The Coughlin (6th Generation) story

This is an Irish story written on behalf of Harold J Coughlin, a naval officer in the US Navy Reserve, Proud 6th Generation 100% Irish American, assigned to the ARMED GUARD as the on-ship officer in charge of communications, gunnery, and good order.

HJ was a Reserve Officer in the US Navy and graduated early from Penn State University with his degree in mechanical engineering and Naval ROTC as an Ensign in the US Navy Reserve. He was assigned to the ARMED GUARD in June 1942 and sent to Butler University in Indianapolis to work as an instructor for signaling and radio communication training.

The United States Navy Armed Guard (USNAG) were U.S. Navy gun crews consisting of Gunner's Mates, Coxswains and Boatswains, Radiomen, Signalmen, and Pharmacist's Mates serving at sea on US flagged merchant ships. Their primary task was to supplement the weaponry of the huge convoys, since fully commissioned combat ships were in short supply. The Armed Guard provided each convoy an additional 20 to 30 ships with gun crews, coordinated with convoy communication and supplementary medical services. Those ships provided a huge combat defensive capability to those 100 plus ship convoys.
HJ was initially assigned as the on-ship commander of the 28 members of the Armed Guard and their assignment was convoy duty from New York to Murmansk in Russia on board the newly launched SS Bret Harte. This extremely hazardous convoy passage through the heart of the German U Boat Campaign delivered weapons, ammunition and technical equipment under the LEND LEASE program to support the Russian war against the German invasion of the Russian Homeland.

During one very hazardous winter passage in January 1944 the Bret Harte suffered serious damage from a U Boat torpedo hit in the stern section of the hull. The heroic efforts of the combined merchant crew and the naval complement restored limited power to the ship and even though it lagged the convoy by more than 100 miles they resumed their hazardous voyage. The U-Boat that shadowed them attempted a surface attack to try and finish the Bret Harte off. Surfacing in the early dawn hours, the navy gun crews engaged that submarine with their 5” gun, their 3” gun and their 20mm weapons to riddle the conning tower and bow of the sub. In the face of return fire and sea swells that tossed both vessels, the sub was sunk. The entire Naval crew received medals and decorations for their intrepidity under fire. His exemplary leadership under immense pressure for performance during the engineering emergency and the combat action earned him most notable recognition in the form of the Silver Star Medal for heroism under fire.

HJ was promoted immediately to Lieutenant Senior Grade and assigned to the SS Alcoa Trader, a heavy cargo ship that was designed to carry exceptionally large quantities of materiel and heavy vehicles. During the invasion of Normandy in June of 1944 the Alcoa Trader carried 48 Sherman tanks, 26 heavy trucks and 34 full sized cargo trailers in support of the invasion force.

He ended up serving on a total of four merchant ships before being transferred to the Pacific War in late 1944 as a newly promoted Lt. Commander and appointed to be the Officer of Engineering and Communications to the USS Missouri (BB63), which was, in August of 1945, the site of the Official Surrender of the Empire of Japan. He was among the several hundred direct eyewitnesses to the signing of the Japanese Surrender Documents that ended the War in the Pacific.

Tim Coughlin
7th Generation Irish American