The Grunion had a short life. The Gato class submarine was launched on December 22, 1941 at Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. Her skipper was Lieutenant Commander Mammert L. Abele. After a shakedown cruise and transit to Pearl she headed for Midway and her first war patrol. She operated off the island of Kiska in the Aleutians and there sank three sub-chasers. She reported the sinkings to ComSubPac.

Grunion was never heard from again. Her mysterious loss on or about August 1, 1942 has been the subject of speculation for decades, but the three sons of Lcdr. Mannert has taken up the challenge to find out what happened to their father's ship. They first conducted a survey of what meager information existed on the sinking. In the course of this preliminary research they discovered a remarkable source of information. A Japanese gentleman, Yutaka Iwasaki, was in possession of a document which shed considerable light on the fate of the boat.

The following information was taken from several documents and video provided to SRC by Bruce Abele, one of the skipper's sons.

"Yutaka Iwasaki had translated some Japanese writings in which was described the incident (sinking of the Grunion). The article he had translated had appeared in a special July 2001 issue of the Japanese trade magazine, "Maru" as a reprint of an article which had first been published in March 1963. The article by Japanese Navy ex-captain Seiichi Aiura who had been the 'superintendent' of the Kano Maru at the time of the attack was titled, 'We Have Sunk US Submarine'."

The following is the account of the sinking:

"The Kano Maru was by astronomical fix east of Kiska, some 12 miles NW of Segura Island which in turn lay some 25 miles east of Kiska. The ship changed course so that it was traveling WSW on a course of 255 degrees at 15 knots. At 0547 on the morning of July 31st two torpedoes were spotted coming at it from the starboard quarter. The ship tried in vain to turn into the torpedoes, but while the first torpedo passed astern, the second exploded aft at the machinery room on the starboard side. At this time the Kano Maru spotted the periscope of a submarine quite close, but on the forward starboard side.

"The cargo ship hadn't sunk, but its machinery room was flooded and its generator and its radio were out of commission. The Japanese seamen had to put all their faith in the one remaining operable 8 cm gun on the forecastle - the one on the stern having been made inoperable by the torpedo hit. This 8 cm gun was immediately put into action, as were the 13 mm machine guns mounted on the bridge. The periscope that had been on the forward starboard side gradually moved aft on the starboard side. Then, at 0557, ten minutes after the first shot, another torpedo came from about 300 meters distance, but passed harmlessly below the ship without detonating.

"The periscope was then observed moving from the starboard stern around the stern to the port side. Ten minutes later at 0607 three more torpedoes in salvo came, two of which hit the forecastle and amidships with a thud, but all of these torpedoes failed to explode. One of these struck the forward bridge at the #2 cargo hold. After it hit, it apparently lost its head while the rest of its body floated on the water, tail down with about 2 feet of it protruding above the surface. Then having already fired 6 torpedoes at the cargo ship the submarine apparently decided to surface behind the cargo ship and finish it off with its deck gun. Shortly thereafter, the submarine was spotted surfacing about 400 meters away and aft of the Kano Maru; presumably to try to sink the merchant ship with gunfire. The submarine had now reversed its course 180 degrees, turning away from the ship and heading once more to the aft of the ship where it might be shielded from the 8 cm gunfire by the superstructure of the Kano Maru. At this point the submarine was bearing 135 degrees off the port stern. Before the submarine had fully surfaced and moments before it had passed safely astern, a direct hit was scored on the conning tower by the fourth shot from the 8cm gun, after it had resumed firing. The submarine disappeared from view."

According to the document of Mr. Iwasaki the Grunion was sunk by gun fire, but this was only the preliminary findings of the searching sons of the Lcdr. Mannert. In 2006 and again in 2007 the three researchers leased a vessel and actually found their father's submarine. Read about their remarkable discoveries and analyze for yourself the fate of the Grunion. Part II will be in Bulletin 85, December 1, 2008.