Captain Herbert Mandel by Avi Heiligman

Captain Herbert Mandel

Fighting Underwater

By Avi Heiligman

Known as the silent service, life on an American World War II submarine was anything but luxurious. Over 60 sailors were crammed into an underwater metal tube that lacked sunlight and fresh air. Submarines would go on patrol for weeks or months at a time looking for targets of opportunity. They faced many threats including enemy submarine chasers that would release deadly depth charges, enemy aircraft, mines, and even their own defective torpedoes. Fifty-two American submarines never returned from patrol and at least two submarines were sunk when their own torpedoes that made a circular run.

It took a special type of sailor to serve on a submarine, and the officers who caused a massive decline in vital Japanese shipping are often overlooked. Many of these officers deserve mention with at least one Jewish commanding officer of a submarine during World War II.

As the commander of the USS Finback (SS-178), Captain Herbert Irving Mandel was the only submarine commander during World War II that this author could confirm was Jewish. Mandel hailed from Brooklyn and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1938. Graduates of the academy were usually assigned to a capital ship, and Mandel served on the carrier USS Lexington (CV-2) and later on the USS Wasp (CV-7). He later took the submarine course at New London, Connecticut, and first served on the submarine R-13 (SS-90 and built in 1919) as the third officer.

In 1942, Mandel was transferred to the USS Finback (SS-230) as the torpedo and gunnery officer. While on the Finback, he earned the Silver Star for his performance while the submarine was under attack during three war patrols. On a patrol in the waters off the Aleutian Islands, the Finback was tracked and then attacked two Japanese destroyers. She sent a spread of torpedoes at the destroyers and barely missed getting hit by eighteen depth charges when one of the enemy ships came looking for the submarine. The sailors on the Finback heard an explo-

Mandel’s experience and thorough knowledge paid off while directing the torpedo attacks in the sinking of these important ships.

sion, and there was evidence of one of the destroyers being sunk. However, the Finback did not get credit for the sinking as it wasn’t seen going down.

In July 1944, Mandel was appointed as executive officer of the submarine USS Croaker (SS-246). On the submarine’s first war patrol in July 1944, she sank the Japanese cruiser Nagara, a minesweeper, and two freighters. While attacking the Nagara, the Croaker sent four torpedoes at a range of a thousand yards. The enemy ship was zig-zagging wildly, and the fourth torpedo slammed into the ship’s ammunition storage causing large explosions. Soon it settled into the ocean by the stern.

Mandel’s experience and thorough knowledge paid off while directing the torpedo attacks in the sinking of these important ships. For his efforts on this patrol, he was awarded his second Silver Star while the entire crew earned a Navy Unit Commendation.

On the Croaker’s second war patrol in the East China Sea, she sank three freighters and damaged another one with her last torpedo. Mandel received a Gold Star medal instead of his third

Silver Star on this patrol for his excellent leadership in leading the attacks that sank over 15,000 tons of enemy shipping. Another small Japanese ship was sunk using the Croaker’s deck gun. As executive officer of the submarine, his outstanding math skills translated well into the attacks of the enemy ships.

In December 1944, he was appointed as commanding officer of the USS Permit (SS-178). The Permit had been on 12 patrols before Mandel took command and soon it was used as a school ship. Mandel did not have the chance to take the ship on a war patrol.

After the war, Mandel was appointed to second in command while achieving the rank of captain. In 1953, he was the operations officer that planned a large-scale, five nation naval exercise in the Mediterranean and in 1954 was appointed as commanding officer of the destroyer USS Douglas H. Fox (DD779). Captain Herbert Mandel passed away in 2016 at the age of 99 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Several submarine officers during World War II may have had Jewish sounding names but either weren’t Jewish or there wasn’t enough conclusive evidence that they were. Abraham Leichtman was almost certainly Jewish, but he commanded the USS Picuda (SS382) a year after the war ended.

A submarine can strike without notice and can quickly change the course of a battle. Submarines played a vital role in grinding the Japanese war machine to a halt. For sailors onboard, it was considered an honor to serve but was dangerous as well. The names of most submarines’ captains and their sailors are rarely mentioned in the media but these Forgotten Heroes are to be remembered for their dedication and duty under extremely difficult conditions during World War II.