USS Halibut (SS-232)
Encyclopedia
, a Gato-class
submarine
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the halibut
, a large species of flatfish
found on both sides of the Atlantic
. Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
of Kittery, Maine
on 16 May 1941. She was launched
on 3 December 1941 (sponsored by Mrs. P. T. Blackburn), and commissioned
on 10 April 1942 with Commander
Philip H. Ross (Class
of 1927) in command.
on 27 June. She departed Hawaii 9 August for the Aleutian Islands area for her first patrol. After searching Chichagof Harbor
and the waters off Kiska Island, the submarine engaged in an indecisive gunnery duel with a freighter
on 23 August. Finding few targets, she terminated her patrol at Dutch Harbor on 23 September.
Her second patrol was also off the Aleutians. She departed Dutch Harbor on 2 October 1942 and surfaced for a torpedo
attack on what appeared to be a large freighter on 11 October. The ship, a decoy (Q-ship
) equipped with concealed guns and torpedo tubes, attacked Halibut with high-explosive shells and a torpedo as the submarine took radical evasive action to escape the trap. After eluding her assailant she returned to Dutch Harbor on 23 October and Pearl Harbor on 31 October 1942.
. She began stalking a convoy the night of 9 December and early the next morning closed for the attack. A hit amidships sank Genzan Maru; Halibut put two torpedoes squarely into Shingo Maru, sinking her as well. Her success continued as Gyukozan Maru was sent to the bottom on 12 December. Halibut made two more attacks on this patrol, each time being closely pursued by
escort vessels. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 January 1943.
The submarine sailed from Pearl Harbor again on 8 February 1943 on her fourth war patrol. Heading for the Japan-Kwajalein
shipping lanes, she tracked a freighter the morning of 20 February and closed to sink her that night. While northeast of Truk on 3 March, she detected a large ship and attacked, but was driven off by the fire of deck guns. Halibut terminated this patrol in Pearl Harbor 30 March.
attack. She damaged escort carrier Unyo
on 10 July, and finally returned to Midway Island on 28 July 1943. No tonnage credit was given in the contemporaneous record or the postwar JANAC accounting, however.
assumed command 11 August, and Halibut set out on her sixth patrol on 20 August. Together with and (sunk on this patrol), she cruised towards her assigned patrol zone off the east coasts of Honshū
and Hokkaido
, including the Tsugaru Strait
. On 29 August, she sighted a freighter with a Shigure
-class escort; two torpedo attacks on the destroyer failed and Halibut was forced deep for eight hours to avoid the 43 depth-charges expended by the destroyer and a second vessel. The attackers lost contact with Halibut in the early evening, allowing her to move away and resurface. The following day the sub headed into Iburi Wan; she sighted one convoy but was unable to close, but later sank the 6,000-ton freighter, Taibun Maru, with three bow shots. Two small patrol boat
s saw the sinking and dropped 24 depth-charges after the Halibut, which unintentionally escaped by passing through a minefield. After some days of poor weather, Halibut entered the approaches to the Tsugaru Strait. Firing on a freighter found by radar
in fog
gy conditions, she expended six torpedoes for no results. Returning to the coast between Erimo Saki and Muroran, she closed on a radar contact around dawn on 6 September. The contact, the heavily loaded freighter, Shogen Maru, was sighted and sunk with four torpedoes. That night Halibut made radar contact with a vessel identified as a destroyer (later found to be a light cruiser
), firing the submarine's remaining aft torpedoes in a rough sea for no hits. With only one torpedo remaining, she began her return trip to Midway 7 September after eleven days in enemy waters. That night she traced radio transmissions to a small sampan she sank with her deck guns. Halibut stopped briefly at Midway for fuel and food before sailing to a full refit at Pearl Harbor, arriving on 16 September.
During her time refitting, Halibut was used for torpedo testing, firing torpedoes from her stern tubes into the cliffs at Kahoolawe
— stern firing was a precaution against erratic or circular running torpedoes. Earlier tests had shown that one in three torpedoes failed to explode on impact; the crushing deformed the contact exploder before it could detonate the firing caps. The modified versions tested by Halibut were almost three times better in testing and even more efficient in action. Slightly later, while performing underwater training, Halibut was accidentally struck by a destroyer; the glancing blow damaged both periscopes (an incident which in peacetime would warrant a board of inquiry). The damage was repaired in hours, and there were no other repercussions.
