Operational history of Sailfish USS Sailfish (SS-192)

1 operational history of sailfish

1.1 world war ii

1.1.1 first 5 patrols: december 1941 – august 1942
1.1.2 sixth , seventh patrols: september 1942 – january 1943
1.1.3 eighth , ninth patrols: may – september 1943
1.1.4 tenth patrol: november 1943 – january 1944
1.1.5 eleventh patrol: july–september 1944
1.1.6 twelfth patrol: september–december 1944
1.1.7 return stateside


1.2 post war

operational history of sailfish

renamed sailfish on 9 february 1940, became first ship of u.s. navy named sailfish. after reconditioning, repair, , overhaul, recommissioned on 15 may 1940 lieutenant commander morton c. mumma, jr. (annapolis, class of 1930) in command.

with refit completed in mid-september, sailfish departed portsmouth on 16 january 1941 , headed pacific. transiting panama canal, arrived @ pearl harbor in march, after refueling @ san diego. submarine sailed west manila joined asiatic fleet until attack on pearl harbor.

during pacific war, captain of renamed ship issued standing orders if man on boat said word squalus , marooned @ next port of call. led crew members referring ship squailfish . went on well; court martial threatened heard using it.

world war ii
first 5 patrols: december 1941 – august 1942

following attack on pearl harbor, sailfish departed manila on first war patrol, destined west coast of luzon. on 10 december, sighted landing force, supported cruisers , destroyers, not gain firing position. on night of 13 december, made contact 2 japanese destroyers , began submerged attack; destroyers detected her, dropping several depth charges, while sailfish fired 2 torpedoes. despite large explosion nearby, no damage done, , destroyers counterattacked 18–20 depth charges. returned manila on 17 december.

her second patrol (now under command of richard g. voge begun on 21 december, took submarine waters off formosa. on morning of 27 january 1942, off halmahera, near davao, sighted myōkō-class cruiser, making daylight submerged attack 4 torpedoes, , reporting target damaged, got credit. however, damage not assessed since cruiser s 2 escorts forced sailfish dive deep , run silent. running @ 260 ft (79 m), submarine eluded destroyers , proceeded south toward java. arrived @ tjilatjap on 14 february refueling , rearming.

departing on 19 february third patrol, headed through lombok strait java sea. after sighting heavy cruiser houston , 2 escorts heading sunda strait following allied defeat in battle of java sea, sailfish intercepted enemy destroyer on 2 march. following unsuccessful attack, forced dive deep escape ensuing depth charge attack destroyer , patrol aircraft. night, near mouth of lombok strait, spotted appeared 38,200 long tons (38,800 t) aircraft carrier kaga, escorted 4 destroyers. sailfish fired 4 torpedoes, scoring 2 hits. leaving target aflame , dead in water, sailfish dove, escorts delivering forty depth charges in next 90 minutes. eluded destroyers , aircraft , arrived @ fremantle, western australia, on 19 march, great fanfare, believed first u.s. sub have sunk enemy carrier; postwar, revealed kaga had been in area, , target had in fact been 6,440 long tons (6,540 t) aircraft ferry kamogawa maru, still valuable target.

the java sea , celebes sea areas of sailfish s fourth patrol, 22 march–21 may. after delivering 1,856 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition macarthur s guerrillas , made 1 ship contact , unable attack target before returning fremantle.

the submarine s fifth patrol—from 13 june through 1 august—was off coast of indochina in south china sea. on 4 july, intercepted , tracked large freighter, discovered intended target hospital ship , held fire. on 9 july, intercepted , torpedoed japanese freighter. 1 of pair of torpedoes struck home , ship took 15° list. sailfish went deep, series of explosions heard, , no further screw noises detected. when submarine surfaced in area 90 minutes later, no ship in sight. though credited during war 7,000 long tons (7,100 t) ship, postwar examination of japanese records confirmed no sinking in area on date.sailfish observed 1 other enemy vessel before end of patrol.

sixth , seventh patrols: september 1942 – january 1943

shifting base of operations brisbane, sailfish (now under command of john r. dinty moore) got underway sixth patrol on 13 september , headed western solomon islands. on night of 17–18 september, encountered 8 japanese destroyers escorting cruiser, unable attack. on 19 september, attacked minelayer. spread of 3 torpedoes missed, , sailfish forced dive deep escape depth charge counterattack. eleven well-placed charges went off near submarine, causing minor damage. sailfish returned brisbane on 1 november.

