The USS Scamp (SS-277) was a Gato Class World War II era submarine.
The namesake of the USS Scamp is a grouper, Mycteroperca phenax, of Florida, so called from its habit of stealing bait.
The radio call sign of the USS Scamp was NAN-WILLIAM-BAKER-VICTOR.
On October 16, 1944, the Scamp, captained by Commander John Hollingsworth, departed Pearl Harbor for her eighth and final war patrol. On October 20, 1944, she refueled at Midway Island then proceeded to her assigned patrol area near the Bonin Islands. On November 9, 1944, she acknowledged receipt of a radio message changing her patrol area to an area off Tokyo Bay. At that time she reported her position to be about 150 miles north of the Bonin Islands, with all twenty-four torpedoes aboard and 77,000 gallons of fuel remaining. On November 14, 1944, she was ordered to perform lifeguard duties off Tokyo Bay in support of B-29 bomber strikes, but failed to acknowledge the message. The Scamp was never heard from again. 1
Based on a review of records made available after the war, it was determined that on November 11, 1944, the Scamp was sighted and tracked by IJN patrol planes south of Tokyo Bay. Later that day, she was depth-charged by IJN coastal defense vessel CD-4 and was sunk in that area.
Records for kaibokan CD-4 provide the following corroborative information:
11 November 1944:
IJN patrol aircraft sight and track LtCdr John G. Hollingsworth's USS SCAMP (SS-277) S of Tokyo Bay. Later, SCAMP is depth charged by CD-4 and sinks with all 83 hands at 33-38N, 141-00E. 2
The location marked "A" in the chart below marks the above coordinates.
The Navy Department issued the following press release regarding Scamp's loss:
Navy Department Communique 592, April 12, 1945
1. The submarine USS Scamp is overdue from patrol and presumed lost.
2. The LCS (L)(S)-49 was lost in the Philippine area as the result of enemy action.
3. The next of kin of casualties have been informed in both cases.
Scamp was struck from the Navy list on April 28, 1945.
Scamp earned seven battle stars for World War II service. The JANAC score for the Scamp is 34,108 tons of enemy shipping sunk in five vessels. I note her JANAC score includes erroneously the sinking of submarine I-24. The I-24 was sunk on June 11, 1943, off Shemya Island in the Aleutians by the American subchaser PC-487. The Alden-McDonald score for the Scamp is 35,151 tons sunk in seven vessels and five vessels damaged for 49,912 tons. The SORG score for the Scamp is six vessels sunk for 49,000 tons and seven vessels damaged for 40,400 tons. 3
A list of the men lost with Scamp is maintained at http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-scamp-277.htm.
Patrol Data and Captains for the USS Scamp (SS-277)
| Patrol No. |
Patrol Area |
Patrol Duration DD-MM-YY |
Captain's Rank & Name |
Sailed From |
| 1 | Empire | 01-Mar-43 to 26-Mar-43 | LCDR Walter G. Ebert | Pearl |
| 2 | Solomons | 19-Apr-43 to 04-Jun-43 | Same | Pearl ⇒ Brisbane 4 |
| 3 | Bismarck Sea | 22-Jun-43 to 08-Aug-43 | Same | Brisbane |
| 4 | Bismarck Sea | 02-Sep-43 to 01-Oct-43 | Same | Brisbane |
| 5 | Bismarck Sea | 22-Oct-43 to 26-Nov-43 | Same | Brisbane |
| 6 | Bismarck Sea | 16-Dec-43 to 06-Feb-44 | Same | Fremantle |
| 7 | Halmahera & Davao Gulf Areas |
