Commander Samuel Dealey

Samuel Dealey was born on September 13, 1906 in Dallas, Texas, where he attended Oak Cliff High School. He graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1930. Dealey had duty on the battleship USS NEVADA (BB-36) before training as a submarine sailor. In command of S-20 at the outbreak of World War II, he assumed command of USS HARDER (SS-257) upon her commissioning on December 2, 1942. Commander Dealey guided his submarine deep into enemy waters, wreaking destruction on Japanese shipping. On HARDER’S fifth war patrol, Commander Dealey pressed home a series of bold and daring attacks, both surfaced and submerged, which sank three enemy destroyers and damaged two others. For his exceptional gallantry in these actions, Commander Dealey received the Medal of Honor. He was lost with his submarine during its sixth war patrol, when HARDERwas sunk August 24, 1944 by a depth charge attack off Luzon, Philippines. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the USS HARDER during her 5th War Patrol in Japanese-controlled waters. Floodlighted by a bright moon and disclosed to an enemy destroyer escort which bore down with intent to attack, CDR Dealey quickly dove to periscope depth and waited for the pursuer to close range, then opened fire, sending the target and all aboard down in flames with his third torpedo. Plunging deep to avoid fierce depth charges, he again surfaced and, within 9 minutes after sighting another destroyer, had sent the enemy down tail first with a hit directly amid ship. Evading detection, he penetrated the confined waters off Tawi Tawi with the Japanese Fleet base 6 miles away and scored death blows on 2 patrolling destroyers in quick succession. With his ship heeled over by concussion from the first exploding target and the second vessel nose-diving in a blinding detonation, he cleared the area at high speed. Sighted by a large hostile fleet force on the following day, he swung his bow toward the lead destroyer for another “down-the-throat” shot, fired 3 bow tubes and promptly crash-dived to be terrifically rocked seconds later by the exploding ship as the HARDER passed beneath. This remarkable record of 5 vital Japanese destroyers sunk in 5 short-range torpedo attacks attests the valiant fighting spirit of CDR Dealey and his indomitable command.”

Quartermaster 1st Class Richard Breckenridge

Quartermaster First Class Richard Breckenridge received the Navy Cross for heroic actions on 14 August 1942. His citation reads in part…

”For extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty in action against the enemy while serving on board the USS CUTTLEFISH (SS-171), during the THIRD War Patrol of that submarine in enemy controlled waters on 27 August 1942. On that date the CUTTLEFISH was underway in enemy controlled waters when the approach of Japanese naval units forced her to crash dive. The wheel of the locks for the hatch leading from the deck to the conning tower became jammed, however, and the hatch would not close sufficiently to keep out the seas. Quartermaster Second Class Breckenridge refused to leave his station and go below until he succeeded in securing the hatch. By his action, Quartermaster Second Class Breckenridge, risking drowning, saved the conning tower instruments from damage from the seas and enabled the submarine to continue on patrol during which 29,500 tons of Japanese shipping were sunk. The conduct of Quartermaster Second Class Breckenridge throughout this action reflects great credit upon himself, and was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

Admiral Ramage

Lawson Paterson Ramage was born on January 14, 1909 in Monroe Bridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931 and was subsequently commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. From 1931 to 1935, he served onboard several ships, including the USS S-29 (S-134).

During World War II, Admiral Ramage was highly decorated for his actions in combat — being awarded the Silver Star, two Navy Crosses, and the Medal of Honor. Admiral Ramage was stationed at Pearl Harbor on the staff of the Commander, Submarines Pacific during the Japanese attack in December 1941. In early 1942, he served on his first patrol of the war as the Navigator of the USS GRENADIER. He was awarded the Silver Star as a member of the GRENADIER’S crew for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” while patrolling enemy waters. In June 1942, he assumed his first command — the USS TROUT. Under his command TROUT sank three ships during his four war patrols. He was awarded the Navy Cross for valor for actions while in command of the TROUT at Midway, Truk, the Solomons, and the South China Sea. In May 1943, he assumed command of the new BALAO-class submarine, the USS PARCHE (SS-384). On July 31, 1944, CDR Ramage commanded the PARCHE in a daring dawn assault on a heavily-escorted Japanese convoy, during which the PARCHE sunk two ships and badly damaged three others. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor which was personally presented to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 10, 1945. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. PARCHE in a predawn attack on a Japanese convoy, 31 July 1944. Boldly penetrating the screen of a heavily escorted convoy, CDR. Ramage launched a perilous surface attack by delivering a crippling stern shot into a freighter and quickly following up with a series of bow and stern torpedoes to sink the leading tanker and damage the second one. Exposed by the light of bursting flares and bravely defiant of terrific shellfire passing close overhead, he struck again, sinking a transport by two forward reloads. In the mounting fury of fire from the damaged and sinking tanker, he calmly ordered his men below, remaining on the bridge to fight it out with an enemy now disorganized and confused. Swift to act as a fast transport closed in to ram, CDR. Ramage daringly swung the stern of the speeding PARCHE as she crossed the bow of the onrushing ship, clearing by less than 50 feet but placing his submarine in a deadly crossfire from escorts on all sides and with the transport dead ahead.

