Jump to content

WWII & Pre-WWII Submarine Dolphins


 Share

Recommended Posts

A wartime Gemsco badge I recently added to the collection- note the die flaw at the end of "sterling". This is proper for these badges.

post-6517-1300546385.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Inscribed "Plank Owner" sub badge. Any additional info you might have on Ray Voss, the Plank Owners Club, or the U.S.S. Puffer will be greatly appreciated.

IMG_2172_crop.jpg

IMG_2175_crop.jpg

IMG_2176_crop.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding the U.S.S. Puffer:

 

USS Puffer (SS-268), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the puffer, a fish which inflates its body with air.

 

Puffer (SS-268) was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc., 16 February 1942; launched 22 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Lyons (granddaughter of the oldest employee at Manitowac, Christ. Jacobson, Sr.); and commissioned 27 April 1943, Lt. Comdr. M. J. Jensen in command.

 

Puffer was transported down the Mississippi to New Orleans on a special floating drydock, having periscopes installed en route after receiving torpedoes and ammunition. She exercised off Panama for a month, then headed across the Pacific to Australia, arriving in early September 1943.

 

First and second war patrols, September 1943 – January 1944Her first war patrol, to intercept Japanese commerce in the Makassar Strait–Celebes Sea area, 7 September to 17 October, resulted in several damaged ships but no sinkings. On 24 November Puffer sailed on her 2nd patrol, in the Sulu Sea and the approaches to Manila. On 13 December, she made an successful attack on freighter Teiko Maru (ex-Vichy French steamship D'Artagnan).[5] On 20 December she sank 820-ton destroyer Fuyō, and on 1 January 1944, 6,707-ton freighter Ryuyo Maru, before putting in to Fremantle for refit 12 January.

 

Third and fourth war patrols, February – June 1944Puffer departed for her 3rd war patrol, in the South China Sea, 4 February. On 22 February, she sank the 15,105-ton transport Teikyo Maru. Returning to Fremantle 4 April, she sailed again 30 April for Madoera Straits, Makassar Straits and the Sulu Sea. She acted as life guard for the first Allied carrier strike on Soerabaia, sank 3,181-ton freighter Shinryu Maru 18 May, then on 5 June, attacked three tankers, sinking 2,166-ton Ashizuri and 2,500-ton Takasaki. She ended this most successful patrol, for which she received the Navy Unit Commendation, at Fremantle 21 June.

 

Fifth war patrol, July 1944 – ~ 1944On 14 July Puffer departed for her 5th war patrol, in Makassar Straits, the Celebes, Sulu, and South China Seas. She made contact with a submarine tender screened by five escorts on 21 July, spending three days following the group and using all but nine torpedoes to sink the tender.[6]

 

Twenty three days later, on 12 August she made contact with a ten large vessels and their escorts. Five of the remaining nine torpedoes sank the 5,113-ton tanker Teikon Maru and a large freighter, with enough damage to beach another tanker. She completed the patrol at Pearl Harbor, whence she continued on to Mare Island for overhaul.

 

Sixth and seventh war patrols, December 1944 – ~ 1945Following refresher training at Hawaii, Puffer got underway on her 6th war patrol 16 December. Operating in the Nansei Shoto area, she sank Coast Defense Vessel No. 42 on 10 January 1945; and, prior to her arrival at Guam, 17 January, damaged a destroyer, three freighters, and a tanker.

 

By 11 February, Puffer was underway again and following patrols in Luzon Straits and the South China Sea where she bombarded Pratas Island, she made an anti-shipping sweep of the Wake Island area.

 

Eighth and ninth war patrols, May 1945 – ~ 1945Refitted at Midway she departed 20 May en route to the South China and Java Seas to conduct her 8th war patrol. In a surface sweep of the northern Bali coast, Puffer destroyed, by gunfire, two Japanese sea trucks and six landing craft, 5 July, and inflicted extensive damage to harbor installations at Chelukan Bawang and Buleleng, Bali. A brief respite at Fremantle followed, whence she headed north for her last war patrol, in the Java Sea.

 

Puffer earned 9 battle stars for World War II service in the Pacific Theater, with a total tonnage of 36,392 tons (eight ships).

 

Post-war serviceCompleting that patrol with the cessation of hostilities, Puffer headed for Subic Bay, thence to the United States, reaching San Francisco 15 October. With the new year, 1946, Puffer returned to Hawaii where she trained officers and men in submarine warfare until returning to San Francisco, 19 March, for inactivation.

 

Puffer decommissioned 28 June 1946, and was berthed at Mare Island as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. At the end of the year Puffer was ordered activated and assigned to the 13th Naval District for training Naval Reservists. Employed in that status, at Seattle, until relieved by Bowfin 10 June 1960, Puffer was placed out of service and sold for scrapping to the Zidell Corp., Portland, Oreg. 4 November 1960.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Russ,

Nice sub badge. I found this, not much info but gives his full name.

Josh may have more info on this guy.

 

 

Raymond H. Voss

 

 

BRANCH OF SERVICE

U.S. Navy

 

 

HOMETOWN

Del Norte, CO

 

HONORED BY

Jerry Joels, Cousin

 

ACTIVITY DURING WWII

SERVED ON SUBMARINES, USS PUFFER.

 

 

Jason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Jason. Having his full name and hometown is a big help.

 

 

Here's a couple of closer shots of the inscription.

IMG_2249_crop.jpg

IMG_2250_crop.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Russ,

Nice sub badge. I found this, not much info but gives his full name.

Josh may have more info on this guy.

 

 

Raymond H. Voss

 

 

BRANCH OF SERVICE

U.S. Navy

HOMETOWN

Del Norte, CO

 

HONORED BY

Jerry Joels, Cousin

 

ACTIVITY DURING WWII

SERVED ON SUBMARINES, USS PUFFER.

