Lawson P. Ramage
Encyclopedia
Lawson Paterson "Red" Ramage (19 January 1909 – 15 April 1990) was a vice admiral
in the United States Navy
and a noted submarine
commander. During his career, Ramage was decorated with the Medal of Honor
, two Navy Cross
es, two Distinguished Service Medals
, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star
.
in 1931, having injured his right eye while wrestling, and was subsequently commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy. From 1931 to 1935, he served aboard several suface ships. He was the navigator of , the engineering officer of , and the radio officer of . Unable to pass the submarine physical examination because of his eye injury, Stephen Moore quotes Ramage: "I took the opportunity to memorize the eye chart so that when I returned I had no problem reading off the eye chart" and getting his approval. Confronted with a subsequent eye examination, Ramage relates he passed the eye examination "by just exchanging the card before my right eye and reading with my left eye in both instances." In January 1936, Lieutenant (jg) Ramage reported to the ; he would then spend most of his career on submarines.
In 1938, Ramage returned to the Naval Academy for postgraduate education. In September 1939, Ramage became executive officer of , serving until February, 1941. Subsequent duty took him to Hawaii as the force communications and sound officer on the staff of Commander, Submarines Pacific Fleet (ComSubPac).
, two Navy Cross
es, and the Medal of Honor
. Ramage was stationed at Pearl Harbor
on the staff of the Commander, Submarines, Pacific during the Japanese attack
in December 1941.
In early 1942, he served on his first patrol of the war as the navigator of the . He was awarded the Silver Star
as a member of the Grenadiers crew for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" while patrolling enemy waters.
In June 1942, Lieutenant Commander Ramage assumed his first command – the . Under his command, the Trout conducted four war patrols and sank three ships. He was awarded the Navy Cross
for valor for actions while in command of the Trout at Midway
, Truk, the Solomons, and the South China Sea. During his first patrol aboard, Trouts fifth, on 28 August 1942 made the first attack that actually scored a hit on a Japanese aircraft carrier, this being Taiyo
. Ramage found a virtue in his eye injury:
Promoted to Commander before his second patrol, CDR Ramage and Trout intercepted the IJN battleship Kirishima
on 12 November 1942. Though he fired five torpedoes, all missed.
On his third patrol, Trout damaged Kyokuyo Maru and Nisshin Maru, and sank Hirotama Maru. The Hirotama battle was both a torpedo and deck gun engagement. Of the 14 torpedoes Ramage fired, five were duds. He joined other submarine commanders in his criticism of the Mark 14 torpedo
.
Ramage's last Trout patrol, her eighth, in March 1943 was a washout. 15 torpedoes fired, only one low order detonation. It was Admiral Christie's
view that "Red had a miss last patrol—many chances and many failures. He is due for a relief and will be sent back to the U.S. for a new boat and rest at the same time."
In May 1943, he assumed command of the new Balao-class submarine
, the . Commissioned in November 1943 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kitery, Maine, transitioned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Parches first patrol, in March 1944, was as part of a wolf pack with and . The wolf pack sank seven ships for 35,000 tons, and Ramage was credited with two of them for 11,700 tons.
While Parches second patrol, in June 1944 was also part of a wolf pack, this was the patrol that established Ramage's reputation. On 30 July 1944, the wolf pack made contact with a convoy. In the dark hours before dawn 31 July, for forty-eight minutes ("among the wildest of the submarine war")
CDR Ramage became the first living submariner awarded the Medal of Honor.
Parches third patrol, and Ramage's last, was, comparatively, uneventful. No ships were sunk.
Of the 72 submarine commanders responsible for more than five Axis
ships sunk in World War 2, Ramage, with 7 1/2 ships sunk over seven patrols, ranks fifty-second.
, which was formally presented to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
on 10 January 1945.
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
Following the presentation, Commander Ramage created a certificate for each sailor in his command. The certificate read:
. Following ascent to flag rank in July 1956, Admiral Ramage was on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and then commander of Cruiser Division Two. In 1963, serving as Deputy Commander of Submarine Forces, Atlantic Fleet, Admiral Ramage led the search operations for the nuclear submarine that sank in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston, MA. That same year he was promoted to vice admiral, and became Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
for fleet operations and readiness. Vice Admiral Ramage was Commander, First Fleet, from 1964 to 1966 during the buildup to the Vietnam War
. In 1967, he become Commander, Military Sea Transportation Service. He retired from the Navy in 1969.
Ramage died in his home at Bethesda, Maryland
, in 1990, having succumbed to cancer. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
was named for him. Several submarine-related facilities also bear his name, including the administrative building (Ramage Hall) of the Submarine Training Facility in Norfolk, Virginia
, and the headquarters building at Naval Submarine Base New London
, which was dedicated in his honor on 20 August 2010.
