreed so one dark, rather stormy night, ole “Smokey” was to be part of the boarding crew. He strapped on his “45”, and with flashlight in hand went up on the bow as we tried to come alongside a large junk. Because of the wind only the bow came up to the junk, so we were going to back off and try again. I think the OOD shouted “don’t go aboard” but in the wind “Smokey” thought he heard “go aboard” so he jumped over just as the BLENNY backed down to try again. We backed away quite a distance and there was ole “Smokey” all alone on a strange junk with 5 or 6 Orientals. My recollection after talking with “Smokey” after it was all over was that he was pretty scared and he ran over to the first guy and shined his flashlight in his face and put the “45” right up to the guy’s forehead. “Smokey” said the guy almost passed out and he was shaking so bad he could hardly stand. After the shock passed, “Smokey” organized his men and had them all standing by for the heaving lines when BLENNY came alongside the next time.

15 AUGUST 1945

We were partially submerged in Subic Bay {PI} running silently as they were making the sound tests of our equipment. The engine room crews and electricians were sitting on the deck plates in the after engine room and maneuvering room when the word was passed that the war was over. To digress, I must tell you that {Ed} Fitzpatrick missed the last run because he fell asleep on the beach in Fremantle and got very , very severe sun burn and went into sick bay. He had been telling everyone that his uncle was sending him a bottle of whiskey in a parcel. It would be camouflaged so no one would know that it was whiskey. Well, the mail came aboard the day before and Fitz did have a package. We did not disturb it, but when the announcement was made, we enginemen thought that reason enough to steal Fitz’s package. We opened it and found a large bottle of “WITCH HAZEL” rub. We sampled it, and of course it was whiskey. So we all passed it around, toasted the great news, and finished it off.

AND THEN THERE WAS THIS . . . . . . .

I already had this letter sealed when I thought of something that might be of interest because it was such a coincidence.

You remember on the fourth run when we picked up the COD sailors that had been stranded on a junk when a plane came over and strafed them and the COD had to submerge. They were some really happy sailors when they saw the BLENNY and came aboard.

Years later at one of the National Conventions I met “Bo” Renfroe, a friend of Stud Pouncey. He was one of the COD sailors. He described how he was holding a line from the junk when he heard the plane diving on them. The next thing he knew, machine gun slugs were chewing up the deck next to him and he heard the huge sound of rushing air as the COD opened her vents and started down. He jumped aboard the junk and the US sailors hid below decks as the plane circled around them.

That might be the end of the story except that only several years ago a group of 4 of us who were active in the events on the “old” USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236) which is preserved and moored in Muskegon, only about 30 miles from my home, had the chance to go to Norfolk {VA} and go out on the “new” USS SILVERSIDES (SSN-679). We went out to sea for the day, a real experience. Well, I was talking to a young sailor who was mess cooking and telling him some “war stories”. I told him about the COD experience and he said, "I am very familiar with that story. My step-father was one of the COD sailors you picked up." Now, isn’t that some coincidence?

Donald Read Stevens, Jr., from e-mail dated 20 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENT

The outstanding incident burned in my memory was (I think) during the second patrol when we were off French Indo China. We were making a routine morning dive when the quartermaster started dogging the bridge hatch before it was shut. The dogs kept it from closing and water was pouring in, flooding much of the conning tower, and water was pouring down the control room hatch and into the pump room. The OOD ordered to blow all main ballast but he and the chief of the watch forgot about closing the vents. The BLENNY rose to the surface and then started sinking again, so the order was given to blow again and again she surfaced and then started sinking. Karl Kaski and I watched through the little window in the watertight door to the forward battery compartment and saw water pouring down the control room hatch. I think we were both too excited to understand that we could be going to our deaths.

The boat was gotten under control in a submerged condition and we all got down to work on the radar, sonar, etc. and especially getting the pump room compressor motors in working condition. (I think they finally got one compressor motor working OK.) Howard Eckhart and I worked about 30 hours on the radar equipment, washing it with fresh water to get rid of the salt which would ruin it. Then we used alcohol to dry up the water. I seem to remember using a portable hair dryer to dry out the equipment, but why in hell would a submarine have a hair drier aboard? Anyway, the BLENNY’s fine crew did get enough equipment operating and we did have just enough high pressure air left to surface so we became a fine fighting machine again.

