USS GRAMPUS SS 207

USS GRAMPUS SS 207 Tambor Class

March 5, 1943. Sunk by surface craft. 71 men lost.

From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Grampus
The grampus is a large cetacean (Grampus griseus) of the "blackfish family" commonly referred to as Risso's dolphin. Found in warm seas throughout the world, the dolphin has a blunt head, barrel-shaped body and ranges in color from grey to black. Risso's dolphins swim in groups of 3-50 animals and prefer offshore waters, where they hunt squid, octopi and fish.

(SS-207: dp. 1,475 (surf.), 2,370 (subm.); 1. 307'2"; b. 27'3"; dr. 13'3"; s. 20 k. (surf.), 8.75 k. (subm.); cpl. 59; a. 10 21" tt., 1 3", 2 50-cal. mg.; cl. Tambor)

Grampus departed Brisbane on February 11, 1943 with Grayback for her sixth and final war patrol. Post-war Japanese records indicate Grampus operated off New Britain by February 18 when she attacked and damaged the Japanese aircraft ferry Keiyo Maru. Grampus returned and torpedoed Keiyo Maru again the following day. Japanese naval aircraft responded aggressively to these attacks, and enemy seaplanes claim to have sighted and attacked a U. S. submarine southeast of New Britain on February 19. On the following day, two enemy patrol boats sighted a heavy oil slick at that location. However, another Japanese report states that a submarine was sighted on February 24 in the southeast. Since no other U.S. submarine could have been in this position at this time, it may be assumed that Grampus escaped serious injury on February 19, or that Amberjack was the victim of the attack of February 19.

Another possible alternative for Grampus' loss is an attack by Japanese destroyers in Blackett Strait on the night of March 5-6. According to information posted at the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Web Site:

On 20 February, GRAMPUS was ordered to patrol north of 4-30 'S, until dawn on 21 February, and then to patrol east of Buka and Bouganville. On 2 March she was told to round Cape Henpan, proceed down the west coast of Bouganville, south of Treasury Island, north of Vella Lavella and into Vella Gulf on the afternoon of 5 March. She was to sink enemy ships trying to pass westward through Blackett Strait in attempting to escape our surface ships scheduled to bombard Vila and Stanmore airstrip on 6 March. GRAYBACK was teamed with GRAMPUS in the above operation, and each was informed of the other's assignment.

The evening of 5 March, GRAYBACK and GRAMPUS were warned that two destroyers were proceeding from Faisi (off southeastern Bouganville) toward Wilson Strait (between Vella Lavella and Ganogga). These destroyers later went through Blackett Strait into Kula Gulf, where they were sunk by our surface forces, but GRAYBACK did not report having seen or heard them. Shortly after the report concerning these destroyers was sent, GRAYBACK heard and saw a ship in the part of Vella Gulf assigned to GRAMPUS, and, assuming it was she, maneuvered to avoid. She was unable to track it or exchange recognition signals by radar, since her SJ radar was not functioning. When GRAMPUS made no radio transmission up to 6-7 March, she was ordered by ComTaskFor 72 on 7 March to do so. No transmission was received, and on 8 March she was ordered again to make one, again without results. She was reported lost on 22 March, 1943.

Whether the ship GRAYBACK saw and heard in Vella Gulf on the night of 5-6 March 1943 was GRAMPUS is impossible to determine, since she was unable to identify it. However, if it was GRAMPUS and she did survive the enemy attack of 19 February, the only other possibility, so far [as] is now known, is that GRAMPUS was sunk by the destroyers passing through Blackett Strait on the night of 5-6 March, 1943. From the information at hand, it appears that GRAMPUS could have been no more than 15 miles from GRAYBACK on that night, yet GRAYBACK reported hearing no depth charges. In view of this, it seems likely that GRAMPUS was caught on the surface by the destroyers and sunk by gunfire. Since the enemy ships were themselves destroyed subsequently, no mention of any attack by them is made in Japanese reports. A large oil slick was reported in Blackett Strait on 6 March.

According to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Web Site, "In the five patrols made before her fatal one, Grampus sank six ships, for a total of 45,000 tons, and damaged two more, for 3,000 tons." In addition, "On her first patrol, conducted in February and March 1942 in the Caroline Islands, GRAMPUS sank two 10,000-ton tankers..."

JANAC credits Grampus with sinking one ship, the 8,636-tanker Kaijo Maru No. 2 on March 1, 1942.

Grampus received three battle stars for World War II service. Her first, fourth, and fifth war patrols were designated successful.