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USS Blower (SS-325)
Encyclopedia
USS Blower (SS-325), a Balao-class
submarine
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for the blower, a fish of the Atlantic coast of the United States and the West Indies.
Blower (SS-325) was launched 23 April 1944 by Electric Boat
Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. Richard F. J. Johnson, wife of Commander Johnson, and commissioned 10 August 1944, Lieutenant Commander J. H. Campbell in command.
Blower arrived at Pearl Harbor
16 December 1944 and, after undergoing voyage repairs and training exercises got underway for her first war patrol 17 January 1945. She completed three war patrols before the termination of hostilities, all in the Java
and South China Sea
s. All three patrols proved unprofitable for Blower and she arrived at Fremantle
, Australia
, from her last patrol 28 July 1945. Blower departed the Southwest Pacific in September 1945 and, after engaging in training exercises around the Marianas
and Caroline Islands
for several months, proceeded to the United States via Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Diego 29 January 1946.
From 1946 through 1949 Blower was attached to the Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet. She operated mainly along the west coast on scheduled torpedo
exercises submerged sound school operations, and training programs. During the latter part of 1946 she made a cruise to Japan
, via Pearl Harbor and the Marianas. Early in 1947 she participated in fleet operations near Pearl Harbor.
During August–September 1948 Blower operated in Alaska
n waters with patrolling along the contour of the Arctic
ice pack in the Chukchi Sea
, carrying out radar
tracking and sonar
exercises. Returning to San Diego, the ship continued scheduled operations until early 1950 when she departed for the east coast to join Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet. She arrived at Philadelphia
3 March and underwent repairs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
until September. On 27 September she arrived at New London, Conn.
, where she trained Turkish
naval personnel.
, 16 November 1950 and transferred to Turkey under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, where she was recommissioned as the second TCG Dumlupınar. She was lost on 4 April 1953, when, returning from the NATO maneuver Blue-Sea, TCG Dumlupınar collided in the Dardanelles
off the Nara Point with the Swedish
freighter Naboland and sunk. 81 submariners died in this accident.
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
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 a 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...
named for the blower, a fish of the Atlantic coast of the United States and the West Indies.
Blower (SS-325) was launched 23 April 1944 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.; sponsored by Mrs. Richard F. J. Johnson, wife of Commander Johnson, and commissioned 10 August 1944, Lieutenant Commander J. H. Campbell in command.
Blower arrived at 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...
16 December 1944 and, after undergoing voyage repairs and training exercises got underway for her first war patrol 17 January 1945. She completed three war patrols before the termination of hostilities, all in the Java
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
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. All three patrols proved unprofitable for Blower and she arrived at Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, from her last patrol 28 July 1945. Blower departed the Southwest Pacific in September 1945 and, after engaging in training exercises around the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
and Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
for several months, proceeded to the United States via Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Diego 29 January 1946.
From 1946 through 1949 Blower was attached to the Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet. She operated mainly along the west coast on scheduled torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
exercises submerged sound school operations, and training programs. During the latter part of 1946 she made a cruise to 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...
, via Pearl Harbor and the Marianas. Early in 1947 she participated in fleet operations near Pearl Harbor.
During August–September 1948 Blower operated in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n waters with patrolling along the contour of the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
ice pack in the Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea. The Bering Strait forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea and the Pacific...
, carrying out radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
tracking and sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
exercises. Returning to San Diego, the ship continued scheduled operations until early 1950 when she departed for the east coast to join Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet. She arrived at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
3 March and underwent repairs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
until September. On 27 September she arrived at New London, Conn.
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
, where she trained Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
naval personnel.
TCG Dumlupınar
Blower was decommissioned at the Naval Submarine Base New LondonNaval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
, 16 November 1950 and transferred to Turkey under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, where she was recommissioned as the second TCG Dumlupınar. She was lost on 4 April 1953, when, returning from the NATO maneuver Blue-Sea, TCG Dumlupınar collided in the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
off the Nara Point with the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
freighter Naboland and sunk. 81 submariners died in this accident.