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USS Drum (SS-228)
Encyclopedia
USS Drum (SS-228) is a Gato-class
submarine
of the United States Navy
, the first Navy ship named after the drum, any of various types of fish
capable of making a drumming sound. Drum is presently on display as a museum ship
in Mobile, Alabama
, at Battleship Memorial Park
.
Drum was laid down on 11 September 1940 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
, Kittery, Maine
. She was launched
on 12 May 1941 (sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb
), and commissioned
on 1 November 1941, Commander
Robert H. Rice in command.
According to materials obtained at the submarine, Drum was the twelfth of the Gato class but was the first completed and the first to enter combat in World War II
. She is the oldest still in existence.
from the East Coast
on 1 April 1942, and after a voyage to Midway Atoll
, cleared Pearl Harbor on 14 April on her first war patrol. Cruising off the coast of Japan
, she sank on 2 May and afterwards endured a 16 hour depth charge attack consisting of 31 depth charges. Later that month she sank three cargo ships before returning to Pearl Harbor on 12 June to refit. Drums second war patrol, which she made in the waters between Truk and Kavieng
from 10 July-2 September, found her efforts frustrated by poor torpedo performance, but she damaged one freighter before returning to Midway to refit.
The submarine sailed from Midway on 23 September on her third war patrol, bound for the eastern coast of Kyūshū
. On 8 October, she contacted a convoy of four freighters, and defying the air cover guarding the ships, sank one of the cargo ships before bombs forced her deep. The next day, Drum underwent a severe depth charg
ing from several escorts after she attacked a cargo ship. Later in the patrol, she sank one of three air-escorted cargo ships, and damaged at least two more ships before completing her patrol at Pearl Harbor on 8 November.
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On her fourth patrol - 29 November 1942-24 January 1943 - Drum carried out the demanding task of planting mines in heavily traveled Bungo Suido. On 12 December, she spotted , which had a full deck load of planes. Although taking water forward due to faulty valves, Drum launched torpedoes at this choice target, scoring two hits, and causing the carrier to list so far that her flight deck became completely visible. Also visible was a destroyer bearing down, and splashes that indicated Drums periscope was under fire. As the submarine dove she lost depth control and her port shaft stopped turning. As she made emergency repairs, she underwent two waves of depth charging. When she surfaced several hours later to see what had become of her prey, an airplane forced her down. Also during this patrol, Drum damaged a large tanker, another choice target.
After a thorough overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Drum made her fifth war patrol - from 24 March-13 May, searching waters south of Truk after she had made a photographic reconnaissance of Nauru
. She sank two freighters in April, then refitted at Brisbane
, Australia
. Her sixth war patrol - from 7 June-26 July - found her north of the Bismarck Archipelago
, sinking a cargo-passenger ship on 17 June. Again she put into Brisbane to replenish, and on 16 August sailed on her seventh war patrol. Adding to her already impressive list of sinkings, she sent a cargo ship to the bottom on 31 August, as well as patrolling off New Georgia
during the landings there. She put into Tulagi
from 29 September-2 October to repair her gyrocompass
, then sailed on to Brisbane.
Drum sailed on 2 November for her eighth war patrol, coordinated with the landings at Cape Torokina
. Patrolling between the Carolines and New Ireland
, she sank a cargo ship on 17 November, and on 22 November attacked a convoy of four freighters. The convoy's escorts delivered three depth charge attacks, and Drum was heavily damaged and was ordered to Pearl Harbor. She returned there on 5 December, and after inspection showed the conning tower
needed to be replaced, she sailed to the West Coast
.
Returning to Pearl Harbor on 29 March 1944, Drum sailed 11 days later on her ninth war patrol, during which she patrolled the waters around Iwo Jima
and other islands in the Bonin Islands. No worthy targets were contacted, but a reconnaissance of Chichi Jima gained valuable intelligence for bombardment of the island later by surface ships.
The submarine refitted at Majuro
from 31 May-24 June, then sailed on her 10th war patrol to give lifeguard service for raids on Yap
and Palau
. She sank a 125-ton sampan
on 29 July, capturing two prisoners with whom she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 August. She sailed for Surigao Strait
on 9 September on her 11th war patrol, and after two weeks in the Strait with no contact, was ordered north to the South China Sea
. Here she patrolled during the Leyte landings and the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf, sinking three cargo ships bound for the Philippines
with Japanese reinforcements. While bound for Majuro for refit, Drum searched east of Luzon Strait
for downed aviators.
