Allied Warships

Robalo (SS-273)

Submarine of the Gato class


USS Robalo off the Panama Canal in November 1943.

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassGato 
Pennant273 
Built byManitowoc Shipbuilding Co. (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, U.S.A.) 
Ordered9 Sep 1940 
Laid down24 Oct 1942 
Launched9 May 1943 
Commissioned28 Sep 1943 
Lost26 Jul 1944 
Loss position8° 25'N, 117° 53'E
History

USS Robalo (Lt.Cdr. Manning Marius Kimmel) was sunk by a mine off Palawan Island, Phillippines in position 08º25'N, 117º53'E.
4 men survived and reached shore only to be captured by Japanese military police. They were taken off the Island by a Japanese destroyer on 15 August and were never seen again.

 

Commands listed for USS Robalo (273)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1T/Cdr. Stephen Henry Ambruster, USN28 Sep 19438 Jan 1944
2Charles Woodford Fell, USNR8 Jan 194413 Jan 1944
3T/Cdr. Stephen Henry Ambruster, USN13 Jan 194429 Mar 1944
4T/Lt.Cdr. Manning Marius Kimmel, USN29 Mar 194426 Jul 1944 (+)

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Notable events involving Robalo include:


24 Apr 1944
While on her 2nd war patrol USS Robalo (Lt.Cdr. M.M. Kimmel) is damaged by an aerial bomb off French Indo-China in position 10°29'N, 109°26'E but is able to remain on patrol.

22 Jun 1944
USS Robalo (Lt.Cdr. M.M. Kimmel) departed from Fremantle for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.

22 Jun 1944
HMAS Adelaide (A/Capt. J.C.D. Esdaile, OBE, RAN), HMAS Horsham (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W.H. Newby, RANR(S)) and USS Isabel (Lt. E.G. Zacher, USNR) conducted exercises off Fremantle with the submarines USS Cod (T/Cdr. J.A. Adkins, USN), USS Hoe (T/Cdr. V.B. McCrea, USN) and USS Robalo (T/Lt.Cdr. M.M. Kimmel, USN). (1)

2 Jul 1944
USS Robalo (Lt.Cdr. M.M. Kimmel) reports sighting a Japanese Fuso-class battleship east of Borneo with air cover and two destroyers for escort. This was the last message sent by Robalo.

Media links


The Last Patrol

Holmes, Harry


U. S. Submarines in World War II

Kimmett, Larry and Regis, Margaret


U.S. Submarines Through 1945

Friedman, Norman


amazon.co.uk
(£ 56.95)

Sources

  1. Report of proceedings of HMAS Adelaide for June 1944

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