Manitowoc 28

USS Robalo (SS 273)

On Eternal Patrol

Keel Laid – October 24, 1942

Launched – May 9, 1943

Commissioned – September 28, 1943

USS Robalo made two war patrols and earned two Battle Stars. Robalo left Fremantle, Australia on June 22, 1944, for her third and last patrol. On July 2, 1944, a contact report stated Robalo had sighted two FUSO Class Japanese battleships with air cover and two destroyers for escorts just east of Borneo.  No other messages were ever received from Robalo and when she did not return from patrol, she was presumed lost.

Robalo was sunk July 26, 1944, off the east coast of Balabac Island from an explosion in the vicinity of her aft torpedo room It is supposed that the explosion was caused by the submarine striking an enemy mine. Four men swam ashore but were captured and imprisoned. On August 15, they were evacuated by a Japanese destroyer, and no other information is known regarding their destination or whereabouts.

In May 2019, the wreck of USS Robalo was discovered, and her identity was confirmed by the Navy in February 2020.

USS ROBALO Crew On Eternal Patrol

*The four men who survived the sinking, but died in captivity

S1 Ackley, James William

TM2 Bailey, John Billy

SM1 Bell, Robert William

TM1 Boehles, Jerome Peter

EM3 Breeden, Charles Edward

MOMM1 Brereton, Walter Allen

S1 Brokman, Gilbert

MOMM1 Cagle, Columbus L. Jr.

LCDR Carter, Hubert Earl

MOMM3 Changary, Stephen John “Chico”

S1 Clark, Edward Omer

S1 Clifford, Marvin D.R.

RT2 Cooperman, Herman Marx

PHM1 Cotterman, Stanley Norwood

RM3 Cress, Donald Clifford

CMOMM Dickerson, Darrell Ellroy

TM2 Dittman, Calvin Lee

MOMM2 Downey, Wallace Lamont

F1 Dvoraceck, James Louis Jr.

MOMM1 Ervin, Lyle Franklin

LCDR Fell, Charles Woodford

RM3 Fink, Dean Elwood

GM3 Flanagan, Arthur James

F1 Fondon, George Melvin

SC2 Fricker, John Joseph

ENS Gerdes, Herman John Jr.

CK2 Gleaton, Elliott Jr.

EM1 Graham, Kimball Elwood

TM3 Hamilton, Howard Leon

TM3 Hart, James Francis Jr.

TM3 Hood, Harley Truman

MOMM2 Hurst, Jack Akers

RT1 Ivey, Holly Berry

TM2 Jackson, Nyle Milton

GM1 Jambor, William Edward

MOMM1 Johnson, Emil Herman

SC1 Johnson, Nathan Young

MOMM2 Kesterson, William George

LCDR Kimmel, manning Marius

S2 Konen, Arthur Carl

QM1 Laughlin, Floyd George*

SC3 Leahey, Richard Jeremiah

CEMA Le Febvre, John Warren

MOMM3 Levy, Donald Judell

EM1 Lovell, Denzel Walter

ENS Lutman, Joseph Arnold

EM2 Martin, Ray Eugene

SM3 Martin, Wallace Keet*

Y1 Mathews, William George

EM2 Marx, Marvin Jerome

LTJG McKnight, Hugh Ferguson Jr.

F1 Nichols, Harvey Edward

MOMM2 Niclas, John Richard

MOMM2 O’Brien, John Joseph

 

F1 O’Rourke, Edward Peter

FC2 Paw, Edward Joseph

TM1 Phelps, Billy Brite

EM2 Poston, Mason Collie*

CEM Priddis, John Frederick

LT Proseus, Reginald John

MOMM1 Ramsier, Harold Leon

MOMM1 Root, Charles Alfred

F2 Russell, Stanley Joel

GM3 Smith, Stephen William

RM3 Sonemann, Walter Frank

S1 Speener, Russell William

CTMA Spencer, Samuel Elliot

MOMM1 Taylor, Herschel Paul

ENS Tucker, Samuel Lombard*

S2 Usealman, Harold Elmer

MOMM3 Van Deurzen, Joseph Reinard

S1 Varney, Elmer Grayson

F1 Virga, Ciro Robert

TM3 Vogel, Frederick Paul

MOMM2 Wilkerson, Dale Francis

STM1 Williams, Davie Lee

CMOMM Wilson, Frederick Joseph

EM3 Winnan, Roland Oliver

S1 Wlodarczyk, Sigmund Julius

QM3 Wood, Claude Eugene

TM3 Zea, Calvin Kenneth

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