Drum replenished and made repairs at Majuro from 8 November-7 December, then sailed for the Nansei Shoto on her 12th war patrol. Only one contact was made during this patrol, and she returned to Guam
on 17 January 1945. During her 13th war patrol - from 11 February-2 April - Drum played a part in the assaults on both Iwo Jima and Okinawa, providing lifeguard service for air strikes on the Nansei Shoto and the Japanese home islands as bases were neutralized before both invasions. Returning to Pearl Harbor, Drum sailed to the West Coast for another overhaul, and after training at Pearl Harbor, cleared Midway on 9 August on what would have been her 14th war patrol; this trip was cut short by the Japanese surrender on 15 August. She proceeded to Saipan
at the end of hostilities, and from there sailed for Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal Zone
, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire
.
, to members of the Naval Reserve
in the Potomac River Naval Command, which continued through 1967. She was in the inactive Fleet at Norfolk, Virginia
from 1967 to 1969.
service. She is credited with sinking 15 ships, a total of 80,580 tons of enemy shipping, eighth highest of all U.S. submarines in total Japanese tonnage sunk.
Drum was donated to the USS Alabama Battleship Commission on 14 April 1969. She was towed to Battleship Alabama Memorial Park
in Mobile, Alabama
arriving on 18 May 1969. Drum was dedicated and opened to the public on 4 July 1969.
The submarine was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1986.
Drum originally was moored in the waters behind Alabama, until the submarine was damaged in the storm surge
of Hurricane Georges
in 1998. As a result, the submarine is now on display on shore, as seen in the photo at the top of this page. Alabama and Drum also sustained damage when Hurricane Katrina
came ashore on 29 August 2005. Tours on board Drum resumed 9 January 2006. Since this time, the USS Drum has taken on the help of Tom Bowser, who relocated after his wife died to volunteer on repairing the Drum. Tom spends more than 70 hours per week as a volunteer sandblasting, grinding, welding, and torching the entire vessel. The Battleship park only assigned one staff member, Lesley Waters, to maintain the Drum. She was quickly overwhelmed and is very grateful of the additional assistance. The Battleship park is very rarely providing any funds to repair the Drum. Additional funds come from guests, visitors, and tours led by Tom Bowser. Most funding is coming through a community of US Submarine Vets.
Gato class submarine
The United States Navy Gato class submarine formed the core of the submarine service that was largely responsible for the destruction of the Japanese merchant marine and a large portion of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, the first Navy ship named after the drum, any of various types of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
capable of making a drumming sound. Drum is presently on display as a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, at Battleship Memorial Park
Battleship Memorial Park
Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum located on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. It has a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including the South Dakota-class battleship USS Alabama and Gato-class submarine USS Drum...
.
Drum was laid down on 11 September 1940 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
, Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 12 May 1941 (sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb
Thomas Holcomb
General Thomas Holcomb was the seventeenth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps . He was the first Marine to achieve the rank of General. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Holcomb served as Minister to South Africa .-Early years:Holcomb was born on August 5, 1879 in New Castle, Delaware...
), and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 1 November 1941, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Robert H. Rice in command.
According to materials obtained at the submarine, Drum was the twelfth of the Gato class but was the first completed and the first to enter combat in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She is the oldest still in existence.
World War II
Drum arrived at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
from the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
on 1 April 1942, and after a voyage to Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
, cleared Pearl Harbor on 14 April on her first war patrol. Cruising off the coast of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, she sank on 2 May and afterwards endured a 16 hour depth charge attack consisting of 31 depth charges. Later that month she sank three cargo ships before returning to Pearl Harbor on 12 June to refit. Drums second war patrol, which she made in the waters between Truk and Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
from 10 July-2 September, found her efforts frustrated by poor torpedo performance, but she damaged one freighter before returning to Midway to refit.
The submarine sailed from Midway on 23 September on her third war patrol, bound for the eastern coast of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. On 8 October, she contacted a convoy of four freighters, and defying the air cover guarding the ships, sank one of the cargo ships before bombs forced her deep. The next day, Drum underwent a severe depth charg
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
ing from several escorts after she attacked a cargo ship. Later in the patrol, she sank one of three air-escorted cargo ships, and damaged at least two more ships before completing her patrol at Pearl Harbor on 8 November.
