Description:

BATTLE FLAG OF THE AMERICAN SUBMARINE U.S.S. DACE
A unique and important relic of the American submarine war against Japan, the "battle flag" of the U.S.S. DACE (SS-247), which with U.S.S. DARTER made a daring and memorable attack against Japanese ships in the Palawan Passage, at the outset of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The double-sided flag, 58" x 48", is constructed of grey nylon, bordered with white fabric on three edges, which has been resewn several times. A rope hanging loop is affixed at each corner. At center appears the painted silhouette of a submarine, bearing the Dace's hull number "247". These flags acted as an unofficial roster of a submarine's kills against enemy ships and other successes, and this example is no exception. Beneath the image of the submarine appear fourteen hand-painted Japanese flags, including two Imperial Japanese Navy "rising sun" ensigns, signifying enemy warships. One of these undoubtedly represents the Dace's biggest catch, the cruiser MAYA, sunk during the fight in the Palawan Passage. The Dace was officially credited after the war with six kills, and the excess flags represent attacks reported as kills by her crew which were not later substantiated by Japanese records. Amidst these flags appears the image of an exploding depth charge with the number "276", likely the number of such weapons the Dace had survived by war's end. Above the image of the sub is a falling aerial bomb with four red bars, indicating the number of enemy air attacks she survived. At upper right is the Dace's mascot, a representation of her namesake fish astride a torpedo, with her name at bottom. At top center appears a painted ribbon bar for the Navy Unit Commendation, awarded for her actions in the Palawan passage. The upper left corner bears the ribbon bars for the Navy Cross (awarded to her captain, Bladen Claggett), the Silver Star (awarded to her radar officer, August A. Ebel), the Bronze Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, all surrounded by gold stars some of which have been repainted. While many of these battle flags were professionally produced by U.S. Navy flag lofts at war's end, the limited materials, crude hand-stitching and hand-painting of this example are highly indicative of a shipboard-produced flag, likely first created when these flags became popular among submarine crews in 1942-1943, and periodically updated throughout the remainder of the war. We have located a circa 1944 photo of the Dace's conning tower, with her battle flag proudly suspended between the periscope and the aft anti-aircraft gun. The size of our flag, the placement of the painted silhouette and Japanese flags, the position of the hanging loops, and even the reflective nylon field all match those of the flag visible in this photo. The photo also prominently features the Dace's painted mascot, leaving no doubts as to the identity of the boat depicted here. The flag shows moderate soiling and wear overall, with a period patch repair to the upper right corner, and with several approx. 3" and smaller splits caused by storage folds, none of which detracts in any way from the visual and historical appeal of the flag. The U.S.S. Dace was commissioned on July 23, 1943 and completed seven combat patrols, receiving credit for sinking six enemy ships totaling 28,689 tons. Her most notable action occurred on October 23, 1944, when the Dace and the U.S.S Darter encountered a large Japanese fleet under Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita in the Palawan Passage. The Darter sank Kurita's flagship, the heavy cruiser ATAGO and badly damaged her sister ship, the TAKAO. The Dace hit the heavy cruiser MAYA with four torpedoes, causing her to explode and quickly sink, killing 336 of her crew. While in pursuit of the damaged TAKAO, the Darter ran aground; her crew was taken off by the Dace and her wreck was abandoned. This early contact with the Japanese fleet alerted the U.S. 3rd Fleet to their presence, paving the way for the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea the following day. The Dace was transferred to the Italian Navy in 1954 and was scrapped in 1975. Her conning tower is preserved as a memorial in Marquette, Michigan. The flag is sold with an exhaustive history, "Cruisers for Breakfast: War Patrols of the U.S.S. Darter and U.S.S. Dace', by John G. Mansfield, Jr. (Tacoma: Media Center Publishing), 1997, 302pp. 8vo., signed on the half-title page by the author, as well as a former crewman for the Dace and two former Darter crewmen. The collection is rounded out with three first-day covers celebrating the Dace, as well as a 5" x 3" card signed by the Dace's commander, B. DULANEY CLAGGETT, in blue ink. Altogether an unparalleled, museum-quality piece of U.S. Navy history.

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July 31, 2018 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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