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and a noted submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
commander. During his career, Ramage was decorated with the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, two Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
es, two Distinguished Service Medals
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
Early life and career
Taking his nickname from his hair color, Ramage was born on 19 January 1909, in Monroe Bridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from the U.S. Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1931, having injured his right eye while wrestling, and was subsequently commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy. From 1931 to 1935, he served aboard several suface ships. He was the navigator of , the engineering officer of , and the radio officer of . Unable to pass the submarine physical examination because of his eye injury, Stephen Moore quotes Ramage: "I took the opportunity to memorize the eye chart so that when I returned I had no problem reading off the eye chart" and getting his approval. Confronted with a subsequent eye examination, Ramage relates he passed the eye examination "by just exchanging the card before my right eye and reading with my left eye in both instances." In January 1936, Lieutenant (jg) Ramage reported to the ; he would then spend most of his career on submarines.
In 1938, Ramage returned to the Naval Academy for postgraduate education. In September 1939, Ramage became executive officer of , serving until February, 1941. Subsequent duty took him to Hawaii as the force communications and sound officer on the staff of Commander, Submarines Pacific Fleet (ComSubPac).
World War II
During World War II, Ramage was highly decorated for his actions in combat – being awarded the Silver StarSilver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
, two Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
es, and the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. Ramage was stationed at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on the staff of the Commander, Submarines, Pacific during the Japanese attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941.
In early 1942, he served on his first patrol of the war as the navigator of the . He was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
as a member of the Grenadiers crew for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" while patrolling enemy waters.
In June 1942, Lieutenant Commander Ramage assumed his first command – the . Under his command, the Trout conducted four war patrols and sank three ships. He was awarded the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
for valor for actions while in command of the Trout at Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, Truk, the Solomons, and the South China Sea. During his first patrol aboard, Trouts fifth, on 28 August 1942 made the first attack that actually scored a hit on a Japanese aircraft carrier, this being Taiyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Taiyo
Taiyō was the lead ship of Taiyō-class of escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and Conversion:...
. Ramage found a virtue in his eye injury:
I didn't have to fool around with the focus knob on the periscope. Before I raised it, I turned the knob all the way to the stop [extreme focus]. When the scope came up, I put my bad eye to the periscope and could see perfectly.
Promoted to Commander before his second patrol, CDR Ramage and Trout intercepted the IJN battleship Kirishima
Japanese battleship Kirishima
was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the third launched of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
on 12 November 1942. Though he fired five torpedoes, all missed.
On his third patrol, Trout damaged Kyokuyo Maru and Nisshin Maru, and sank Hirotama Maru. The Hirotama battle was both a torpedo and deck gun engagement. Of the 14 torpedoes Ramage fired, five were duds. He joined other submarine commanders in his criticism of the Mark 14 torpedo
Mark 14 torpedo
The Mark 14 torpedo was the United States Navy's standard submarine-launched anti-ship torpedo of World War II.This weapon was plagued with many problems which crippled its performance early in the war, and was supplemented by the Mark 18 electric torpedo in the last 2 years of the war...
.
Ramage's last Trout patrol, her eighth, in March 1943 was a washout. 15 torpedoes fired, only one low order detonation. It was Admiral Christie's
Ralph Waldo Christie
Ralph Waldo Christie was an admiral in the United States Navy who played a pivotal role in the development of torpedo technologies...
view that "Red had a miss last patrol—many chances and many failures. He is due for a relief and will be sent back to the U.S. for a new boat and rest at the same time."
| Departing From | Date | Days | Wartime Credit Ships/Tonnage |
JANAC Credit Ships/Tonnage |
Patrol Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trout-5 | Pearl Harbor, TH | August 1942 | 47 | 1/8,200 | 1/900 | Truk |
| Trout-6 | Brisbane, Australia |
October 1942 | 28 | zero | zero | Solomons |
| Trout-7 | Freemantle, Australia |
December 1942 | 58 | 2/10,800 | 2/4,900 | Indochina |
| Trout-8 | Freemantle, Australia |
February 1943 | 42 | zero | zero | South China Sea Laid minefields |
In May 1943, he assumed command of the new Balao-class submarine
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
, the . Commissioned in November 1943 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kitery, Maine, transitioned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Parches first patrol, in March 1944, was as part of a wolf pack with and . The wolf pack sank seven ships for 35,000 tons, and Ramage was credited with two of them for 11,700 tons.
While Parches second patrol, in June 1944 was also part of a wolf pack, this was the patrol that established Ramage's reputation. On 30 July 1944, the wolf pack made contact with a convoy. In the dark hours before dawn 31 July, for forty-eight minutes ("among the wildest of the submarine war")
Ramage cleared the bridge of all personnel except himself and steamed right into the convoy on the surface, maneuvering among the ships and firing nineteen torpedoes. Japanese ships fired back with deck guns and tried to ram. With consummate seamanship and coolness under fire, Ramage dodged and twisted, returning torpedo fire for gunfire....The attack on the convoy by Red Ramage was the talk of the submarine force. In terms of close-in, furious torpedo shooting, there had never been anything like
CDR Ramage became the first living submariner awarded the Medal of Honor.
