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The United States Navy Memorial

Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Grayling

Ship Designation: 
SS-209
Date Lost: 
Thursday, September 9, 1943
Lost on Patrol
The precise date and details of her loss are unknown. She had been ordered to patrol the approaches to Manila until 10 September following a guerilla re-supply mission at Panay. Guerillas confirmed completion of this mission on 23 August, but the last communication with Grayling was received 19 August. Post-war analysis of Japanese records indicates that a surfaced submarine was sighted in Lingayen Gulf on 9 September and that a freighter had been attacked in that area on that date. There is no record of counter attacks. On the same date, the Japanese passenger-cargo vessel Hokuan Maru reported sighting a submarine submerged in shallow water west of Luzon and made a pass over it. The ship noted an impact with a submerged object, which may have been Grayling. In the absence of further communication, Grayling was declared lost on 30 September.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 75

Name Service Branchsort descending
F 1c Curtis Clark USN
RM 3c Donald Keplinger USN
MM 3c Albert Rainault USN
Sea 2c Alexander Sawerbrey USN
SM 2c Robert Corbett USN
Cox Fred Donaldson USN
CTM George Mulvenna USN
Std 2c Jose Santos USN
Lt Harvey Criswell USN
MOMM 2c Harold Dillow USN
Bkr 1c Clyde Nichols USN
SC 3c Winton Wallace USN
Ens Wilbert Dallaire USN
CTM Joseph Day USN
EM 1c Robert Oliver USN
QM 2c John Waller USN
Lt John Nichols USN
F 3c Merlin Mathis USN
PhM 1c David Fontaine USN
F 1c Henry Oeldemann USN

Pages

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