She was commissioned on August 20, 1942 with Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain Jr. commanding. LCdr McCain later went on to 4 star rank, following in his father's footsteps. The two McCains became the first father son combination to reach this level. The USS JOHN S. McCAIN (DDG 56) is named in honor of them.
The USS Gunnel was a Gato class submarine. She made one war patrol in the Atlantic in support of the invasion of North Africa and seven in the Pacific. She won 4 battle stars for her World War II service. After the end of the war, the GUNNEL sailed back to New London CT where she was decommissioned on May 18, 1946.
Sixty-Nine "Plank Owners" were in the commissioning crew of GUNNEL. Some had been aboard for several weeks, representing the Navy and working alongside Electric Boat Company (EB) personnel on the final stages of construction. After commissioning, crew members continued to liaison with technicians and engineers of EB in final testing of equipment and machinery to ensure everything was in tip- top shape and conformed to specifications before final acceptance of the boat by the Navy.
Next, round- the- clock, rigorous training was conducted for several weeks in Block Island and Long Island Sounds -- emergency drills, live firing of torpedoes and guns, and operational readiness inspections by the staff of the Commander Submarines, Atlantic Fleet -- all to ensure GUNNEL and her crew were up to the high standards of the submarine force and fully ready for wartime combat operations.
"Plank Owner" Billy J.Stamper, an 18 year old torpedoman apprentice at the time, in later years recalled that early period:
"I well remember my first visit to the GUNNEL. I went aboard about mid-June. There were power cords all over the place, no bunks, no lockers; in fact, the only things installed were the engines, motors, and the electrical gear in the maneuvering room. I don't believe the batteries were in place. However, there was no better way to learn about her. Maybe that is why we seemed to have the best-trained and most knowledgeable team in the Fleet.
"I recall a couple of days before EB Co. delivered her to the SubBase, EB personnel and our assembled crew took her out into the Thames and dived. She was heavy aft and for some time the bow was sticking out of the water and the stern resting on the bottom. I wondered at the time if we were going to have a "hex" on us, but apparently that was a good omen, as the GUNNEL proved to be able to go deeper than her test depth. Her only weakness was her original HOR engines."
Lieutenant Commander Commanding Officer |
|
Lieutenant Executive Officer & Navigator |
Lieutenant Electrical & Engineering Officer |
First Lieutenant Torpedo & Gunnery Officer |
Lieutenant (jg) Communications Officer (He was lost when the BARBEL SS-316 was sunk on February 4, 1945) |
Lieutenant (jg) Commisary Officer |
TMC Chief Of Boat |
EM2c |
EM2c |
CTM(AA) |
EM1c |
TM3c |
Sea2c |
Sea2c |
MoMM2c |
SC2c |
F2c |
EM3c |
MoMM2c |
Sea2c |
MM2c |
TM3c |
TM2c |
MM2c |
Sea2c |
F3c |
TM2c |
F1c |
F3c |
TM2c |
QM1c |
TM3c |
F3c |
CMoMM(AA) |
MoMM2c |
Matt2c |
SM1c |
EM1c |
F3c |
MoMM1c |
F3c |
MoMM1c |
CRM(PA) |
EM1c |
SC1c |
CMM(PA) |
SM3c |
Sea2c |
MoMM2c |
Matt1c |
Sea2c |
TM1c |
CEM(PA) |
CMM(PA) |
FC3c |
CTM(PA) |
Sea2c |
F3c |
EM3c |
MoMM1c |
Sea2c |
RM2c |
RM1c |
Y1c |
F3c |
GM1c |
EM3c |
RM3c |
PHM1c |
Sea2c |
Commissioning Crew
August 1942
