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 Re: Radio freque3ncies/ African-Americans
Author: Webmaster 
Date:   09-19-05 06:26

I don't have a specific listing of radio frequencies, but some patrol reports cite communication on 4370, 9250, and 12705 KC, among others.

A large number of black personnel served in submarines during World War II, mostly in the Steward's Mate rating. Submarines being somewhat different from the rest of the fleet, a StM in a sub would have to qualify just like everyone else in the crew, which means, regardless of rate, he would have learned how to do just about every job in the boat (this may have been the only thing U-571 actually got right).

It was quite common for black steward's mates to be employed as night lookouts, based on the then common (if mistaken) belief that blacks have better night vision than whites. Ned Beach noted in his memoirs that Trigger's Chief Wardroom Steward was assigned to steer the boat as his battle station.

It is, perhaps, a striking commentary on the quality of the men who took these StM jobs in subs that, despite not being allowed to attend Sub School, they normally managed to qualify just as quickly as the men who did.

J.T. McDaniel
Webmaster, FleetSubmarine.com
Author of: With Honour in Battle and Bacalao
General Editor: American Submarine War Patrol Reports series
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 Topics Author  Date
 Radio freque3ncies/ African-Americans  new
Patrick O'Connor 09-18-05 03:29 
 Re: Radio freque3ncies/ African-Americans  new
Webmaster 09-19-05 06:26 
 Re: Radio freque3ncies/ African-Americans  new
Patrick O'Connor 09-25-05 17:06 
 Re: Radio frequencies/ African-Americans  new
Webmaster 09-26-05 04:28 
 Re: Radio freque3ncies/ African-Americans  new
oldbubblehead 02-24-07 20:28 


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