Another memory very strong in my mind was a night on our first patrol. We were off Luzon. I was in the sack or perhaps reading or studying, and at about ten o’clock there were two explosions very close. It seems Capt. Hazzard had ordered there to be a routine change of base course at ten o’clock. Within seconds of the helmsman coming to the new course an airplane came out of nowhere on this overcast night and dropped two bombs right where we would have been. The pilot must have been too low for our SD radar to detect him and our crude radar receiver watch (slowly turning the dial) didn’t detect his radar. Do you think we used up more than our share of luck in the next eight months?

Twice in my short naval career did I violate the “no booze aboard ship” rule. Once was on the night of August 15th when the Japs sued for peace; the other time was on New Year's Eve 1945 when I’d just come off watch and Yogi Irvin and I split one of those little bottles of scotch (like you get on airplanes) and toasted the new year with hopes that the war would end within the next twelve months. (I heard Yogi was killed in a jeep accident in Germany some years later. We bumped into each other in April or May 1945.)

15 AUGUST 1945

Where was I on August 15th, 1945? On the sub tender ANTHEDON in Subic Bay if I remember correctly. All hell broke out that evening when the movie, “Meet me in St. Louis” with Judie Garland was interrupted to announce the Japs wanted to quit. I thought it would be years before we started home, but, as it turned out I was assigned to the RATON and we started for home on the 30th, reaching Tomkinsville, Staten Island, New York City in early October. Damn it, though, I don’t remember the BLENNY being in Subic Bay on the 15th of August. I’m sure I would have visited if I had known she was there. Maybe it was just a quick refueling stop.

Frank Toon, 25 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

There were so many that I should break them down by patrols:

Blenny’s second war patrol (my first )... It would appear that someone figured out all the “new guys” should get indoctrinated immediately! First on the list would have to be the episode of the flooding due to a partially open hatch when diving. I was the last lookout down the hatch to the control room. Water was coming through the lower conning tower hatch and Mr. Felton was trying to get it closed. I didn’t know at the time that Mr. Edwards, in trying to help close that hatch from the conning tower had gotten his foot caught in it. I do remember that someone told me to “Get outta here!” Imagine that I set the all-time speed record between the control room and the FTR where I slammed and dogged that hatch.

Second on the list was the heavy depth charging we received. Roy Farmer and I were on the FTR re-load crew for our battle stations. We were sitting on a bunk taking all of this in and thinking this is what is considered "normal" after an attack. We’d been well indoctrinated at sub school with those movies, “Crash Dive” and I believe the other one was, “Destination Tokyo”. At any rate, when the lights started popping and leaks started....along with stuff (cork?) coming off the bulkhead, we started looking around and noticed the talker standing between the tubes. He had the button down on the sound-powered phone and his mouth was going a mile a minute. The only problem was that he was not “making a sound”. It was then that both Roy and I finally figured out that it was time to get a little worried.

On the third patrol the most memorable incident had to be the night we backed down in shallow water to get set up for a shot at the anchored subchaser. Being on lookout, I had the opportunity to see the whole thing. The following excerpt from the third war report tells the story:

25 May 1945
0215 Two minutes thirty five seconds after firing 8, a hit amidships which threw smoke, spray, debris, and some fire 600 feet in the air. About eight seconds later, a hit forward. Target has disintegrated and a sound like a New Year's celebration is heard from the gun crews on deck. To Cooper, E. R. Jr., TM1c in charge of the after torpedo room, had come the experience of one torpedoman's lifetime, if not of all torpedomens' lifetimes. He fired the torpedoes, dashed topside to man his gun action station as 5" pointer, and as he hit the deck heard the Commanding Officer say "10 seconds to go". His eye was steady on the target as two of his fish scored hits.

The whole fourth patrol was a merry-go-round for the gun crews. I was trainer on the forward 5” gun and we had lots of opportunities to shoot. We had problems also, such as that pointer sight being out of whack, which didn’t make for good shots. Of course, we kept running out of ammo and were always looking for a boat that had ammo left when heading home. We would then transfer it aboard by breeches buoy. I think on an earlier run, a rubber raft was used. (See excerpt from 3rd patrol report for other gun problems.)

A lot of these small targets would be sunk with one 5 inch shot. It was always amusing to hear Capt. Hazzard call below to "Send up one 5 inch bullet". Darn BIG bullets!