. She reached Okino Shima on 25 October and quickly found her daylight activities constrained by a heavy fishing sampan presence. Over the early morning of 29 October she detected, tracked, and closed on a freighter and small anti-submarine warfare
escort. Halibut was detected and the escort drove her off and held her at bay with fifteen depth charge attacks as the freighter fled. Resurfacing, a lookout noticed the smoke of a distant convoy. The submarine closed as the daylight faded, coming close enough to submerge for periscope observation on the morning of 1 November. The convoy consisted of seven freighters and three Otori
-type torpedo boats as escorts. Halibut launched three torpedoes from 6500 yards (5,943.6 m) at 06:52 and made no hits, the freighters turned away and two torpedo boats closed but were ineffective in locating the submarine. Around midday, Halibut headed south after the convoy, surfacing as night fell. She was detecting curious 'friendly' radar interference as, unknown to her, and were also chasing the convoy (sinking two ships each from the convoy as Halibut closed). On the morning of 2 November Halibut caught up with two straggling freighters from the convoy. She launched three torpedoes at the Ehime Maru (3,520 tons). Two torpedoes hit, but the sinking vessel bravely turned towards the submarine, forcing her to evade and lose range on the second freighter. Halibut launched three torpedoes at long range but made no hits. She surfaced to increase her speed, but the freighter revealed she was armed with some accurate firing, forcing Halibut back under. The submarine shadowed the freighter and positioned herself for an attack using her stern tubes, firing six torpedoes in rough seas for no hits. She went on to patrol the approaches to Van Diemen Strait before returning north when she received an Ultra
message indicating a Japanese task force, including an aircraft carrier, near the Bungo Suido. A high-speed race put Halibut into position on the morning of 5 November, and she fired six torpedoes at the carrier (identified at the time as Shōkaku
so as to conceal the source of the information; later properly identified as Junyō
). A single torpedo hit near the ship's rudders, leaving the carrier unable to manoeuvre. When Halibut tried to fire her single remaining stern torpedo, it activated but failed to leave the tube. Halibut dived to more than 350 feet (106.7 m) to avoid attacks from three destroyer escorts; in the event, only thirteen depth charges were dropped. The submarine resurfaced after dark and set course for home, running seven days to Midway and then reaching Pearl Harbor on 17 November after thirty-eight days on patrol, a round trip of 8327 miles (13,401 km), of which only 1957 miles (3,149.5 km) were actually 'on station'.
The group's journey to the patrol area around the Mariana Islands
was marked by very rough seas and gale
force winds. On 26 December Halibut was attacked by an aircraft; three bombs were dropped but the submarine took no damage. The group reached its target area on 29 December, but over the following weeks made only fleeting, poor contacts with enemy vessels, including a missed contact with the Yamato
on 11 January (the battleship detected the search radars of the submarines and completely out-manoeuvred them as daylight ended). A few days later they failed to sink an Asashio
-class destroyer and were subjected to twenty-two depth charges. On 17 January Halibut broke from the wolf pack to return to Midway as her fuel reserves were depleted (both the other vessels were using their #4 ballast tank
to store fuel and had begun the patrol with an extra 24,000 gallons). Operating independently, Halibut patrolled Port Apra and Tanapag Harbor
on her way home, observing a Katori
-class cruiser near Saipan
, and being attacked by aircraft and depth charges on 23 January while attempting a stealthy approach on the Taiyō-class escort aircraft carrier Unyō
in Garapan Anchorage (the carrier had already been damaged by Haddock). Halibut was forced down to 405 feet (123.4 m) to avoid her attackers, and spent over thirteen hours submerged. She reached Midway on 1 February 1944 where she suffered storm damage to her ballast tanks while moored.
. Finally, on 26 April, the submarine found some action. She passed between Iheya Retto and Okinawa Jima in the very early morning of 26 April and detected three freighters with escorts. She closed the range over several hours and fired six torpedoes from 3000 yards (2,743.2 m), three each at two freighters, two hit and the convoy was scattered. Halibut eluded the escorts and returned to the attack around dawn, closing in on a ship separated from the group, she sank Genbu Maru with two torpedoes. Very soon afterwards she detected a small vessel using sonar and fired from 900 yards (823 m) to sink the coastal minelayer Kanome. The submarine was then forced into evasive action as a bomber arrived overhead; the aircraft and two patrol boats dropped some ninety depth charges without ever endangering Halibut. Later, off the northeastern shore of Kume Shima on 29 April, she fired fifty shells from her 4-inch deck gun at two warehouses and other buildings. On 1 May she spotted a compact group of eighteen 250-ton sampans while east of Okinawa and trailed them southwards; after dusk she surfaced and closed the range to attack with her deck armaments from 1000 yards (914.4 m). Two sampans exploded violently but return fire and flying debris injured three of Halibuts crew - one seriously. With concerns for the injured man, the sub left her patrol zone a day early to return to Midway. She rendezvoused with Perch after six days travel, and a fully qualified doctor from Midway aboard the second sub was transferred to Halibut by boat. When Halibut reached Midway on 11 May, it was decided to leave the injured man aboard and carry on to Pearl Harbor, which she reached on 15 May 1944. Again it was decided to leave the injured man aboard rather than risk moving him, and the submarine was refueled and restored before heading on to a major overhaul at the ship repair basin of Bethlehem Steel
at Sixteenth Street in south San Francisco, California
, with ninety days rest for the crew. She reached that port on 24 May and finally, after twenty-one days in his bunk, the injured man was transferred to a land hospital - Oak Knoll Naval Hospital.
