Oral Hygiene, a Chief's Ingenuity, and a Successful First Combat Patrol

Since 07-03-05

by Robert James Homme, M.A.

The summer of 1943 found the Gunard departing Pearl Harbor under the command of Charles Herbert Andrews for another war patrol. It was the first under Andrews' command. In spite of trouble from the boat's Hoover-Owens-Rentschler engines (known throughout the submarine fleet as HORs - pronounced "whores" - because of their lack of dependability) Andrews kept his boat pointed toward the Palaus. Andrews and his crew would taunt the enemy destroyers that moved in and out of the harbor entrances by surfacing, then when spotted, diving & eluding the hunters.

One morning, while the Gunard was playing its dangerous game near a lagoon entrance, the boat made it to 90 feet when it was slammed simultaneously by two depth charges. The depth charges went off under the Gunard and thrust her violently toward the surface. In imminent danger of broaching, the XO (Robert E. Ward) shouted for the dive to "Flood everything. Get her down!"

The Submarine refused to respond. The blasts had knocked out several electrical connections and with them the automatic control over the diving planes. The manual controls were spinning so wildly that the 225 pound Engineering Officer was hurled across the control room and knocked unconscious when attempting to gain control of the bow plane control wheel.

Desperate to lower the bow, the captain sent a 50 man trim party up the radically angled deck to the forward torpedo room. It worked. Too well. The bow dropped and the Gunard started toward the bottom like a rock! The trim party was ordered aft, another extreme uphill climb, which ultimately plunged the stern deeper. With the bow again at a steep up angle, the depth gauge in the control room read 495 feet, which placed the after torpedo room at approximately 530 feet, in imminent danger of being crushed by the extreme water pressure.

As with most of the Navy's perils, it was a Chief who provided the solution to the crisis. Lacking immediate access to any other useful tool, Electrician Chief W.F. Fritsch grabbed his wet toothbrush and shoved it between the two severed electrical connections of the submarine's diving planes. With the current restored, planes control was restored and the Gunard was able to regain the bubble, endure the depth charging, and effect repairs. Shortly after this harrowing incident, the Gunard sunk two freighters and a destroyer. In addition, she damaged and disabled a Japanese aircraft carrier.

Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, Andrews received a Navy Cross for what his division commander called "one of the finest, most aggressive first patrols on record." In addition, Chief Fritsch was awarded a Silver Star for his quick thinking and expert use of his tooth brush!

About the Author

Robert James Homme is a Vietnam Era Submarine Veteran and has a graduate degree in History from Florida International University. Robert has published professionally in a variety of magazines throughout Florida and academically in the Atlantic Millennium (formerly the Southeastern Historical Journal). He is a dual honor society member of OMICRON DELTA KAPPA and PHI ALPHA THETA.