The following day, they sunk two freighters and a third the next day. Three days later, in another game, Morton dealt a 28-point hand. That night, the Wahoo sank two Japanese freighters. The crew felt like the hand was a lucky omen.

It has been said that the crew calculated the odds to be one in 216,000. As submarine lore goes, Morton dealt O’Kane a perfect 29, the highest possible hand one can get in the game. To make them feel more at ease, Commander Dudley “Mush” Morton and his Executive officer Richard “Dick” O’Kane broke out a cribbage board and began to play.

Tensions ran high as the crew headed the area. This would be the first time a submarine would patrol the area. However, unlike her previous missions, Wahoo would be tested by being sent to the shallow waters of the farthest reaches of the Yellow Sea. In April of 1943, the USS Wahoo (SS-283) was headed out on its fourth war patrol.

It is an honored tradition that has deep ties to the Navy and to one of the Submarine Force’s greatest commanders. But one tradition is rarely talked about outside of the submarine community. Whether it be the ceremony for crossing the North Pole (and becoming a Bluenose) for the first time or hearing the whistle blow at a retirement ceremony, the Submarine Force is proud of its heritage and the traditions of those that came before them. These traditions are passed from one generation to the next and held in great honor. The Submarine Force in particular and the Navy, in general, have many traditions.

Crib board picture