During her major overhaul, Halibut had some small changes. An automatic plotting table was added; the main electric power control cubicle was given shock-mountings; there was a new, more powerful, trim pump; another passive sonar set; and the 20 mm deck gun was replaced with a 40 mm rapid-fire gun. After testing, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 September 1944, where Galatin received a promotion to commander
.
. The group departed Pearl on 8 October, bypassing Midway and taking a 3650 miles (5,874.1 km) great circle route towards Tanapag, Saipan
, which had been captured in June. The group replenished their stores there and departed on 21 October after two days to head for the patrol zone around the strait between Formosa
and Luzon
.
The group reached the Luzon Strait
on 25 October, but mid-morning the submarines were ordered to set up scouting lines to intercept units of the Japanese fleet retiring after the Battle of Cape Engaño. Spread out east-west 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) apart, the submarines moved rapidly until enemy ships (heavily engaged by USN dive bomber
s) were detected around 17:30. Halibut and the other subs had encountered the remnants of Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa
's force. She submerged at 17:45 while some 30000 yards (27,432 m) away from a vessel she identified as the battleship Yamashiro
(later found to be the Ise
). At 18:43 she fired six torpedoes from 3400 yards (3,109 m). While the torpedoes were en route, a manoeuvre by the Japanese vessels brought an escort into their path and a destroyer
was sunk. JANAC later identified the sunken vessel as the Akizuki
, but Galantin states that it was more likely the Hatsuzuki
, as Japanese records list the Akizuki being sunk by aerial attack earlier in the day. An hour after the attack, Halibut resurfaced and headed north chasing a radar contact, which she lost in the early morning of 26 October.
The submarine returned to the Luzon Strait, where she found the variable currents in the two main channels (Bashi Channel
and Balintang Channel
) made keeping trim very tricky. On 28 October she was attacked with no effect (beyond a little fright for her lookout
s) by an anti-submarine aircraft. For the next two weeks, in constantly poor weather, Halibut found no enemy shipping except the hospital ship Hikawa Maru, which could not be attacked.
On 13 November Halibut noticed increasing air anti-submarine activity. In the early morning of 14 November she entered the Bashi Channel and around noon she detected a northbound convoy of four freighters with escorts. The submarine launched four torpedoes from 3100 yards (2,834.6 m). As Halibut submerged and turned away, the crew heard a "loud, fast buzzing noise" which was quickly followed by five explosions (apparently jikitanchiki
-equipped aircraft). The submarine went down to 325 feet (99.1 m) as she detected the sonar of two escorts when a sudden near explosion severely damaged the conning tower, which had been abandoned. This blast was followed by another series of very close explosions which damaged equipment in the control room and yet another series of blasts over the forward battery compartment that damaged the torpedo room, forward battery room, and the main air bank, "one of the most devastating [attacks] of the war". The attacks drove Halibut down to 420 feet (128 m); as air pressure rose to 52 psi (358,527.4 Pa) the crew were forced to seal off the afflicted section and slowly release the pressure into the rest of the ship. No further attacks occurred and Halibut was able to move sluggishly up to around 300 feet (91.4 m), her nominal crush depth. The crew toiled with repairs, and when night came she resurfaced and headed towards her sister ships. The radar was repaired, although Halibut was without depth gauges, main compasses, gyros, radio, and a number of other systems, although most of the damage was actually to the hull and its fittings. At around 21:30 she encountered of the wolf pack that was working to the north of Halibut. After transferring a message to COMSUBPAC Pintado was ordered to escort Halibut all the 1500 miles (2,414 km) to Saipan. Halibut made a single brief dive during the journey; this was the last time she was ever submerged. At noon on 19 November she entered Tanapag Harbor.
