Allied Warships

Scamp (SS-277)

Submarine of the Gato class


USS Scamp seen from the air.

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassGato 
Pennant277 
Built byPortsmouth Navy Yard (Kittery, Maine, U.S.A.) 
Ordered9 Sep 1940 
Laid down6 Mar 1942 
Launched20 Jul 1942 
Commissioned18 Sep 1942 
Lost11 Nov 1944 
Loss position33° 38'N, 141° 00'E
History

USS Scamp (Cdr. John Christie Hollingsworth) is most likely sunk by depth charges from the Japanese corvette Kaibokan No.4 and naval aircraft some 125 nautical miles south-south-east of Yokohama, Honshu, Japan in position 33º38'N, 141º00'E.

 

Commands listed for USS Scamp (277)

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/Lt.Cdr. Walter Gale Ebert, USN18 Sep 19426 Feb 1944
2T/Cdr. John Christie Hollingsworth, USN6 Feb 1944Nov 1944

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Notable events involving Scamp include:


18 Jan 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert, USN) departed New London, Connecticut for the Panama Canal Zone.

19 Jan 1943
With her trials and initial training completed USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. Walter G. Ebert) departed from New London bound for the Pacific

30 Jan 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert, USN) transited the Panama Canal.

13 Feb 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

1 Mar 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Honshu in Japanese home waters.

5 Mar 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) topped up with fuel at Midway.

20 Mar 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant cargo ship Seinan Maru (1450 GRT) off Tomari, Honshu, Japan in position 41°06'N, 141°26'E.

21 Mar 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese troop transport Manju Maru (6541 GRT) off the east coast of Honshu, Japan in position 41°45'N, 142°14'E.

7 Apr 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 1st war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

19 Apr 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Bismarck Archipelago.

28 May 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and sank the Japanese seaplane carrier Kamikawa Maru (6853 GRT, offsite link) north of Kavieng, New Ireland in position 01°36'S, 150°24'E.

4 Jun 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 2nd war patrol at Brisbane, Australia.

22 Jun 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Brisbane for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Bismarck Archipelago

27 Jul 1943
While patrolling off New Ireland USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese fleet oiler Kazahaya (18300 GRT) in position 02°38'S, 149°20'E and torpedoed and sank the Japanese submarine I-168 (1400 tons, offsite link) in position 02°50'S, 149°01'E.

6 Aug 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 3rd war patrol at Brisbane.

29 Aug 1943
During 29/30 August 1943, HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J. Plunkett-Cole, RAN) conducted A/S exercises off Brisbane with USS Scamp (T/Cdr. W.G. Ebert).

On completion of the exercises around 1815K/30, HMAS Vendetta set course for position 25°57'N, 160°10'E to make rendezvous with the transport USS Rochembeau.

On arrival at the rendezvous position the transport was not sighted and also a search for her produced no results. Course was later set for Sydney where HMAS Vendetta arrived around 1440K/2. (1)

2 Sep 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Brisbane for her 4th war patrol. Once again she is to patrol off the Bismarck Archipelago.

18 Sep 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese army cargo ship Kansai Maru (8614 GRT) north of New Guinea in position 00°41'N, 146°28'E. Scamp is damaged by depth charges from the escorts but is able to remain on patrol.

19 Sep 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ship Kansai Maru (8614 BRT) north of New Guinea in position 00°25'N, 146°21'E.

1 Oct 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 4th war patrol at Brisbane.

22 Oct 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Brisbane for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol between Kavieng and Truk.

10 Nov 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese troop transport Tokyo Maru (6481 GRT) between Truk and Kavieng in position 03°30'N, 150°10'E. The damaged Japanese ship is taken in tow by the Mitakesan Maru but the Tokio Maru sank on 12 November 1943 in position 05°42'N, 151°09'E.

12 Nov 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese light cruiser Agano (offsite link) north of the Bismarck Archipelago in position 01°03'N, 149°15'E.

26 Nov 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 5h war patrol at Brisbane.

16 Dec 1943
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) departed from Brisbane for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Bismarck Archipelago.

