Talk:USS Cobia

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Military history: Maritime / North America / United States / World War II C‑class

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Untitled

The main article says that the Cobia rescued two Japanese officers who had been adrift on a raft for 40 days. This seems very unlikely, as a raft would almost certainly not have 40 days worth of fresh water and food for two people, unless it was much more than just a raft. --Zippy 17:12, 7 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'll be in Manitowoc, WI in the next few weeks, and could get a current picture of the Cobia as it sits outside the museum. I don't know the protocol/manners for replacing the current photo. I'll take the picture regardless and see if there's any comments/desire for a new picture. Jachim69 02:18, 10 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Upload the photo and post it here on the talk page if you have any doubts. I'll be happy to give you feedback. Is there any chance you could find out whether it's possible to get a copy of the original ship's log entries for Tours 1 - 4? My father served on the Cobia then, and I have a book with excerpts from the ship's log, but would love to get a copy of the original. --Zippy 20:47, 10 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'll stop in the museum and see what I can do. I also am planning to contact the museum to gain permission to use portions of their website and any useful printed materials. Jachim69 01:57, 11 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Spoof entries?

The section on the 4th patrol contains the following text.

On 26 February she engaged two sea trucks. One of the targets resisted with machine gun fire which damaged Cobia's radar equipment and killed Ralph Clark Huston Jr., a 20 mm gun loader and the submarine's only casualty of the war. After sinking both sea trucks, Cobia interrupted her patrol for repairs at Fremantle from 4 – 8 March, then returned to the Java Sea, where on 8 April she rescued seven surviving crewmembers of a downed Army bomber. One of the crewmembers, Jean Vandruff, recounted the story of the rescue on HBO's Band of Brothers collection of World War II stories.

"Sea trucks" are a water vehicle developed in the 1970's, not a Japanese boat/ship of the WW 2 period. The part about the survivor of the downed bomber recounting the story of the rescue in relation to "Band of Brothers" is very likely untrue as the "Band of Brothers" mini-series and the origin book are about US involvement in European WW 2 campaigns, not the Pacific Theater.

This brings in doubt the accuracy of many of the entries about this boat.--TGC55 (talk) 16:45, 19 December 2009 (UTC) title and link revision --TGC55 (talk) 18:14, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

DANFS says,

"Once more she refitted at Fremantle between 24 January and 18 February 1945, then sailed to the Java Sea for her fourth war patrol. On 26 February she engaged two sea trucks, one of which resisted with machinegun fire which killed one of Cabia's crew and damaged her radar equipment. After sinking both sea trucks, Cobia interrupted her patrol for repairs at Fremantle from 4 to 8 March, then returned to the Java Sea, where on 8 April she rescued seven men, the surviving crew of a downed Army bomber."

"Sea truck" is a term used in a number of WWII ship histories for small Japanese freighters.

"Concluding they were "sea trucks," a type of slow cargo ferry, Blower closed to engage on the surface." [1]
"During that escapade, [Tench's] guns destroyed four schooners and severely damaged another five schooners, a sea truck, and a motor trawler as well as some warehouses and other dockside installations." [2]
"Six days later, she surfaced in the midst of three sea trucks off Tumao Point on northwestern Mindanao. Her guns soon scored hits on two of the three. However, the sea trucks had some heavy machineguns; when Bluegill's after 20-millimeter gun jammed, one of the sea trucks took advantage of the opportunity to spray the submarine, wounding several of her sailors and prompting Bluegill to break off the action and submerge." [3]
"Under attack by U.S. Navy carrier planes prior to the Invasion of Okinawa, circa March 1945. Two midget submarines and several camouflaged motor torpedo boats are in the lower left center. Other midget submarines and a small "Sea Truck" cargo vessel are visible at the edge of the bomb explosion area." (picture caption) [4]

The thing about the rescued airman was added in 2006. The name is correct: JV Vandruff Autobiography Excerpt: WW2 South Pacific Air Battle and Submarine Rescue. I'm not sure about the connection to Band of Brothers; perhaps it should refer to BoB's sequel, The Pacific.

—WWoods (talk) 20:42, 19 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Point well taken on the WW 2 "sea trucks". I am properly deflated and corrected on that point. I found another Wiki linked entry in the USS Plaice (SS-390) article. At the least, the references should be delinked and a hidden note should briefly explain what a WW 2 "sea truck" is -- which I will do.

I read the Vandruff excerpt, as well as the full article and agree that the rescue relationship is correct. I should have made myself more clear in my "spoof" challange. The connection with the BoB sequel could be correct, but since the series is not due to run until early 2010 and the subject of the miniseries is the USMC, I think that this article's reference is incorrect and will remove the BoB reference.--TGC55 (talk) 16:52, 21 December 2009 (UTC)[reply]