Missing WWII Sub Found After 65 Years
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The mangled remains of a World War II submarine were found in the Bering Sea on Wednesday night, more than six decades after the U.S. Navy vessel disappeared with a crew of 70 off the Aleutian Island of Kiska.
The discovery of the USS Grunion culminates a five-year search led by the sons of its commander, Mannert Abele, and may finally shine a light on the mysterious last moments of the doomed vessel.
"Obviously, this is a very big thing," the oldest son, Bruce Abele, said Thursday from his home in Newton, Mass. "I told my wife about it when she was still in bed and she practically went up to the ceiling."
A remotely operated vehicle snapped pictures and captured three hours of video footage of the Grunion on a rocky underwater slope north of the volcanic island, according to John Abele, who was in Kiska Harbor with the search team on Thursday.
The submarine lies 1,000 feet from the surface and had been crushed by water pressue, said Abele. He is director and co-founder of the medical equipment company Boston Scientific Corp. and the youngest of the three brothers.
"The most surprising thing was the damage," said Abele. "It was much more than we or anyone else imagined. Initially it was very hard to recognize as a ship."
The hull had imploded so severely that the interior, including bunks and a dive wheel, are clearly visible, Abele said. No human remains were found.
The search team hired by the Abeles, Deep Sea Systems International, said no identifying markings or lettering could be seen, however, the location and appearance of the vessel indicate it is the missing sub.
"There's a 95 percent chance that this is the Grunion and a less than five percent chance that it's not," said Christopher J. Nicholson, general manager of the company based in Cataumet, Mass. "The fact that they actually found this in an expanse of ocean is really pretty spectacular."
The Grunion had a propeller guard, which was rare in subs of the day, Abele said. The vessel discovered yesterday also had the fence, which prevented docking lines from getting caught in propeller.
The Grunion patrolled Alaska's Aleutian Islands during the early months of World War II. Her last official radio message to the submarine base at Dutch Harbor came on July 30, 1942 and described heavy enemy activity at Kiska Harbor.
Earlier that month, the Grunion had sunk two Japanese submarine chasers and heavily damaged a third near Kiska, one of two islands in the far west Aleutians captured by the Japanese.
Until a few years ago, the clues to the Grunion's disappearance were too fragmented to justify a search.
But after receiving more information from a model ship builder in Japan, the Abeles launched an initial expedition to Kiska in August 2006. Sonar images of a sub-shaped silhouette prompted a second journey this month.
As news of the search spread, several relatives of the Grunion's crew banded together to locate others with ties to the lost men. To date, the relatives of 69 men are following the progress of the search, said Mary Bentz of Bethesda, Md., whose uncle died on the Grunion.
The relatives of one more man, Byron Allen Traviss of Detroit, remain to be found.
Bentz said the news is a relief after decades of not knowing what happened. Her father's youngest brother, Carmine Anthony Parziale, of Weedville, Penn., was in his early 20s when he served as a torpedoman third class on Grunion.
"I know when my dad would talk about him, his eyes would well up with tears," said Bentz. "I was relieved to know that this is finally over, that now we can say, two and three generations later, that we know what happened."
A forensic engineer and other experts will use the footage to piece together the Grunion's final hours and figure out why it sank. The search crew of 17 plans to spend several more days looking for sunken Japanese ships in the area.
"Actually seeing the burial site was touching and in a way rewarding," John Abele said. "It provides a closing and hopefully an answer to the unknown."
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The discovery of the USS Grunion culminates a five-year search led by the sons of its commander, Mannert Abele, and may finally shine a light on the mysterious last moments of the doomed vessel.
"Obviously, this is a very big thing," the oldest son, Bruce Abele, said Thursday from his home in Newton, Mass. "I told my wife about it when she was still in bed and she practically went up to the ceiling."
A remotely operated vehicle snapped pictures and captured three hours of video footage of the Grunion on a rocky underwater slope north of the volcanic island, according to John Abele, who was in Kiska Harbor with the search team on Thursday.
The submarine lies 1,000 feet from the surface and had been crushed by water pressue, said Abele. He is director and co-founder of the medical equipment company Boston Scientific Corp. and the youngest of the three brothers.
"The most surprising thing was the damage," said Abele. "It was much more than we or anyone else imagined. Initially it was very hard to recognize as a ship."