The gallant submarine received the Navy Unit Commendation
for her performance on this patrol. However, as a result of this action, damages incurred on her meant that she could no longer patrol for the rest of the war, and thus essentially became the unofficial 52nd U.S. submarine lost during World War II, although she was not sunk. hold this title, and would have been the 53rd had Halibut been ranked.
, where she could be used as an alongside school ship. Her command was transferred to Guy Gugliotta and she left Pearl Harbor on 5 December arriving at San Francisco on 12 December.
She sailed 16 February 1945 for Portsmouth, New Hampshire
. She was decommissioned 18 July 1945 and was sold for $23,123 (currently $) as scrap on 10 January 1947 to Quaker Shipyard and Machinery Company of Camden, New Jersey
.
Halibut received seven battle stars for World War II
service, she had steamed over 110000 miles (177,027.4 km), sunk twelve ships and damaged at least nine others. War patrols 3 through 7, 9 and 10 were designated successful.
The battle flag of the Halibut, along with photos of her crew and other artifacts, can be seen at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and park, next to the USS Arizona Memorial
Visitor Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
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...
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 halibut
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
, a large species of flatfish
Flatfish
The flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
found on both sides of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
of Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
on 16 May 1941. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 3 December 1941 (sponsored by Mrs. P. T. Blackburn), and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 10 April 1942 with Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Philip H. Ross (Class
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
of 1927) in command.
First and second patrols
Halibut completed her outfitting and shakedown cruise 23 June 1942 and departed for the Pacific, arriving Pearl HarborPearl 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...
on 27 June. She departed Hawaii 9 August for the Aleutian Islands area for her first patrol. After searching Chichagof Harbor
Chichagof Harbor
Chichagof Harbor is an inlet on the northeast coast of the island of Attu in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. It is named after Russian Admiral and polar explorer Vasily Chichagov.-References:...
and the waters off Kiska Island, the submarine engaged in an indecisive gunnery duel with a freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
on 23 August. Finding few targets, she terminated her patrol at Dutch Harbor on 23 September.
Her second patrol was also off the Aleutians. She departed Dutch Harbor on 2 October 1942 and surfaced for a 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...
attack on what appeared to be a large freighter on 11 October. The ship, a decoy (Q-ship
Q-ship
Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...
) equipped with concealed guns and torpedo tubes, attacked Halibut with high-explosive shells and a torpedo as the submarine took radical evasive action to escape the trap. After eluding her assailant she returned to Dutch Harbor on 23 October and Pearl Harbor on 31 October 1942.
Third and fourth patrols
Halibut departed Pearl Harbor 22 November for her third war patrol, off the northeast coast of JapanJapan
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...
. She began stalking a convoy the night of 9 December and early the next morning closed for the attack. A hit amidships sank Genzan Maru; Halibut put two torpedoes squarely into Shingo Maru, sinking her as well. Her success continued as Gyukozan Maru was sent to the bottom on 12 December. Halibut made two more attacks on this patrol, each time being closely pursued by
escort vessels. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 January 1943.
The submarine sailed from Pearl Harbor again on 8 February 1943 on her fourth war patrol. Heading for the Japan-Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
shipping lanes, she tracked a freighter the morning of 20 February and closed to sink her that night. While northeast of Truk on 3 March, she detected a large ship and attacked, but was driven off by the fire of deck guns. Halibut terminated this patrol in Pearl Harbor 30 March.
Fifth patrol
Halibut began her fifth war patrol 10 June and made for the waters around Truk. She made her first attack 23 June. No hits were scored and the submarine was forced to wait out a severe depth chargeDepth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attack. She damaged escort carrier Unyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and conversion:The liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was...
on 10 July, and finally returned to Midway Island on 28 July 1943. No tonnage credit was given in the contemporaneous record or the postwar JANAC accounting, however.
Sixth Patrol
Ignatius J. "Pete" GalantinIgnatius J. Galantin
Ignatius Joseph "Pete" Galantin was a four star United States Navy admiral, World War II Navy Cross recipient, and the first commander of the Naval Material Command.-Early career:...
assumed command 11 August, and Halibut set out on her sixth patrol on 20 August. Together with and (sunk on this patrol), she cruised towards her assigned patrol zone off the east coasts of Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, including the Tsugaru Strait
Tsugaru Strait
is a channel between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture...
. On 29 August, she sighted a freighter with a Shigure
Shiratsuyu class destroyer
The was a class of ten destroyers of the Imperial Japanese Navy in service before and during World War II.-Background:The initial six Shiratsuyu class destroyers were modified versions of the , and had been originally planned as the final six vessels of that class under the ”Circle-One” Naval...