Don't think anyone aboard will forget all the drama of searching and then rescuing the boarding party from the COD who had been stranded when a plane drove their boat down. (See COD rescue)

One other incident that I remember very clearly was when the Capt. was blown through the hatch on surfacing. We had spent all day laying on the bottom to repair problems with the port shaft. I was the watch QM when we surfaced with a lot of pressure in the boat. I opened the hatch and jumped back to allow the Capt. to be first up. Just as he started up, the lower hatch blew open and the Capt. was "launched" up through the hatch banging his head. "Doc" Taylor had a chance to practice his sewing! If that lower hatch had blown open a second or two earlier, it would have been "me" that went out the hatch....makes it easy to remember. (See excerpt from the fourth patrol report.)

15 AUGUST 1945

We were making a sound run in Subic Bay when all the fireworks started. We had just received a message by light from the tender. Can remember shooting off all our very shells and flares to join in the celebration. We lit off all the engines and put on the smoke generators before making a run around the bay on our way back to the tender. It surely clouded things up! Everyone was happy! The war was finally over!

25 May 1945

0004 (Ship Contact No. 14) Lat 6-04 S, Long 107-29 E. Radar contacts at 14,800 yards and not long after 1000 yards nearer beach on 2 unidentified vessels which plotted about 7000 yards off beach in 4 fathoms of water; we are in 14 fathoms. Commenced easing in towards contact taking frequent lead line soundings. Checking position with these and bearing of right target. Coast is so low ranges on beach are very poor.

0023 Received CTF 71 serial Xray giving positions of boats and stating that BLENNY and TRENCHANT were in E-2. Now we know that TRENCHANT is here and we are correct in having on reconsideration assumed that we should be.

0058 Flooded down to 24' draft.

0100 (Ship Contact No. 15) Lat 6-05 S, Long 107-32 E. Radar and sight contact at 11,500 yards on 2 unidentified objects. As this contact will pass close aboard on our beam as we head for first contact, decided to head for second contact until identity is established sufficiently clearly to be sure we wouldn't be outflanked.

0112 Rigged in sound heads and pit log, went to battle stations torpedo but manned 20 and 40mm. All guns had been mounted and all except 5" test fired 2 hours ago. Have now identified last contact as two large sailing schooners at anchor. First contact also plots at zero speed. Am heading for first contact on 225(T) at 1/3 speed on batteries. Schooners will be 4000 yards abeam.

0145 In 5 fathoms of water, 3000 yards from targets which now have been identified as (1) An SCS 51 class at anchor presenting about a 70 port angle on bow and (2) An unidentified small craft with small or very large angle on the bow just to left of target and 1000 yards closer to the beach. We decided near target was so small that if we were to hit it in this shallow water we would have to use at least 3 torpedoes and electrics at that in order to keep from broaching. Decided that whatever object nearer beach was, it would be a waste of torpedoes to try to hit it with such a small angle on the bow or stern. Its beam is so narrow it may also be an escort. Commenced twisting and still seeing no sign of life on target we decided we might as well back in to a closer range. Backed in to 4 1/4 fathoms depth aft at (Attack No. 1) Lat 06-00 S, Long 107-34 E.

0212 Fired 3 electric torpedoes at range 2300 yards, gyro 180, depth set 2 feet, spread 0, 3/4 R, 3/4 L from tubes 8, 9 and 10. Sea slightly choppy, slight current setting across target from left to right.

0213 All ahead flank on 4 generators heading out normal to the coast. Commenced blowing up. Torpedoes can be seen running true but periodically broaching.

0215 Two minutes thirty five seconds after firing 8, a hit amidships which threw smoke, spray, debris, and some fire 600 feet in the air. About eight seconds later, a hit forward. Target has disintegrated and a sound like a New Year's celebration is heard from the gun crews on deck. To Cooper, E. R. Jr., TM1c in charge of the after torpedo room, had come the experience of one torpedoman's lifetime, if not of all torpedomens' lifetimes. He fired the torpedoes, dashed topside to man his gun action station as 5" pointer, and as he hit the deck heard the Commanding Officer say "10 seconds to go". His eye was steady on the target as two of his fish scored hits.

