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USS Flasher (SS-249). . ...
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Sold on Dec 14, 2019 for:
$1,375.00
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Description
The "Bad Ass" Boat
USS Flasher (SS-249).USS Flasher (SS-249), commissioned in September of 1943, was a Gato-class submarine, named for the fish "flasher" or Atlantic triple-tail. Although her career was only six war tours in less than a year, she was the second most successful US submarine of WWII.
The Flasher's flag is a 52" X 66" wool bunting, U.S. 48-star, double appliqué flag with sewn stripes and finished with a header and grommets and three surviving red, white and blue cord ties. The flag is marked on the lower obverse hoist: "Bad-U-Anno and Bad Anno" and "GOVERNMENT" and the size "4? X 5½" and, on the reverse hoist, "USS Flasher (249)." Flags of this type were a US Government ceremonial size and although not issued to submarines, it is likely that the Flasher acquired one during the war and used it on her conning tower or as a ship's color. The inscriptions refer to her unofficial nickname as a "Bad Ass" boat.
The Flasher made six successful war patrols all emanating from Freemantle in Australia, a port much closer to her theatre of operations than Pearl Harbor. She was successful from the start and sank enemy targets on each of her patrols. Her last three patrols were so successful that she was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for each. She is officially credited with sinking 100,231 tons of enemy shipping. The Flasher's kill flag boasted: two cruisers, two destroyers, two gunboats, nine cargo vessels, six tankers and one transport. (NB: Vessels sunk under 500 tons were not counted by Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee in the tonnage total, and neither were shared credit for sinkings. The Flasher shared credit with the USS Crevalle (SS 291) for the sinking of the Tosan Maru, a passenger-cargo vessel of 8,666 tons. Each vessel was awarded 4,333 tons. This brings Flasher sinkings up to 104,565 tons. Flasher also had several Sampans and ferries, at 75 tons each, and a shared 25-ton small boat all sunk by deck gun.) This flag would be a welcome acquisition to any submariner, War in the Pacific or WWII collection.
The WWII awards of the USS Flasher include: three US Navy Presidential Unit Citations; the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign with six campaign stars and the World War II Victory Medal.
The flag is in Good to Fair Condition - it is used, worn and soiled with mothing throughout which has resulted in numerous small holes.
This flag was formerly in the collection of Dr. Clarence Rungee, and is accompanied by his original museum inventory sheet with identifying information.
For those who did not receive a hard copy of the auction catalog, we present here the introductory comments and history of Dr. Rungee and his remarkable collection. If you scroll further, you will also find various contemporary newspaper articles, as well as a selection of the many letters of donation and transmittal which accompanied the collection and a categorization of the collection.
Auction Info
2019 December 14 Historic Flags of World War II Signature Auction - Dallas #6224 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
December, 2019
14th
Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 3
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 600
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