 |
George FlukkieAmerican submariner, captain of the 3rd rank
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- The "Wolfpack" and the Philippine Sea
- The Rescue of Allied POWs
- The Final Months of the War
- Legacy and Impact
Lieutenant Commander Eugene B. Fluckey: Submarine Commander in World War II
Eugene Blair Fluckey was born in Washington, D.C. in 1912. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1935 and served on the battleship USS West Virginia until 1938. In 1940, he volunteered for submarine duty and was assigned to the USS Barb in 1944, at the height of the Pacific War.
The "Wolfpack" and the Philippine Sea
In August 1944, Fluckey's Barb joined the "Ed's Eradicators" wolfpack, a group of submarines patrolling the seas between the Philippines and Formosa. On August 20, the wolfpack made contact with a Japanese convoy.
Fluckey submerged the Barb and daringly surfaced to close the distance to the convoy. As the Barb approached the Japanese ships, a spread of torpedoes was launched. The Barb's attack was part of a coordinated effort by the wolfpack that resulted in the sinking of four enemy vessels and damage to another.
The Rescue of Allied POWs
In September 1944, the Barb received orders to rendezvous with the USS Queenfish and USS Pampanito to rescue Allied prisoners of war (POWs) from the sunken Japanese transport ship Rakuyō Maru. The POWs had been transported from Singapore to Japan under horrific conditions.
Fluckey's Barb encountered a Japanese convoy and attacked, sinking the Unyō, a 20,000-ton aircraft carrier. The Barb also sank the tanker Azusa, which was carrying fuel for the Japanese navy. The rescue effort was successful, with the Barb and Queenfish rescuing 218 POWs.
The Final Months of the War
In 1945, the Barb continued its patrols, now targeting coastal areas of Japan. Fluckey bombarded Japanese installations on the island of Kaihle and the cities of Shikuka and Chitose. He also used the Barb's deck-mounted rocket launchers to attack targets on shore.
Legacy and Impact
Lieutenant Commander Eugene B. Fluckey was one of the most successful submarine commanders in the Pacific War. He sank 14 Japanese ships and damaged nine others. His daring raids on Japanese cities and installations contributed to the decline of Japanese morale and played a role in bringing about the end of the war.
Fluckey continued to serve in the U.S. Navy after the war and retired as a rear admiral in 1966. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 90. Fluckey's legacy as a wartime hero and a pioneer in submarine warfare is still remembered today.