Undaunted, he sent 3 smashing “down the throat” bow shots to stop the target, then scored a killing hit as a climax to 46 minutes of violent action with the PARCHE and her valiant fighting company retiring victorious and unscathed.”

The USS Parche Memorial stands as a lasting tribute to CDR Ramage and the decisive fighting spirit that won the war.

Smallwood Hall

On April 15, 1987, Submarine Base Pearl Harbor reopened a newly renovated 17-story Bachelor Enlisted Quarters capable of housing 516 personnel. This building was dedicated on February 26, 1988 in the memory of MM3 (SS) James E. Smallwood for the sacrifice of his life while performing his duties in the service of his country.

He was posthumously awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Medal for heroic conduct. The citation reads:

“For heroic conduct on June 14, 1960 while serving on board USS SARGO (SSN-583) moored at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While supervising the operation of charging high pressure oxygen into the SARGO’s storage tanks, SMALLWOOD firmly and meticulously carried out the ship’s safety precautions requiring isolation of the charging compartment from the remainder of the vessel. Aware of the potential danger involved, he denied entry of several of his shipmates to the Stern Room and kept the watertight door and bulkhead flappers shut. SMALLWOOD lost his life in a raging fire which broke out during the oxygen charge. Through his steadfast adherence to safety precautions, he undoubtedly prevented further loss of life and a probable major disaster. His courage and outstanding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

The Momsen Lung

The Momsen lung was a early underwater rebreather used prior to and during World War II by American submariners as emergency escape gear.

While serving with the Submarine Safety Test Unit, Charles Momsen began working on a device to help sailors surface. It was officially called the Submarine Escape Lung, it consisted of an oblong rubber bag that recycled exhaled air. The press enthusiastically received the device and dubbed it the Momsen Lung, a name that stuck.

The Lung contained a canister of soda lime, which removed poisonous carbon dioxide from exhaled air and then replenished the air with oxygen. Two tubes led from the bag to a mouthpiece: one to inhale oxygen and the other to exhale carbon dioxide. The device hung around the neck and strapped around the waist. Besides providing oxygen for the ascent, it also allowed a submariner to rise slowly to the surface, thus avoiding decompression sickness (“the bends”).

Between June 1929 and September 1932, then-Lt. Momsen developed the lung with Chief Gunner’s Mate Clarence L. Tibbals and Frank M. Hobson, a civilian employee of the Bureau of Ships. In 1929, Momsen received the Distinguished Service Medal for personally testing the device at a depth of 200 feet (61 m). The Lung saved its first lives in October 1944, when eight submariners used it to reach the surface after Tang (SS-306) sank in 180 feet (55 m) of water in the East China Sea. The Lung was eventually supplemented by the Steinke hood and free-ascent techniques.

Thresher and the genesis of Level 1/SUBSAFE Program

On 10 April 1963, while engaged in a deep test dive, the nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN 593) was lost at sea with all persons aboard. Based on the findings of a Court of Inquiry and the subsequent Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy hearings into the loss of the Thresher, it was concluded that a flooding casualty in the engine room, resulting from a piping failure in one of the salt water systems, was the most probable cause for the loss.

A Thresher Design Appraisal Board determined that, although the basic design of this submarine class was sound, measures should be taken to improve the level of confidence in the material condition of the hull integrity boundary and in the ability of submarines to control and recover from flooding casualties. Thus the genesis of the Level I/SUBSAFE Program. The program establishes control for procurement, inspection, certification, test, identification, documentation, record control, storage, issue, turn-in, recall and disposal. Level I/SUBSAFE Stock Program materials are intensively managed and controlled. They require certification with traceable objective quality evidence. Items include submarine hull pressure boundary fittings, high pressure air and gas components, high pressure/temperature steam system components and selected safety related equipment on surface ships and submarines.

Inception of Submarine School

The sinking of the submarine F-4 off the coast of Hawai’i with the loss of all hands in 1915 caused the Secretary of the Navy to direct the establishment of a formal school to instruct submariners in the operation and maintenance of these specialized boats. The commanding officer of the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, was directed to establish the Naval Submarine School, which began operation on 1 July 1916. After six months of training, the first officer class graduated on 23 December 1916. The first enlisted class graduated one year later.