Howard Gilmore was born on September 29, 1902. He enlisted in the Navy at age 18. In 1922, he enrolled in the Naval Academy. He graduated in 1926 and was posted to the battleship USS Mississippi. In 1930, he transferred to submarines. He survived a throat cutting from locals while ashore in Panama. After Pearl Harbor was attacked, he made four patrols as commander of the USS Growler. On the first, he attacked three Japanese destroyers. He sank one and badly damaged the other two. The Growler barely missed being hit by two torpedoes. He was awarded the Navy Cross for the action. On his second patrol, the sub sank four Japanese cargo ships. On the fourth patrol, the Growler was making a night attack on a convoy while on the surface on Feb. 7, 1943. For night attacks, normally the sub would attack on the surface because it could go faster and hopefully would not be seen in the dark. The Captain would be outside on the conning tower to line up the shots. The Growler was spotted by the Japanese destroyer Hayasaki which started to make a ramming run. The Growler turned into her and struck the Japanese warship amidships. The bow of the sub was damaged, leaving her front torpedo tubes inoperable. The sub was stuck. The Japanese opened fire with machine guns, killing two crewmen on the conning tower and wounding Gilmore. Realizing the sub needed to submerge immediately, Gilmore yelled “clear the bridge!” Gilmore could not get below quickly. He shouted “take her down!” The sub survived the incident. When she resurfaced the next day, Gilmore was nowhere to be found. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. He was the second American submariner to receive the medal. Gilmore’s death was replicated in a number of submarine movies, including “Operation Pacific”, “Submarine Command”, “U-571”, and “Up Periscope”
Here is his Medal of Honor citation:
For distinguished gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Growler during her Fourth War Patrol in the Southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7 February 1943. Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and antisubmarine patrols, Comdr. Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire, successfully evading severe depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7 February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the Growler. Comdr. Gilmore daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead, ripping into her port side at 11 knots and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat’s heavy machineguns, Comdr. Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge, and refusing safety for himself, remained on deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by the fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final living moments, Comdr. Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, “Take her down“. The Growler dived; seriously damaged but under control, she was brought safely to port by her well-trained crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead captain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_W._Gilmore
https://www.historynet.com/submarine-commander-howard-gilmore
0 Comments