-class escort; two torpedo attacks on the destroyer failed and Halibut was forced deep for eight hours to avoid the 43 depth-charges expended by the destroyer and a second vessel. The attackers lost contact with Halibut in the early evening, allowing her to move away and resurface. The following day the sub headed into Iburi Wan; she sighted one convoy but was unable to close, but later sank the 6,000-ton freighter, Taibun Maru, with three bow shots. Two small patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s saw the sinking and dropped 24 depth-charges after the Halibut, which unintentionally escaped by passing through a minefield. After some days of poor weather, Halibut entered the approaches to the Tsugaru Strait. Firing on a freighter found by 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...
in fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
gy conditions, she expended six torpedoes for no results. Returning to the coast between Erimo Saki and Muroran, she closed on a radar contact around dawn on 6 September. The contact, the heavily loaded freighter, Shogen Maru, was sighted and sunk with four torpedoes. That night Halibut made radar contact with a vessel identified as a destroyer (later found to be a light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
), firing the submarine's remaining aft torpedoes in a rough sea for no hits. With only one torpedo remaining, she began her return trip to Midway 7 September after eleven days in enemy waters. That night she traced radio transmissions to a small sampan she sank with her deck guns. Halibut stopped briefly at Midway for fuel and food before sailing to a full refit at Pearl Harbor, arriving on 16 September.
During her time refitting, Halibut was used for torpedo testing, firing torpedoes from her stern tubes into the cliffs at Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe
Kahoolawe is the smallest of the eight main volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands. Kahoolawe is located about seven miles southwest of Maui and also southeast of Lanai, and it is long by wide, with a total land area of . The highest point on Kahoolawe is the crater of Lua Makika at the...
— stern firing was a precaution against erratic or circular running torpedoes. Earlier tests had shown that one in three torpedoes failed to explode on impact; the crushing deformed the contact exploder before it could detonate the firing caps. The modified versions tested by Halibut were almost three times better in testing and even more efficient in action. Slightly later, while performing underwater training, Halibut was accidentally struck by a destroyer; the glancing blow damaged both periscopes (an incident which in peacetime would warrant a board of inquiry). The damage was repaired in hours, and there were no other repercussions.
Seventh Patrol
Halibut sailed from Pearl Harbor on her seventh war patrol on 10 October 1943, headed for the approaches to the Bungo Suido. She reached Midway after four days travel and stopped briefly to top up her fuel tanks (having consumed 14,000 gallons already) and to repair a defective motor-generator for her new SJ radarSJ radar
SJ radar was the name of a type of S-band radar set used on United States submarines during the Second World War. The widespread use of the SJ radar, combined with the very low use of radar in the Imperial Japanese Navy gave great operational flexibility to the U.S...
. She reached Okino Shima on 25 October and quickly found her daylight activities constrained by a heavy fishing sampan presence. Over the early morning of 29 October she detected, tracked, and closed on a freighter and small anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
escort. Halibut was detected and the escort drove her off and held her at bay with fifteen depth charge attacks as the freighter fled. Resurfacing, a lookout noticed the smoke of a distant convoy. The submarine closed as the daylight faded, coming close enough to submerge for periscope observation on the morning of 1 November. The convoy consisted of seven freighters and three Otori
Otōri
is a custom in Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan of drinking awamori, a distilled beverage native to Okinawa Japan. The custom involves one person offering a toast to each of several other people in a round.-Otōri:...
-type torpedo boats as escorts. Halibut launched three torpedoes from 6500 yards (5,943.6 m) at 06:52 and made no hits, the freighters turned away and two torpedo boats closed but were ineffective in locating the submarine. Around midday, Halibut headed south after the convoy, surfacing as night fell. She was detecting curious 'friendly' radar interference as, unknown to her, and were also chasing the convoy (sinking two ships each from the convoy as Halibut closed). On the morning of 2 November Halibut caught up with two straggling freighters from the convoy. She launched three torpedoes at the Ehime Maru (3,520 tons). Two torpedoes hit, but the sinking vessel bravely turned towards the submarine, forcing her to evade and lose range on the second freighter. Halibut launched three torpedoes at long range but made no hits. She surfaced to increase her speed, but the freighter revealed she was armed with some accurate firing, forcing Halibut back under. The submarine shadowed the freighter and positioned herself for an attack using her stern tubes, firing six torpedoes in rough seas for no hits. She went on to patrol the approaches to Van Diemen Strait before returning north when she received an Ultra
Ultra
Ultra was the designation adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by "breaking" high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park. "Ultra" eventually became the standard...
message indicating a Japanese task force, including an aircraft carrier, near the Bungo Suido. A high-speed race put Halibut into position on the morning of 5 November, and she fired six torpedoes at the carrier (identified at the time as Shōkaku
Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku
Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands...
so as to conceal the source of the information; later properly identified as Junyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Junyo
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down at Nagasaki as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was purchased by the Japanese Navy in 1941 and converted to an aircraft carrier. Completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the invasion of the Aleutian Islands the following month...
