USS Sealion (SS-315) (SSO-315)-- Part 11: Conversion to a Troop Carrier

The USS Sealion was decommissioned  on 2 February 1946 after an eventful World War II career.  However, this was not the end of the ship's service.  She came back.

A year and a half later, the Sealion, along with the USS  Perch (SS-313) were designated to conversion as a troop carrier and in April 1948, she entered  the San Francisco Naval Shipyard for the eight-month conversion.  Her torpedo tubes and forward engine room were removed in order to provide berth for 123 troops.

The wardroom was redesigned as an operating room and the beam of the ship aft of the conning tower was extended and a large, watertight cylindrical chamber was  installed abaft the conning tower to store amphibious landing equipment.

On 2 November 1948, the Sealion was recommissioned as a Submarine Transport with the hull classification SSP-315.  Training exercises were then conducted off both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts that went to 1950.

In 1960, she was decommissioned until 1961 and then back in service and took part in the  Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  On 20 February 1970 she was decommissioned for the final time and stricken from the Naval Register 15 March 1977 and  sunk as a target off Newport, Rhode Island, on 8 July 1978.

--GreGen

Follow Up on USS Perch and Mankassar Prison Camp

You can see Ernie Ernie Plantz talking about his experiences on You Tube.

Four of the 5 Perch crew members who died at Mankassar Prison Camp are listed on the complete list of American deaths there.

All 600+ survivors of the HMS Exeter were taken there and then senior officers sent on to Japan.

Mankassar Prison Camp is now known as Ujunpandan Celebes (Sulawesi).

The first inmates of the camp were members of the KNIL, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army after the fall of the Dutch East Indies to the Japanese.

Three of the USS Perch crew died of pellagra.  Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease caused by a chronic lack of niacin.  One result of it is skin lesions.

--GreGen

USS Perch Sailors Who Died in Japanese Prisons-- Part 2

HOUSTON ERNEST EDWARDS--  Chief Electrician's Mate, Service # 355 46 35, Born Oct. 8, 1901 From Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Died of cerebral malaria, beriberi and dysentery.


FRABK ELMER McCREARY--  Machinist's Mate First Class, Service #346 16 79, Born Oct. 10, 1904, From Marble Hill, Mo.

Died Jan. 4, 1943 at Fukukoa, Japan of pneumonia.

ALBERT KENNETH NEWSOM--  Chief Machinist's Mate, Service# 265 53 46 from Ahoskie, N.C., Born Feb. 13, 1909.  Died April 6, 1945 at Mankassar Prison Camp of Pellagra.

ROBERT ARCHIBALD WILSON--  Fire Controlman First Class, Service # 223 34 64,  Born Oct. 26, 1917, From Weehawken, N.J.

Died June 15, 1945 at Makassar Prison Camp of bacterial dysentery and Pellagra.

Five of the 60+ crew members died in prison.

--GreGen

USS Perch Sailors Who Died in Japanese Prisons-- Part 1

From the Submarine Eternal Post Site.

I have been writing about the submarine USS Perch which was scuttled by its crew and everyone captured by the Japanese 3 March 1942.  The crew was then interned in Japanese prisons for the remainder of the war.

CHARLES NEWTON BROWN-- Machinsits Mate, 2nd Class,  Service # 201 57 30, Born Aug. 3, 1919, From Boston, Mass.

Died: April 18, 1945 at Mankassar Prison Camp in Celebes, Indonesia of Pellagra.

PHILIP JAMES DEWES--   Pharmacist (Warrant Officer) Service # 227 89 75 (enlisted) 129560 (warrant officer), Born March 28, 1901 from San Diego, Cal.

Died July 25, 1945 at Makassar Prison Camp, Celebes, Indonesia of Pellagra.

--GreGen

USS Perch Survivor to Visit Japan This Year

From the Sept. 9, 2014, KTLO Radio (Arkansas).

Robert Lents, 93, has been invited by the government of Japan to visit that country as part of the Japanese/POW Friendship Program which aims at reconciliation.

Mr. Lents is one of the 62 crew members of the submarine USS Perch, which was scuttled after engaging the Japanese on 3 March 1942, captured and who then spent nearly 1300 days a s prisoners of war.

He says he plans to visit Japan in 2015.

