178
Photo NH 42701 courtesy of NHHC.
Permit underway in San Francisco Bay on January 13, 1943 after a major wartime overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard. This overhaul saw significant changes to Permit's warfighting abilities, including the addition of two single shot external torpedo tubes on either side of her bow. These tubes could not be reloaded at sea, and the inability to access the weapons in the tubes for maintenance lead to their overall dislike by the crew. Note that both ends of the conning tower fairwater have been cut down to lessen her silhouette, creating two gun decks for the mounting of 20 mm rapid fire guns. SD air search radar was mounted on an extendable mast on the forward edge of the fairwater, and SJ surface search radar has been added on the starboard side of the periscope shears. Her original 3"/50 caliber Mk 6 gun has been replaced with a newer 3"/50 caliber Mk 17 gun, mounted forward of the fairwater, a tactically optimal position. When compared to the photo above the extent of the changes are obvious.
Photo 19-N-40145 courtesy of NHHC.
Francis Hugh Beaumont, Torpedoman's Mate 2nd Class, USNR enlisted on June 15, 1942 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. he is seen here on the deck of the Permit sometime between March 29, 1943 to May 25, 1943. Beaumont reported aboard Permit from COMSUBDIV 21 working as relief crew on Midway. He had previously been stationed aboard the Pike (SS-173).
Beaumont rode Permit for her 8th war patrol in the traffic lanes leading from the Marianas to Truk Atoll, and after several encounters, returned to Pearl Harbor May 25, 1943.
The photo of Beaumont, above, was taken on the fore deck of the Permit during this time frame. The large rectangular blocks seen behind Francis Beaumont are part of the support structure for the two under deck mounted torpedo tubes installed in January 1943 at Mare Island. There are deck hatches seen in front of the torpedo tube breech doors. These were used to load the tubes, although this could only be done in port. The tubes are angled slightly downwards. This is intended to give the weapon a slight down angle when fired, preventing the weapon from broaching the surface until its depth keeping mechanism takes over.
These tubes proved problematic and were not installed in boats beyond the few original conversions. The earlier fleet boats had been built with four tubes forward instead of the six wanted by the crews and skippers. The later fleet boats were built with six tubes forward starting with the Tambor/Gar-class. Being a Torpedoman Beaumont would have had these tubes as part of his job responsibilities aboard Permit.
On May 27, 1943 he transferred to a Relief Crew in COMSUBDIV 44. He eventually was transferred to the Salmon (SS-182).
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Photo taken on the deck of the Permit on August 14, 1943. A Japanese fishing float has been pulled up on the deck. The rope that held the ball to the fishing net is covered in barnacles. Comparing the date with Permit's patrol reports show that this date was right at the end of war patrol 9. The sub would soon depart her patrol area for a return to Pearl Harbor. The men on the deck have been identified as (left to right):
•CQM Ned Banks. The year before (1942) he was shown on the crew muster lists as a Seaman 1c. That is really fast advancement.
•LT Fredrick Taeusch, who at that time was the Executive Officer of Permit. Taeusch has his arm out pointing to Ensign Hosemer. Look at the water marks on the deck. They lead to Hosemer who, it seems, was the one to go into the water to get the ball. He's still dripping wet.
•LCDR Wreford Goss "Moon" Chapple, holding the fishing float ball. He was the Commanding Officer and a sub force legend.
•Ensign "Red" Hosemer, retriever of the float.
Even to this day, glass fishing floats can still be found at sea and washed up on beaches.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
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