). A single torpedo hit near the ship's rudders, leaving the carrier unable to manoeuvre. When Halibut tried to fire her single remaining stern torpedo, it activated but failed to leave the tube. Halibut dived to more than 350 feet (106.7 m) to avoid attacks from three destroyer escorts; in the event, only thirteen depth charges were dropped. The submarine resurfaced after dark and set course for home, running seven days to Midway and then reaching Pearl Harbor on 17 November after thirty-eight days on patrol, a round trip of 8327 miles (13,401 km), of which only 1957 miles (3,149.5 km) were actually 'on station'.
Eighth Patrol
On her eighth war patrol (beginning at Pearl Harbor on 14 December) Halibut formed a coordinated attack group, or "wolf pack", with and . All three commanders were intensively trained for the patrol at 'Convoy College' at Pearl Harbor. The very first USN wolf pack had left Midway on 1 October 1943 - , , and claimed five ships sunk and eight damaged (post-war analysis indicated only three sinkings). Halibut was part of the third wolf pack.The group's journey to the patrol area around the Mariana Islands
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...
was marked by very rough seas and gale
Gale
A gale is a very strong wind. There are conflicting definitions of how strong a wind must be to be considered a gale. The U.S. government's National Weather Service defines a gale as 34–47 knots of sustained surface winds. Forecasters typically issue gale warnings when winds of this strength are...
force winds. On 26 December Halibut was attacked by an aircraft; three bombs were dropped but the submarine took no damage. The group reached its target area on 29 December, but over the following weeks made only fleeting, poor contacts with enemy vessels, including a missed contact with the Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
on 11 January (the battleship detected the search radars of the submarines and completely out-manoeuvred them as daylight ended). A few days later they failed to sink an Asashio
Japanese destroyer Asashio
was the lead ship of the ten destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Program .-History:...
-class destroyer and were subjected to twenty-two depth charges. On 17 January Halibut broke from the wolf pack to return to Midway as her fuel reserves were depleted (both the other vessels were using their #4 ballast tank
Ballast tank
A ballast tank is a compartment within a boat, ship or other floating structure that holds water.-History:The basic concept behind the ballast tank can be seen in many forms of aquatic life, such as the blowfish or argonaut octopus, and the concept has been invented and reinvented many times by...
to store fuel and had begun the patrol with an extra 24,000 gallons). Operating independently, Halibut patrolled Port Apra and Tanapag Harbor
Tanapag Harbor
Tanapag Harbor is the primary harbor of Saipan, and is located on the western side of the island. It is separated from the Philippine Sea by a barrier reef,located about 3 km off the shore. This reef forms the Saipan Lagoon....
on her way home, observing a Katori
Japanese cruiser Katori
was the lead ship of the Katori class of three light cruisers which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It is named after the noted Shinto shrine Katori Shrine in Chiba prefecture, Japan.-Background:...
-class cruiser near Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, and being attacked by aircraft and depth charges on 23 January while attempting a stealthy approach on the Taiyō-class escort aircraft carrier Unyō
Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.-Construction and conversion:The liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen, laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was...
in Garapan Anchorage (the carrier had already been damaged by Haddock). Halibut was forced down to 405 feet (123.4 m) to avoid her attackers, and spent over thirteen hours submerged. She reached Midway on 1 February 1944 where she suffered storm damage to her ballast tanks while moored.
