>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1968) Vol. 3, pp.140-142.





GRAYLING





		Grayling:  A fresh water game fish closely related 

to the trout.





SS-209



Displacement:  1,475 t.

Length:  307’2”

Beam:  27’3”

Draft:  13’3”

Speed:  20 k.

Complement:  59

Armament:  1 3”; 10 21” torpedo tubes

Class:  TAMBOR



	The fourth GRAYLING (SS-209) was laid down at the Navy 

Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 15 December 1939; launched 4 

September 1940; sponsored by Mrs. Herbert F. Leary; and 

commissioned 1 March 1941, Lt. Comdr. F. Olson in command.



	After conducting tests and sea trials, she was called 

upon 20 June 1941 to assist in the search for submarine O-9, 

which had failed to surface after a practice dive off Isle 

of Shoals.  O-9 was subsequently discovered on the bottom, 

but rescue efforts failed; GRAYLING participated 22 June in 

the memorial services for those lost.



	Joining the Atlantic Fleet, GRAYLING sailed on 

shakedown cruise 4 August to Morehead City, N.C., and St. 

Thomas, Virgin Islands, returning to Portsmouth 29 August.  

After final acceptance, she departed 17 November, armed at 

Newport, R.I., and sailed for duty with the Pacific Fleet.  

GRAYLING transited the Panama Canal 3 December and moored at 

San Diego 10 December.



	GRAYLING sailed for Pearl Harbor 17 December, arrived 

24 December, and had the honor of being chosen for the 

Pacific Fleet change of command ceremony 31 December 1941.  

On that day, Admiral C. W. Nimitz hoisted his flag aboard 

GRAYLING as Commander, Pacific Fleet and began the Navy's 

long fighting road back in the Pacific.



	After the ceremonies, GRAYLING stood out of Pearl 

Harbor on her first war patrol 5 January 1942.  Cruising the 

Northern Gilbert Islands, GRAYLING failed to register a 

kill, but gained much in training and readiness, returning 

to Pearl Harbor 7 March.



	Her second patrol, beginning 27 March, was more 

successful.  Cruising off the coast of Japan itself, 

GRAYLING sank her first ship 13 April, sending the cargo 

freighter RYUJIN MARU to the bottom.  She returned to Hawaii 

16 May.



	GRAYLING returned to action in June as all available 

ships were pressed into service to oppose the Japanese 

advance on Midway.  As part of Task Group 7.1, GRAYLING and 

her sister submarines were arranged in a fan-like 

reconnaissance deployment west of Midway, helping to provide 

knowledge of Japanese movements.



	As Naval planners established a submarine blockade of 

Truk in connection with the offensive in the Solomons, 

GRAYLING began her third war patrol 14 July 1942 around the 

Japanese stronghold.  She damaged a Japanese submarine 

tender 13 August, but was forced to return to Pearl Harbor 

26 August by fuel leaks.



	At Pearl Harbor, GRAYLING repaired and was fitted with 

surface radar, after which she began her fourth patrol 19 

October.  Although attacked by gunfire and six separate 

depth charge runs by Japanese destroyers, GRAYLING succeeded 

10 November in sinking a 4,000-ton cargo ship southwest of 

Truk.  She also destroyed an enemy schooner 4 December 

before putting into Fremantle, Australia, 13 December.



	Changing her base of operations to Australia, GRAYLING 

stood out of Fremantle 7 January l943 on her fifth patrol, 

this time in Philippine waters.  She sank cargo ship USHIO 

MARU west of Luzon 26 January and damaged another Japanese 

ship the next day.  After sinking a schooner 24 February, 

GRAYLING returned to Fremantle.



	GRAYLING left Australian waters 18 March on her sixth 

war patrol and cruised in the Tarakan area and the Verde 

Island Passage.  There, she attacked and sank cargo ship 

SHANGHAI MARU 9 April and damaged four other ships before 

returning to Fremantle 25 April.



	Her seventh war patrol, commencing 18 May, took 

GRAYLING into the waters off northwest Borneo, where she 

damaged a freighter and two smaller ships before returning 

to her base 6 July.



	GRAYLING began her eighth and last war patrol in July 

from Fremantle.  She made two visits to the coast of the 

Philippines, delivering supplies and equipment to guerrillas 

at Pucio Point, Pandan Bay, Panay, 31 July and 23 August 

1943.  Cruising in the Philippines area, GRAYLING recorded 

her last kill, the passenger-cargo MEIZAN MARU 27 August in 

the Tablas Strait, but was not heard from again after 9 

September.  GRAYLING was officially reported "lost with all 

hands" 30 September 1943, after having recorded five major 

kills totaling 20,575 tons.  All but the first of GRAYLING’s 

eight war patrols were declared "successful."



	GRAYLING received six battle stars for World War II 

service.



	[Even today, the exact cause of the loss of GRAYLING is 

unknown, but on 9 September 1943, Japanese passenger-cargo 

vessel HOKUAN MARU reported a submarine in shallow water 

west of Luzon.  The ship made a run over the area and “noted 

an impact with a submerged object.”  It is assumed the 

object was GRAYLING.  The submarine was scheduled to make a 

radio report on the 12th, which she did not, and all 

attempts to contact her failed.



Harry Holmes, “The Last Patrol,” p.54]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com