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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Grayback

Ship Designation: 
SS-208
Date Lost: 
Sunday, February 27, 1944
Attack in the East China Sea
On February 27, 1944, returning through the East China Sea, Grayback expended her last two torpedoes in sinking the cargo ship Ceylon Maru. She did not report this sinking, and was never heard from again. ... Post-war study of Japanese records indicated that an ASW aircraft spotted a surfaced submarine that same day on Grayback’s intended track and attacked with bombs. The reports note that the submarine exploded and sank immediately. Subsequent depth charge attacks by surface units brought up a trail of bubbles and a heavy oil slick. ... Grayback completed nine patrols before being lost on the tenth, her most successful. She accounted for a confirmed total 13 1/2 ships, (63,850 tons), including the IJN submarine I-18. This placed her number 20 in the list of high scoring Pacific submarines.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 79

Namesort ascending Service Branch
F 1c William Hooks USN
TM 2c Frederick Holzmann USN
EM 1c Theodore Hefler USN
RT 1c Robert Hansen USN
Sea 1c Lester Handlowich USN
Sea 1c Earl Halvorson USN
RM 1c Alfred Halpert USN
TM 2c Frederick Hall USN
MOMM 3c John Gray USN
Std 1c Bernardino Gildo USN
MOMM 3c Marshall George USN
FC 2c Charles Gavlak USN
MOMM 3c Milton Francis USN
MOMM 2c Kenneth Fox USN
SM 1c Joseph Forsythe USN
F 2c Carleton Fielding USN
EM 3c Clifton Fieber USN
Sea 1c George Ferry USN
Cox James Dodson USN
Y 2c Vance Davis USN

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