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USS Bashaw (SS-241)
Encyclopedia
USS Bashaw (SS/SSK/AGSS-241), a Gato
-class submarine
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the bashaw
, a catfish
.
Bashaw was laid down on 4 December 1942 by Electric Boat
Co., Groton, Conn.
. She was launched on 25 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Norman S. Ives, wife of Captain
Ives, and commissioned on 25 October 1943, Lieutenant Commander
Richard E. Nichols in command.
, New Guinea
on 3 March 1944. From 10 March 1944-29 April 1945, she completed six war patrols in the Celebes
, Philippine
, and South China Sea
s. Bashaw sank three Japan
ese merchant vessel
s - totaling 19,269 tons - as well as several small craft.
Bashaw returned to Subic Bay
, Philippine Islands on 29 April 1945 and then sailed to Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. Upon completion of the yard period on 13 August 1945, she departed for Pearl Harbor
.
Bashaw was recommissioned on 3 April 1951 and operated out of San Diego along the West Coast
until 10 May 1952, when she went out of commission in reserve. From May 1952-March 1953, she underwent conversion at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard to an anti-submarine "hunter-killer" submarine and was reclassified SSK-241 on 18 February 1953. Bashaw was recommissioned on 28 March 1953 and reported to Submarine Division 33 (SubDiv 33) at San Diego. From March–August 1954, Bashaw made a Far Eastern cruise. During the following year she took part in several type exercises, including one major exercise in the Hawaii
an area, before being overhauled at San Francisco. From January–August 1956, Bashaw conducted her second postwar tour of the Far East. On 14 August, she arrived at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor. Bashaw reverted to her original designation - SS-241 - in August 1959, and was redesignated AGSS-241 in September 1962. She was finally decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 13 September 1969. Bashaw was sunk as a target on July 1972.
Gato class submarine
The United States Navy Gato class submarine formed the core of the submarine service that was largely responsible for the destruction of the Japanese merchant marine and a large portion of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II...
-class submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the bashaw
Bashaw
-Places:*Bashaw, Alberta**Bashaw Airport*Bashaw, Wisconsin*Bashaw Township, Brown County, Minnesota-Others:*USS Bashaw , a Gato-class submarine*Bashaw , a marble sculpture by Matthew Cotes Wyatt...
, a catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
.
Bashaw was laid down on 4 December 1942 by Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Co., Groton, Conn.
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
. She was launched on 25 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Norman S. Ives, wife of Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Ives, and commissioned on 25 October 1943, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
Richard E. Nichols in command.
World War II
Bashaw arrived at Milne BayMilne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
on 3 March 1944. From 10 March 1944-29 April 1945, she completed six war patrols in the Celebes
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
, Philippine
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
, and South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
s. Bashaw sank three Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese merchant vessel
Merchant vessel
A merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
s - totaling 19,269 tons - as well as several small craft.
Bashaw returned to Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, Philippine Islands on 29 April 1945 and then sailed to Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. Upon completion of the yard period on 13 August 1945, she departed for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
Post-War
The war ended while she was en route and she was ordered to return to Mare Island. On 5 September, she arrived there and began her pre-inactivation overhaul, going into commission in reserve there on 24 November 1945. On 20 June 1949, her status was changed to out of commission in reserve; she was laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.Bashaw was recommissioned on 3 April 1951 and operated out of San Diego along the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
until 10 May 1952, when she went out of commission in reserve. From May 1952-March 1953, she underwent conversion at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard to an anti-submarine "hunter-killer" submarine and was reclassified SSK-241 on 18 February 1953. Bashaw was recommissioned on 28 March 1953 and reported to Submarine Division 33 (SubDiv 33) at San Diego. From March–August 1954, Bashaw made a Far Eastern cruise. During the following year she took part in several type exercises, including one major exercise in the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an area, before being overhauled at San Francisco. From January–August 1956, Bashaw conducted her second postwar tour of the Far East. On 14 August, she arrived at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor. Bashaw reverted to her original designation - SS-241 - in August 1959, and was redesignated AGSS-241 in September 1962. She was finally decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 13 September 1969. Bashaw was sunk as a target on July 1972.