A Successful Past MissionĬommander Fluckey smiled as he remembered that patrol. Of course, no one suspected when he had struck that deal prior to his fourth and what should have been his final war patrol on the Barb, that Commander Fluckey's success would be so great he would be awarded the Medal of Honor. He should have turned command over to another skipper after four patrols, but had managed to strike a deal with Admiral Lockwood to make one more trip with the men he cared for like a father, should his fourth patrol be successful. It was the twelfth war patrol of the Barb, the fifth under Commander Fluckey. and Commander Fluckey rubbed his eyes as he peered over the map spread before him. J(Patience Bay, Off the coast of Karafuto, Japan) 'You surely pulled him from command after he received it?'

I recommended him for the Medal of Honor,' Admiral Nimitz replied. 'Well, Chester, there's only the Barb there, and probably no word until the patrol is finished. war ships in the vicinity of the northern coastal areas of Hokkaido, Japan.

The USS Barb was indeed, the submarine that 'sank a train'.įleet Admiral Chester Nimitz looked across the desk at Admiral Lockwood as he finished the personal briefing on U.S. 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 USS Barb was a pioneer, paving the way for the first submarine-launched missiles and flying a battle flag unlike that of any other ship. The submarine, given to the Italian Navy in 1953 was actually an incredible veteran of World War II service with a heritage that never should have passed so unnoticed into the graveyards of the metal recyclers. In 1973 an Italian submarine named Enrique Tazzoli was sold for a paltry $100,000 as scrap metal.

Thunder below eugene fluckey