Lost At Sea

[KriegsmarineFreak]

My great uncle John Harvey Savage was a TM3 (navy rank, not sure what it is) on the U.S.S. Scamp submarine when it sank with all hands after being depth charged by the Japense on November 11, 1944. It was bombed by a Japanese airplane and about seventy depth charges were dropped on it by a Japanese corvette that rushed to the scene. It was reported there was a huge oil slick after the attack along with debris from the submarine. It sank about 125 miles south of Yokohama, Japan. I was once at a family reunion in St. George, Utah in 2002 and we were hosting it at this community college there. At the reunion I remember looking at some pictures of my ancestors with my cousin. I found one of John Harvey Savage. It was a black and white photo taken of him in his navy uniform before he perished. My grandma told me there were photos taken of the oil slick after the Scamp sank but I've never been able to come across any. Then, in late May this year I was at a funeral in Toquerville, Utah mourning the death of my little cousin who passed away before she was born. As I looked across the cemetery with two of my cousins we came across a tombstone that honored John Harvey Savage there. John Harvey Savage was my grandma's uncle when he died at sea. His body was never recovered.

U.S.S. Scamp

[Kyt]

Sad story. Maybe you'd like to offer a copy of the photo of your great uncle to this site. They have pictures of some of the crew:

On Eternal Patrol - USS Scamp (SS-277)

And TM is Torpedoman's Mate

[KriegsmarineFreak]

I'll need to ask my grandparents where they got the photo of John Harvey Savage. Right now they're serving as missionaries in Hong Kong (their second one, before that it was South Africa) and if it was the original photo I saw I'll probably not be able to get it until they come back. I'll try e-mailing them. Thanks for the website and the info Kyt!