Roy M. Davenport - History

History

Davenport was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and grew up in the Midwest. In June 1933 he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy as an ensign. In 1935, he married Jane Andre Gorham, who would be his wife 52 years, and together they had two daughters, Delia (Davenport) Gruenig and Bonnie (Davenport) Byhre. His first naval assignment was on the battleship Texas. The next year, he attended Submarine School in New London, Connecticut. Upon graduation he was temporarily assigned to the training ship R-2 until the Cachalot arrived on the East Coast to be re-engined. After some time in Panama, he arrived in Pearl Harbor in June, 1939.

In 1941, Davenport was serving in Silversides, as Executive Officer under Lt. Cdr. Creed Burlingame. He made four patrols aboard before Burlingame recommended him for a command of his own.

There were some close escapes beyond the expected and usual depth charging after attacking ships. Once a Japanese airplane dropped 3 bombs directly on the Silversides. The sub somehow survived and, while trying to escape, went into a hard dive with bow planes jammed, going deeper than the submarine was designed to survive. At the last moment Exec Davenport removed a cotter key to enable the sub to level off and not be crushed. At another time one of the torpedoes was stuck half out of the firing chamber and needed to be refired. It left successfully but could have sunk the sub. Another time Davenport had to wrestle a pistol from a drunken gunner's mate who felt that he had been robbed in a dice game. The sailor was taken off the sub in a straitjacket.

Davenport was given Haddock, replacing Art Taylor, relieved at the orders of Admiral Robert English for circulating "subversive literature" (a poem critical of timid skippers). Haddock had already had three successful patrols, and Davenport's first patrol in command saw him patrol off the Palau Islands and sink two confirmed ships, Toyo Maru and Arima Maru, for 9,200 tons. His wartime credit was one for 11,900. He was unable to close nearer than 12,000 yards (11,000 m) to the Japanese aircraft carriers Hiyō and Junyō. After 39 days at sea, Haddock went in for extensive refit to repair a defective, potentially lethal, conning tower. At a depth of 415 feet, it had almost imploded and to get the hatch shut to save the boat from sinking, Davenport hit the hatch with a sledgehammer. The conning tower held and Haddock escaped.

On Davenport's second patrol, he returned to the Palaus, where he sank 5,533-ton Saipan Maru, and on July 26, 1943 fired a total of fifteen Mark XIV torpedoes at ranges between 2,000–4,000 yards (1,800–3,700 m) in four attacks, believing he scored one hit. He was credited with one ship sunk for 10,900 tons and damage to for 35,000 tons, and he was awarded his first Navy Cross; this score was later reduced to one ship sunk at 5,500 tons.

In August 1943, Davenport was dispatched to Truk, making a 27-day patrol that would earn him a second Navy Cross. He fired four torpedoes on one ship on September 15, claiming two hits and fire aboard the target, which nevertheless tried to ram, leading Davenport to fire two more "down the throat". On September 20, he encountered a large tanker, the 19,000 ton Tonan Maru II, and fired six torpedoes from 3,700 yards (3,400 m), claiming "at least three certain hits". On the night of 21/September 22, he attacked another ship, missing with two torpedoes from 3,000 yards (2,700 m), and on the 23rd, firing a total of eight, his last, at another, claiming three hits. For his third patrol, he was credited with three ships sunk, a total of 39,200 tons. Departing Pearl Harbor in October, he returned to Truk for another 27-day patrol, and on 1/November 2, attacked a freighter and troopship on the surface with four torpedoes at the freighter at 3,100 yards (2,800 m) and one at the troopship from 4,150 yards (3,790 m). The freighter was claimed to have sunk immediately, the troopship to catch fire and settle. The next night, encountering three Japanese destroyers, Davenport fired four torpedoes at one of them from 2,000 yards (1,800 m), claiming a hit midships and a sinking. And finally, on 5/November 6, Haddock found two tankers, firing three bow torpedoes at each from 3,000 yards (2,700 m) and all four stern tubes at the escort. The stern shots all missed, but Davenport reported hits in both tankers. After reloading, he fired two more torpedoes at each, claiming both tankers sunk. The second Truk patrol earned Davenport credit for five ships and 32,600 tons, including the escort, plus damage to one for 4,000 tons. None were confirmed by postwar JANAC while Davenport, backed by his executive officers, believe the Japanese attempted to deceive the Allies into thinking the tankers remained in service.

Afterward, "at his own request", Davenport was detached for a rest and new construction, and "Beetle" Roach was given Haddock. Davenport would return to duty with the new Balao-class Trepang. On September 30, 1944 off Honshu, Davenport fired six torpedoes on two large tankers, a large freighter, and an escort, claiming a hit in one tanker; JANAC confirmed only sinking of a 750 ton freighter, Taknuan Maru.

Davenport weathered a typhoon and, on 10/October 11, picked up a convoy of two tankers and one escort. Firing four stern tubes, he claimed three hits. No sinkings were confirmed in Japanese records. The next night, he fired four torpedoes at a Japanese landing craft, believing all missed. Postwar, he was credited with the 1,000 ton Transport No. 5. On 12/October 13, lying 12 miles (19 km) off Iro Zaki, Davenport made radar contact with two ships, believing them at first to be aircraft carriers, then battleships, escorted by destroyers. He fired all six bow tubes at one "battleship". He claimed hits in one destroyer, suggesting it sank immediately, and at least one hit in the first "battleship". He then swung and fired all four stern tubes, his last remaining torpedoes, at the other "battleship", which all missed. Back in Majuro, he was credited with three ships of 22,300 tons and damage to a Yamashiro-class battleship for 29,300 tons, earning him a fourth Navy Cross.

On his next patrol to Luzon Strait, Davenport led a "wolfpack" called "Roy's Rangers" consisting of Trepang, James Fulp's Segundo, and Charles Brown's Razorback He fired twenty-two torpedoes in all, claiming four ships for 35,000 tons; this was reduced postwar to three for 13,000.

After this, his tenth war patrol, Davenport requested shore duty, and became a maritime engineering instructor at Annapolis. Except for those who earned the Medal of Honor, such as Dick O'Kane, he was the Submarine Force's most decorated member.