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"My father served on the Sioux as the Ships Engineering Officer during WW 2. Of the picture you have showing the Sioux under way, my father said that they were heading to Australia for some R&R but were turner around to head back into battle. My Father is still alive and resides in Arizona. He is a "walking history book" when it comes to the war in the South Pacific, and especially the Sioux. To him, that was his baby. He was also at the commissioning of the Sioux at Mare Island Ca. Did you know that there was one time in the South Pacific that the Sioux was deliberately beached? It was during the time of which an enemy two man torpedo suicide sub was "stalking" the Sioux. The crew of the Sioux new that the sub was there waiting for them to come out from an inlet and into open waters.The crew also knew that the sub was battery powered. At that point the Sioux was beached and waited out the situation. After the enemy sub batteries died, the crew of the Sioux went out and captured it. The sub was eventually sent to the States and put on display during a New York ticker tape parade to sell war bonds. Did you know that the Sioux was hit by a torpedo amidships, but that the torpedo did not explode? However, it did rupture a fuel tank contaminating it with sea water which caused the Ships engines to stop. At that time the Sioux and her crew started to drift into one of their own minefields. The skipper had a heart attack on the bridge and died, and all but a few crewmembers were ordered to abandon ship. This left my Father and a few other hands onboard to try to save the Sioux. During this time personal of the Navy and Marines started to line up along the shoreline. My Father was asked a question by one of the other crewmembers still onboard as to what that was all about. My Father replied " They are waiting to see if we are going to explode." My Father and a few other hands managed to filter the contaminated fuel enough to get one of the four (4), 4000 hp diesel engines running again, as they only needed but one to regain steerage. With only moments to go from the minefield, smoke came from the Sioux's stack. Navy and Marines on the shoreline started to cheer, and all hats flew into the air as the Sioux regained her steerage and was saved. There are so many other true stories of events about the Sioux that were crucial to the war in the South Pacific as well as to our history. If you would like more information about the Sioux during WW-2, please let me know, as I have an excellent source. In ending, do you know where I might find other pictures of the Sioux and where I might be able to attain a copy of them, or perhaps a model of the Ship. I Thank you very much!"

Sincerely

Robert S Gardner
silverwings@highstream.net

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