Dorado Crew: Difference between revisions
Pbcjohnston (talk | contribs) Small additions to enlisted section |
Pbcjohnston (talk | contribs) mNo edit summary |
||
Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
[[File:Joseph Leo Cyril Perrault Dorado.jpg|right|thumb|125px|Seaman 2c Joseph Perrault, USN.]] | [[File:Joseph Leo Cyril Perrault Dorado.jpg|right|thumb|125px|Seaman 2c Joseph Perrault, USN.]] | ||
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">No organization, especially a military one, can exist without the wrench turners, roustabouts, and blue-collar | <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#00008B">No organization, especially a military one, can exist without the wrench turners, roustabouts, and blue-collar Joes. In the U.S. Navy those invaluable men are the junior sailors. From Apprentice Seaman up to Petty Officer 1st Class they formed the bulk of the crew. Although some of them may not have graduated from high school, the Navy ensures that they are trained thoroughly in a "rate", or job. These can include Ship's Cook, Torpedoman, Quartermaster, Machinist's Mate, Electrician's Mate, and Yeoman, among others. After Basic Training (aka "boot camp") most of these men will attend a Navy school to learn their rate. All of them will have been screened both mentally and physically to ensure they can meet the rigorous standards of the Submarine Service, and all of them will have graduated from the Navy's Submarine School in Groton, CT. where they learn the intricacies of operating a submarine.<br><br> | ||
[[File:Clothdolp1.jpg|left|150px]]Once they report to their submarine, the training for these new men has only just begun. They immediately set about learning the equipment they are to operate and maintain, and receive detailed training on the watch stations they will man while underway, such as Lookout, Helmsman, Planesman, Gunner, and Line Handler. They will also set about learning every switch, lever, valve, and system on the boat, a rigorous and difficult process known as "Qualifying". When complete (a months long process), they experience a highly detailed and thorough oral examination board made up of experienced Petty Officers, Chiefs, and Officers. If they pass (not all do), their scores and performance is reviewed by the Commanding Officer, who makes the final determination. The proudest moment for any submariner is when the CO signs off on his qualifications, and he is authorized to wear the coveted "Dolphins" insignia sewn to the sleeve of his uniform. This brings him into the elite and respected "Order of the 'Phin", an honor that he will carry with him for the rest of his days. | [[File:Clothdolp1.jpg|left|150px]]Once they report to their submarine, the training for these new men has only just begun. They immediately set about learning the equipment they are to operate and maintain, and receive detailed training on the watch stations they will man while underway, such as Lookout, Helmsman, Planesman, Gunner, and Line Handler. They will also set about learning every switch, lever, valve, and system on the boat, a rigorous and difficult process known as "Qualifying". When complete (a months long process), they experience a highly detailed and thorough oral examination board made up of experienced Petty Officers, Chiefs, and Officers. If they pass (not all do), their scores and performance is reviewed by the Commanding Officer, who makes the final determination. The proudest moment for any submariner is when the CO signs off on his qualifications, and he is authorized to wear the coveted "Dolphins" insignia sewn to the sleeve of his uniform. This brings him into the elite and respected "Order of the 'Phin", an honor that he will carry with him for the rest of his days. | ||
In the fall of 1943 it was common to have only about 60% of the crew qualified when a new submarine is commissioned. Some of the crew have come from other submarines and are already qualified, but since the bulk of the crew are actually junior enlisted and officers many of them are still learning when the boat leaves the states for the war zone. The goal is to get the crew as close to 100% qualified as they can get before they depart their assigned station for the first war patrol. However, qualifying is a never completed process, as experienced crew members are constantly departing between patrols, with new ones arriving to replace them. | In the fall of 1943 it was common to have only about 60% of the crew qualified when a new submarine is commissioned. Some of the crew have come from other submarines and are already qualified, but since the bulk of the crew are actually junior enlisted and officers many of them are still learning when the boat leaves the states for the war zone. The goal is to get the crew as close to 100% qualified as they can get before they depart their assigned station for the first war patrol. However, qualifying is a never completed process, as experienced crew members are constantly departing between patrols, with new ones arriving to replace them. | ||
So this was Dorado's crew. The officers, Chiefs, and junior enlisted that provided that fighting submarine with its heart and soul. In the words of submarine historian Ric Hedman, "These sailors were the boys down the street, around the corner, out on the farms. They were the high school football heroes, and yes, even the geeks of their time. But they became one of the elite, one of that 1% that made the cut and became "Qualified in Submarines". They were, and still are, the best of the best of the United States Navy." | |||
<center>[[File:RWB Starbar ver 3.jpg|300px]]</center> | <center>[[File:RWB Starbar ver 3.jpg|300px]]</center> |
Revision as of 15:21, 27 June 2025

Main Page | Latest News & Updates | The Submarine | The Crew | Photographs | The Loss Scenario | The Aircraft | Case for the Purple Heart | The Myths | Research Documents |


The crew is lead by its officers, college educated men that provide the boat with its direction and resolve. At the top is the Commanding Officer (aka CO or Skipper), a seasoned veteran and experienced man of the sea, a man who knows the "art" of submarining down to its core. During WWII the CO could be a senior Lieutenant (LT), but was most often a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) or Commander (CDR). By 1943 the CO of a fleet submarine had risen up through the officer ranks, having served on several submarines previously, and had likely also had surface ship experience. He would be intelligent and driven, capable of multi-tasking on a high level. He would be capable of solving complex mathematical calculations quickly in his head, all the while managing a complex fighting machine in a calm and decisive manner.




In the fall of 1943 it was common to have only about 60% of the crew qualified when a new submarine is commissioned. Some of the crew have come from other submarines and are already qualified, but since the bulk of the crew are actually junior enlisted and officers many of them are still learning when the boat leaves the states for the war zone. The goal is to get the crew as close to 100% qualified as they can get before they depart their assigned station for the first war patrol. However, qualifying is a never completed process, as experienced crew members are constantly departing between patrols, with new ones arriving to replace them.
So this was Dorado's crew. The officers, Chiefs, and junior enlisted that provided that fighting submarine with its heart and soul. In the words of submarine historian Ric Hedman, "These sailors were the boys down the street, around the corner, out on the farms. They were the high school football heroes, and yes, even the geeks of their time. But they became one of the elite, one of that 1% that made the cut and became "Qualified in Submarines". They were, and still are, the best of the best of the United States Navy."

For now, it is not our intention to list every member of the Dorado's crew here, as that function has already been thoroughly accomplished by our friend and colleague Charles Hinman at the On Eternal Patrol Dorado page. Please visit that page and acknowledge the men who sailed on Dorado.
What we would really like is to have family members and friends submit to us stories, remembrances, anecdotes, and photographs of the Dorado's crew. One of our primary goals is to ensure that these men, all of whom made "The Final Sacrifice" for us, will never be forgotten. Help us to preserve their memory, and to honor them by sending your thoughts and memories to ussdoradoproject@gmail.com. Thank you!

Page created by:
Thaddeus Weaver & David Johnston
©2025 - Thaddeus Weaver & PigBoats.COM
West Warwick, RI, Norfolk, VA
ussdoradoproject@gmail.com
