Ensign William Wadsworth Williams (SN O-165814) was born on January 8, 1920, in Potter Valley, Mendocino County, California. His parents were Leo Burr Williams and Grace Lovell Bradford, who were farmers. In 1930, Bill was living with his family on a farm in Ukiah, California. He graduated from Ukiah High School.

William initially attended the University of California, Berkeley, and was in the Navy ROTC. In his sophomore year, William participated in a nationwide examination for selection to the US Naval Academy. William received the highest grade in the nation. William received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy after completing his physical exam and on 21 June 1939 became part of the USNA class of 1943. His class was accelerated because of the war, and the entirety of his 2nd class (junior) year was removed from the curriculum. Bill was a member of the soccer team and the lacrosse team. He graduated with distinction a full year early in June 1942. During his graduation week, his engagement to Miss Phyllis Kadel, of Port Jervis, New York, was announced.

Upon graduation, Ensign Williams volunteered for the submarine service and reported to the Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut for submarine training. Upon completion of the training, he reported to the Commander, Submarines Forces, Southwest Pacific and was assigned to the crew of the USS Growler (SS-215). The USS Growler was a Gato-class fleet submarine built in Groton CT by the Electric Boat Company. It was commissioned on 20 March 1942.

The USS Growler began its fourth war patrol on 1 January 1943 from Brisbane, Australia and headed for the Truk-Rabaul shipping lanes. The Growler arrived in its patrol area on 11 January. The patrol area was soon alerted as the Growler made several attacks in the following weeks. On 7 February 1943, slightly after midnight, the Growler was traveling on the surface charging batteries and the captain, CDR Howard Gilmore, saw an enemy ship on the opposite course. The ship was an armed food supply vessel, the Hayasaki. [Some early accounts use the term “gunboat” but later versions after the war state that the enemy vessel was a provision ship.] Each vessel turned to attack, but Growler’s crew was slow to detect the target’s change in course because poor visibility hid the Japanese ship’s maneuver until the range was too short to fire a torpedo. The ship suddenly loomed out of the darkness. The captain turned to evade the collision and rammed the enemy ship at 17 knots. The Growler hit the Hayasaki amidships and the “impact was terrific.” The Growler’s bow was bent 18 feet to the port side. The crew of the damaged Hayasaki manned its machine guns, directing a withering fire at Growler’s bridge. The captain, Bill Williams, who was the assistant officer of the deck, and three lookouts were on the bridge as it was raked by the machine gun fire which killed Bill and one lookout (Fireman 3rd Class Wilbert Fletcher Kelly). The captain was wounded. He shouted, “Clear the Bridge!” and the Officer of the Deck, the Quartermaster, and two wounded lookouts hurried down the hatch to the conning tower. The Executive Officer, Lieutenant Commander Arnold F. Schade, stood at the foot of the ladder waiting for Gilmore. Then came another shout from Gilmore to “Take her Down!” LCDR Schade shut the hatch and dived the boat. The submarine and its crew were saved when the captain remained topside and ordered the crew to dive to safety.

The USS Growler survived the significant damage received in this action and returned to Brisbane on 17 February 1943 for repairs. Growler completed six more war patrols between May 1943 and September 1944. While on her 11th war patrol, the USS Growler, with 86 of its crew members, was lost in November 1944.

ENS William W. Williams received the Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal with Fleet Clasp, Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Medal with one bronze star. His brother, Bradford R. Williams served in the US Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 1946.

The bodies of ENS Williams, CDR Gilmore, and F3C Kelley were not recovered and were presumed to be washed off the boat when it submerged. CDR Gilmore was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his crew.

Sources:

4th War Patrol Report for the USS Growler (National Archive ID 74818721),(https://catalog.archives.gov/id/74818721)

1920, 1930, 1940 US Federal Census

FindAGrave

U.S. Naval Academy Virtual Memorial Hall, 1943, William W.

Williams, ENS, USN, (https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/WILLIAM_W._WILLIAMS,_ENS,_USN)

On Eternal Patrol (http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/williams-w-w.htm)

Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan, Clay Blair, Jr., J.B. Lippincott Company, 1975.

Prepare for Collision! The Ramming of the USS Growler and a Japanese Gunboat, Nathaniel S. Patch, National Archives (https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2020/12/01/prepare-for-collision-the-ramming-of-the-uss-growler-and-a-japanese-gunboat/)

Newspapers.com

The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California), Sunday, 14 February 1943, Ensign Williams of Ukiah Listed Missing in Action, Page 5
Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California), Thursday, 18 February 1943, Page 31
The Shreveport Journal (Shreveport, Louisiana), Tuesday, 11 May 1943, Two Others in Crew Killed on Hero’s Sub, Page 3.
The Fresno Bee (Fresno, California), Thursday, 25 May 1939, Berkeley Students Pass Annapolis Tests, Page 10.
Santa Cruz Evening News (Santa Cruz, California), Wednesday, 24 May 1939, UC Student Tops Nation In Naval Academy Tests, Page 2.
Ukiah Dispatch Democrat (Ukiah, California), Friday 26 May 1939, Bill Williams First On List for Annapolis, Page 6.

California Birth Index, 1905-1995, Ancestry, 8 January 1920, Mendocino County

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery. "If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at lplisco@gmail.com.

William W Williams