"Another American submarine, Cod, put a six man boarding party aboard a large junk and was caught by a Japanese plane. Cod was forced to abandon the crewmen and lost contact with the solitary vessel. In the following search involving five submarines, the crew was rescued by Blenny. This patrol was terminated at Subic Bay on August 14, 1945." (Above taken from Blenny history...Neal Stevens)
These pictures were captured with Snappy from a VCR tape of a 16 mm movie. Click on following pictures for full size.
1 AUGUST 1945
1720 In VHF communication with COD (SS-224). He said he had put a boarding party aboard a junk this morning and had been forced to dive by a plane, leaving his party aboard. Understood him to say he had a boarding party aboard a junk now and was trying to find them. Did not sink through my head that the boarding party he was now looking for was the same one he had lost this morning although his four engine speed maneuvers looked as if he were very busy at something unusual. Learned that he had sighted a convoy consisting of one destroyer and 3 cargo vessels southbound at about 1000 yards off Point Penunjut. Close to the point he had to dive for a plane in 60' of water.
2110 Received message from COD telling us he was searching for a two masted sampan with his boarding party aboard lost when forced down this morning and giving his position.
2237 COD gave us full details on her boarding party. They had boarded junk at 0830 I, plane had strafed them causing them to leave 6 of their men on junk. Planes and approaching convoy kept them down until 1500 and up and down since. He asked if we could search to south on long 103-35.
2242 Told LIZARDFISH (SS-373)and BOARFISH (SS-327), COD had boarding party on 2 masted sampan adrift since 1000 I and directed them to assist in search between Lat 4-20 and Pulo Tenggol immediately. Gave position sampan was last seen in as 4-21 N, 103-32 E.
2 AUGUST 1945
0136 COD says boarding party has flashlight and that CTF 71 has been notified of their predicament.
3 AUGUST 1945
0845 Transfer (by breeches buoy) completed. Received 120 rounds of 5" and 224 rounds of 40mm plus a box of shot gun shells which BOARFISH is dubious that we will be able to sink any sampans with.
1157 (Ship Contact No. 36) Lat 4-44 N, Long 103-22 E. Periscope sighted large 3 masted reddish brown sail junk to west near Pulo Kapas, changed course to 270(T).
1202 Increase speed to 2 engine.
1217 Junk shows white patch on leech of mainsail in conformance with description given by COD. Bow has bulge like a net tender and junk is beating up wind to southward. Breathed a fervent prayer that this was it and not just a fancied resemblance.
1225 All ahead flank headed for junk.
1226 Can see junk is luffing up, can see people moving on deck, can see
something white moving about (the white dog COD described). Boy oh boy are
we happy.
1227 Have communication with COD's boarding party. They are anxious to make sure we know who they are.
1234 Alongside junk, about 2 miles east of Pulo Kapas. Boarding party of
COD's, Lt.(jg) Franklin S. Kimball (an old shipmate of the C.O.'s) in
charge, consisting of the following men, came aboard; BABICK, John, CEM,
McKNIGHT, George J., MoMM1c, TOLLE, William, TM3c, RENFRO, Sam J., S1c and
SEE TONE, Chinese volunteer prisoner of COD's.
All men were in perfect shape and considerably more composed than most of
our crew, who were outwardly exceedingly jubilant. Was so happy at the
location of survivors gave junk crew canned goods and fresh bread instead
of sinking them and in accordance with sentiments of boarding party.
1240 Told COD we were taking all her men on board, all O.K. Headed for rendezvous with COD.
1300 Told COD where her junk had been found and designated rendezvous east of Pulo Tenggol.
1450 Rendezvoused with COD transferring men to her by breeches buoy.
 John Babick |
 Sam J. "Bo" Renfroe |
 "Tommy" See |
 George McKnight |
 William G. "Red" Tolle |
 Franklin J. Kimball |
Norman R. Jensen, combat photographer, took these
pictures on the last patrol (7th) of the USS COD.
Note. . . The above pictures captured from video tape furnished by "John C. Fakan" Organization: U.S.S. COD Submarine
John C. Faken usscod@en.com
The USS COD Home Page
1507 Tranfer completed. COD's crew looked like a bunch of Cheshire cats, grinning as if that was all they could do. Standing west to close coast between Tenggol and Kapas.
A letter from one of the COD Boarding Party . . .
Sam J. “Bo” Renfroe, from a letter dated 21 May 1996
(Excerpt from his response to an invitation to attend the BLENNY reunion in
Milwaukee)
I didn’t serve on BLENNY but I did experience the thrill of being “rescued at sea” by BLENNY and her crew. I was one of the five crewmen off the USS COD that was left topside under a Jap plane attack, spent a few days on a Jap junk, then had the good fortune of being found by BLENNY and returned to the COD.
I do recall Captain Hazzard, though, for I thought then and now that he would be a great skipper to serve with. I remember calling him “Captain Santa Claus” when they picked my bunch up..... I don’t know why that popped into my mind, but it did. I suppose it was because, in our danger, I had been thinking about the happy times of my childhood and it seemed always to be at Christmas time. At this time, though, the sight of Captain Hazzard and the BLENNY crew far surpassed any joys of Christmas I had ever experienced! Thus, the title “Captain Santa Claus!!”