Briefing Document: Otis Peyton Johnigan - U.S. Navy, USS Pompano (SS-181)

Subject: Summary of information regarding the life and naval service of Otis Peyton Johnigan, with a focus on his service on the USS Pompano and circumstances surrounding its loss.

Source: Excerpts from a biographical text detailing the life and military service of Otis Peyton Johnigan.

Date: October 26, 2023 (Date of Briefing Creation)

Key Themes:

Early Life and Family: Johnigan's early life in rural Texas, family connections, and transition to military service.

Naval Career: Johnigan's enlistment, training, and assignment to the USS Holland, and later the USS Pompano.

Disappearance of the USS Pompano: Details surrounding the disappearance of the USS Pompano, and differing accounts of the potential cause of its loss.

Official Declaration of Death and Memorial: The official declaration of death and memorialization of Johnigan and the crew.

Key Facts and Ideas:

Early Life and Family:

Otis Peyton Johnigan was born on December 5, 1919, in Coleman County, Texas, to Willie Mae Peyton and Otis Johnigan.

His father was significantly older than his mother (33 vs 19 at the time of his birth).

He is listed in the 1930 census as living with his uncle and aunt and father, potentially indicating his parents were separated or widowed during that time.

He graduated from Coleman High School in 1936.

Military Service:

Johnigan enlisted in the U.S. Navy on April 5, 1939, in Dallas, Texas.

He received training in San Diego, California.

His first assignment was to the USS Holland on November 10, 1939, as a Seaman Second Class.

He reenlisted at Pearl Harbor on April 5, 1943, and was assigned to the USS Pompano (SS-181) for two years.

By this time, his mother, Willie Mae Brumley, is his listed next of kin contact, residing in San Francisco, California.

USS Pompano and Disappearance:

Johnigan held the rank of Radioman First Class Petty Officer (RM1) with the service number 3561205.

The USS Pompano's patrol area was off the coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu, Japan.

The boat was scheduled to depart her patrol area on September 27, 1943, and return to Pearl Harbor through Midway, where she was expected to arrive by October 5.

The USS Pompano never arrived at Midway.

Johnigan was reported missing on September 27, 1943.

The official explanation attributes the loss of the USS Pompano to Japanese mines, with September 27, 1943 as an approximate date of loss.

However, there is conflicting information from Japanese records indicating a possible alternative cause of loss.

Conflicting Japanese Records:

Japanese records indicate a submarine was sunk on September 17, 1943, by air attack off Aomori Prefecture near Shiriya Zaki, within the Pompano's patrol area and that no other submarines were known to be operating there.

This attack included a surfaced submarine returning fire against a seaplane, leaving "little doubt about what the plane attacked."

Following the attack, the Japanese minelayer Ashizaki dropped depth charges on a spot where oil surfaced, bringing up more oil, indicating a sinking.

This suggests that the USS Pompano may have been sunk by a Japanese air attack on September 17, 1943, rather than by mines on September 27.

Official Declaration and Memorial:An official Finding of Death (FOD) was issued by the War Department on January 4, 1946, declaring the crew of the USS Pompano dead.

All 77 men onboard the USS Pompano, including Johnigan, were lost.

RM1 Johnigan and the other 76 crew members are memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Key Quotes:

"Radioman First Class Petty Officer Otis P. Johnigan 3561205 US Navy USS Pompano SS-181, location Japan, reported missing 27 September 1943."

"The official version is that she was lost while patroling off the coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu. Probably lost to Japanese mines."

"Japanese records show that a submarine was sunk on 17 September by air attack off the Aomori Prefecture near Shiriya Zaki..."

"...a seaplane based on Ominato attacked a surfaced sub which returned fire (this is critical since it leaves little doubt about what the plane attacked) then dived."

Conclusion:

The provided information outlines the life of Otis Peyton Johnigan, particularly his naval service culminating in his service on the USS Pompano during World War II. The document highlights the official account of the USS Pompano's loss, while also presenting conflicting Japanese records that may indicate a different cause of the submarine's sinking and that the official date of loss may be inaccurate. The case underscores the human cost of war and the lingering uncertainty surrounding the fate of many who served during conflict. This information serves to highlight the need for further research and potential clarification to better understand the actual events surrounding the USS Pompano's loss.