George Grosse was born January 22, 1908 in Oneonta, NY to Paul Grosse (1857-1942) and Emma L.Fritsche (1873 or 1878-1913). His parents were married on January 3, 1892 in Oneonta, NY.  1910 US Census records note that both his parents were from Germany but his mother's obituary states she was born in Oneonta, NY. He had two brothers, Charles and Harry and two sisters, Lillian and Helen. The family lived on Factory Street in Oneonta, NY for his childhood. His dad was a machinist for the steam railroad (D&H) in Oneonta. He attended the East End School and joined the navy when he was 17 years old. The 1925 New York Census recorded his occupation as being “US Army, California.” Between enlistments he tried a two year hitch in the Army but returned to his first love, the Navy on December 23, 1937 by enlisting at Mare Island, California. 

Navy Muster Rolls show he was assigned to the USS Marblehead (CL-12) in November 1938 and remained with her until at least February 1941. They also show he was assigned to the USS Langley (AV-3), the US Navy's first aircraft carrier. This assignment would ultimately prove fatal. Newspaper articles of the day report he also served on the USS New Orleans (CA-32) before being transferred to the aircraft tender USS Langley but I was unable to verify this.

There is some uncertainty just when and how Machinist Mate Grosse lost his life. What we do know is he was caught up in the sinking of the Langley and Pecos (AO-6) on February 27, 1942 and March 1, 1942 respectively. Navy records indicate that the Langley was attacked on February 27 and badly damaged by Japanese twin-engine bombers. The Langley was abandoned, and the escort destroyers USS Edsall (DD-219)and USS Whipple (DD-217) were able to take its crew to safety.

This is where things get fuzzy about what happened to Grosse. According to a fellow Oneontan, MM1c Carlton Mason (SN 2383608), who was aboard the Langley at the time, Grosse was picked up by the USS Edsall and then transferred to the USS Pecos . The Pecos was then sunk on March 1, 1942 and another Oneontan on board the Pecos at the time, Jay Martin. testified he had “seen and talked to Grosse while swimming in the water after the sinking.” According to Martin, the two soldiers drifted apart and he never saw Grosse again. This story, although not verified, is consistent with known facts.

It's worth noting that after Pecos was sunk, Whipple raced to the scene and rescued 232 survivors. Many of the survivors, although visible by crew members of Whipple, were unable to be picked up and were abandoned at sea, due to the detection of what was thought to be two enemy submarines in the area at extremely close range. Out of over 630 total crewmen and Langley survivors on Pecos more than 400 were left behind and died. Exact casualty numbers for the doomed ships of the United States Asiatic Fleet and American-British-Dutch-Australian Command are impossible to gather because so many Allied warships were sunk in the Dutch East Indies campaign (at least 24 total) and many of those ships had already picked up survivors of other sunken ships and then were also sunk by the Japanese hours or days later.

Much has been written about the Langley and Commander Robert P. McConnell's actions during the events of Feb. 27, not all of it glowing. Two sources that are particularly good are both from the Naval History and Heritage Command:

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/library/online-reading-room/war-and-conflict/wwii/javaseacampaign/java_sea_75th_anniversary_ed.pdf, pages 37- 41

https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-003/h-003-3.html, USS Langley (AV-3) – CDR Robert P. McConnell, commanding.

MM 1st Class George Grosse is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila Philippines.

If you notice anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact Jim Greenberg at nez13820@gmail.com. 

Sources:

"H-003-3 the Valor of the Asiatic Fleet", Retrieved December 4, 2022 at https://www.history.navy.mil/about-us/leadership/director/directors-corner/h-grams/h-gram-003/h-003-3.html. Naval History and Heritage Command.

State Summary of War Casualties [New York], Office of Public Information, Navy Department, 1946, page 31.

Find a Grave, “MM1 George Grosse”, accessed at https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56752036/george-grosse, December 3, 2022.

Loss of USS Langley (AV-3), Naval History and Heritage Command, National Museum of the U.S. Navy, accessed at https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwii/wwii-pacific/us-entry-into-wwii-japanese-offensive/1942-January-15-abda-japanese-octopus/1942-february-27-loss-uss-langley-av-3.html#:~:text=Tags-,1942%3A%20February%2027%3A%20Loss%20of%20USS%20Langley%20(AV%2D,75%20miles%20south%20of%20Tjilatjap on December 4, 2022.

Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939-01/01/1949; A-1 Entry 135, 10,230 rolls. Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group Number 24. National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. 

New York State Marriage Index, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY. 

Photo of USS Langley NH 92472, Divoll, Lawrence E., Capt., Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph, Catalog #: NH 92472, accessed at https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-92000/NH-92472.html, December 4, 2022.

Sinking of the Langley and Pecos February 27 and March 1, Naval History and Heritage Command, National Museum of the U.S. Navy accessed at https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/j/java-sea-campaign.html#sink on December 4, 2022.

Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

U.S. aircraft carrier Langley is sunk, This Day in History, February 27, A&E Television Networks, LLC., accessed at https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-aircraft-carrier-langley-is-sunk,

USS Langley (CV-1), Wikipedia, accessed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Langley_(CV-1) on December 4, 2022.

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