--GreGen

U.S. Submarine Perch Found in 2006

From the Jan. 21, 2007 Honolulu Star Bulletin "On Eternal Patrol."

The USS Perch (SS-176) was scuttled after being damaged by Japanese destroyers on 3 March 1942.  The 300-foot diesel submarine was found 23 November 2006 by an international team of photographers and divers looking for the wreck of the HMS Exeter sunk in the same area on 1 March 1942.

Robert Lentz was a 20 year-old torpedoman on the ship. and remembers "I got $35 still in my locker."  He is now 85 and living in Mountain Home, Arkansas.  After his capture, he spent 3 1/2 years in Japanese prison camps before being released Sept. 18, 1945.  Mr. Lentz recalled that in one camp, there were nearly 600 survivors of the HMS Exeter.

There are only five Perch veterans still alive (as of 2007).

The wreck was found north of Surbaya City, Java.  They know for a fact it is the Perch because they found a plaque with the name on it.

In the past year, three other U.S. submarine wrecks have been found:

USS Wahoo, sunk north of Hokkaido in 1943.
USS Grunion, sunk 1942 near the Aleutian Islands.
USS Lagarto sunk 62 years ago by a Japanese minelayer.

During the war, more than 3500 American submariners lost their lives on 52 submarines that were lost.

--GreGen

The USS Perch (SS-176)-- Part 2

Once again, the Perch resurfaced on March 3rd and repairs were being made despite the deck being awash and only one engine operating.  A test dive was made which proved to be near fatal and only with great difficulty did the ship resurface again.

Almost immediately, the Perch was spotted by a Japanese battle group consisting of two cruisers and three destroyers.  Shells began straddling the submarine and with no opportunity to dive, the order was given to "Abandon ship, scuttle the boat."

The entire crew was picked up by one of the destroyers.  Of 54 men and 5 officers, all but six who died of malnutrition in Japanese prison camps, were able to return home after VJ Day.

On November 23, 2006, the Perch's wreck was found by an expedition searching for the wreck of the HMS Exeter (68) a heavy cruiser sunk March 1, 1942, in the Second Battle of Java Sea.

The Story of a Ship.  --GreGen

The USS Perch (SS-176)-- Part 1

A follow-up to today's earlier post.  This was Ernie Plantz's ship.

From Wikipedia.

The Perch was the lead ship of her class and commissioned 19 November 1936 and joined the Pacific fleet's Submarine Squadron 6 (SubRon6) and operated around the Philippines during the year before the war began.  The ship was in Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines when the war broke out and witness to the bombing of that place.  It later made it to Darwin, Australia, for repairs.

On March 1, 1942, the Perch was attacking an enemy convoy near Java when it was spotted by two Japanese destroyers, attacked, and driven to dive where depth charges caused much damage, knocking out the starboard motors and flooding the ship.

Temporary repairs were made and the Perch resurfaced March 2nd.  It was spotted by destroyers and attacked again.  A huge loss of oil and air convinced the Japanese ships that the Perch was breaking up and they left.

More to Come.  --GreGen

Connecticut World War II Submariner Tells His Story

From the February 22, 2013, Norwich (Ct) Bulletin "Meet a Veteran: Ernie Plantz, of Gales Ferry" by James Mosher.

Ernie Plantz joined the Navy as a seaman a year after graduating from high school in Charleston, West Virginia.  Between those times, he served a ten-month stint with the Civilian Conservation Corps.  He completed his basic training at Norfolk, Virginia, and served on the battleship USS New Mexico before volunteering for submarine duty on the USS Perch 

The submarine was scuttled after receiving serious damage during the Battle of Java Sea in March 1942..  He was one of 54 sailors and 5 officers taken prisoner and sent to the Mokassar prison camp in Indonesia.  It held some 3,000 Allied prisoners.  Six of his shipmates did not survive their captivity.  Once he suffered 75 blows to his rear end with a baseball bat.

Prisoners built radio towers and moved pillboxes.  Plantz got a severe case of dysentery and malaria and lost 100 pounds while in prison.  After spending 1,297 days in captivity, he was liberated in September 1945.

He later served on the submarines USS Tautog, Diablo and Bushnell and later was an instructor at the US Navy's Groton Navy School, retiring as a lieutenant.

Quite the Story.  --GreGen