On way out from coast deliberated stopping to investigate the two large schooners which were anchored but 6000 yards from the sunken target. Decided against it for the following reasons:

(1) Other radar contact to landward of SCS might prove to be another subchaser which might cut down the getaway we had, if we stopped to investigate schooners. (We had 9 miles to go to 100 feet of water).
(2) Gun firing at schooners would reveal our position to the other vessel.
(3) If schooners were Japanese they would have been alerted and could get in the first shots if we came close aboard to identify them.
(4) Investigating sailing vessels at anchor in the dark to determine whether they are enemy requires establishing either, that they have auxiliary power, or that they have Japs aboard. To have done this would have required too close scrutiny for safety under the probable alerted condition of their crews.

0300 Working to NW to dive for day in vicinity of South Watcher Island. This sinking, small in tonnage though it was, has been of tremendous value in boosting the morale of the crew not only because the men comprising the 5", 40mm, two 20mm, and two 30 cal M.G. crews witnessed the hits. Moreover, in a small measure it helps atone for the working over the TERRAPIN took 15 miles east of here a few days ago.

{IF IT WON'T WORK, GET A BIGGER MALLET!}

30 MAY 1945

0036 Contact tracks at 5 knots on NEasterly course and does not have sails. Can see no masts and silhouette resembles a lugger.

0042 Battle stations gun action.

0050 Commenced firing 5" at about 2300 yards holding fire on other guns to keep from blinding 5" gunners. After two rounds had been fired, target retaliated with what appeared to be a machine gun amidships. Opened up with 40mm, 20mm, and 30 caliber and quickly silenced position and shortly thereafter set target afire. Three 5" hits spread fire and target blazed brightly and began to sink by the stern. Closed to 1000 yards and put two large holes in exposed bottom of starboard side with 5". This helped her sink and 15 minutes after commencing fire target had sunk. Fire illuminated target and showed it to be a 100 ton lugger type camouflaged with palm fronds with a machine gun mounted atop a small amidships deck house. Brisk burning of fire which spread downwind on water indicated release of considerable diesel oil. About a dozen empty oil drums floated clear. There was no evidence of any survivors. It had been the policy to mount and test fire all guns except the 5" nightly in these areas. This paid valuable dividends in ensuring immediate fire from all guns. The 5"gun, however, had to be fired by a mallet due to a sticky outer sear plunger which considerably slowed and reduced the accuracy of its fire.

13 July 1945

1800 #4 motor brushes and rigging installed and brushes sanded. Have renewed 63 out 96 brushes, but we are one brush short of total originally installed due to burned brush holder. Surfaced with about 3 inches pressure in boat. Conning tower hatch was opened and Commanding Officer had started up when lower conning tower hatch opened due to the one dog dogged on it being wedged open by the pressure. Commanding Officer floated up hatch banking off hatch wheel with face suffering two one stitch lacerations on head and chin and a lesser cut on eyelid. Well, if that is the worst luck to be had on Friday the 13th, I can easily stand it. Hereafter when surfacing with a lot of pressure in the boat both dogs will be well dogged on the lower conning tower hatch.

Phil “Mutt” Matuzic, from letter dated 22 August 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

In regards to incidents aboard ship, I’m sure you’re aware of things like the torpedo in the cornfield, or the near miss when a plane dropped a big bomb alongside of us as we surfaced. One humorous incident that I recall was at the Lido, a BYOB (bring your own bottle) club on the beach at North Cottesloe, West Australia. Ed Fitzpatrick could never remember that I was a Croatian so he told the young ladies at the Lido that I was a Prince from Romania. So, for quite awhile I was known as either the “Prince” or “Mutt” which was short for Matuzic.

15 AUGUST 1945

All I can remember was that when we got the word that the war had ended, I was on watch in the after engine room. We were ordered to make smoke, which we did. The BLENNY ran around Subic Bay making smoke and blowing the air horn along with many other ships in the bay. I believe the admiral had something to say because of the smoke, but it wasn’t much on account of the happy occasion.

Hugh Trimble, from letter dated 22 August.

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

I recall I was on the radar in the conning tower during a battle surface when Capt. Hazzard, too anxious to be the first on topside, was thrown into the rim of the hatch by the pressure in the boat...splitting his face open.

I recall the hectic run {4th patrol} when we sank the record 63 vessels; when we spent so much time at our battle stations we had little time to tell lies to one another.