(CBS)
The search team hired by the Abeles, Deep Sea Systems International, said no identifying markings or lettering could be seen, however, the location and appearance of the vessel indicate it is the missing sub.
"There's a 95 percent chance that this is the Grunion and a less than five percent chance that it's not," said Christopher J. Nicholson, general manager of the company based in Cataumet, Mass. "The fact that they actually found this in an expanse of ocean is really pretty spectacular."
The Grunion had a propeller guard, which was rare in subs of the day, Abele said. The vessel discovered yesterday also had the fence, which prevented docking lines from getting caught in propeller.
The Grunion patrolled Alaska's Aleutian Islands during the early months of World War II. Her last official radio message to the submarine base at Dutch Harbor came on July 30, 1942 and described heavy enemy activity at Kiska Harbor.
Earlier that month, the Grunion had sunk two Japanese submarine chasers and heavily damaged a third near Kiska, one of two islands in the far west Aleutians captured by the Japanese.
Until a few years ago, the clues to the Grunion's disappearance were too fragmented to justify a search.
But after receiving more information from a model ship builder in Japan, the Abeles launched an initial expedition to Kiska in August 2006. Sonar images of a sub-shaped silhouette prompted a second journey this month.
As news of the search spread, several relatives of the Grunion's crew banded together to locate others with ties to the lost men. To date, the relatives of 69 men are following the progress of the search, said Mary Bentz of Bethesda, Md., whose uncle died on the Grunion.
The relatives of one more man, Byron Allen Traviss of Detroit, remain to be found.
Bentz said the news is a relief after decades of not knowing what happened. Her father's youngest brother, Carmine Anthony Parziale, of Weedville, Penn., was in his early 20s when he served as a torpedoman third class on Grunion.
"I know when my dad would talk about him, his eyes would well up with tears," said Bentz. "I was relieved to know that this is finally over, that now we can say, two and three generations later, that we know what happened."
A forensic engineer and other experts will use the footage to piece together the Grunion's final hours and figure out why it sank. The search crew of 17 plans to spend several more days looking for sunken Japanese ships in the area.
"Actually seeing the burial site was touching and in a way rewarding," John Abele said. "It provides a closing and hopefully an answer to the unknown."
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Posted by rheola at 11:36 PM : Aug 24, 2007
And this is to prove what?
That the ''truly religious person'' was the ''bigot'' and ''hypocrite''?
Or that the person spoken to was the ''Bigot and ''Hypocrite''?
Or that the person speaking was the ''Bigot and ''Hypocrite''?
Sounds like a statement that has no meaning except to cast derogatory inference on religion (of any calling).
I guess you either forgot your meds this morning or you are desperate for attention.
I cannot believe that there would be an American who is not pro-military. Our military are our families, they are US! So many have sacrificed their lives and comforts. So many are suffering now in debilitating heat in a hostile environment, lets support them, they need it. Why aren''t you serving your country. To say something as ignorant as you did, you need to be ashamed. You obviously don''t know the anguish of losing a loved one, worse, not knowing what may have happened. I am a submariner''s wife, and this is my worse fear. I almost lost my husband earlier this year, you cannot know the devastation one would feel in losing their life partner. I am glad that the families of the USS Grunion will have some closure and I am deeply sorry for their loss. As a military wife, I am appreciative of their sacrifice for us all.
Just as my cousin Mary Bentz said I would watch my father eyes fill up when talking about him.
I would like to thank the Abele Family and all involved for what they have done.
May all the souls of those aboard the Grunion rest in peace.
There are news stories about military topics that are not political spin. It''s too bad that life hasn''t taught you to empathy and compassion...and to value relationships.
Grow up. They aren''''t resting, their dead. They aren''''t on patrol, their dead. Stupid-*** pro-military *********.
Posted by singnrick at 08:49 PM : Aug 24, 2007
Surely a most unchristian comment from a person who pretends to be holier than thou.
Reminds me of an old adage "Show me a truly religous person, and I shall show you a bigot and a hypocrite"
You are an ignorant, arrogant civilian puke.
I grew up in the DMZ of South VietNam.
Navy tradition lists submarines and crews that are missing in action as ''still on patrol''.
You are damned right I am pro military. Twenty two years of service in the Marine Corps would attest to that.
Publish your contact info and maybe we can ''talk'' about this if you need further clarification or information.
Charles H.
CWO-3 USMC (ret)