Howard Gilmore (AS 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME U.S.S. HOWARD W. GILMORE (AS-16) In February, 1943, a badly battered American submarine, the USS Growler, crawled home from her fourth war patrol in the western Solomons. The battle- scarred hull represented only her material condition; the human element of the team, ship and men, was passionately eager to return to battle, for they had an awesome revenge to exact. The Growler had completed three successful war patrols in the Aleutians under command of Commander Howard W. Gilmore, then Lieutenant Com- mander, and was now beginning its fourth patrol. The sub was scarcely on sta- tion before she picked off a freighter in a convoy and two days later sank an- other. Then, one hour after midnight on February 19th, Commander Gilmore detected a ship about 2,000 yards off his starboard bow. The torpedo tubes were not quite ready, so the Commander swung the Growler away to allow time to prepare; then turned back to the target. It was so dark he could not see that the enemy ship had reversed course and was headed straight for him. Not until radar warned that the enemy was very close, could the Skipper see what had happened. A moment later the screen showed that the target was too close to attack with torpedoes — they would not have time to aim. Without hesita- tion Commander Gilmore chose the only course to damage the enemy vessel. He gave the order to ram the approaching ship. Seconds later, the Growler plowed into the enemy ship at seventeen knots. Before the ships could draw apart, ma- chine gun fire began to sweep the submarine at point blank range. The Skipper ' s command came with the first burst of fire: Clear the bridge! The Officer-of-the-deck, the Quartermaster, and two wounded men slid down the hatch. The Executive Officer peered anxiously up toward the bridge where the din of machine-gun fire still resounded. The skipper should have been easing his body down by then, but instead came his command: Take her down! Thus, for his inspiring personal heroism, Commander Howard W. Gilmore became the first member of the Submarine Force to be awarded the Con- gressional Medal of Honor. In September of 1943 a submarine tender, the USS Neptune, lay awaiting launching at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Prior to her launching, how- ever, the Navy Department, desiring to honor an outstanding hero of the early part of World War II, renamed her the USS Howard W. Gilmore in honor of this great hero. A more fitting tribute could not be paid to anyone, than to have such an honor bestowed upon them. For Commander Gilmore lives in the hearts and souls of thousands of men that have passed through and will pass through this ship.

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THE GILMORE STORY A BRIEF HISTORY The U.S.S. Howard W. Gilmore is a keel up submarine tender, the sixth of seven designed Fulton class submarine tenders. The ship was authorized by an Act of Congress, 14 June 1942. When the keel was laid 21 December 1942, in the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California, the ship was to be named the U.S.S. Neptune. Prior to her launching however, the Navy Department renamed her the U.S.S. Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) in honor of the Submarine Force hero. The ship was launched 16 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Howard W. Gilmore, the widow of the late Commander Gilmore and a resident of New Or- leans. The tender was placed in commission 7 July 1944, and was turned over to her first Commanding Officer, Captain Daniel N. Cone, U. S. Navy, of San Fran- cisco, California. After leaving Pearl Harbor in September 1944, the ship spent five months at Marjuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands, refitting submarines for war patrols, undergoing voyage repairs, training relief crew personnel for the Squadron, and providing the routine services required by the submarines. Following a visit to Brisbane, Australia, the ship sailed in February 1945, for Humboldt Bay, Dutch New Guinea, where vitally needed materials for an ad- vance base were loaded. Joining a convoy at Humboldt Bay, the U.S.S. Howard W. Gilmore sailed for Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Arriving there in March, 1945, she reported for duty in the Submarine Force of the Seventh Fleet as relief for the U.S.S. Griffin. Work at Subic Bay consisted of refitting and provisioning submarines and estab- lishing of a submarine rest and recuperation camp. After continuing her job of refitting submarines until August 30, 1945, the ship, then in company with eighteen submarines, headed for the United States, carrying more than one thousand passengers who were to be released from ac- tive duty. Following a brief stopover in Pearl Harbor, the ship arrived at San Diego, California, late in September. After disembarking about six hundred of her passengers in San Diego, the tender proceeded on to New York via the Panama Canal. On Navy Day, in October, she was one of the ships which sailed to the Hudson River and were re- viewed by the President of the United States. After a short stay in Bayonne, New Jersey, Navy Yard, the ship took on supplies and provisions at New London, Connecticut. Then after being supplied with torpedoes at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, she proceeded to Key West, Florida, which has been her home port since January, 1946. During 1946 to 1948 the Gilmore continued her mission servicing, repairing, and supplying, not only the submarines and other units assigned to Submarine Squadron Four of which she is a unit, but also other units of the Navy as the needs and opportunities presented themselves.