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WWII
WWII
World War II

Small Fish in a Big Spring

Big Spring, Texas

War bond tour brings
Japanese submarine to West Texas

by John Troesser
Japanese submarine in Big Springs Texas
Japanese submarine at Howard County Courthouse
on tour during WWII
Courtesy J.D. Robertson Collection
Our Man in Howard County, Doyle Phillips, sends us this photo of a Japanese Submarine in Big Spring. This class of submarine had a crew of only two. Several were found beached on the morning of the attack. Their purpose had been to insure the sinking of any ships that might have safely made it out of the harbor.

Alert Big Spring "spotters" stationed on the upper floors of the Settles Hotel saw this one suspiciously circling the block and commandeered a Buick taxi from the stand in front of the hotel. They rammed it seconds before it could torpedo the Courthouse. It spent the duration of the War in the Police impound lot.

Before we get a bunch of email - It was actually trucked in as a centerpiece for a bond selling tour. It would be interesting to know if this is same one that wound up in the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg. Someone let us know.


© John Troesser
May 2001

Related article:

Midget sub commander tells of his role in the attack on Pearl Harbor
- Glad to be first Japanese prisoner of war!

Related Topics:
World War II Chronicles
World War I Chronicles

 

 

 


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