Author: FTB1(SS)

One Final Run

The USS S-33 didn’t start out as a headline boat. She wasn’t sleek or fast, and by the time World War II exploded across the Pacific, she was already a grizzled old hull in a Navy that was rapidly modernizing. But like a lot of things built with care and kept in working order, she still had something left to give. And give she did. Not in flashy battles or dramatic duels at sea, but in hard miles, cold dives, and one final mission that helped pave the way for an American victory in the Aleutians.

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Days of Torpedoes and Thunder

When USS Narwhal SS-167 slipped away on her fourth war patrol, the crew didn’t expect the weeks ahead to feel so long, cold, and cloaked in mist. They were headed for Midway first, a routine leg with training dives and gunnery drills to keep everyone sharp. By July 13, they made it to Midway Lagoon, tied up next to the tender Fulton, and took on over 29,000 gallons of fuel. The crew from Squadron Eight and Fulton gave them everything they needed and more. Spirits were high. Repairs were done quickly. At 1641 local time, they steamed out again, escorted by a friendly bird overhead.

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Paramushiro to Portland: The Story of Captain Robert F. Sellars, USN

 

On July 29, 1946, Portland’s Sunday Oregonian ran a proud headline: “Portland Submarine Officer Home from Pacific”. The article spotlighted Commander Robert F. Sellars, fresh from his command of USS Blackfish, returning to Oregon on a brief leave. He had completed four Pacific patrols after earlier duty in the Aleutians and the Atlantic. The piece offered readers a clean, clipped summary of Sellars’ wartime service. What it could not capture was the depth of experience behind his quiet return.

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