On Eternal Patrol: TM2 William Galloway and the Loss of USS Tang

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On Eternal Patrol: Remembering TM2 William Carter Galloway

William Carter Galloway was born March 24, 1926 in Galloway, Texas, the fifth of six children of George and Francis Galloway. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a torpedoman 2nd class aboard the Balao-class submarine USS Tang (SS-306).

On the morning of October 25, 1944, after a successful night battle in the Formosa Strait that had sunk two Japanese freighters, USS Tang fired what would become its last torpedo: a Mark 18 electric torpedo. The weapon broached, made a circular run, and struck Tang amid the stern despite desperate attempts by the crew to maneuver clear.

The damage was catastrophic. Commander Richard O’Kane and several officers and men on the conning tower managed to swim clear, but the submarine settled to the bottom at about 180 feet. As compartments flooded, about thirty survivors crowded into the forward torpedo room intending to use the forward escape trunk to reach the surface.

  • Depth charges from a Japanese vessel followed, and an electrical fire began in the forward battery compartment.
  • Using the Momsen lung, in the only known case it was ever used in such an escape, thirteen sailors successfully reached the surface.
  • Eighty-one years ago, on October 25, 1944, TM2 William Galloway did not survive the sinking; 78 crewmen perished.

Those who made it to the surface and were rescued were taken prisoner by the Japanese. Survivors reported being beaten by crews from ships Tang had previously sunk; by the end of the war only nine of the Tang survivors remained alive.

On Eternal Patrol — honoring the sacrifice of submariners who never returned.

William Galloway is officially listed as Missing and is memorialized at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A memorial marker also stands at Earthman Resthaven Cemetery in Houston, Texas, where his parents are buried. Though he was only 18 years old, his service and sacrifice are remembered by family, historians, and the submarine community.

Brief timeline and facts:

  • Born: March 24, 1926, Galloway, Texas
  • Assigned: USS Tang (SS-306), Balao-class submarine
  • Date lost: October 25, 1944; torpedo malfunction caused circular run
  • Fate: Memorialized at Manila American Cemetery; marker in Houston

Remembrance preserves their stories. William Galloway and his shipmates remain On Eternal Patrol.

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