underway seventh patrol on 24 november, sailfish proceeded area south of new britain. following unsuccessful attack on destroyer on 2 december, submarine made no other contacts until 25 december, when believed had scored hit on japanese submarine. postwar analysis of japanese records not confirm sinking in area. during remainder of patrol, made unsuccessful attacks on cargo ship , destroyer before ending patrol @ pearl harbor on 15 january 1943.

eighth , ninth patrols: may – september 1943

after overhaul @ mare island naval shipyard 27 january–22 april, sailfish returned pearl harbor on 30 april. departing hawaii on 17 may eighth patrol, stopped off fuel @ midway island , proceeded station off east coast of honshū. several contacts made but, because of bad weather, not attacked. on 15 june, encountered 2 freighters off todo saki, escorted 3 subchasers. firing spread of 3 stern torpedoes, observed 1 hit stopped maru dead in water. sailfish driven down escort, listened on sound gear shinju maru broke , sank. ten days later, found second convoy, 3 ships subchaser and, unusually, aircraft, escort. sailfish once more fired 3 stern tubes, sinking iburi maru; in response, subchaser, aircraft, , 3 additional escorts, pinned down in gruelling depth charge attack lasting 10 hours , 98 charges causing slight damage. after shaking loose pursuit, set course midway on 26 june, arriving there on 3 july.

her ninth patrol (commanded william r. lefavour) lasted 25 july–16 september , covered formosa strait , waters off okinawa. produced 2 contacts (a 2,500 long tons (2,500 t) steamer @ naha, okinawa, , junk), no worthwhile targets, , sailfish thereafter returned pearl harbor.

tenth patrol: november 1943 – january 1944

after refit @ pearl harbor, departed (under command of robert e. mcc. ward) newly rejuvenated spirits, on 17 november 10th patrol, took south of honshū. along way, suffered hot run in tube 8 (aft), , (after skipper himself went on side inspect damage) ejected torpedo; tube remained out of commission duration of patrol.

after refueling @ midway, alerted ultra of fast convoy of japanese ships before arrived on station. 240 mi (390 km) southeast of yokosuka, on night of 3 december, made radar contact @ 9,000 yd (8,200 m). group consisted of japanese aircraft carrier chūyō, cruiser, , 2 destroyers. despite high seas whipped typhoon winds, sailfish maneuvered firing position shortly after midnight on 3–4 december, dived radar depth (just radar aerial exposed), , fired 4 bow torpedoes @ carrier, @ range of 2,100 yd (1,900 m), scoring 2 hits. went deep escape escorting destroyers, dropped 21 depth charges (only 2 close), reloaded, , @ 02:00, surfaced resume pursuit. found mass of radar contacts, , slow-moving target, impossible identify in miserable visibility. dawn neared, fired spread of 3 bow fish 3,100 yd (2,800 m), scoring 2 more hits on stricken carrier. diving elude japanese counter-attack, hampered raging seas, sailfish came periscope depth, , @ 07:58 saw carrier lying dead in water, listing port , down stern. preparations abandon ship in progress.

later in morning, sailfish fired spread of 3 torpedoes, 1,700 yd (1,600 m), scoring 2 final hits. loud internal explosions , breaking-up noises heard while submarine dived escape depth charge attack. abruptly, cruiser appeared and, fearing broach surface, sailfish went 90 ft (27 m), losing chance @ new target. shortly afterwards, carrier chūyō (20,000 long tons (20,000 t)) went bottom, first aircraft carrier sunk american submarine in war, , major japanese warship sunk enemy action in 1943. in ironic twist, chūyō carrying american prisoners of war sculpin, same boat had helped locate , rescue sailfish—then squalus—over 4 years before. twenty of 21 crew members sculpin killed. none, however, of original rescue crew. 1,250 japanese killed.

after escaping strafing attack japanese fighter on 7 december, made contact , commenced tracking 2 cargo ships 2 escorts on morning of 13 december, south of kyūshū. night, fired spread of 4 torpedoes @ 2 freighters. 2 solid explosions heard, including internal secondary explosion. sailfish heard totai maru (3,000 long tons (3,000 t)) break , sink destroyers made vigorous inaccurate depth charge attack. when sailfish caught other freighter dead in water, covered screen of 5 destroyers. rather face suicidal odds, submarine quietly left area. on night of 20 december, intercepted enemy hospital ship, left unmolested.

