USS PC-815

USS "PC-815" was a PC-461 class subchaser assigned to the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet during World War II. "PC-815" is notable for being the ship commanded by L. Ron Hubbard, who later became the founder of Scientology. However, "PC-815's" short and inglorious career has led to the vessel being dubbed the "jinxed sub-chaser"." [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200601/ai_n16063418/pg_1 PC-815: The JINXED SUB-CHASER!] ", Sables, Robert P., in "Sea Classics", January 2006.]

The "PC-815" was laid down on October 10, 1942 at the Albina Engine and Machinery Works in Portland, Oregon. She was fitted out commencing December 5 and was commissioned on April 20, 1943, with Lieutenant (j.g.) L. Ron Hubbard in command.USS "PC-815" logbook, National Archives & Records Administration, College Park, MD.] . A few weeks later she sailed down the Columbia River to Astoria, Oregon, where she arrived on May 17 to take on supplies. On May 18, the "PC-815" left Astoria for Bremerton, Washington, where she was to have radar and depth charge launchers fitted. Her journey was interrupted by an air-sea rescue operation, then was resumed with a new destination - San Diego.

The "jinxed sub-chaser"

= Possible submarine contact off Cape Lookout =

In the early hours of May 19, the crew of the "PC-815" detected what Hubbard thought was first one then later two Imperial Japanese Navy submarines approximately 10 miles off the shore of Cape Lookout. Both the SONAR operator and Lt. Hubbard himself thought that the echo of an active sonar ping, combined with apparent engine noises heard through the ship's hydrophone indicated contact with a submarine. [ "Proceeding southward just inside the steamer track an echo ranging contact was made by soundman then on duty, ,Soundman third class. The Commanding Officer had the conn and immediately slowed all engines to ahead one third to better echo ranging conditions, and placed the contact dead ahead, 500 yards away." and "Screw noises, fluttering and without pulsation, were distinct on the bearing and quite different from the pulsations of our screws." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
]
]

Over the next 68 hours, the ship expended 37 depth charges in a "battle" that also involved the US Navy blimps "K-39" and "K-33", the US Coast Guard patrol boats "Bonham" and 78302, and the subchasers USS "SC-536" and USS "SC-537", all summoned to act as reinforcements. The "PC-815" was finally ordered back to base on May 21. [Hubbard, "ANTI-SUBMARINE ACTION BY SURFACE SHIP, REPORT OF", 24 May 1943.]

In his eighteen page after-action report, Hubbard claimed to have "definitely sunk, beyond doubt" one submarine and critically damaged another. However, the subsequent investigation by the Commander NW Sea Frontier, Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, cast a skeptical light on Hubbard's claims. His summary memorandum to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, stated:

:It is noted that the report of "PC 815" is not in accordance with "Anti-Submarine Action by Surface Ship" (ASW-1) which should be submitted to Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. [ [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
] ]

:An analysis of all reports convinces me that there was no submarine in the area. Lieutenant Commander Sullivan states that he was unable to obtain any evidence of a submarine except one bubble of air which is unexplained except by turbulence of water due to a depth charge explosion. The Commanding Officers of all ships except the "PC-815" state they had no evidence of a submarine and do not think a submarine was in the area. ["Battle Report - Submission of.", A16-3(3)/PC815, Vice Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, Commander NW Sea Frontier, 8 June 1943; [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
] ]

Fletcher added that "there is a known magnetic deposit in the area in which depth charges were dropped", absolving the responding blimps from any fault as their method of detecting submarines relies on a Magnetic Anomaly Detector. This also implied that Lt. Hubbard and his crew were operating the ship's SONAR equipment incorrectly. ["At 0906 (see radio log) two U.S.N. anti-submarine blimps appeared, K-39 and K-33. While we held contact they investigated and announced to us that they had a magnetic contact where we were holding a sound contact." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
] ] After the war, British and American analyses of captured Japanese Navy records confirmed that no Japanese submarines had been lost off the Oregon coast. [HM Admiralty, "German, Italian and Japanese U-Boat Casualties during the War: Particulars of Destruction", Cmd. 6843 (June 1946); US Department of the Navy, "Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses during World War II by All Causes" (February 1947)] Hubbard, however, never accepted that he had been mistaken about the "battle." Years later, he told Scientologists:

:I dropped the I-76 or the Imperial Japanese Navy Trans-Pacific Submarine down into the mouth of the Columbia River, dead duck. And it went down with a resounding furor. And that was that. I never thought about it again particularly except to get mad at all the admirals I had to make reports to because of this thing, see? This was one out of seventy-nine separate actions that I had to do with. And it had no significance, see?

