nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Share #1 Posted August 29, 2015 Just picked this group up , first one ive ever had from a Sub man. Sub went down May/4/45 .I believe he was part of the salvage of the Squamous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted August 29, 2015 Pp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted August 29, 2015 Oo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted August 29, 2015 Ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted August 29, 2015 Qw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohn#3RD Posted August 29, 2015 Share #6 Posted August 29, 2015 Here is the information on the loss http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/SubLosses/SS_losses-lagarto.html Lagarto, under Cdr. F.D. Latta, departed Subic Bay, P.I., on 12 April 1945, for her second patrol in the South China Sea. On 27 April, she was directed to the outer part of Siam Gulf. F.D. Latta Lagarto contacted Baya, already patrolling in Siam Gulf on 2 May 1945, and exchanged calls with her by SJ radar. Later that day Baya sent Lagarto a contact report on a convoy she had contacted consisting of one tanker, one auxiliary and two destroyers. Lagarto soon reported being in contact with the convoy, and began coming in for an attack with Baya. However, the enemy escorts were equipped with 10 cm radar, and detected Baya and drove her off with gun-fire, whereupon the two submarines decided to wait and plan a subsequent attack. Early on the morning of 3 May 1945, Lagarto and Baya made a rendezvous at about 7°-55'N, 102°-18'E and discussed plans. Lagarto was to dive on the convoy's track to make a contact at 1400, while Baya was to be ten to fifteen miles further along the track. During the day, numerous contact reports were exchanged. At 0010 on 4 May after a prolonged but unsuccessful attack, Baya was finally driven off by the alert escorts, and no further contact of any kind was ever made with Lagarto. Japanese information available now records an attack on a U.S. submarine made by the Minelayer Hatsutaka, believed to be one of the two radar-equipped escorts of the convoy attacked. The attack was made at 7°-55'N, 102°-00'E in about 30 fathoms of water, and in view of the information presented above, the attack here described must be presumed to be the one which sank Lagarto. This vessel's first patrol was in the Nansei Shoto chain as part of an anti-picket boat sweep made by submarines to aid Admiral Halsey's Task Force 38 in getting carrier planes to Japan undetected. She sank the Japanese submarine I-371 on 24 February 1945, and participated in several surface gun attacks with Haddock and Sennet. Two small vessels were sunk and two more damaged in these attacks, and Lagarto shared credit for the results with these submarines. Commander Latta had previously made seven patrols as Commanding Officer of Narwhal. Every patrol made by this officer was designated successful for the award of combat insignia, a record surpassed by no commanding officer in the Submarine Force. Brave young men who went into harms way for our freedoms and to free others; God Bless Them and their Families Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted August 29, 2015 Share #7 Posted August 29, 2015 That's a wonderful group, with the 2 GCM's and the engraved PH. Would a sub qualified CTM have worn gold dolphins in 1945? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted August 29, 2015 I wondered if he should have the gold dolphins also but they came with the group, I like to keep it as I found it just incase. Is it true that undated good conduct medals are for KIA? Thanks for the positive comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted August 29, 2015 Share #9 Posted August 29, 2015 Yes on the gcm no date for kias Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohn#3RD Posted August 29, 2015 Share #10 Posted August 29, 2015 So is the CTM a Cryptologic Technicians Maintenance a position/duty position etc? If so what would his E Rank be? i.e. E-1 Private in Army & Marines and Seaman (Navy) during WW2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted August 29, 2015 I may be wrong but I think he was a Chef Petty Officer and a Chief Torpedo's Mate ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted August 30, 2015 Share #12 Posted August 30, 2015 I wondered if he should have the gold dolphins also but they came with the group, I like to keep it as I found it just incase. Is it true that undated good conduct medals are for KIA? Thanks for the positive comments. Absolutely, keep it together. The group is tremendous, congratulations. If one of our sub vets or badge collectors can clarify when the silver dolphins came about or what sub insignia a CTM would have worn in '45 that would be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted August 30, 2015 His picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted August 30, 2015 Share #14 Posted August 30, 2015 Right, Chief Torpedoman's Mate. And that's a super, hand-tinted color picture you have of him to go with the group. In good hands. Here's a reference to his MIA/KIA status. Bottom right corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 30, 2015 Share #15 Posted August 30, 2015 Wow! Fantastic group! That's exactly everything anyone would want for a submarine KIA group. RIP Chief... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcmo Posted August 30, 2015 Share #16 Posted August 30, 2015 Very Nice complete grouping. I cannot answer the question on the gold dolphins as far as regulations go but I also have gold dolphins on a Chief grouping that was KIA in WWII. Subsequently both sailors are from Missouri. Link is below to compare. RIP Chief Andrews. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/220772-uss-shark-ss-314-kia-purple-heart-and-grouping/?hl=%20uss%20%20shark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nbolinger Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted August 31, 2015 Thanks again for the help and info on the group. The picture of him i found online. Ill be making a color copy to display with group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh B. Posted August 31, 2015 Share #18 Posted August 31, 2015 Very nice group. Thanks for sharing. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary B Posted August 31, 2015 Share #19 Posted August 31, 2015 That is a wonderful group. Submarine PHs, as you know, are quite rare, and this one is one of the more complete ones I have seen. Gary B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsa Posted September 22, 2015 Share #20 Posted September 22, 2015 Awesome group. As to the question regarding the Gold Dolphins- for some reason they often come in enlisted groupings. A few things come to mind- they were sent home as sweetheart items, or perhaps because enlisteds had no "regulation" dolphins at the time they bought these as symbols of their service; not to wear but as keepsakes. I recently read where some enlisted sub sailors had silver badges made for their work uniforms in Australia. Have not seen any but that's what I read. I will say Gold Dolphins are sometime seen sweated to enlisted buckles and sweetheart items. In recent years much has been written about Lagarto. About ten years ago I bought a packet of professional 8 X 10s showing a number of officers on the deck of a sub. It looked to me that the packet was given out at commissioning but the name of the sub was not shown. One of the officers looked familiar and I was able to identify him as Latta and subsequent digging showed the photos were from Lagarto. Apparently Manitowoc gave these photo packets to plankowners, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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