MIKE HARBIN
Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class · Plankowner, USS Silversides (SS-236) · Killed in action, 10 May 1942
| Born / Died | 30 Jun 1918 / 10 May 1942, at sea (33°13′30″ N, 151°57′30″ E) |
| Service no. | 356-38-37 |
| Commissioning rate | Sea1c (15 Dec 1941) |
| Rate at death | TM3c |
| Silversides tenure | 15 Dec 1941 – 10 May 1942 |
| Patrols aboard | 1 (killed ten days into patrol 1) |
Prewar (1918–1941)
Mike Harbin was born on 30 June 1918. In the 1930 census he is the fifth of seven children in the McClain County, Oklahoma, household of William and Eudie Harbin. William farmed rented land, and the farm had a radio. The eldest child, Ethel (20), taught at the public school. The others were Johnnie (17), Pat (15), Kelly (13), Mike (11), Martha (10) and Jerry (9). His enlistment date and early service have not yet been established.
On Silversides (Dec 1941 – May 1942)
Harbin commissioned aboard *Silversides* on 15 December 1941 as a Seaman First Class and held the rate of Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class by the time of his death. He sailed on her first war patrol, which left Pearl Harbor on 30 April 1942.
| Patrol | Dates | CO | Credited sunk | Credited damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Apr – 21 Jun 1942 | Burlingame | 5 (25,627 t)¹ | 1 (10,100 t) |
¹ Tonnage as credited in endorsements. Patrol 1 includes a submarine credit that was likely a log or other debris. Harbin did not complete the patrol; the figures are the patrol’s totals.
Death and Burial (10 May 1942)
On 10 May 1942, ten days out of Pearl Harbor, Harbin was killed in a surface gun action with an enemy trawler, at 33°13′30″ N, 151°57′30″ E. He was twenty-three. His remains were buried at sea with appropriate ceremonies at 1900 that day, at the same position.
Research Notes
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Service number: 356-38-37 per the ROC reporting his death, the patrol 1 report and On Eternal Patrol. The commissioning document has 356-37-38, a yeoman error carried into the frontmatter and index.
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Cross-link: Elmer G. Huter’s obituary recalls a deck-gun fight on this patrol and the loss of a crewman. Harbin’s death fits that account. The obituary says “sampan”; On Eternal Patrol says “trawler.” Huter’s note could carry this link and mark the crewman’s loss as resolved.
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Rate: the burial entry confirms TM3c. The date of his advancement from Sea1c is unknown.
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Open: enlistment date, OMPF and casualty file.
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Source notes (carried over, verbatim):
1930 Census McClain County, OK. William Harbin (41) and Eudie (44). Ethel B (20), Johnnie (17), Pat (15), Kelly (13), Mike (11), Martha W (10), and Jerry (9). William was a farmer. They rented the farm and it had a radio. Ethel was an instructor at the public school.
Died on Silversides First War Patrol in a surface gun battle with an enemy Trawler.
Sources: 1930 census; On Eternal Patrol; ROC reporting his death; Silversides patrol 1 report, including the burial entry of 10 May 1942; patrol 1 index.