Ninth Patrol
Halibut departed on her ninth war patrol 21 March 1944, her patrol area was off Okinawa, a 90 mi (144.8 km) by 250 mi (402.3 km) island-filled area called Nansei Shoto. Cruising between Amami O Shima and Tokuno Shima late on 12 April, the submarine encountered several enemy vessels; following them northwards she spotted a south-bound freighter with three small escorts. She launched three torpedoes; one struck the Taichu Maru (3,213 tons) squarely amidships and she quickly sank. The three escorts dropped eighteen depth charges, which did little more than test the newly fitted depth charge indicator. The sinking alerted the Japanese, and both sea and air anti-submarine patrols were intensified in the area, preventing Halibut from operating successfully for the next two weeks even as she expanded her patrol into the East China SeaEast China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
. Finally, on 26 April, the submarine found some action. She passed between Iheya Retto and Okinawa Jima in the very early morning of 26 April and detected three freighters with escorts. She closed the range over several hours and fired six torpedoes from 3000 yards (2,743.2 m), three each at two freighters, two hit and the convoy was scattered. Halibut eluded the escorts and returned to the attack around dawn, closing in on a ship separated from the group, she sank Genbu Maru with two torpedoes. Very soon afterwards she detected a small vessel using sonar and fired from 900 yards (823 m) to sink the coastal minelayer Kanome. The submarine was then forced into evasive action as a bomber arrived overhead; the aircraft and two patrol boats dropped some ninety depth charges without ever endangering Halibut. Later, off the northeastern shore of Kume Shima on 29 April, she fired fifty shells from her 4-inch deck gun at two warehouses and other buildings. On 1 May she spotted a compact group of eighteen 250-ton sampans while east of Okinawa and trailed them southwards; after dusk she surfaced and closed the range to attack with her deck armaments from 1000 yards (914.4 m). Two sampans exploded violently but return fire and flying debris injured three of Halibuts crew - one seriously. With concerns for the injured man, the sub left her patrol zone a day early to return to Midway. She rendezvoused with Perch after six days travel, and a fully qualified doctor from Midway aboard the second sub was transferred to Halibut by boat. When Halibut reached Midway on 11 May, it was decided to leave the injured man aboard and carry on to Pearl Harbor, which she reached on 15 May 1944. Again it was decided to leave the injured man aboard rather than risk moving him, and the submarine was refueled and restored before heading on to a major overhaul at the ship repair basin of Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
at Sixteenth Street in south San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, with ninety days rest for the crew. She reached that port on 24 May and finally, after twenty-one days in his bunk, the injured man was transferred to a land hospital - Oak Knoll Naval Hospital.
During her major overhaul, Halibut had some small changes. An automatic plotting table was added; the main electric power control cubicle was given shock-mountings; there was a new, more powerful, trim pump; another passive sonar set; and the 20 mm deck gun was replaced with a 40 mm rapid-fire gun. After testing, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 September 1944, where Galatin received a promotion to commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
.
Tenth Patrol
On her tenth war patrol Halibut again joined a coordinated attack group, this time with Haddock and , under the overall command of John P. Roach. Halibut was given a loadout of the newer all-electric Mark 18 torpedoMark 18 torpedo
The Mark 18 torpedo was an electric torpedo used by the US Navy during World War II.The Mark 18 was built in competition to the Bureau of Ordnance electric torpedoes, which had been in development at the Newport Torpedo Station , Newport, Rhode Island, since the 1920s, in particular the Mark II,...
. The group departed Pearl on 8 October, bypassing Midway and taking a 3650 miles (5,874.1 km) great circle route towards Tanapag, Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, which had been captured in June. The group replenished their stores there and departed on 21 October after two days to head for the patrol zone around the strait between Formosa
Formosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
and Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
.
The group reached the Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
on 25 October, but mid-morning the submarines were ordered to set up scouting lines to intercept units of the Japanese fleet retiring after the Battle of Cape Engaño. Spread out east-west 30 nautical miles (55.6 km) apart, the submarines moved rapidly until enemy ships (heavily engaged by USN dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s) were detected around 17:30. Halibut and the other subs had encountered the remnants of Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa
Jisaburo Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:...
's force. She submerged at 17:45 while some 30000 yards (27,432 m) away from a vessel she identified as the battleship Yamashiro
Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Yamashiro was the Imperial Japanese Navy's second Fusō-class battleship, and was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 20, 1913, launched on November 3, 1915, and commissioned on March 31, 1917. She was the first Japanese vessel equipped with aircraft catapults...
(later found to be the Ise
Japanese battleship Ise
, was the lead ship of the two-vessel Ise-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which saw combat service during the Pacific War. Ise was named after Ise Province, one of the traditional provinces of Japan, now part of Mie Prefecture....
). At 18:43 she fired six torpedoes from 3400 yards (3,109 m). While the torpedoes were en route, a manoeuvre by the Japanese vessels brought an escort into their path and a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
was sunk. JANAC later identified the sunken vessel as the Akizuki
Japanese destroyer Akizuki
-External links:*...
