Built by: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Design: Government
Keel laid: 1 October 1936
Launched: 6 October 1937
Sponsor: Mrs. Ridley McLean
Commissioned: 15 March 1938
First Skipper: Lt. Leon N. Blair

Based in the Philippines at the outbreak of World War II, USS STINGRAY was one of eight ‘reserve’ submarines that were called to duty quickly. On 9 December, these boats were formed into a chain to patrol around the island of Luzon. STINGRAY, along with SAILFISH, was headed for the Lingayen Gulf approaches.

Under command of LCDR R. S. Lamb, STINGRAY reached the Gulf only to find the waters teeming with Japanese ships of all kinds including many transports in the inner bay. She immediately sent a radio message of this massive Japanese presence in her area on 21 December, and that was the first clue the Americans had that the Japanese were so well entrenched in Lingayen Gulf. There had been no aerial reconnaissance, so STINGRAY was the first news of this build up.

Four more submarines (S-38, S-40, SAURY and SALMON) were quickly dispatched to aid STINGRAY in this target rich bay, but it was not a successful effort. The Gulf was shallow, making submarine operations difficult if not impossible. Too much time had elapsed before the US Navy knew about the Japanese build up in Lingayen Gulf and there were plenty of small ASW boats patrolling the reef infested entrances to the Gulf, just waiting to pounce on any American submarines that came along.

STINGRAY later got her first success, and it was one of the first decent size Japanese troopship to be sunk by an American submarine. Command had changed, and LCDR R. J. Moore was the Skipper when they attacked and sank the 5,167 ton transport HARBIN MARU on 10 January 1942.

In the early months of 1942, the Japanese military was rolling over the Southwest Pacific with lightning speed, and the American forces were pitifully small. The American base at Tjilatjap was too tenuous, so on 20 February, the submarine tender HOLLAND and the destroyer tender BLACK HAWK departed this base, bound for Australia and escorted by STINGRAY and STURGEON.

After the resounding American victory at the Battle of Midway, the strategy was to always keep Japanese shipping constantly under attack, to bleed the empire of its assets and supplies. Still under command of Moore, STINGRAY and the 1,292 ton Japanese ASW gunboat SAIKYO MARU came across each other with the result that SAIKYO MARU was destroyed.

By early in 1943, the tide of the War in the Pacific had swung hard in favor of the Americans, and STINGRAY (now under command of LCDR O. J. Earle) was ordered to the East China Sea to lay mines off the China coast.

At the close of summer 1944, the Japanese shipping was confined to the South China Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and home waters. American submarines had strangled shipping so well and had put so much fear in the population that, along with harsh Japanese discipline, it was becoming increasingly difficult to get men to volunteer for the Japanese Merchant Marine.

During ‘Operation FORAGER’, USS STINGRAY was one of nine American submarines to the west of the Marianas between Palau and the 20º parallel to scout for Japanese shipping.

In June of 1944, while on Lifeguard duty, USS STINGRAY (now under LCDR S. C. Loomis, Jr.) pulled off probably the most awesome rescue of a downed pilot ever by picking up an aviator one mile off Guam, which was still in Japanese hands. The shore AA batteries were shooting at the pilot, but STINGRAY went in anyhow but a shell exploded just 400 yards off her beam. They dived to keep from being hit. Here is the patrol report:

1233: Sighted pilot dead ahead. Had to approach from lee or across wind, velocity 10 to 12 knots.
1235: Two shell splashes ahead.
1238: Two more splashes and burst of AA fire near pilot. Can see him ducking in rubber boat.
1240: Pilot has sighted us and is waving. Holding up left hand which shows a deep cut across the palm.
1303: Approached with about ten feet of number one scope and about three feet of number two scope out of water. Pilot very close and no signs of lines ready for scope. Pilot so close I have lost him in number one field. Headed directly for him. Missed.
1319: Three shell splashes on port quarter.
1347: Heard shell land close aboard.
1349: Heard another close one.
1352: Almost on top of pilot. Now he’s paddling away from periscope. Missed.
1418: Planes are bombing Agana Field and shore batteries.
1423: Shell splashes, about 500 yards.
1424: Heard shell splash. Heard another close one. Heard another close shell. Heard two more. Heard one shell.
1440: Heard and saw two shell splashes close aboard.
1435: Pilot missed the boat again. On this try, he showed the first signs of trying to reach the periscope. Maybe shell fire has made him think that a ride on a periscope might be all right after all. I am getting damned disgusted, plus a stiff neck and a blind eye.
1500: Heard another shell.
1516: Fourth try. Ran into the pilot with the periscope and he hung on! Towed him for one hour during which time he frantically signaled for us to let him up. His hand was cut badly and it must have been tough going hanging onto the bitter end of the line with one hand while bumping along in the whitecaps.
1611: Lowered towing periscope, watching pilot’s amazed expression with other periscope.
1613: Surfaced.
1618: Picked up Ensign Donald Carol Brandt USN, suffering from a deep wound in left hand. Glad to finally get him aboard. He said that during the first and third approaches he was afraid periscopes were going to hit him and he tried to get out of the way and come in astern of me. He had been briefed on a rescue like this, but guess the shock of getting hit at 14,000 feet and falling upside down in his parachute from 12,000 feet was too much. And then the shell-fire shouldn’t have done him much good either. He’s taken quite a running, and taken it well. We’re on speaking terms now, but after the third approach, I was ready to make him captain of the head.