07-Oct-42 to 01-Dec-42 | CDR John C. Hollingsworth | Brisbane ⇒ Pearl 5 |
| 8 | Empire | 16-Oct-44 to 11-Nov-44 Lost |
same | Pearl |
JANAC Score for the USS Scamp (SS-277)
| Patrol No. |
Date DD-MM-YY |
Vessel Name |
Vessel Type |
Tonnage Sunk |
Location Sunk |
|
| 1 | 28-May-43 | Kamikawa Maru | Converted Seaplane Tender |
6,853 | 1-36S, 150-24E | |
| 2 | 27-Jul-43 | I-24 | Submarine | 2,180 | 2-50S, 149-01E | |
| 3 | 18-Sep-43 | Kansai Maru | Passenger Cargo |
8,614 | 00-25N, 146-21E | |
| 4 | 10-Nov-43 | Tokyo Maru | Passenger Cargo |
6,486 | 3-36N, 150-34E | |
| 5 | 14-Jan-44 | Nippon Maru | Tanker | 9,975 | 5-02N, 140-43E | |
| TOTALS | 5 vessels | 34,108 tons | ||||
Alden-McDonald Score for the USS Scamp (SS-277)
| Patrol No. |
Date DD-MM-YY |
Vessel Name |
Vessel Type |
Tonnage Sunk |
Tonnage Damaged |
| 1 | 20-Mar-43 | Seinan Maru | Cargo | 1338 sh | |
| 1 | 20-Mar-43 | Tatsumiya Maru | Light Cruiser | 6,343 | |
| 1 | 21-Mar-43 | Manju Maru | Tanker | 6,516 | |
| 2 | 29-May-43 | Kamikawa Maru | Converted Seaplane Tender |
6,853 | |
| 3 | 27-Jul-43 | Kazahaya Maru | Tanker | 18,300 | |
| 3 | 27-Jul-43 | I-168 | Submarine | 1,400 | |
| 4 | 19-Sep-43 | Kansai Maru | Cargo | 8,614 | |
| 5 | 04-Nov-43 | Hie Maru | Converted Passenger Cargo |
11,621 | |
| 5 | 10-Nov-43 | Tokyo Maru | Passenger Cargo |
6,841 sh2 | |
| 5 | 12-Nov-43 | Agano | Light Cruiser | 6,632 | |
| 6 | 14-Jan-44 | Nippon Maru | Tanker | 9,974 | |
| 7 | 03-Apr-44 | Suiten Maru | Picket Boat | 131 | |
| TOTALS | 7 vessels sunk 5 vessels damaged |
sh = Shared credit with Runner (SS-275) sh2 = Shared credit with aircraft |
Tons sunk 35,151 |
Tons damaged 49,412 |
|
SORG Score for the USS Scamp (SS-277)
SORG totals for Scamp
6 vessels sunk for 49,000 tons
7 vessels damaged for 40,400 tons
Updated Tuesday, 18-Oct-2011 13:19:10 EDT
1. Blair, Clay Jr., Silent Victory: The U. S. Submarine War Against Japan, p. 780.
2. Hackett, Bob and Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall, "IJN Escort CD-4: Tabular Record of Movement," published online at http://www.combinedfleet.com/CD-4_t.htm (accessed on May 13, 2011).
3. Alden, John D., and Craig R. McDonald, United States and Allied Submarine Successes in the Pacific and Far East During World War II, Fourth Edition, see USS Scamp (SS-277), Attack Nos. 673, 684, 685, 688, 844, 993, 996, 1124, 1125, 1132, 1262, 1292, 1303, 1497, and 1805; Submarine war patrol reports on CD, USS Scamp (SS-277), data collected by the Submarine Operations Research Group (SORG) in the report "Results of U. S. Submarine War Patrols Listed Alphabetically by Name of Submarine"; Japanese Naval And Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II By All Causes, Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee, USS Scamp (SS-277), published online at http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/JANAC-Losses/JANAC-Losses-6.html#scamp (accessed September 29, 2011); Hackett, Bob and Sander Kingsepp, "HIJMS Submarine I-24: Tabular Record of Movement," published online at http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-24.htm (accessed October 3, 2011).
4. The Scamp made her second patrol incidental to her transfer to Brisbane.
5. The Scamp made her seventh patrol incidental to her transfer to Pearl and thence to the States for a major navy yard overhaul.
