USS Pelias Pearl Harbor Report

Earlier this month, I had an entry about Robert Coley, 86, who was on the USS Pelias during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Later, I gave an account of the ship's war record and history and then discussed the Toons at War Blog which mentioned that Walt Disney's cartoonists had created the Pelias' logo.

Then I came across the official report of the ship concerning the attack.

The ship went to General Quarters and opened fire with its anti-aircraft battery with four 3 inch 23 Caliber guns, 2 forward and two aft; four 50 caliber machine guns, 2 fore and 2 aft.

Two hundred rounds were fired from the three inch guns and 5000 from the 50 Caliber. Most were against torpedo planes attacking the battleships in which they were in a good position to do.

Damage to enemy aircraft not determined, but fire from the Pelias, Tautog and a destroyer shot down one which hit the water near the submarine base's finger piers. Another plane turned away under fire and was last seen flying low and streaming smoke toward the officer's club.

The "ship's company performed in a most admirable manner especially when it is realized that few had ever been through even target practice, and practically none had ever been in action under enemy fire."

William Wakefield, CINPAC Action report, Dec. 11, 1941.

Greatest Generation.

The Toons Go to War

World War II was an all-out effort, regardless who or what you were. I came across a very interesting blog while researching the USS Pelias. There was an Ancient Order of the Deep certificate bearing the ship's symbol, a mermaid insignia circled by merbabies designed by Walt Disney's staff.

There are not many from the Pelias, which was at Pearl Harbor, as most who served on it had already crossed the equator and undergone the hazing ritual on other ships.

Well worth checking out at http://toonsat war.blogspot.com

USS Pelias

Robert Coley's ship, the USS Pelias, was at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 working on submarines. I wrote about him in the previous entry.

It was launched November 14, 1939 as the SS Mormacyork and served as a passenger ship until acquired by US Navy in late 1940 and converted into a submarine tender. It was commissioned the USS Pelias (AS-14) in September 1941.

The next month, it sailed to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor November 21st. After six days, it began overhauling subs and was at the Submarine Base when the attack took place. The ship's guns shot down one Japanese plane and damaged another as they zoomed by down the main channel less than 100 yards off the Pelias' port side.

It served in the whole Pacific War. Between July 1942 and May 1944, the Pelias overhauled, repaired and refitted 59 ships in Submarine Squadrons 6, 12 and 16.

It was decommissioned in 1970 after many years as a reserve ship and scrapped.

Stats: 925 crew, 492 feet long, 69.5 beam, 2 guns and 4 machine guns.

Taking Care of Those Subs. --DaCoot

Pearl Harbor and Submarine Monument

From Dec. 10th Charleston (SC) Post and Courier. "SC monument honors submariners for sacrifice during World War II" by Brian Hicks.

Robert Coley. 86, couldn't believe the hundreds of planes swarming over the mountain and seemingly headed right for him on that fateful day. He had only been at Pearl Harbor a few weeks and was on the submarine tender USS Pelias. When the bombs started falling, he wondered how "a country boy right off the farm" had gotten into such a mess.

The Japanese were more interested in the battleships, not his submarines.

This past December 7th, he and six other submariners gathered for the unveiling of the World War II Submarine Memorial at Patriot's Point in Charleston Harbor. It is a tribute to the more than 3,000 submariners who lost their lives on the 52 US subs sunk in that conflict.

These valiant crews sank 5,200,000 tons of Japanese shipping and cut off vital supply lines of the enemy.

This project was hosted by the Swamp Fox Chapter of World War II Veterans.

The Greatest Generation. --Cooter