:But the other day I was kind of tired, and my dad suddenly sprung on me the fact that my submarine had been causing a tremendous amount of difficulty in the mouth of the Columbia River. Hadn't thought about this thing for years. Of course, it's all shot to ribbons, this thing. It's got jagged steel sticking out at all ends and angles, and it's a big submarine! It's a -- I don't know, about the size of the first "Narwhal" that we built. And the fishermen coming in there and fishing are dragging their nets around in that area, and it's just tearing their nets to ribbons -- they've even hired a civilian contractor to try to blow the thing up and get it the devil out of there -- and has evidently been raising bob with postwar fishing here for more years than I'd care to count. [Hubbard, "Auditing Techniques - Games Conditions", lecture of 1 February 1957]

Unauthorized shelling of Coronado Islands and failure to follow orders

A month later, the "PC-815" traveled to San Diego, which was to become her home port. She arrived there on June 2, and at the end of June was ordered to sea to join an anti-submarine training exercise. The exercise, held on June 28, ended early and Hubbard took the opportunity to order an impromptu gunnery exercise while anchored just off the Mexican territory of South Coronado Island to the south-west of San Diego. The Mexican government sent an official protest to the US Government, as no gunnery operations had been scheduled.

On June 30 a Board of Investigation was convened concerning "PC-815" which concluded that Hubbard had disregarded orders, both by conducting gunnery practice and by anchoring in Mexican territorial waters without proper authority. His orders stated that the "PC-815" was supposed to return after completing that day's training. Hubbard argued that his crew was inexperienced, it was foggy, and he was tired so he did not return to port as ordered. A month earlier in his after action report concerning the recent fiasco off Cape Lookout, he had described the same men as "experienced" and "highly skilled". Vice Admiral Fletcher, who both chaired the board and read the prior after action report, rated Hubbard "below average" and noted: "Consider this officer lacking in the essential qualities of judgement, leadership and cooperation. He acts without forethought as to probable results. He is believed to have been sincere in his efforts to make his ship efficient and ready. Not considered qualified for command or promotion at this time. Recommend duty on a large vessel where he can be properly supervised". Hubbard was relieved of command effective July 7, 1943. [Miller, p. 106]

= Collision with USS "Laffey" =

After Hubbard was replaced, "PC-815" remained in San Diego as a shore patrol vessel but appears to have been mostly inactive during this period. According to her Movement Card she took part in the occasional offshore patrol, training exercises and escorting submarines in and out of the harbor. She was restored to active duty on September 2, 1945 but at 0647 hrs on September 11, the ship collided with the destroyer USS "Laffey" (DD-724) in dense fog off San Diego. The collision started a fire on board "PC-815", which sank within five minutes. One man from "PC-815" was recorded as missing, presumed drowned. The "Laffey" suffered significant damage, with the fire from "PC-815" spreading into one of the destroyer's compartments.

Navy divers demolished the wreck in early November 1945 due to the navigation hazard that it posed to a busy shipping channel. It is reported to be lying at coord|32|37|54|N|117|14|12|W| in convert|90|ft|m of water and is said to be diveable. [" [http://www.divebums.com/Wrecks/PC815.html USS PC-815] ", San Diego Divebums. Accessed 3-3-2007]

ee also

*List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy
*L. Ron Hubbard and the military
*USS "YP-422"

References

External links

* [http://www.divebums.com/Wrecks/PC815.html Information on diving the USS "PC-815"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/010815.htm Technical and historical information about USS "PC-815"] from www.navsource.org