Lost submarine found off Alaska
Search for father may have turned up USS Grunion
There was no distress call, no indication of enemy depth charges exploding or bulkheads breached, just a dead silence that stretched from a few days into 60 years.
The USS Grunion disappeared in July 1942, leaving 70 American families grieving and the three sons of skipper Mannert L. “Jim” Abele, without a father. Abele’s boys — ages 5, 9, and 12 and living in Newton when their father disappeared — grew up and built their own lives. But, they dwelt on the fate of their father. At 2 a.m. yesterday, a grainy sonar picture e-mailed via satellite appeared in Bruce Abele’s inbox, appearing to finally show what they had been searching for much of their adult lives: the outline of an oblong object believed to be the Grunion deep in frigid Alaskan waters.
If the discovery is confirmed, it would signify a triumph of luck and perseverance and put to rest a quest for clues, financed by the personal fortune of one of the Abele sons, that has spanned decades.
“It’s big, very big,” 76-year-old Bruce Abele, the eldest of the three sons, said yesterday. “This mystery has been a part of my consciousness for as long as I can remember.”
I was wondering if a list of the crew is available. I believe my cousin was on that submarine, would appreachate a reply.
Hi James,
My grandfather Donald Francis Welch, born in Springfield, MA was on the sub. Is he a cousin of yours? I’d love to chat with you, if so. To the Abele brothers I am so grateful for bringing the mystery to a close and helping so many families come together to share their memories of loved ones.
Thank you, Laura (Conley) Tasse
Mr. Welch,
You neglected to give your cousin’s name so we are just guessing since there was a Welch on board- if that is him, see Laura’s post above. There is a list of the crew at On Eternal Patrol which you will see a link for on the grunion homepage. Please contact me at rrrstar AT gmail. com