The torpedoing and sinking of the U.S. Army transport Royal T. Frank on Jan. 28, 1942, is a little-known but deeply significant event in the history of the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard. The ship was carrying 26 newly trained soldiers — many of them Island-born members of the Hawaiʻi National Guard who had been federalized after Pearl Harbor —returning from basic training at Schofield Barracks to rejoin their home units, primarily the 299th Infantry Regiment on Hawaiʻi Island.

Sailing in convoy with a Navy destroyer and an ammunition vessel through the Alenuihāhā Channel (between Maui and Hawaiʻi), the 200-ton transport Royal T. Frank was struck by a Japanese submarine torpedo shortly after 7 a.m. The ship sank in less than a minute, killing all those below deck. Seventeen Hawaiʻi soldiers lost their lives, including 12 Nisei Guardsmen, making the incident one of the deadliest single losses for Hawaiʻi’s Army National Guard during World War II.

Nine Hawaiʻi Guardsmen survived, all of whom had been sleeping above deck. Thrown into the oil-covered sea, they clung to debris for hours before being rescued and taken ashore to Hana, Maui. There, residents and schoolchildren provided emergency aid and shelter, in a gymnasium until medical care arrived.

Under strict wartime censorship, the survivors were ordered not to speak of the sinking, and families of the fallen Guardsmen were not fully informed until after the war. This secrecy contributed to the tragedy being largely absent from official wartime narratives.

The nine survivors — later known as the “Torpedo Gang” — returned to duty with most eventually assigned to the 100th Infantry Battalion, formed largely from Hawaiʻi National Guard Nisei. Despite their earlier ordeal, they were not shielded from combat. Instead, they served with distinction in the European Theater, earning Combat Infantryman and Combat Medic Badges, Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts and other decorations. Their survival through two years of some of the war’s fiercest fighting stands as a remarkable chapter in history.

The shipwreck itself has never been found, but the legacy of the Royal T. Frank endures as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by Hawaiʻi Army National Guard soldiers — both at sea in defense of the islands and distant battlefields in Europe later on.

This month, the Guardsmen who perished aboard the Royal T. Frank are being memorialized at the Lt. Col. Henry S. Hara Armed Forces Reserve Center, Keaukaha Military Reservation, Hilo,Hawaii. Family members and friends of those onboard the Royal T. Frank are invited to attend the dedication on Jan. 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Please RSVP at: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/fhhWTGY3x6?origin=QRCode

Honor Roll

The Guardsmen who perished Jan. 28, 1942

“The Torpedo Gang”

The Guardsmen who survived Jan. 28, 1942

---

The State of Hawaii, Department of Defense (HIDOD)’ Retiree News does not endorse any of the external hyperlinks listed or posted on this site. This includes linked websites, information, products, or services contained therein. We are a government run website for which transparency and accountability are paramount. HIDOD cannot have the appearance of endorsement and are bound by the HIDOD Social Media Policy concerning political posts being respectful, honest, and accurate. Operational Security will additionally be adhered to. Retiree News does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at linked sites. Some of the sites linked to may limit the number of stories you can access without a paid subscription. All links were provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the HIDOD’s version of Retiree News.