SINK SHIPS, GET A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH: WILFRED HOLMES' PROMISE TO PEARL HARBOR SKIPPERS

The Pearl Harbor Attack was a devastating situation in our nation's history. Many lives were lost, and some survived, but with that comes trauma.

Wilfred Holmes, who had been medically retired from the Navy in 1936, was called again to active duty in June 1941 as a lieutenant and assigned to the fourteenth naval district.

He was present during the Pearl Harbor attack, where he experienced pain and was left with trauma. With these, he wanted to avenge Pearl Harbor.

Holmes' Proposal: Sink a Japanese Ship, Get Scotch

Wilfred Holmes was traumatized by the attack, and so he made it his goal to avenge Pearl Harbor by sinking every Japanese ship carrier involved in the attack.

Captain Richard Voge brought him a chart showing the locations of all U.S. submarines in the Pacific. He told Voge that they would give a bottle of scotch to any submarine skipper that could sink one of the Japanese ships.

Holmes obtained much satisfaction, which is why he gave a promise, a bottle of scotch in exchange for sinking Japanese ships.

He wanted all Japanese ships in the area that were involved in the attack to be destroyed; he was dedicated to seeing the destruction of these ships to gain revenge. Voge helped Holmes to spread the word to submarine skippers about the bottle of scotch for sinking ships.

Submarine Skippers Took Up the Challenge

The Captain of Cavalla, and one of the brave submarine commanders, was Herman Kossler. He was the captain who sank the Shokaku and was the only submarine captain to sink a capital ship of the Kido Butai. However, Voge never saw Herman again.

The six carriers, two battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, 12 destroyers, and seven auxiliary oilers of the Kido Butai were destroyed, and all of the following submarine skippers received the promised scotch:

• Eugene Fluckey – USS Barb
• Richard O’Kane – USS Tang
• Dudley “Mush” Morton – USS Wahoo
• Samuel Dealey – USS Harder
• Creed Burlingame – USS Silversides
• George Pierce – USS Tunny

What Happened During the Pearl Harbor Attack?

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. submarines helped a lot and were an important part of the Pacific War during World War II.

Most of the big ships where planes landed were badly damaged in the attack, but the submarines were mostly safe. That made them very important because instead of carrying big weapons like battleships or cruisers, submarines had a different job.

They came from behind the enemy lines and removed Japan's supply routes. With that, they also targeted Japanese ships carrying fuel, food, weapons, and troops. Therefore, the submarines made it harder and harder for Japan to keep fighting because they made the ships sink.

The submarine played a quiet but very powerful role because it destroyed Japan’s ability to fight and helped achieve victory for the U.S. in the Pacific.

One Officer’s Pledge Leaves a Lasting Legacy of Fame

Holmes was an intelligence officer during World War II, but he became more famous when his story reached many people.

One of the things that he did to create his own legacy was to give back to the submariners who helped him seek revenge for Pearl Harbor.

The scotch for sinking ships is not official or something in the law, but it was Holmes’s way of saying “thank you,” and more than that, it is a gesture and thought that the submariner’s actions would never be forgotten; therefore, the scotch became more than a drink.

It was indeed a celebration of justice, a tribute to lost friends at Pearl Harbor, and a small moment to come together in the middle of a brutal combat.

In his memoir, Holmes shared how he would thank the U.S. submarine skippers for helping him achieve his revenge stating,

"Of the six Japanese aircraft carriers that had taken part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Shokaku was the fifth to be sunk. We had long since identified all the ships of the Kido Butai that had attacked Pearl Harbor, and their silhouettes were posted on the wall in the Estimates Section. It gave me an unprofessional vindictive satisfaction to check off each of those ships as it was sunk. I told Voge I would give a bottle of Scotch to any submarine skipper who sank one of them. Voge was careful to present every qualifying skipper for his bottle, but I never saw Herman J. Kossler, the captain of the Cavalla, after he sank the Shokaku. Kossler was the only submarine captain to sink a capital ship of the Kido Butai, and I still owe him a bottle of Scotch."

In the end, Wilfred Holmes’s promise turned into something legendary. It is remembered today because of what it stood for: remembrance, respect, and a little bit of revenge.

Read next:

• How the Battle of the Bulge Changed the Trajectory of World War II
• Rations and Resilience: World War 2 Thanksgiving Traditions That Spread Gratitude
• The Cold Blue: A Rare Glimpse into WWII History

Sources:

• Sink Ships, Get Scotch: An Officer’s Spirited Revenge for Pearl Harbor