SCI
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Anticipating another desk job, Hubbard's spirits rose when he found
that he was being sent to the Submarine Chaser Training Center in Miami,
Florida.
After the completion of his studies in Miami, and a ten day
anti-submarine warfare course in Key West, Florida, Hubbard was once
again entrusted by the Navy with the command of a 280-ton sub-chaser,
the USS PC-815.
In May of 1943, Hubbard sailed his ship out of the Navy shipyard in
Portland, Oregon. The ship was to sail from Portland to San Diego on her
first shakedown cruise.
Just off the coast of Oregon, Hubbard and his crew made a surprise
discovery of two enemy submarines in the coastal waters, right in the
middle of a busy shipping lane. Six depth charges were fired at the
enemy subs. Joined by another sub-chaser, seven more charges were fired.
Soon a US Coast Guard ship came to the rescue to replenish the depleted
supply of depth charges aboard Hubbard's ship. The PC-815
continued to attack, delivering all twenty seven depth charges, the crew
on deck anxiously scanning the water for signs of the destroyed enemy
subs surfacing on the water.
The PC-815 was ordered to return to shore, where an
investigation was called into this unusual battle, and because of the
proximity of the enemy submarines to the Oregon coast.
The conclusion of the investigating body was that there were no
enemy submarines in the area patrolled by Hubbard's ship, but that there
were known magnetic deposits in that area. The conclusion reached was
that Hubbard and his crew had just fought a two-day battle with a
suboceanic magnetic deposit. Hubbard, as expected, took some
good-natured ribbing from other officers for his "battle with a magnetic
deposit," but he was not relieved of his command.
In May of 1943, he sailed his ship to San Diego with no
misadventures, but while moored off the coast of San Diego, his ship
strayed into Mexican territorial waters and Hubbard ordered a test
firing of the ship's guns directly at the nearby Coronados Islands.
An official complaint was lodged by the Mexican government and a
Board of Investigation was held, as a result of which Hubbard was once
again relieved of his duties and transferred elsewhere.
In a fitness report covering Hubbard's Navy career to this point, he
was evaluated as "below average" and the following notation was placed
in his record:
Consider this officer lacking in the essential qualities of
judgment, leadership and cooperation. He acts without forethought as to
probable results. He is believed to have been sincere in his efforts to
make his ship efficient and ready. Not considered qualified for command
or promotion at this time. Recommend duty on a large vessel where he can
be properly supervised. (14)
After this, Hubbard spent three months in the naval hospital in San
Diego, complaining of a variety of ailments ranging from an ulcer to
malaria and back pains. In a letter to his family, he reported that he
had thrown an unexploded shell from his ship and it exploded in mid-air,
injuring him.
In October of 1943, Hubbard was assigned to take a six-week course
at the Naval Small Craft Training Center at Terminal Island in San
Pedro, California. He was subsequently made Navigating Officer of the
USS Algol.
In January, he made this depressed entry in his personal journal:
My salvation is to let this roll over me, to write, write and write
some more. To hammer keys until I am finger worn to the second joint and
then to hammer keys some more. To pile up copy, stack up stories, roll
the wordage and generally conduct my life along the one line of success
I have ever had. (15)
As the Algol prepared to go into battle in the Pacific
Theater, Hubbard applied for transfer to the School of Military
Government at Princeton University. And although this transfer was
approved, in a strange incident which occurred just before the
Algol sailed to the Pacific, Hubbard discovered a homemade
gasoline bomb in a coke bottle amidst the cargo being loaded on the
ship. There was an investigation into this curious incident, but the
results of the investigation were not recorded. However, that evening,
Hubbard was relieved of duty and sent to Princeton, where he completed a
four-month training course.
In September of 1945, Hubbard was transferred to Monterey,
California for further training. He reported in sick with a suspected
ulcer, and was hospitalized at Oak Knoll Military Hospital in Oakland,
California, where he remained until December 5th, 1945, when he was
discharged from the Navy.
Contrary to his own report of receiving twenty-one war medals, he
received four routine medals which were awarded to all servicemen
serving in this war.
As soon as he was released from the Navy, Hubbard, again having no
immediate financial prospects, began a series of requests to the Navy to
award him a disability pension for injuries and ailments he claimed he
sustained during the war. Among the complaints he listed in his claim
were a sprained knee, an ulcer, conjunctivitis, arthritis and malaria.