 Bluefish slides down the ways at Groton, 21 February 1943. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Builder | Electric Boat Company,Groton, Connecticut[1] |
| Laid down | 5 June 1942[1] |
| Launched | 21 February 1943[2] |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Robert Y. Menzie |
| Commissioned | 24 May 1943[1] |
| Decommissioned | 12 February 1947[1] |
| Recommissioned | 7 January 1952[1] |
| Decommissioned | 20 November 1953[1] |
| Stricken | 1 September 1958[1] |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 8 June 1960[2] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Gato-classdiesel-electricsubmarine[2] |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2] |
| Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2] |
| Draft | 17 ft (5.2 m) maximum[2] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | |
| Range | 11,000 nautical miles (13,000 mi; 20,000 km) surfaced at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)[6] |
| Endurance |
|
| Test depth | 300 ft (90 m)[6] |
| Complement | 6 officers, 54 enlisted[6] (peacetime) |
| Armament |
|
USSBluefish (SS-222), aGato-classsubmarine, was the first ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thebluefish. Between 9 September 1943 and 29 July 1945 she completed nine war patrols. Her operating area extended from theNetherlands East Indies to the waters south ofHonshū. According to the notoriously unreliableJANAC accounting,[7][page needed]Bluefish sank 12Japanese ships totaling 50,839 tons.
Bluefish was laid down 5 June 1942 byElectric Boat Co.,Groton, CT. She was launched 21 February 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. Robert Y. Menzie), and commissioned 24 May 1943.Bluefish departedNew London 21 July and reported toTask Force 72 (TF 72) atBrisbane, Australia on 21 August 1943.
Bluefish departed Brisbane on 9 September 1943 to patrol theSouth China Sea for 25 days.[9] On 25 SeptemberBluefish torpedoed the Japanese merchantmanAkashi Maru (3228 GRT) south-east ofCelebes, Netherlands East Indies, in theFlores Sea. While following the damagedAkashi Maru,Bluefish torpedoed and sank the Japanese torpedo boatKasasagi (595 tons) on 27 September about 25 nmi (46 km; 29 mi) south of Celebes. On 29 SeptemberBluefish found and sank the damagedAkashi Maru north ofWetar.[10]
Bluefish departedFremantle in October 1943 for a 32-day patrol of the South China Sea.[9] On 8 NovemberBluefish torpedoed and sank the Japanese tankerKyokuei Maru (10570 GRT) in the South China Sea. On 18 NovemberBluefish torpedoed and sank the old escortingdestroyer IJNSanae and damaged the Japanese fleet oilerOndo (14050 GRT) in the Celebes Sea about 90 nmi (170 km; 100 mi) south ofBasilan Island.[10]
Bluefish departed Fremantle in December 1943 for a 27-day patrol of the South China Sea.[9] On 30 December, she sank the Japanese oilerIchiyu Maru (5061 GRT) in the Java Sea. After laying mines off the eastern Malayan coast on 3 January 1944,Bluefish attacked a Japanese convoy off Indo-China together withRasher.Bluefish torpedoed and sank the Japanese tankerHakko Maru (6046 GRT) on 4 January.[10]
Bluefish departed Fremantle in February 1944 under the command ofCharles M. Henderson for a 58-day patrol of the South China Sea.[11] on 4 MarchBluefish torpedoed and sank the Japanese oilerOminesan Maru (10536 GRT) in the South China Sea about 300 nmi (560 km; 350 mi) west of Miri, Sarawak.[10]
Bluefish departed Fremantle in May 1944 for a 53-day patrol of the Celebes Sea.[12] On 16 June, she sank the Japanese merchantNanshin Maru (1422 GRT) in the Celebes Sea south-west of Tarakan, Borneo. On 21 June, she sank the Japanese transportKanan Maru (3280 GRT) off the southern approaches to Makassar Strait.[10]
Bluefish departed Fremantle in July 1944 for a 54-day patrol to Pearl Harbor.[13] On 14 August, she sank the tankerShinpo Maru (5,135 GRT), damaged byPuffer (SS-268) on 12 August, off Golo Island. On 19 August,Bluefish attackedconvoy Hi-71, sinking the Japanese fleet tanker/seaplane carrierHayasui (18,300 GRT) some 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) northwest ofCape Bolinao and damaging the Japanese transportAwa Maru (11,249 GRT) at17°36′N119°38′E / 17.600°N 119.633°E /17.600; 119.633.[10]
Bluefish departed Pearl Harbor in February 1945 for an unproductive 42-day patrol of Japanese coastal waters with the exception of March 1, 1945. While on lifeguard duty, 'Bluefish' had the satisfaction of rescuing two U.S.N.R. crew members who had bailed out of their badly damaged plane, and recovering the pilot of the aircraft. Badly wounded, Lt. Jacob Matthew Reisert had managed to keep his aircraft airborne long enough to bring his crew to safety before succumbing to shrapnel wounds, shock, and drowning.[14][15]
Bluefish departed Pearl Harbor in April 1945 under the command of George W. Forbes for an unproductive 38-day patrol to Fremantle.[16]
Bluefish departed Fremantle in June 1945 for a 33-day patrol of the South China Sea.[17] On 15 July, she sank the Japanese submarineI-351 (2650 tons) in theSouth China Sea about 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) east-north-east ofNatuna Besar offBorneo. Four days later, she sank aNo.1-class submarine chaser by gunfire east ofSumatra,Netherlands East Indies, at00°04′N105°08′E / 0.067°N 105.133°E /0.067; 105.133.[10]
With the cessation of hostilities,Bluefish returned to the United States, arriving atPhiladelphia Navy Yard 9 October 1945. She was placed in the16th Fleet and on 31 October moved to the Submarine Base, New London. She was later towed to Electric Boat Co., Groton, where she underwent repairs. On 12 June 1946 she returned to New London where she went out of commission in reserve 12 February 1947.
Bluefish was recommissioned 7 January 1952 at the Submarine Base, New London, and reported toSubmarine Division 82,Atlantic Fleet. On 7 April she proceeded toKey West, Florida, and reported toSubmarine Division 41 on 11 April. She operated along the Florida coast and in theCaribbean, engaging in local operations and training exercises until May 1953.
On 7 June 1953Bluefish arrived at thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard inKittery, Maine. Following pre-inactivation overhaul at the shipyard, she was placed out of commission in reserve at New London 20 November 1953.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in September 1943 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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