Specials

Special Vice Admiral C.A. Lockwood, ComSubPac

 

" We saw a great deal of the Dutch submarines in Australia and the Philippines. Their crews were determined and their submarines, though smaller than ours and not so well-equipped for living and comfort, were thoroughly effective.

They handled their boats with great skill and do not need to take off their hats to anyone, with respect to their daring in making attacks. My observations of their capabilities and their performance in the southwest Pacific merely confirmed my former high regard for their ruggedness and fighting skills.

Where there's a tough job to be done, I am willing to team up with a Dutchman at any time."

 

" The submarine component of the U.S. Navy sends hearty greetings and good wishes to the Submarine service of the Royal Netherlands Navy on the occasion of its fortieth birthday. we congratulate you not only upon the splendid performance of your ships and men during world War II, but also upon the progressiveness and far-sightedness which has characterized your service throughout its entire life and which have resulted in many outstanding achievements in the development of periscopes, torpedo firing gear and last but not least, air conditioning.

We have every confidence that if a future crises so demands, the two services will stand shoulder to shoulder in the same fine spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding as existed in the western Pacific during World War II.

Those of my friends and shipmates, led by Rear Admirals John Wilkes and James Fife, who were present there, look back with indelible memories on the difficult days of that war when the Netherlands East Indies fell into the hands of a ruthless enemy in spite of the meagre forces which tries valiantly to hold the bastion of Java as a base for future operations, We remember the hospitality and assistance rendered by the Royal Netherlands Submarine Service at Soerabaja when our submarines were forced out of the Philippines and based temporarily at that place early in 1942. We can never forget the valiant fighting spirit exhibited by the Royal Netherlands submarines during the remainder of the war in our operations through the Malay Barrier from southwest Australia and their full cooperation with our own submarine services command successively by Rear Admiral Christy and Fife.

May you always retain that forward-looking spirit which has made your submarines leaders in their types, and may we again have the pleasure of meeting you ashore and afloat. "

C.A. Lockwood

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy
Commander Submarines Southwest Pacific
May 1942 - February 1943
Commander Submarines Pacific
February 1943 - December 1945

Note: ComSubPac = Commander Submarines Pacific

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