Famous wartime correspondent Ernie Pyle wrote: “Even if you were shot down in Tokyo Harbor, the Navy would be in to get you.”

Well, USS STINGRAY wasn’t in Tokyo Harbor, but the submarine and her crew showed that no matter what, they were going to rescue downed aviators. Of course, they were greatly assisted by the terrible gunnery of the Japanese gun crews who, with more than three hours of trying, failed to hit the pilot in his rubber raft - thank God for that…..and thank STINGRAY for her persistence in making sure that this pilot was not lost.

Over the course of her lifeguard patrol, USS STINGRAY saved five American aviators from a watery grave.

War Patrols of USS STINGRAY
WP #	FROM	TO	DURATION	SINKINGS
1	CV N Luzon	CV	16 days	None
2	CV Davao	SJ	44 days	See note A
3	FA Celebes	FA	47 days	None
4	FA Transit	PH	49 days	See note B
5	PH Solomons	PH	55 days	See note C
6	PH Marshalls	PH	55 days	None
7	PH E. China Sea	PH	46 days	See note D
8	PH Carolines	BA	49 days	None
9	BA Transit	PH	48 days	None
10	PH Marianas	PH	43 days	See note E
11	PH Marianas	MJ	45 days	See note F
12	MJ Philippines	DW	?? days	See note G
13	DW Philippines	DW	9 days	See note G
14	DW Philippines	BA	22 days	See note G
15	BA Philippines	FA	27 days	See note G
16	FA Celebes	FA	43 days	See note G

NOTE A - On her 2nd war patrol, USS STINGRAY sank the 5,167 ton Japanese transport HARBIN MARU.

NOTE B - On her 4th war patrol, USS STINGRAY sank the 1,296 ton Japanese gunboat SAIKYO MARU.

NOTE C - On her 5th war patrol, USS STINGRAY was attacked by a Japanese float plane while patrolling off the Northern Solomon Islands. The plane dropped two bombs just as the No. 2 periscope broke the water for observation. The sea was glassy smooth. The concussion of the bomb or perhaps a fragment of it shattered the glass over the periscope prism, causing the periscope to flood and rendering it inoperative. There was no other damage. The patrol was terminated due to this damage.

NOTE D - On her 7th war patrol, USS STINGRAY sank the 8,156 ton Japanese transport TAMON MARU.

NOTE E - On her 10th war patrol USS STINGRAY sank the 3,943 ton Japanese transport IKUSHIMA MARU.

NOTE F - USS STINGRAY was on Lifeguard duty.

NOTE G - USS STINGRAY was on special operations missions, mostly supply of Philippine Freedom Fighters and removal of special personnel from the islands. We have already read about one of these special operations from ED DOLINAR (6168-2000) in his “I Shall…..We Shall Return” article in KTB #150 and a summary of that story in KTB #161 last month. Thanks for this great special history ED. We wish more veterans would share their memories for our publication.

ED DOLINAR remembers that during their return from dropping off the “I Shall…..We Shall Return” propaganda material, they were attacked by two American planes near the equator. ED said that the Communications Officer had the wrong signals posted for the day for visual and radar IFF. The first bomb struck the boat slightly to starboard of the forward room escape hatch, and lodged in the superstructure. The second hit about 100 yards astern and exploded with no damage.

ED said “The Ole Man was really hot. I can still hear the lookout calling - aircraft 5 points off Port Bow distance 28 miles. We couldn’t believe him - who could see that far away, but then the IFF Radar operator verified plane contact at 26 miles. The lookout (Gus Gudouwicz) was old ‘Eagle Eyes’ from then on. We stayed on the surface for we were allegedly in friendly waters at the time, not knowing our daily signals were not the right ones. The plane came in to about 6 - 8 miles when we realized he was intent on making a run on us. We cleared the bridge and got down to about 50 feet when they hit. If I remember correctly, the Q’master was waving our flag for ID, but then it was damn near too late - we pulled the plug and KAZONK!

The Cap’n radioed in and was met with the Captain’s Barge as soon as we entered the harbor. He was going right to the top. Never did hear what came of all that, but we were treated with all kinds of goodies while in port.”

Commanding officers were:

R. S. Lamb (patrol #1)
R. J. Moore (patrols 2, 3, 4 and 5)
O. J. Earle (patrols 6, 7, 8 and 9)
S. C. Loomis, Jr. (patrols 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14)
H. F. Stoner (patrols 15 and 16)

USS STINGRAY was awarded 12 Battle Stars in World War II.

USS STINGRAY was:
decommissioned 17 October 1945;
stricken from the Navy list 3 July 1946;
delivered to Ship-Shape (Philadelphia) 6 January 1947 for scrapping. She was sold for a mere $9,636.