World War II Honoree

Defoie Allison

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

Relationship

Shipmates

QUARTERMASTER THIRD CLASS, PETTY OFFICER. KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS CORVINA SS-226 ON NOVEMBER 16, 1943 SOUTH OF TRUK. DECORATIONS: PURPLE HEART. CORVINA, VENTURING INTO ENEMY WATERS FOR HER FIRST TIME, PUT OUT FROM PEARL HARBOR ON HER MAIDEN WAR PATROL ON NOVEMBER 4, 1943 UNDER THE COMMAND OF COMMANDER R. S. ROONEY, TOPPED OFF HER FUEL TANKS AT JOHNSTON ISLAND NOVEMBER 6, 1943, AND WAS NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN. HER ASSIGNMENT HAD BEEN A DANGEROUS ONE: TO PATROL AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE HEAVILY GUARDED STRONGHOLD OF TRUK AS ENEMY ANTI-SUBMARINE MEASURES WOULD PERMIT, AND TO INTERCEPT ANY JAPANESE SORTIE ENDANGERING THE FORTHCOMING AMERICAN INVASION OF THE GILBERT ISLANDS. JAPANESE RECORDS REPORT THAT I-176 FIRED THREE TORPEDOES AT AN ENEMY SUBMARINE SOUTH OF TRUK NOVEMBER 16TH, CLAIMING TWO HITS WHICH RESULTED IN THE EXPLOSION OF THE TARGET. CORVINA WAS THE ONLY AMERICAN SUBMARINE TO BE SUNK BY A JAPANESE SUBMARINE IN THE ENTIRE WAR. USS CORVINA SS-226 WAS LOST WITH EIGHTY-TWO OFFICERS AND MEN.