U.S.S. Barb (SS-220) question

The U.S.S. Barb was one of the most successful American subs during the war, in fact probably most famous for blowing up a Japanese train (see battle flag on very bottom) but my question is she was also listed for sinking a German cruiser in the North Atlantic, you can see the swastika also on her battle flag. Have done some research and can't find any instances of a German cruiser sunk by an American sub...perhaps the target was misidentified??? or what???

 

From the book “Thunder Below” by Admiral Fluckey, which I happen to own:
On page 434, the battle flag. On page 435, the explanations for each symbol. Quote: “The Nazi flag is for a European tanker under German control sunk in the Atlantic.” That is all. The flag pictured is the one also pictured above.

 

Thanks for the answer...as other books I have read claimed it was a cruiser.

 

Actually It was the Spanish tanker Campomanes that the USS Barb torpedoed on the night of December 26, 1942. Barb fired 4 torpedoes; 2 missed, 1 hit, and one was reported to be a circler. The tanker did not sink, but limped back into port.

The incident was quietly hushed up and swept under the rug. Going so far as to replace the log with a new one which never mentions the incident.(the "new" log can be found online with no mention of the attack.

Google Barb, Campomanes
And you will find plenty of source material.

 

So attacking a "neutral" Spanish tanker under German control but not sinking it but claimed they had sunk a Nazi vessel of some sort...and not sure how some claimed it was a cruiser instead..my head is spinning.

 

Hence the Swastika. Yep, it said as I read there that the Campomanes was torpedoed by mistake. Therefore no mention.
So, was there never really a tanker under German control sunk in the Atlantic? I quoted right from Fluckey’s book. Did he allow a lie to be printed in the back of the book? And allow the Swastika to be on the battle flag? It was his boat.

 

......good question...maybe it was before they knew who they really hit?
..did German ships use this area? I would think so
..interesting topic/etc --thanks

 

Well, no. The captain & crew thought they had attacked a German tanker. There were 5 "interned" German tankers that were refuelling & reprovisioning u-boats in 4 Spanish ports. Also, there were German raider supply ships known to be in operation. Hence, they thought that they had attacked a legitimate target.(also, hence the swastika). What they had attacked was a Spanish tanker under Spanish control.

Where the cruiser came from, I have no idea. As German cruisers were all well-known, unless what the cruiser authors meant was a German hilfskreuzer.

Suddenly removing the swastika from the war flag would have raised questions so it was left on.

 

Thanks for all your input.

 

Came across this article...While cruising off the Spanish port of Vigo on December 26, 1942, the U.S.S.Barb spotted a tanker the skipper believed to be German. Commander Waterman ordered a night surface attack, fired four torpedoes, saw two hit, then resumed his patrol, while “spirits soared” among the crew. But when the sub returned to base in mid-January 1943, the British Admiralty immediately called the skipper to London to defend his actions. They told him that his target had not been German, but the 6,700-ton SS Campomanes—a Spanish vessel.

The Admiralty ordered Waterman to deny the incident ever happened, for the Spaniards had protested vehemently to the British about the egregious breach of neutrality. The British naval attaché in Madrid smoothed things over by telling the Spanish Foreign Ministry—quite truthfully—that the attacking submarine was definitely not British. He suggested the Germans were to blame.

So I guess it was better to leave it on the battle flag according to the ships log....interesting story for sure.

 

gif uploading site

 

Here's a nice color one also...

 

They probably had an "unofficial" one, being based in England. The "official" one would have been done at a Flag Loft on a US Navy base when the submarine returned.

 

Your probably right Takao....results by American subs in the North Atlantic 1942/43...to say the least...were very disappointing.

 

Found this video and thought it was interesting but don't know how accurate it is.