Spring 2022 Militaria & Collectibles Auction
Lot 319:
Personal USS Barb and archive of Admiral Robert W. McNitt, (July 29, 1915 – August 12, 2012) was an American United States Navy admiral who was dean of admissions at the United States Naval Academy for more than a decade. During World War II, he was an executive officer to the submarine USS Barb which served in the Pacific and was credited with sinking 29 Japanese ships. He received two Silver Stars, including one for rescuing Allied prisoners of war. One year after retiring in 1971, McNitt was appointed the first civilian dean of admissions at the Naval Academy. Compared with those of other American submariners, the battle flag crafted by the crewmen of the U.S.S. Barb stands out as one of the more remarkable. Under Commander Eugene B. Fluckey, the Barb is credited with sinking more than 29.5 enemy vessels totaling an estimated 146,808 gross registered tons; causing severe damage to a number of others. These successes are represented in graphic form around the Barb logo of “One Eyed Herman” in the center of the ocean blue field battle flag. Including a Japanese train pictured at bottom center, The USS Barb is the only US submarine credited with that honour. Prominently appearing at the top of the battle flag are icons of the notable citations and medals that were earned by the Barb officers and crew. Fluckey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of the Barb crew for their collective heroism during the eleventh war patrol. Thus, the ribbon for this singularly prestigious medal appears at the top center of the Barb battle flag. These flags were presented to high ranking crew members of the ship as commemoratives. The flag measures 29 by 27 inches and is permanently mounted to a hard board. Overall fair to good condition with some water staining commensurate with age, and cracking at some points. This flag was presented to McNitt in 1946 and accompanying it are a signed photo from him and Fluckey, newspaper articles, and various original and copied documents detailing his career and information about the Barb.
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