World War II Honoree

Dudley Walker 'Mush' Morton

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Scarsdale, New York

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

Relationship

Shipmates

AT THE START OF WWII HE WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE SUBMARINE USS R-5 (SS-82) A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL APRIL, 1942. HE WAS THEN A LIEUTENANT COMMANDER. HE REPORTED TO SUBMARINE SQUADRON FOUR AS A PROSPECTIVE COMMANDING OFFICER. AFTER BRIEF SERVICE ONBOARD USS DOLPHIN (SS-169) HE REPORTED AS CO USS WAHOO (SS-238) AT THE END OF 1942. MORTON WAS CREDITED WITH SINKING 19 SHIPS TOTALING NEARLY 55,000 TONS DURING HIS FOUR PATROLS IN COMMAND OF USS WAHOO. THE SECOND HIGHEST TOTAL OF ANY U.S. SUBMARINE COMMANDER. AS COMMANDING OFFICER HE WAS KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS WAHOO (SS 238) ON 11 OCTOBER 1943 IN LA PEROUSE STRAIT, WHILE EXITING THE SEA OF JAPAN BETWEEN HOKKAIDO AND KARAFUTO. DECORATIONS: NAVY CROSS WITH THREE GOLD STARS, PURPLE HEART. ON 9 SEPTEMBER, WAHOO DEPARTED PEARL ON HER 7TH WAR PATROL. WAHOO WAS LAST HEARD FROM SEPT. 13, 1943, AS THE GATO-CLASS SUBMARINE DEPARTED THE ISLAND OF MIDWAY EN ROUTE TO THE “DANGEROUS, YET IMPORTANT,” SEA OF JAPAN. UNDER STRICT RADIO SILENCE, MORTON AND HIS CREW PROCEEDED AS ORDERED.  RADIO CONTACT WAS EXPECTED TO BE REGAINED WITH MIDWAY IN LATE OCTOBER UPON WAHOO’S DEPARTURE FROM THE SEA OF JAPAN THROUGH THE KURILE ISLAND CHAIN. NO SUCH CONTACT WAS MADE. JAPANESE REPORTS STATED THAT ONE OF ITS PLANES HAD SPOTTED AN AMERICAN SUBMARINE IN THE LA PEROUSE STRAIT ON OCT. 11, 1943.  THESE REPORTS INDICATE A MULTI-HOUR COMBINED SEA AND AIR ATTACK INVOLVING DEPTH CHARGES AND AERIAL BOMBS FINALLY SUNK WAHOO. USS WAHOO (SS 238) WAS LOST WITH 80 OFFICERS AND MEN.