Thomas Withers

Inter-war influence Withers Memorandum (3 February 1928) – as commander of Submarine Division 4 he told the General Board that 2,000-ton “fleet submarines” sacrificed agility and habitability, urging medium-displacement boats for independent patrols. Naval War College paper “Design of Submarines” (14 August 1930) set out a 1,100- to 1,400-ton, 90-day, 21-knot boat that became the basis for the Salmon- and Gato-class designs.

World War II Commander, Submarines Pacific (January 1941 – May 1942) Withers assumed COMSUBPAC eleven months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. To prepare the force he suspended peacetime torpedo competitions and ordered live-fire exercises; introduced mandatory deep-dive and aircraft-evasion drills; and requisitioned the closed Royal Hawaiian Hotel as a ten-day recuperation centre for submarine crews, an R and R model later copied fleet-wide.

Torpedo-detonator controversy Boat captains quickly reported duds and premature explosions from the Mark 14’s magnetic detonator. Withers, a long-time supporter, initially blamed crew error. Bureau of Ordnance tests in 1943 confirmed a high failure rate, and historians now cite Withers’ stance as an example of pre-war confirmation bias.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (1942 – 1945) Relieved by Rear Admiral Robert H. English in May 1942, Withers became commandant of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, supervising construction of 78 fleet submarines including USS Apogon (SS-308) and USS Torsk (SS-423). He presented combat awards, notably the Navy Cross to Commander Lawson “Red” Ramage on 22 November 1943.

Retirement and death Withers retired on 1 June 1946, settled in Coronado, California, and died there on 25 June 1953. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.