Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing John Perry Richardson Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Trumpetfish (SS 425); USS Guitarro (SS 363)
- Location of Service: Key West, Florida; Great Lakes, Illinois; New London, Connecticut; New York; Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Boston, Massachusetts; Pacific; Australia; New Guinea; Hunters Point, California; South China Sea
- Highest Rank: Fire Controlman
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/7706
Drafted into the Navy as a teenager, John Richardson volunteered for submarine school, because it was located in Connecticut not far from his Massachusetts home and submariners eared an extra ten percent hazardous duty pay. Richardson earned that pay on five war patrols in the Pacific Theater. Richardson explains the inner workings of a submarine, using a model to illustrate his points. After the war ended, he joined the inactive Naval Reserve and was called back to duty in 1950 during the Korean War. This time, however, his duty station was a bit safer--Key West, Florida.
Interview / Recording
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PlayVolunteering for submarine school; it was in CT, near his home, and sub service paid better; training by learning various parts of the boat (not "ship"), going into a pressure chamber; learning on an old sub that was rickety; practicing evacuation maneuver. 00:20:22.8 - 00:25:40.1
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PlayLearning to run the radar and sonar, how to navigate the boat; he was "right arm rate," senior to the left arm rate men who ran the engines; learning was done in the classroom, so "you were still pretty green when you got aboard." 00:25:56.8 - 00:31:56.0
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PlayExplaining the workings of the submarine using a model; torpedo means of propulsion switching from steam to electric power during the war. 00:35:00.1 - 00:39:03.5
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PlayHis boat, the Guitarro, was 300 feet long and had a crew of 75; during shakedown cruise, someone pushing the dive signal while men were still on deck, water rushing in and rising to their knees before hatch could be secured; luckily there were still in the Great Lakes and it was fresh water; salt water on some of the ship's batteries could have set off a dangerous chemical reaction. 00:41:03.3 - 00:44:16.3
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PlayFirst patrol: sank three ships, took some light depth charging; how a ship is sighted and stalked; coordinating the torpedo run; compensating for the targets' zigzagging; knowing you'd scored a hit by the sound; covering large area of shipping lanes south of Formosa. 00:56:41.4 - 01:02:47.1
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PlayDepth charges; the movies about submarines always get the sound wrong; you can hear the charge's detonator before the explosion; suffered some superstructure damage once; going into silent running to avoid detection; a persistent attack could last for hours. 01:10:05.2 - 01:13:12.3
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PlayTotal toll from all his patrols: 13 ships sunk, one damaged; went back to San Francisco to get their batteries changed and while there, the war ended; saw big fights in Oakland involving sailors celebrating; recounting a patrol that put them on Windy Island off New Guinea; buying Japanese souvenirs from the natives. 01:18:30.3 - 01:20:31.8
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PlayAfter firing a torpedo at one ship and missing, they surfaced and started firing on the ship with guns and broke it up; when ship fired back, the sub crew ran behind the conning tower; area was soon thick with more ships to attack. 01:26:32.7 - 01:28:47.3
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PlayAfter war ended, not having enough points to be discharged; lying about his points and being found out; assigned to Shore Patrol duty in Boston, a "son-of-gun" job; breaking up fights in bars and clubs; their office above a bar where Merchant Mariners hung out and they hated sailors; did that for two months and accumulated enough points. 01:35:27.2 - 01:39:05.8
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PlayMeeting his future wife and while waiting for her to get off work, signing up for inactive Naval Reserves to hold his 1st Class rate; Korean War started and he was called back; served in Key West, wife was allowed to go with him; President Truman had his summer White House there; served as fire control man on a submarine; would see Truman taking his morning walk; working on a damaged sub with a snorkel that made the crew's ears pop every time it took on water; finally got out in 1952. 01:39:48.8 - 01:44:54.7
About this Item
Title
- John Perry Richardson Collection
Names
- Bissett, Alexandria
- The History Show / Chelmsford Telemedia
- Richardson, John Perry
- Tari, Villu
Home State
- Massachusetts
Headings
- - Richardson, John Perry
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Navy.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Guitarro (SS 363)
- Location of Service: Great Lakes, Illinois; New London, Connecticut; New York; Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Boston, Massachusetts; Pacific; Australia; New Guinea; Hunters Point, California; South China Sea
- Highest Rank: Fire Controlman
- Dates of Service: 1942-1946
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: veteran
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Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Navy
- Unit of Service: USS Trumpetfish (SS 425)
- Location of Service: Key West, Florida
- Highest Rank: Fire Controlman
- Dates of Service: 1950-1952
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran signed-up for in-active reserves for two years as a fire control on Submarine.
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2003-04-29; 2003-04-29)
- Video: VHS [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-04-29)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/7706
Cite as
- John Perry Richardson Collection (AFC/2001/001/7706), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Australia
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Great Lakes, Illinois
- Hunters Point, California
- Key West, Florida
- Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- New Guinea
- New London, Connecticut
- New York
- Pacific
- South China Sea