| Damage to yard facilities from Japanese air attacks. Looking across the Receiving Ship toward the power plant. The remains of the Post Office are in the left foreground, and the bomb-damaged submarine USS Sealion (SS-195) lies across the center of the image. Shortly after the Japanese planes had bombed the yard at Cavite in Manila Harbor, on December 10, 1941, the shipyard was left in shambles and aflame. USS Sealion (SS-195) had been hit by 2 bombs. 1 hit the aft of the cigarette deck and exploded, sending shrapnel flying, and a piece penetrated the conning tower of the USS Seadragon moored next to Sealion. The shrapnel struck and killed United States Navy Ensign Samuel H. Hunter, Junior (August 20, 1914 – December 10, 1941). The 2nd bomb hit at the juncture of the Engine Room/Maneuvering Room, killing 4 men working on rebuilding electric motors. United States Navy Chief Electrician’s Mate Sterling C. Foster (November 1, 1910 – December 10, 1941) of Cedarvale, Kansas; United States Navy Chief Electrician’s Mate Melvin D. O’Connell (June 6, 1911 – December 10, 1941) of San Francisco, California; United States Navy Motor Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Ernest E. Ogilvie (August 1, 1913 – December 10, 1941) of Long Beach, California; United States Navy Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Vallentyne L. Paul (July 8, 1921 – December 10, 1941) of Buchanan, Michigan. United States Navy Fireman 2nd Class Everett Butler recalled, “Before the yard period at Cavite, I, along with another fireman and Chief Machinist’s Mate William J. Rogers (February 5, 1905 – May 12, 1984), were working on modifying the pistons for the main engines for the upcoming yard overhaul. The yard overhaul was to be completed by December 13, but the air raid on December 10 ended all of that.” “It was a Wednesday, and the work schedule had been increased by a few hours each day. We had just had lunch in the mess hall in the dock area in the Navy Yard, and returned to the ship waiting to return to work at 1300 Hours, when the air raid sirens went off. We received two direct bomb hits, one on the cigarette deck aft end of the bridge area. The other, either in the after engine room or the maneuvering room. This one really done us in; lost main motor reduction gears and, of course, the entire switching equipment for electric power. The switches were all apart, having been rebuilt by the Electrician’s Mates.” “We lost three Electrician’s Mates and one Motor Machinist’s Mate. Since we were outboard of USS Seadragon (SS-194), alongside the wharf, we settled in the water. Only the stern and the deck from just aft of the conning tower was underwater.” “Most of the Sealion crew went on to the dock and manned fire hoses to fight fires in the wooden buildings. The fire got to the torpedo warheads, and they began to explode. Then, many of us jumped into the water beside the dock.” “When the fires were out, and the yard was in disarray, Captain Richard G. Voge (May 4, 1904 – November 17, 1948) sent Seaman First Class James L. Utz (November 15, 1916 – September 4, 1980) to find us a boat so we could cross Manila Bay to the Canopus alongside one of the city piers. Utz came back with the Admiral’s Barge. We all got on board and headed for the Canopus.” “The next several days were spent getting classified material off the boat. On December 17, the Sailfish came in; their skipper requested to be relieved, and Voge took command.” Sealion was badly damaged, and in the chaos that followed the initial Japanese attacks on the Philippines, it was found that nothing could be done to repair her. Towing her to Hawaii (the nearest Navy Yard) was impossible, so she was systematically stripped of any useful equipment, which was transferred to other submarines in need. Any remaining equipment was thoroughly wrecked. When this work was completed, her crew was transferred to other boats or commands. Unfortunately, a few did not make it out and became members of Luzon’s defense force. 2, Motor Machinist’s Mate Howard R. Firth (October 15, 1913 – August 9, 1942) of San Diego, California, and Seaman 1st Class Harold G. Gearhart (January 23, 1919 – November 11, 1944) of Douglas, Arizona, were captured and died as Prisoners of War. 1st died of dysentery in Prison Camp 3 at Cabanatuan. Gearhart was sent on the hell ship Noto Maru on August 27, 1944, to Nagoya-06B-Nomachi Prisoner of War Camp, near Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. He died of a heart attack. On Christmas Day 1941, 3 depth charges were detonated inside USS Sealion’s wreck, ensuring nothing useful remained, although the wreck remained mostly intact. Sealion sat where she was sunk at her mooring at Machina Wharf. This is how the Japanese found her on January 3, 1942, when they took control of Cavite. They quickly moved to make Cavite a functioning base for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but Sealion was in the way. They raised her, studied what remained, then moved the wreck to an out-of-the-way spot just to the north at Sangley Point, where they dropped it in shallow water. The condition of Sealion’s wreck during the Japanese salvage efforts, January 1942. Her wreck was of no use to them, just as the United States Navy intended. The Japanese photographed damage to the conning tower fairwater. After the war the photo was found among captured documents. After the Japanese were done with the wreck, they towed it around Cavite Point and north about a mile to Sangley Point, where they dropped it in shallow water, with portions still visible. There she was found in November 1945, when American forces reoccupied the Cavite/Sangley area. All the plating around the conning tower had been stripped away, probably by the Japanese for projects and repairs of their own. The bodies of Sealion’s dead were not recovered until the submarine’s hulk was salvaged in 1959. The United States Navy raised the Sealion for the final time and finally removed the remains of the 4 men killed. The families of 2 of the men were found and claimed their remains. Their bodies were sent home for burial. The other 2 were buried at sea with full honors from the USS Princeton LPH-5 on November 20, 1961. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1489.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.81 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5640 x 4502 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | December 17, 1941 |
| Location | Cavite Navy Yard |
| City | Cavite City |
| State or Province | Luzon |
| Country | Philippines |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | 80-G-243717 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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