After a thorough overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Drum made her fifth war patrol - from 24 March-13 May, searching waters south of Truk after she had made a photographic reconnaissance of Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
. She sank two freighters in April, then refitted at Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Her sixth war patrol - from 7 June-26 July - found her north of the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
, sinking a cargo-passenger ship on 17 June. Again she put into Brisbane to replenish, and on 16 August sailed on her seventh war patrol. Adding to her already impressive list of sinkings, she sent a cargo ship to the bottom on 31 August, as well as patrolling off New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
during the landings there. She put into Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
from 29 September-2 October to repair her gyrocompass
Gyrocompass
A gyrocompass is a type of non-magnetic compass which bases on a fast-spinning disc and rotation of our planet to automatically find geographical direction...
, then sailed on to Brisbane.
Drum sailed on 2 November for her eighth war patrol, coordinated with the landings at Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina is a promontory at the north end of Empress Augusta Bay, along the central part of the southeastern coast of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea....
. Patrolling between the Carolines and New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
, she sank a cargo ship on 17 November, and on 22 November attacked a convoy of four freighters. The convoy's escorts delivered three depth charge attacks, and Drum was heavily damaged and was ordered to Pearl Harbor. She returned there on 5 December, and after inspection showed the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
needed to be replaced, she sailed to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
Returning to Pearl Harbor on 29 March 1944, Drum sailed 11 days later on her ninth war patrol, during which she patrolled the waters around Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
and other islands in the Bonin Islands. No worthy targets were contacted, but a reconnaissance of Chichi Jima gained valuable intelligence for bombardment of the island later by surface ships.
The submarine refitted at Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
from 31 May-24 June, then sailed on her 10th war patrol to give lifeguard service for raids on Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
and Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
. She sank a 125-ton sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
on 29 July, capturing two prisoners with whom she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 August. She sailed for Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait
Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. This strait connects the Bohol Sea with Leyte Gulf and is regularly crossed by ferries that transport goods and people between Visayas and Mindanao...
on 9 September on her 11th war patrol, and after two weeks in the Strait with no contact, was ordered north to the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. Here she patrolled during the Leyte landings and the decisive Battle for Leyte Gulf, sinking three cargo ships bound for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
with Japanese reinforcements. While bound for Majuro for refit, Drum searched east of Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
for downed aviators.
Drum replenished and made repairs at Majuro from 8 November-7 December, then sailed for the Nansei Shoto on her 12th war patrol. Only one contact was made during this patrol, and she returned to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 17 January 1945. During her 13th war patrol - from 11 February-2 April - Drum played a part in the assaults on both Iwo Jima and Okinawa, providing lifeguard service for air strikes on the Nansei Shoto and the Japanese home islands as bases were neutralized before both invasions. Returning to Pearl Harbor, Drum sailed to the West Coast for another overhaul, and after training at Pearl Harbor, cleared Midway on 9 August on what would have been her 14th war patrol; this trip was cut short by the Japanese surrender on 15 August. She proceeded to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
at the end of hostilities, and from there sailed for Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
.
Post-War
Drum was decommissioned on 16 February 1946 and on 18 March 1947, began service at Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to members of the Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
in the Potomac River Naval Command, which continued through 1967. She was in the inactive Fleet at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
from 1967 to 1969.
Awards
Drum received of 12 battle stars for her World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service. She is credited with sinking 15 ships, a total of 80,580 tons of enemy shipping, eighth highest of all U.S. submarines in total Japanese tonnage sunk.
Museum Ship and Landmark
Battleship Memorial Park
Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum located on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. It has a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including the South Dakota-class battleship USS Alabama and Gato-class submarine USS Drum...
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
arriving on 18 May 1969. Drum was dedicated and opened to the public on 4 July 1969.
The submarine was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1986.
Drum originally was moored in the waters behind Alabama, until the submarine was damaged in the storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
of Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges was a very destructive, powerful and long-lived Cape Verde-type Category 4 hurricane. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 1998. As a result, the submarine is now on display on shore, as seen in the photo at the top of this page. Alabama and Drum also sustained damage when Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
came ashore on 29 August 2005. Tours on board Drum resumed 9 January 2006. Since this time, the USS Drum has taken on the help of Tom Bowser, who relocated after his wife died to volunteer on repairing the Drum. Tom spends more than 70 hours per week as a volunteer sandblasting, grinding, welding, and torching the entire vessel. The Battleship park only assigned one staff member, Lesley Waters, to maintain the Drum. She was quickly overwhelmed and is very grateful of the additional assistance. The Battleship park is very rarely providing any funds to repair the Drum. Additional funds come from guests, visitors, and tours led by Tom Bowser. Most funding is coming through a community of US Submarine Vets.