17 Dec 1943
During 17/18 December 1943, HMAS Stuart (Lt.Cdr. N.A. Mackinnon, RAN) conducted A/S exercises with USS Scamp (T/Cdr. W.G. Ebert, USN) off Brisbane. (2)

14 Jan 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) torpedoed and sank the Japanese fleet tanker Nippon Maru (10024 GRT, offsite link) south of Sorol Island in position 05°02'N, 140°50'E.

6 Feb 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. W.G. Ebert) ended her 6th war patrol at Milne Bay, New Guinea.

25 Feb 1944
Around 0615L/25, the heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral V.A.C. Crutchley, VC, DSC, RN), light cruisers USS Nashville (Capt. H.A. Spanagel, USN), USS Boise (Capt. J.S. Roberts, USN) and the destroyers USS Daly (T/Cdr. R.G. Visser, USN, with COMDESRON 24, T/Capt. K.M. McManes, USN, on board), USS Beale (T/Capt. J.B. Cochran, USN), USS Hutchins (T/Cdr. C.B. Laning, USN), USS Ammen (T/Cdr. H. Williams, Jr., USN) and HMAS Warramunga (Cdr. E.F.V. Dechaineux, DSC, RAN) departed Milne Bay for exercises in an area to the south-west of the Louisiade Archipaligo. The submarine USS Scamp (T/Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth, USN) participated in the exercises.

At 0638L/26, USS Boise parted company to proceed to Sydney. The remaining ships then returned to Milne Bay arriving around 1000L/26.

(3)

27 Feb 1944
HMAS Stuart (Cdr. N.A. Mackinnon, RAN) and USS SC-747 (Lt.(jg) D.A. Kennedy, USNR) conducted A/S and attack exercises off Milne Bay with USS Scamp (T/Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth, USN).

28 Feb 1944
HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN), USS SC-732 (Lt. J.C. Rodman, USNR) and USS SC-747 (Lt.(jg) D.A. Kennedy, USNR) conducted A/S exercises off Milne Bay with USS Scamp (T/Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth, USN).

HMAS Vendetta returned to Milne Bay with condenser trouble. Repairs were completed on 2 March 1944. (4)

3 Mar 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) departed from Milne Bay for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol between New Guinea, Palau, and Mindanao, Philippines.

29 Mar 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) enters Langemak Bay to make repairs to her TDC (torpedo data computer).

31 Mar 1944
With the repairs to her TDC (torpedo data computer) completed USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) departed from Langemak Bay to resume her 7th war patrol.

4 Apr 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. John Christie Hollingsworth) sets a Japanese trawler ablaze with gunfire. Unfortunately Scamp's gun malfunctions and she is unable to finish off the damaged Japanese ship.

7 Apr 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. John Christie Hollingsworth) ) is badly damaged by a bomb from a Japanese floatplane off Mindanao, Philippines in position 05°02'N, 126°07'E. Scamp is forced to terminate her patrol.

16 Apr 1944
The damaged USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) enters Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands for emergency repairs.

20 Apr 1944
Around 1500K/20, HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN) arrived at Seeadler Harbour. Here she was joined by USS Scamp (T/Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth, USN) and course was set for Milne Bay. (5)

22 Apr 1944
USS Scamp (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) arrived at Milne Bay. She is now sent to Pearl Harbor for permanent repairs and a major overhaul.

22 Apr 1944
Around 1500K/22, HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. J.S. Mesley, RAN) and USS Scamp (T/Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth, USN) arrived at Milne Bay from Seeadler Harbour. (5)

16 Oct 1944
With her overhaul completed USS Scamp (Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol north of the Bonin Islands.

20 Oct 1944
USS Scamp (Cmdr John Christie Hollingsworth) refuels at Midway.

9 Nov 1944
USS Scamp (Cdr. J.C. Hollingsworth) reports her position to be about 150 nautical miles north of the Bonin Islands with all 24 torpedoes aboard and 77,000 gallons of fuel remaining. This is the last message received from USS Scamp.

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 Vendetta for August 1943
  2. Report of proceedings of HMAS Stuart for December 1943
  3. Report of proceedings of Task Force 74 for February 1944
  4. Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta for February 1944
  5. Report of proceedings of HMAS Vendetta for April 1944

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