on 21 december, in approach bungo suido (bungo channel), sailfish intercepted 6 large freighters escorted 3 destroyers. 5 torpedoes left, fired spread of 3 stern tubes, scoring 2 hits on largest target. diving escape approaching destroyers, submarine detected breaking-up noises uyo maru (6,400 long tons (6,500 t)) went bottom; destroyers counterattacked 31 depth charges, close . sailfish terminated tenth patrol @ pearl harbor on 5 january 1944. claimed 3 ships 35,729 long tons (36,302 t), plus damage 1 7,000 long tons (7,100 t), believed successful patrol tonnage date; postwar, reduced 2 ships , (less uyo maru) 29,571 long tons (30,046 t).

eleventh patrol: july–september 1944

after extensive overhaul @ mare island—from 15–17 june—she returned hawaii , sailed on 9 july part of wolfpack ( moseley s maulers , commanded stan moseley), greenling , billfish, prey on shipping in luzon–formosa area. on afternoon of 7 august, sailfish , greenling made contact enemy convoy. sailfish maneuvered firing position , fired spread of 3 torpedoes @ medium tanker. 1 hit caused tanker disintegrate column of water, smoke , debris. not recorded in postwar account.

the next target battleship escorted 3 destroyers, on made radar contact shortly after midnight on 18–19 august. @ 01:35, after getting close able, 3,500 yd (3,200 m), sailfish fired 4 bow tubes. 1 of escorts ran path of 2 fish; other 2 missed. while destroyer must have been severely damaged or sunk, there nothing in janac.

on 24 august, south of formosa, sailfish made radar contact enemy convoy consisting of 4 cargo ships escorted 2 small patrol craft. moving firing position, sailfish fired salvo of 4 torpedoes, scoring 2 hits. cargo ship toan maru (2,100 long tons (2,100 t)) enveloped in cloud of smoke , shortly afterwards broke in 2 , sank. surfacing after escaping depth charge attack, sailfish closed on second cargo ship of convoy, scoring 2 hits out of 4 torpedoes fired. submarine s crew felt cargo ship either had been sunk or badly damaged, sinking not confirmed janac postwar. sailfish terminated 11th patrol @ midway on 6 september; wartime credit 4 ships 13,200 long tons (13,400 t), total reduced 1 of 2,100 long tons (2,100 t) (toan maru) postwar.

twelfth patrol: september–december 1944

her 12th patrol—from 26 september through 11 december—was conducted between luzon , formosa, in company pomfret , parche.

after passing through edge of typhoon, sailfish arrived on station perform lifeguard duty. on 12 october, staying surfaced in full view of enemy attackers, rescued 12 navy fliers had ditched stricken aircraft after strikes against japanese bases on formosa. sank sampan , patrol craft deck gun enemy craft tried capture downed aviators. following day, rescued flier. submarines pulled saipan, arriving on 24 october, drop off temporary passengers, refuel, , make minor repairs.

after returning patrol area wolf pack, made unsuccessful attack on transport on 3 november. following day, sailfish damaged 2 destroyers damaged herself bomb patrol aircraft. battle damage under control, sailfish eluded pursuers , cleared area. after riding out typhoon on 9–10 november, intercepted convoy on evening of 24 november heading itbayat in philippines. after alerting pomfret of convoy s location , course, sailfish moving attack position when 1 of escorting destroyers headed straight her. sailfish fired three-torpedo spread down throat , headed toward main convoy. @ least 1 hit scored on destroyer , pip faded radar screen. suddenly, sailfish received unwelcome surprise when came under fire destroyer had believed sunk. sailfish ran deep after ascertaining there no hull damage resulting near miss escort s guns. next 4 ⁄2 hours, sailfish forced run silent , deep japanese kept uncomfortably accurate depth charge attack. finally, submarine able elude destroyers , slip away. shortly, sailfish headed hawaii, via midway, , completed 12th , final war patrol upon arriving @ pearl harbor on 11 december. sailfish had damaged ijn destroyer harukaze, had sunk uss shark, , landing ship.

return stateside

following refit, sailfish departed hawaii on 26 december , arrived @ new london, via panama canal, on 22 january 1945. next 4 , one-half months, aided training out of new london. next, operated training ship @ guantanamo bay 9 june–9 august. after six-week stay @ philadelphia navy yard, arrived @ portsmouth, new hampshire on 2 october deactivation.

post war

decommissioned on 27 october 1945, scheduled target ship in atomic bomb tests or sunk conventional ordnance. however, placed on sale in march 1948 , stricken naval vessel register on 30 april 1948. hulk sold scrapping luria brothers of philadelphia, pennsylvania, on 18 june 1948. conning tower stands @ portsmouth naval shipyard in kittery memorial lost crewmen.

sailfish awarded 9 battle stars service in pacific , presidential unit citation outstanding performance on 10th patrol.