Advertisement

S2 John Ferentz
Monument

Advertisement

S2 John Ferentz Veteran

Birth
Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
11 Jan 1944 (aged 24)
At Sea
Monument
Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines Add to Map
Plot
Tablets of the Missing
Memorial ID
View Source
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 2nd Class, John Ferentz MIA/KIA location New Britain Island, date of loss January 10, 1943
Official date of Death January 11 1944
Hometown: Shamokin, Pennsylvania
Father, Mr. Matt Ferentz
Ship: USS Argonaut (APS-1), (SS-166)
Service #6442095
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain: Lieutenant Commander John R. Pierce MIA/KIA

Mission: Patrol Duty
Mission Date: 10-Jan-43
Location: Near Rabaul
Cause: Sunk by surface attack and depth charges
Crew: of 102 MIA/KIA

The ship and crew lost January 10 1943 the crew declared officially KIA on January 11 1944.

Argonaut arrived back in Pearl Harbor from the Makin Island raid on 26 August 1942. Her hull classification symbol was changed from SM-1 to APS-1 (transport submarine) on 22 September. She was never formally designated SS-166, but that hull number was reserved for her.[2] Her base of operations was transferred to Brisbane, Queensland, later in the year. In December, she departed Brisbane under Lieutenant Commander John R. Pierce to patrol the hazardous area between New Britain and Bougainville Island, south of Bismarck Archipelago. On 2 January 1943, Argonaut sank the Japanese gunboat Ebon Maru in the Bismarck Sea.[14] On 10 January, Argonaut spotted a convoy of five freighters and their escorting destroyers—Maikaze, Isokaze, and Hamakaze—returning to Rabaul from Lae. By chance, an army aircraft—which was out of bombs—was flying overhead and witnessed Argonaut′s attack. A crewman on board the plane saw one destroyer hit by a torpedo, and the destroyers promptly counterattacking. Argonaut′s bow suddenly broke the water at an unusual angle. It was apparent that a depth charge had severely damaged the submarine. The destroyers continued circling Argonaut, pumping shells into her; she slipped below the waves and was never heard from again. 102 officers and men went down with her, the worst loss of life for a wartime submarine.

Visit the virtual cemetery of" USS Argonaut Crew"
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 2nd Class, John Ferentz MIA/KIA location New Britain Island, date of loss January 10, 1943
Official date of Death January 11 1944
Hometown: Shamokin, Pennsylvania
Father, Mr. Matt Ferentz
Ship: USS Argonaut (APS-1), (SS-166)
Service #6442095
Awards: Purple Heart
Captain: Lieutenant Commander John R. Pierce MIA/KIA

Mission: Patrol Duty
Mission Date: 10-Jan-43
Location: Near Rabaul
Cause: Sunk by surface attack and depth charges
Crew: of 102 MIA/KIA

The ship and crew lost January 10 1943 the crew declared officially KIA on January 11 1944.

Argonaut arrived back in Pearl Harbor from the Makin Island raid on 26 August 1942. Her hull classification symbol was changed from SM-1 to APS-1 (transport submarine) on 22 September. She was never formally designated SS-166, but that hull number was reserved for her.[2] Her base of operations was transferred to Brisbane, Queensland, later in the year. In December, she departed Brisbane under Lieutenant Commander John R. Pierce to patrol the hazardous area between New Britain and Bougainville Island, south of Bismarck Archipelago. On 2 January 1943, Argonaut sank the Japanese gunboat Ebon Maru in the Bismarck Sea.[14] On 10 January, Argonaut spotted a convoy of five freighters and their escorting destroyers—Maikaze, Isokaze, and Hamakaze—returning to Rabaul from Lae. By chance, an army aircraft—which was out of bombs—was flying overhead and witnessed Argonaut′s attack. A crewman on board the plane saw one destroyer hit by a torpedo, and the destroyers promptly counterattacking. Argonaut′s bow suddenly broke the water at an unusual angle. It was apparent that a depth charge had severely damaged the submarine. The destroyers continued circling Argonaut, pumping shells into her; she slipped below the waves and was never heard from again. 102 officers and men went down with her, the worst loss of life for a wartime submarine.

Visit the virtual cemetery of" USS Argonaut Crew"

Gravesite Details

Entered the service from Pennsylvania.




Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement

  • Maintained by: John Dowdy
  • Originally Created by: War Graves
  • Added: Aug 8, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56767316/john-ferentz: accessed ), memorial page for S2 John Ferentz (2 Feb 1919–11 Jan 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56767316, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by John Dowdy (contributor 47791572).