LETTERS

WAHOO MEMORIAL IN JAPAN

The summers are short in Wakkanai but if things go right, another memorial will grace the real estate of Cape Soya, Japan. Joining the KAL 007 airliner memorial dedicated there on the Cape in memory of the 269 people who perished when it was shot down in 1983, will be a WAHOO (SS 238) Peace monument.

The village of Wakkanai, near Cape Soya, came alive as I groggily wandered into a hotel after an all night train ride, north from Sapporo. An earlier NSL publication describes what I encountered with locals who helped cause COMSUBPAC years ago to announce “overdue and presumed lost”. There were no hard feelings then and our fellow world submariners there, in tribute to both their lost shipmates and ours in the boats, are today showing their comradeship by both erecting the memorial and splitting the cost, some five million yen or $60,000, with this U.S. committee, a small group. The Japanese have already raised more than their share. We currently stand short of some $19,000.

Thus we ask all friends and relatives of WAHOO to send any contribution in memory of Mush Morton and his crew to: George E. Logue, Secretary, Peace Memorial, 120 So. Arch St., Montoursville, Pennsylvania 17754; phone (717) 368-2636. Write the check to: WAHOO Peace Memorial 1995.

Full credit goes to Bill Barlow of Muncy, Pennsylvania for his design of the memorial plans. Bill teaches architecture at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Steering this project along in Japan is our trusted mentor, Dr. Larry Hagen, a former U.S. Marine and current Baptist missionary who has lived in Japan for the past 35 years. Fluent in Japanese, he guides this effort with spirit and determination. Larry can be contacted at: Baptist Bible Church, 3-16-25 Sakae, Wakkanai, Hokkaido 097, Japan; phone (011) 0162-23-5710.

Dr. Hagen’s direct link with the building work is with the Project Supervisor there in Cape Soya, Mr. Satoru Saga, President, Kitami Shokai Co. Ltd. (real estate) at: 3-11-4 Chome Chuo, Waldcanai 097, Hokkaido, Japan, phone (011) 0162-23-5710. While he speaks no English, his fervor in the Peace Memorial is a reflection of his chairmanship of the Old Navy Association in Wakkanai City.

Clearing the way on higher channels is Mr. Mark B. Lambert, 2nd Secretary, Political/Military Affairs at our U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Also involved is Rear Admiral Byron E. Tobin, Jr., USN, Commander U.S. Naval Forces, Japan.

Ceremonies for this dedication are to be held at the beautiful, brand new Nikko Hotel in downtown Wakkanai. Unveiling of the memorial that shares soil from our own Statue of Liberty grounds, will take place high atop the Cape, some ten miles to the east of the city and only twelve miles from W AHOO’s current berth.

Martin F. Schaffer, Treasurer
Peace Memorial
1710 Elm Street
Allentown, PA 18104
(610) 433-7737

REQUEST FOR INFO ON JAPANESE SUBMARINES

• Preliminary Report on Japanese Submarine Forces – Subron 20
• Japanese Submarines and Submarine Material in Western Japan – Subron 13

These reports are the result of US examination of UN’s submarines ordered by the Commander of the American Submarine Force, immediately after the end of WWII.

After the war USN took several UN SS to Hawaii for close inspection and investigation. Among them were the I 400, 1401, and I 14 aircraft-carrying SS, then the largest ones in the world. Also the high underwater speed submarines I 201 and I 203 and the smaller Ha 209. I am sure that there have been written detailed reports on these investigations and I highly desire to have copies (either xerox copies or microfilms).

If any members of the League know of the existence of other material/sources on UN SS (e.g., intelligence reports) I would appreciate any information about them.

I would be grateful to hear of any possible source for a copy of the aforementioned reports and any others still unknown to me. Of course, I agree to repay all expenses my request may cause.

Very sincerely yours,
Hans Lengerer
Rappenhalde 6
D-88447 Birkenhard
Germany

COMBINED SURFACE/SUBMARINE MAINTENANCE

An article in the Navy Times issue of September 4 has produced a shiver of uneasiness in this old quality assurance practitioner. It speaks in laudatory terms of a new “one-stop repair site” in which “the Navy has brought repairs to surface ships and subs under one roof’. [Editor’s Note: The lead of the referenced article is excerpted below.]

“A new intermediate maintenance facility on the Pearl Harbor submarine base-the first of several regional repair centers-combines surface ship and submarine repair into one new building with 180,000 square feet of working space and 250 pieces of industrial equipment. All were moved from the old submarine base repair facility and surface shore intermediate maintenance activity from December 1994 through April. ”

I am not made more comfortable by the statement of Admiral Zlatoper that “This will free up people” or by Commander Burrill that “Submarine maintenance has a discipline that makes us envious.” I doubt that submarine quality control discipline is now going to be applied to all repair work for the surface fleet. I only hope it will continue to be enforced for work on submarines.

Sincerely,
John D. Alden
CDR, USN(Ret.)
98 Sunnyside A venue
Pleasantville, NY 10570