, but Galantin states that it was more likely the Hatsuzuki
Japanese destroyer Hatsuzuki
was an Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "New Moon " or " August".In October 1944 Hatsuzuki was part of the Northern Force commanded by Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo, in the Japanese attack on the Allied forces supporting the invasion of Leyte...
, as Japanese records list the Akizuki being sunk by aerial attack earlier in the day. An hour after the attack, Halibut resurfaced and headed north chasing a radar contact, which she lost in the early morning of 26 October.
The submarine returned to the Luzon Strait, where she found the variable currents in the two main channels (Bashi Channel
Bashi Channel
The Bashi Channel is a strait between the Y'Ami Island of the Philippines and Orchid Island of Taiwan. It is characterized by windy storms during the rainy period, June to December. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean....
and Balintang Channel
Balintang Channel
The Balintang Channel is the small waterway that separates the Batanes and Babuyan Islands, both of which belong to the Philippines, in the Luzon Strait....
) made keeping trim very tricky. On 28 October she was attacked with no effect (beyond a little fright for her lookout
Lookout
A lookout or look-out is a person on a ship in charge of the observation of the sea for hazards, other ships, land, etc. Lookouts report anything they see and or hear. When reporting contacts, lookouts give information such as, bearing of the object, which way the object is headed, target angles...
s) by an anti-submarine aircraft. For the next two weeks, in constantly poor weather, Halibut found no enemy shipping except the hospital ship Hikawa Maru, which could not be attacked.
On 13 November Halibut noticed increasing air anti-submarine activity. In the early morning of 14 November she entered the Bashi Channel and around noon she detected a northbound convoy of four freighters with escorts. The submarine launched four torpedoes from 3100 yards (2,834.6 m). As Halibut submerged and turned away, the crew heard a "loud, fast buzzing noise" which was quickly followed by five explosions (apparently jikitanchiki
Magnetic anomaly detector
A magnetic anomaly detector is an instrument used to detect minute variations in the Earth's magnetic field. The term refers specifically to magnetometers used by military forces to detect submarines ; the military MAD gear is a descendent of geomagnetic survey instruments used to search for...
-equipped aircraft). The submarine went down to 325 feet (99.1 m) as she detected the sonar of two escorts when a sudden near explosion severely damaged the conning tower, which had been abandoned. This blast was followed by another series of very close explosions which damaged equipment in the control room and yet another series of blasts over the forward battery compartment that damaged the torpedo room, forward battery room, and the main air bank, "one of the most devastating [attacks] of the war". The attacks drove Halibut down to 420 feet (128 m); as air pressure rose to 52 psi (358,527.4 Pa) the crew were forced to seal off the afflicted section and slowly release the pressure into the rest of the ship. No further attacks occurred and Halibut was able to move sluggishly up to around 300 feet (91.4 m), her nominal crush depth. The crew toiled with repairs, and when night came she resurfaced and headed towards her sister ships. The radar was repaired, although Halibut was without depth gauges, main compasses, gyros, radio, and a number of other systems, although most of the damage was actually to the hull and its fittings. At around 21:30 she encountered of the wolf pack that was working to the north of Halibut. After transferring a message to COMSUBPAC Pintado was ordered to escort Halibut all the 1500 miles (2,414 km) to Saipan. Halibut made a single brief dive during the journey; this was the last time she was ever submerged. At noon on 19 November she entered Tanapag Harbor.
The gallant submarine received the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for her performance on this patrol. However, as a result of this action, damages incurred on her meant that she could no longer patrol for the rest of the war, and thus essentially became the unofficial 52nd U.S. submarine lost during World War II, although she was not sunk. hold this title, and would have been the 53rd had Halibut been ranked.
Fate
Halibut arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 December. It was quickly determined that her damage was too pervasive to justify repair. She was sent to New LondonNew London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, where she could be used as an alongside school ship. Her command was transferred to Guy Gugliotta and she left Pearl Harbor on 5 December arriving at San Francisco on 12 December.
She sailed 16 February 1945 for Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. She was decommissioned 18 July 1945 and was sold for $23,123 (currently $) as scrap on 10 January 1947 to Quaker Shipyard and Machinery Company of Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
.
Halibut received seven battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, she had steamed over 110000 miles (177,027.4 km), sunk twelve ships and damaged at least nine others. War patrols 3 through 7, 9 and 10 were designated successful.
The battle flag of the Halibut, along with photos of her crew and other artifacts, can be seen at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and park, next to the USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
The USS Arizona Memorial, located at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors killed on the USS Arizona during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 by Japanese imperial forces and commemorates the events of that day...
Visitor Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.