Jason

 

 

I just saw this- Russ I have a large amount of info I can give you on his career. He was an long serving enlisted man, so I suspect these officer's pattern dolphins were given to him as a commemorative gift, or as were purchased as a service memento. They are machine engraved. I have his service number, service dates, ships served on, birth and death dates, etc. Say the word and I'll post here in the thread or if not send me a PM and I'll send it that way. This guy was a dyed in the wool submariner- 25 years aboard subs from the beginning of the war to the mid 60's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Josh,

 

Thank you for your efforts. Please feel free to post the information here, if you think it's appropriate. I'm happy to share the research with anyone who's interested.

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Regarding the above inscribed "Plank Owner" sub badge, his full name was "Raymond H. Voss". (Born 8/21/21...died 3/2/93).

 

Service number: 372-22-92. Joined the Navy 12/12/1940 thru 12/10/1946. Reenlisted 2/56 thru 12/58. (Must have reenlisted again after that, but no dates available.)

 

1941-42 served aboard AT-12.

 

1942- one month aboard R-20 for training.

 

1942-1946. Plank owner (first crew) of USS Puffer THRU decomissioning of boat! Aboard for war Patrols 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

 

Post war- Served aboard Sea Owl, Bonefish, Segundo and Caiman.

 

Left Caiman in 1966, transferred to fleet reserve in 1968. Was Chief Electrician's Mate at retirement.

 

 

 

 

Gents, thank you again for all of your research help.

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
rustywings

Any other WWII era submarine badges out there? Unusual hallmarks...personalized inscriptions...altered pins...two inchers...I'd sure like to see them!

 

Russ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any other WWII era submarine badges out there? Unusual hallmarks...personalized inscriptions...altered pins...two inchers...I'd sure like to see them!

 

Russ

 

Here is my one and only. The badge has an even finish, my photography skills suck. The H-H hallmark is in a different place than all of the other H-H's shown in previous posts. Also, it is canted clockwise almost 90 degrees. Any help on dating this is much appreciated. Separate post for the closeups. Thanks, Al Hirschler in Dallas.

post-12790-1306615736.jpg

post-12790-1306615753.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my one and only. The badge has an even finish, my photography skills suck. The H-H hallmark is in a different place than all of the other H-H's shown in previous posts. Also, it is canted clockwise almost 90 degrees. Any help on dating this is much appreciated. Separate post for the closeups. Thanks, Al Hirschler in Dallas.

 

Closeups. Thanks.

post-12790-1306615915.jpg

post-12790-1306615928.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Closeups. Thanks.

 

I just realized that enlisted badges are post WW2, Sorry about that. Al Hirschler in Dallas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just realized that enlisted badges are post WW2, Sorry about that. Al Hirschler in Dallas.

 

Yeah, but they're still really nice and if you ever need to sell 'em, I've got a Chief who needs a pair... :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, but they're still really nice and if you ever need to sell 'em, I've got a Chief who needs a pair... :thumbsup:

 

PM sent. I only have the one. Thanks, Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Nice badges everyone. Keep them coming. I promise 5-6 AMICO variants sometime in the next month or so- just no time to take the pics or access the badges right now. Nice engineering badge too. A solid reminder to collectors that just because a sub badge is pin-back and is hallmarked for precious metal content, it doesnt mean it was wartime.

 

Also, nice pairs of medical dolphins. I've seen it mentioned that the submarine medical officer's insignia was introduced mid-war, but I've never been able to track down any regulations that mention their introduction into use. Has anyone ever seen that official regulation change where these insignia are authorized?

 

 

Answered my own question. Here's a posting from "ALL HANDS, Aug '43"

post-6517-1309440795.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got these in a grouping and thought they should be in this thread also. The maker mark is amico 1/20 10KGonS it's hard to see with my scan.

 

Full size amico sub badge on card

post-2501-1309956350.jpg

post-2501-1309956367.jpg

 

mini sub badge made by vanguard

post-2501-1309956742.jpg

post-2501-1309956753.jpg

post-2501-1309956760.jpg

post-2501-1309956769.jpg

 

Jason

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
silversides son

Back has no pin. Looks that my Dad lead soldered/attached something at one time that fell off. No makers mark but maybe under the glob of solder? @ 1 1/2" long x 1/2" tall gold plated metal unknown. Think I could safely clean/remove the solder or not worth the effort?

post-28508-1310767458.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back has no pin. Looks that my Dad lead soldered/attached something at one time that fell off. No makers mark but maybe under the glob of solder? @ 1 1/2" long x 1/2" tall gold plated metal unknown. Think I could safely clean/remove the solder or not worth the effort?

 

 

Looks to be an H&H pattern mess-dress size dolphin. It's unusual in that it looks like it never had a pin back (indicating that yours might not have started as an actual piece of wearable insignia that was re-purposed for use on something else). This then might indicate that someone copied this pattern of dolphin for use on plaques, etc. Of course, someone may have written to H&H and requested a planchet that no pin had yet been affixed to so they could more easily solder it to something too.

 

Not sure about trying to remove the solder- my guess is it's not worth it. Thanks for sharing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

It took me a long time, but as promised here are some additional shots of some Amico hallmark variants. Thanks to JLeng for posting a couple of his earlier on in this thread.

 

First up, an attributed full size dolphin from a grouping I own. The officer who wore these was based on shore by V-J day. Note the word "STERLING" fully spelled out on the back

post-6517-1312689868.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Second set of full size officer's dolphins- Note abbreviation "G on S" for "gold on silver or gold on sterling". This badge is also unusual as the shearing die used to clean up the planchet hit but did not cut away part of the remaining material between the left dolphin and the conning tower.

post-6517-1312690398.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...