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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Capelin

Ship Designation: 
SS-289
Date Lost: 
Wednesday, November 17, 1943
Lost at Sea
Following repairs, Capelin departed Darwin for the Celebes Sea on November 17. USS Bonefish (SS-223) reported sighting a US submarine in Capelin's area on December 2, and made tentative contact by underwater telephone. Although post-war analysis of Japanese records indicated an ASW attack on November 23, off Halamahera, in Capelin's area, the records did not report a sinking and further indicated that the attack was broken off. In view of the sighting by Bonefish on December 2, this attack probably was not directed at Capelin. ... There were minefields in the area, but the most probable cause of her loss was a continuing mechanical failure of the upper hatch or, more remotely, her bow planes.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 78

Namesort ascending Service Branch
QM 3c Herman Winkler USN
F 1c Ernest Wellman USN
Sea 1c Charles Vaughan USN
SC 1c Curtis Vassar USN
Lt Roy Uhlmann USN
TM 3c Jerry Thibeault USN
MOMM 2c Robert Terrell USN
EM 2c Robert Stickle USN
TM 1c Erwin Steege USN
MOMM 2c Walter Stasik USN
F 2c Norman Snyder USN
Sea 1c Edward Smolenski USN
MOMM 2c Leon Smith USN
MOMM 2c D. Smith USN
RM 2c Robert Smith USN
GM 1c Harry Simon USN
Lt Walter Sharer USN
LCdr Edward Robertson USN
MOMM 1c Claude Roberts USN
MOMM 2c John Rhodes USN

Pages

Prepared by: J.P.O’Hara, CDR, USN (Ret.)