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Ghost Boat
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[ Unpublished Work ]
Author's Note (October, 2000)
To be sure, there were submarines - German and American - which were attacked on the surface. They were rammed, attacked from the air or taken under gunfire. In these cases there were often survivors who escaped by leaving the submarine before it sank. The vast majority of sinkings, however, occurred at depth when the submarine was attempting to evade its pursuers on the surface. In all of these cases the submarine was mortally wounded, usually from flooding, and then it sank with its unaffected compartments still intact only to implode under enormous forces at crush depths. Each of these compartments were filled with men who knew what was about to happen to them and who were utterly powerless to change the outcome. In all these cases there were no survivors - no eyewitnesses to tell the story.
I have discovered that the public generally has the notion that submariners who died at sea died from drowning, and that since drowning seems to be some dreamy loss of consciousness; death on a submarine is believed to be quick and painless. This of course is simply not true. The point of this story is to correct this misconception and to call attention to the notion that the German and American submariners of W.W.II showed exceptional courage. They all volunteered for submarine duty, and went back out on patrol over and over, knowing that it was extremely dangerous.
The second purpose of this story is to try to provide some level of advocacy for all those submariners who died. All other military units have living survivors who, thankfully, remind us of their fallen comrades. Each year for the last 55 years there are thousands of reunions. Survivors from Stalingrad and Tobruck to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima meet to commemorate what was done and remember their friends who were killed. Thousands of books and newspaper stories serve as reminders for us. This is a wonderful thing and it transcends all political borders. There are even reunions involving both adversaries at a particular battle!
To find the life of battle good,
And dear the land that gave you birth,
And dearer still the brotherhood,
That binds the brave of all the Earth.
However, since there are no submarine survivors to attend such reunions, there is very little public awareness of their courage and the price they paid.
It is a little known fact, therefore, that the submarine services of Germany and the United States experienced the highest death rate of ANY of their other military branches. While the estimates vary slightly, they are overwhelming when examined. Of the 39,000 German submarine sailors and officers, who put to sea, it is estimated that an astounding 32,000 never returned. Of the 16,000 American submariners who made war patrols, 3,500 died - about one out of four!
With respect to the American submariners, they represented less than two percent of the Navy, and yet accounted for the sinking of over 50% of Japan's naval and merchant fleets and this in a maritime war! Less than two percent of one branch of the United States Armed Forces accomplished this incredible feat. Here is a my favorite quote about submariners:
I saw the submariners, the way they stood aloof and silent, watching their pigboat with loving eyes. They are alone in the Navy. I admired the PT boat boys. And I often wondered how the aviators had the courage to go out day after day and I forgave their boasting. But the submariners! In the entire fleet they stand apart!
James Michener, "Tales Of The South Pacific"
The year 2000 is the 100th anniversary of the United States Submarine Service. It is also a time, long overdue, when we should commemorate the sacrifices of the World War II submariners - German and American - who gave their lives to the sea.
Sailors, rest your oars.
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