Parches third patrol, and Ramage's last, was, comparatively, uneventful. No ships were sunk.
| Departing From | Date | Days | Wartime Credit Ships/Tonnage |
JANAC Credit Ships/Tonnage |
Patrol Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parche-1 | Pearl Harbor, TH | March 1944 | 56 | 3/23,900 | 2/11,700 | Luzon Strait |
| Parche-2 | Pearl Harbor, TH | June 1944 | 59 | 4/34,300 | 2.5/19,200 | Luzon Strait 1/2 credit shared with shore aircraft |
| Parche-3 | Pearl Harbor, TH | September 1944 | 77 | zero | zero | Luzon Strait |
Of the 72 submarine commanders responsible for more than five Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
ships sunk in World War 2, Ramage, with 7 1/2 ships sunk over seven patrols, ranks fifty-second.
| Ranking | Number of Patrols | Ships/Tons Credited |
Ships/Tons JANAC |
| 52 | 7 | 10/77,600 | 7.5/36,681 |
Medal of Honor action
On 31 July 1944, Ramage commanded the Parche in a dawn assault on a heavily-escorted Japanese convoy, during which the Parche sank two ships and badly damaged three others. For this action, he received the Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, which was formally presented to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
on 10 January 1945.
His Medal of Honor citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Parche in a predawn attack on a Japanese convoy, 31 July 1944. Boldly penetrating the screen of a heavily escorted convoy, Comdr. Ramage launched a perilous surface attack by delivering a crippling stern shot into a freighter and quickly following up with a series of bow and stern torpedoes to sink the leading tanker and damage the second one. Exposed by the light of bursting flares and bravely defiant of terrific shellfire passing close overhead, he struck again, sinking a transport by two forward reloads. In the mounting fury of fire from the damaged and sinking tanker, he calmly ordered his men below, remaining on the bridge to fight it out with an enemy now disorganized and confused. Swift to act as a fast transport closed in to ram, Comdr. Ramage daringly swung the stern of the speeding Parche as she crossed the bow of the onrushing ship, clearing by less than 50 feet but placing his submarine in a deadly crossfire from escorts on all sides and with the transport dead ahead. Undaunted, he sent 3 smashing "down the throat" bow shots to stop the target, then scored a killing hit as a climax to 46 minutes of violent action with the Parche and her valiant fighting company retiring victorious and unscathed.
Following the presentation, Commander Ramage created a certificate for each sailor in his command. The certificate read:
The Captain wishes to emphasize the fact that the Medal of Honor was accepted from the President of the United States as the Nation's tribute to a fighting ship and her courageous crew. He feels that every officer and man whose loyal cooperation and able assistance contributed to the success of the "" has an equal share in this award which he holds in trust for you. With great pride and respect. Sincerely, L. P. Ramage
Post-World War II
After the war, he continued to serve in command of submarines, being commander of Submarine Division Two and then Commander of Submarine Squadron Six. From 1953–1954, he was commanding officer of the amphibious cargo shipAmphibious cargo ship
Amphibious cargo ships were U.S. Navy ships designed specifically to carry troops, heavy equipment and supplies in support of amphibious assaults, and to provide naval gunfire support during those assaults. A total of 108 of these ships were built between 1943 and 1945—which worked out to an...
. Following ascent to flag rank in July 1956, Admiral Ramage was on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, and then commander of Cruiser Division Two. In 1963, serving as Deputy Commander of Submarine Forces, Atlantic Fleet, Admiral Ramage led the search operations for the nuclear submarine that sank in the Atlantic Ocean near Boston, MA. That same year he was promoted to vice admiral, and became Deputy Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
for fleet operations and readiness. Vice Admiral Ramage was Commander, First Fleet, from 1964 to 1966 during the buildup to the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In 1967, he become Commander, Military Sea Transportation Service. He retired from the Navy in 1969.
Personal life
On 2 November 1935, Ramage married Barbara Alice Pine, who was the daughter of U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral James Pine. They had two sons and two daughters.Ramage died in his home at Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, in 1990, having succumbed to cancer. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Posthumous honors
The guided missile destroyerGuided missile destroyer
A guided missile destroyer is a destroyer designed to launch guided missiles. Many are also equipped to carry out anti-submarine, anti-air, and anti-surface operations. In the U.S...
was named for him. Several submarine-related facilities also bear his name, including the administrative building (Ramage Hall) of the Submarine Training Facility in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, and the headquarters building at Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
, which was dedicated in his honor on 20 August 2010.