I recall just before the war ended when we were sailing along on the surface during noon chow when a Jap plane made a run on us and dropped several bombs that barely missed. {This happened at 1138 on 7 August 1945.}

AFTER THE WAR

I recall when I founded our organization {SUBVETS WWII} in 1955 (with the help of Edward Branin, a BERGALL shipmate of mine). The submariner who was the farthest away to answer items in the American Legion magazine and Walter Winchell’s column was our BLENNY shipmate, Ed Fitzpatrick. Ed was in Arabia at the time working for Standard Oil, I believe. We were very close through the years until his tragic death four years ago. I miss him!

John R Votrobek Jr, from letter dated 18 September 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

My first most memorable incident on BLENNY occurred on the morning of 19 March 1945. We were patrolling off the coast of Cape Padaran, French Indo-China. On this particular morning, I was in the conning tower on JK-QB sound watch. Walker was the helmsman, Kirby the radar operator and Gallie the quartermaster. Lt. Edwards was the OOD and Mr. Felton and the Captain were on the bridge. Shortly after 0600 Mr. Felton came through the conning tower on his way to the control room. At 0606 the diving alarm sounded for our usual morning trim dive and to patrol submerged. The lookouts came through the conning tower on their way to the control room. The skipper came down and stood between Kirby and me in the after part of the conning tower. Mr. Edwards stood by the plot table. Gallie pulled the hatch down but the dog didn't catch. Gallie opened the hatch to turn the wheel back to open so that the hatch could be closed, but by this time water was gushing into the conning tower and cascading down into the control room. Kirby moved to help Gallie with the hatch. I moved to help the skipper with the control room hatch. We could only get it partially closed. We finally realized that Mr Edward's leg was preventing us from closing it. We finally got the control room hatch closed and the water built up to mid-thigh high before the boat was surfaced and the bridge hatch closed. We then submerged and set about the business of drying out the boat. Water had drained through a line in the after periscope into the radio shack and flooded the transmitter. The pump room was flooded and the pumps, air conditioning and anything electrical was knocked out. It was a long slow process getting everything back on line.

My second most memorable occasion occurred on the night of 6 August 1945. On this night I was on radio watch working on the schedule station. Green was on the wolf pack station. At about 2100, I was copying press. They put out the story about a new weapon called the "Atomic Bomb". It had been dropped on Japan that day. They described this bomb as the equivalent to 2,000 tons of TNT. Since I was a good ole boy from behind the stockyards in South Omaha, NE, I never heard of an Atomic Bomb. Furthermore, the fact that it was as powerful as 2,000 tons of TNT boggled my mind in that day and age. To me it was incomprehensible. I was sure it was an error. I discussed it with Green and we decided to wait for a correction before releasing the press into the boat. As the end of our watch neared, we had no correction. I decided to take the release to the skipper in the conning tower. After my explanation, he looked at me and said "It is in error. It should be 20,000 tons of TNT." He then smiled and said "We'll be home for Christmas." He was. We were in Guam.

15 August 1945

I was on radio watch and missed out on all of the excitement on topside. There was radio traffic and I had to stay close. However, I do remember doing some reflecting in my solitude that day. After the close call on 7 August 1945, when the Zero missed us with the bombs, I was glad we didn't have to make another run. I was also anxious to get home and get on with my life, although at the time, I had no idea what it would be.

Howard D. Eckhart from Guestbook dated 10 October 1997

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

My most memorable time was when we left Subic Bay with two tenders and twenty one boats and on countdown , everyone turned on running lights. This was a very emotional experience, as I had never seen lighted ships at sea.

Charles "Slip" Haislip

MEMORABLE INCIDENTS

After nine patrols, I have quite a time trying to figure out which boat it happened on. I remember on the 3rd run on board the Blenny, when we backed into Java or Batavia. Battle stations surface. We were flooded down and the decks were nearly awash. I was the first loader on the after 5". The captain fired a fish and sank one of three small ships. The other two were getting underway so the captain secured from battle stations and blew the tanks. All main engines were cut in and we left the area. The gun crews never fired a shot.
I remember another time when we were being depth charged. We zigged and zagged and couldn't lose him. After awhile the captain gave orders for full speed "astern". We lost him but we lost about 50 feet in depth during the transition. As well as I can remember, we were at about 400 feet.
As for Capt. Bill Hazzard, I think he was a top notch submarine skipper. I should know as I've sailed with a few in my 20 years from 1936 - 1956.