Newsletter #110 – March 2025  

USS CHIVO (SS-341) All Hands Newsletter

Reunion Pictures

Francis Daigle (68-70), Loren Jacobsen (55-57) and Mike Rainwater (69-71) sent me pictures of our 2024 reunion. They are posted on this web site. If you have additional pictures, send them to me, and I will post them. Also a few pictures don’t have names, so if you know the unnamed individuals, please send me their names.

Reunion Plans

Bob Bernhardt (1971), organization president, suggested that our next reunion should be shorter, probably 3 days, and in Myrtle Beach in 2026. No one has been selected to research, plan and host the reunion.

U-Boats in World War II

In my last newsletter I wrote about the best and worst torpedoes in World War II. I limited my discussion to the best and the worst, because you could write books about all the other types of torpedos. For example: the Germans had patterns built into some of their torpedoes to make circles or reverse course and zig-zag. If the torpedo did not hit a ship initially, it would then go to the “pattern program” with the probability that it would hit something in a 50–60 ship convoy.

So the question arose, if there was a best and a worst torpedo in WW II, was there a best and worst type of submarine? That’s almost an impossible question to answer, because u-boats operating in the Atlantic faced vastly different operating conditions, doctrine and challenges from the conditions submarines faced in the Pacific. For example: The allies used a very effective convoy system, while the Japanese did not. Likewise, anti-submarine air patrols were much more effective in the Atlantic. Bottom line, I could not devise an effective scale to judge the best and worst types of submarines. But I did uncover some interesting comparisons. Here are some basics:

• The Type VII U-boat was 800 tons, 220 feet long, crew 50, 4 bow/1 stern torpedo tubes, carried 14 torpedoes, 1 88 mm deck gun, range 8,500 nm, surf 17.7 kts, sub 8 kts, test depth 750 ft.
• The Type IX U-boat was 1,200 tons, 250 feet long, crew 50-55, 4 bow/2 stern torpedo tubes, carried 22 torpedoes, 1 105 mm deck gun, range 10,500 nm, surf 18-20 kts, sub 6-8 kts, test depth 750 ft.
• The Balao class submarine was 2,400 tons, 300 feet long, crew of about 60, 6 bow/4 stern torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1 5-inch deck gun, range 11,000 nm, surf 21 kts, sub 10 kts, test depth 400 ft.

• American subs were twice as heavy, longer, faster, carried more torpedos, and had more torpedo tubes than u-boats. American subs had more room for provisions and even refrigeration, plus they had a small machine shop in the engine room with a metal lathe, drill press and other tools for fabricating parts in an emergency or repairing the sub. This gave American subs the ability to stay on station longer, a major advantage over German subs.
• The test depth for German u-boats was almost twice that of other submarines, which made surviving an attack more likely.
• RADAR – American subs had radar and used it very effectively. They could “follow” a Japanese ship and do an “end-around” and submerge ahead of the projected track. The Germans developed radar detection equipment, but never actually had radar on their boats until late in the war.
• U-boats diesels were much more reliable than those in fleet boats. That said, fleet boats had 4 diesels, and u-boats only had two.
• U-boats had a smaller surface profile and could dive faster.
• Not much difference in sonars and batteries.
• Torpedoes – we both had problems at first, but ended up pretty much the same.

In summary

• U-boats sank almost 15 million tons of shipping during the war, but it did not affect the outcome. American shipyards and industry were able to overcome these losses.
• American subs sank about 6 million tons or 56 percent of all Japanese ships. It changed the course of the war, because the Japanese shipyards couldn’t replace those losses, and their economy was dependent upon imports.
• The Germans lost over 700 submarines and 30,000 men out of a strength of 1200 submarines.
• The Americans lost only 52 subs and 3500 men out of a strength of about 250 submarines.

Two huge factors that I did not discuss were doctrine and training. Maybe in the next newsletter.

* * * From The Quartermaster's Notebook * * *

Eternal Patrol . . .  Recently we learned that the following shipmates have passed away:

• EM1(SS) Charles W. Campbell (1962-1964) departed July 25, 2022.
• SK1(SS) Robert L. Criger (1962-1964) departed January 20, 2018.
• RM1(SS) Abel DeLaGarza (1961-1963) departed January 19, 2024.

• ETSN(SS) Keith H. Dobbs (1962-1963) departed February 25, 2018.
• QM3(SS) Gerald W. Ireland (1967-1968) departed April 18, 2024.
• IC3(SS) Leonard G. Jewett (1958-1960) departed June 19, 2021.

• QM3(SS) Thomas A. Lasher (1961-1963) departed July 30, 2024.
• MMFA William G. Liles (1963) departed November 20, 2022.
• YN3(SS) Ferrell M. Mastin (1966) departed July 20, 2023.

• QM3(SS) Ernest J. Paulk (1963-1966) departed January 09, 2010.
• TM2(SS) Ronald F. Pfeiffer (1961-1965) departed October 11, 2024.
• FTG2(SS) Carl E. Richards (1966-1967) departed June 17, 2020.

• RM1(SS) John T. Russell (1966-1967) departed July 27, 2024.
• QM1(SS) Richard Singhofen (1956-1958) departed February 01, 2023.
• ET3(SS) Russell E. Sirmans (1955-1957) departed January 07, 2021.

• EM3(SS) Harry L. Smith (1963-1964) departed February 03, 2018.
• EN2(SS) Frank E. Virgin (1966-1968) departed January 09, 2024.
• YN2(SS) George F. Warch (1970) departed December 20, 2013.

• STS2(SS) Bernard O. Williams (1968-1970) departed November 18, 2024.
• LT James E. Wilson, Jr. (1955-1957) departed March 12, 2023.
• EM2(SS) Henry M. Wulf (1969-1970) departed January 22, 2025.

Binnacle List . . .   These shipmates are facing some serious challenges:

• ENC(SS) Stephen "Budda" Bien (62-64)   email: 3kisses@bellsouth.net
• TM2(SS) John & Joanne Hedum (1952-1956)   email: jnjhedum@bellsouth.net

• FN(SS) Richard V. Holland (1971 decom)   email: rvholland@hotmail.com
• ETRSN(SS) William C. Priest (64-65)   c/o Ruthann Priest,   13230 Elkwood Ct., Midlothian VA 23112-1434

* * * Current Chivo Board Members * * *

The mission of the CHIVO Reunion Organization is:

1. to perpetuate the memory of our shipmates and their deeds, to promote good fellowship and comradeship, and to pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America.

2. to participate in activities that foster recognition of the contributions made by  members of all Armed Forces and their families, both Past and Present, that uphold the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.

3. to provide aid and comfort to service members in need.

We have no dues, and we have a lot of fun!

USS CHIVO (SS-341) Reunion Organization
All Hands Newsletter #110 – March 2025

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