The long-lost USS Grayback (SS-208) was finally located after nearly 75 years, bringing an end to one of World War II’s enduring mysteries. The submarine vanished in the Pacific during the war, and its whereabouts remained a puzzle for decades. It was eventually discovered on the ocean floor in the Philippine Sea—more than 100 nautical miles from where the U.S. Navy had initially believed it went down. This remarkable find not only resolved a historical enigma but also offered a sense of closure to the families of the 80 crew members who went down with the vessel, honoring their bravery and sacrifice.
USS Grayback (SS-208)
Commissioned into the U.S. Navy on June 30, 1941, the USS Grayback (SS-208) entered service under the command of Lt. William A. Saunders. As part of the Tambor class, she represented a new wave of long-range submarines designed to support extended operations across the vast Pacific theater during World War II.
Built for both stamina and striking power, Grayback was equipped with four General Motors V16 diesel engines, four high-speed electric motors from General Electric, and a pair of 126-cell Sargo batteries. She could reach achieve speeds of 20.4 knots on the surface and 8.75 knots while submerged. With a cruising range of 11,000 nautical miles at 10 knots and the ability to remain submerged for up to 48 hours at 2 knots, she was tailored for deep-penetration patrols.
Grayback’s arsenal included ten 21-inch torpedo tubes with a loadout of 24 torpedoes. For surface combat, she carried a three-inch deck gun, along with Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannons. Manned by a crew of 60—comprised of 54 enlisted men and six officers—she operated in cramped conditions but remained one of the most capable and dependable submarines in the Navy’s fleet.
USS Grayback‘s (SS-208) service during World War II
Following the US entry into World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Grayback began to see action. Originally commissioned into the Atlantic Fleet, she was 20th in total tonnage sunk by American submarines, taking out 14 enemy ships (63,835 tons). She was also awarded eight battle stars for her service throughout the conflict.
In February 1942, Grayback departed from Maine for Hawaii. The submarine’s first war patrol took her along the coasts of Saipan and Guam, where she had a four-day standoff with a Japanese submarine. The enemy vessel fired two torpedoes at Grayback and followed her until she managed to escape. A month later, the submarine sank her first ship, the Japanese cargo vessel Ishikari Maru.
Grayback later conducted patrols in the South China Sea and St. George’s Passage, where the submarine was challenged by the bright moonlight, intense enemy patrols and treacherous waters. Despite these hurdles, the presence of her and her sister ships was instrumental in the success of the Guadalcanal Campaign, America’s first major land offensive in the Pacific.
Grayback garnered an impressive number of kills after this, and was even credited with saving the lives of six crewmen who’d survived the crash of their Martin B-26 Marauder in the Solomon Islands. While she experienced a string of bad luck during her sixth patrol, the submarine’s reputation made a turn for the better in later patrols, one of which saw her join one of the first wolfpacks organized by the Submarine Force.
Of all her patrols, it was Grayback‘s 10th that was her most successful – and also the submarine’s last.
A successful final mission in the Pacific Theater
On February 24, 1944, the USS Grayback’s crew reported sinking two Japanese cargo ships and damaging two others. The following day, they sent one last report, stating they had destroyed the tanker Nanho Maru and severely damaged the Asama Maru. With only two torpedoes remaining, the submarine was ordered to head back to its base in Fremantle, Western Australia.
The Grayback was expected to arrive at Midway Island by March 7, 1944, but it never made it. By March 30, the submarine was officially listed as missing, with no survivors.
Years later, Japanese documents provided key insights into what happened. After attacking convoy Hi-40, the Grayback fired its last two torpedoes on February 27, sinking the cargo ship Ceylon Maru in the East China Sea. Shortly afterward, a Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber spotted the submarine and dropped a 500-pound bomb on it.
The Grayback reportedly “exploded and sank immediately.” Soon after, anti-submarine planes dropped depth charges in the area. For nearly a century, the submarine’s final resting place remained a mystery.
Unexpected discovery within the USS Grayback (SS-208)
During the Second World War, 52 American submarines were lost, taking the lives of 374 officers and 3,131 sailors. The Lost 52 Project is an initiative dedicated to locating all 52 vessels, to bring closure to the families of those who lost their lives. Using state-of-the-art technology, the team captures images and 3D scans of the wrecks they discover to help document each submarine.
On November 10, 2019, the Lost 52 Project announced it had located the USS Grayback some 50 nautical miles south of Okinawa, roughly 1,400 feet below the surface. Her deck gun was found 400 feet away from the main wreckage. The damage the submarine had sustained appeared consistent with what was listed in the Japanese report. There was severe damage aft of the conning tower, and part of the hull had imploded. As well, the bow had broken off at an angle.
It’s a miracle they even found the wreck, considering the original coordinates translated by the US Navy were 100 nautical miles off, thanks to a clerical error that was off by just one number.
The team set up a dive team to explore the wreckage, but what they found inside overshadowed the celebratory mood around such an incredible discovery. Tim Taylor, one of the team leads, shared how he felt with The New York Times, “We were elated, but it’s also sobering, because we just found 80 men.”
Prayers of family members have finally been answered
Gloria Hurney’s uncle, Raymond Parks, was among those lost when the USS Grayback sank. He was an electrician’s mate first class. Hurney and many others had come to believe that the wreck would never be found, but the Lost 52 Project proved them wrong.
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While Grayback‘s discovery was bittersweet, it also brought closure and peace to the families who waited 75 years to learn where their loved ones were laid to rest.