Original USS BARB SS-220 Submarine Last Combat Patrol Journal Diary

Original USS BARB SS-220 Submarine Last Combat Patrol Journal

A Historically Significant Original USS BARB SS-220 Submarine Last Combat Patrol Journal…Diary kept by Joseph H. Burnett Q/M 3rd Class during the boat’s final war patrol in WWII…The handwritten unpublished journal consists of about 66 pages describing in great detail the travels, exploits and combat aboard the USS Barb in the Pacific and along the coast of Japan…Of particular interest are the several examples of sea to land warfare conducted by the Barb during which the crew set several records including the first land attack on the Japanese mainland, the first use of rockets to shell a coastal town and city in Japan and the absolutely unreal sinking of a train by a crew of volunteer sailors….Links below are provided to give full history of the boat and its exploits…I have attached a few select pages of the diary to include passages that relate firsthand combat experiences seldom spoken of or seen in print.

This diary details the sinking of a Japanese vessel and prisoner pick up followed by a chilling matter of fact description of the crew going topside to watch the survivors drown. One sailor was called on to eliminate survivors on several occasions, the reason given was that he wanted revenge for his brother who was killed on Saipan…As stated in the diary he was responsible for 30 Japanese killed. The journal contains first person unpublished accounts of personal combat experiences that are rarely mentioned or recorded in books. Portions are brutally honest and are not the usual sterile accounts of battle read in history books. I have posted just a few sample pages from the journal.

The U.S.S. Barb was a pioneer, paving the way for the first submarine launched missiles and flying a battle flag unlike that of any other ship. In addition to the Medal of Honor ribbon at the top of the flag identifying the heroism of its captain, Commander Eugene “Lucky” Fluckey, the bottom border of the flag bore the image of a Japanese locomotive. The U.S.S. Barb was indeed, the submarine that “SANK A TRAIN”.

U.S.S. Barb (SS-220): American Submarine War Patrol Reports “Among the most successful of all American fleet type submarines, U.S.S. Barb made a total of twelve war patrols. During the course of the war, Barb was credited with sinking a total of 26 enemy ships, including the escort aircraft carrier Unyo. During her final five war patrols, under the command of Eugene B. Fluckey, Barb set a record for innovation and aggressiveness unmatched in the submarine service. In a series of rocket attacks during Patrol 12, Barb became the first American submarine to launch rockets in combat. During the same patrol, volunteer saboteurs slipped ashore and blew up a coastal train, in the process becoming the only Americans to “invade” Japan during the war. An incursion into Namkwan Harbor, on the China coast, during the eleventh war patrol, earned the Medal of Honor for Fluckey. This volume contains the complete text of the 12 war patrol reports filed by Barb’s wartime commanding officers.”

http://www.homeofheroes.com/profiles/profiles_fluckey.html

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/2966.html

http://olive-drab.com/od_history_ww2_stories_barb_train.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Barb_(SS-220)

http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/USNAVY/USS_Barb.html

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/american-submarine-took-troop-train.html