Richard Hetherington O’Kane was a submarine commander who served in WWII and has the most successful record of any submarine commander in U.S. history. He received three Silver Stars and three Navy Crosses for his service.
#1 USS Wahoo
After his first years on active duty and submarine instruction in 1938, O’Kane earned a reputation as a talented commander as the executive officer under the famous Dudley “Mush” Morton aboard the USS Wahoo. He served on five war patrols with her.
#2 New Command
O’Kane was promoted after his service on the USS Wahoo, and given command of the USS Tang which was under construction. The new submarine left the shipyards in 1943 and he commanded her until she sank in 1944.
#3 Career Service
O’Kane conducted a total of five war patrols on the USS Tang, sinking 33 Japanese ships. This is the highest amount for any single submarine and the most for any commanding officer. O’Kane earned a reputation for being an innovator and developing unique tactics that increased the expected effectiveness of his submarine.
#4 Skilled Tactics
O’Kane was skilled at, and became famous for, taking the USS Tang into the middle of enemy convoys and attacking ships both ahead and behind him.
#5 First Patrol
O’Kane was based in Pearl Harbor and sank five ships on his first patrol in the Marianas. One of his favorite tactics was the use of the night surface attack, which helped him gain and keep the initiative during battle, leading to his many successful engagements.
#6 Third Patrol
On his third patrol onboard the USS Tang in the Yellow Sea, O’Kane sank ten ships, which is more than any other submarine on any single patrol in the entire war. At one point, he hit four enemy ships by accident when he fired six torpedoes at two large ships.
#7 Lifeguard Duty
O’Kane earned a Presidential Unit Citation after saving 22 pilots who had been shot down over Truk while performing lifeguard duty off enemy territory.
#8 Sinking and Capture
The USS Tang was sunk in 1944 when one of her own torpedoes malfunctioned and O’Kane was captured. He lost all but eight members of his crew.
#9 Medal of Honor
O’Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” once he returned to the United States after his release.
#10 Awards
O’Kane was also awarded the Legion of Merit with “V” device for valor, the Purple Heart, and many more service ribbons and medals. His cribbage board is transferred between the oldest fast attack submarine currently in service upon decommissioning of the current holder. As of 2019, it is aboard the USS Chicago.
#11 Post-War Career
O’Kane spent his later career serving in the Pacific Reserve Fleet onboard the USS Pelias and was a witness at the Japanese war crimes trials. He then served aboard the USS Nereus. He then was an instructor at the Submarine School in New London, Connecticut, and the Naval War College.
#12 End of Service
After his instruction period, he was promoted to captain and served aboard the USS Sperry and commanded Submarine Squadron Seven. He retired in 1957. O’Kane was awarded the rank of rear admiral upon his death and authored two books based on his experience. The destroyer, USS O’Kane, launched in 1988, was named in honor of him.
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