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USS Hammerhead (SS-364)
Encyclopedia
USS Hammerhead (SS-364), a Gato-class
submarine
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the hammerhead shark
; a shark
found in warm seas with a flattened anterior forward of the gill slits, presenting a hammer-like silhouette when viewed from above.
The first Hammerhead was launched 24 October 1943 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. of Manitowoc, Wisc.; sponsored by Mrs. R. W. Berry; and commissioned 1 March 1944, Commander J. C. Martin in command.
After a month's training in Lake Michigan
Hammerhead was placed in a floating drydock and towed down the Mississippi River
to New Orleans, La.
, where she arrived 8 April 1944. She subsequently proceeded to Balboa
, Canal Zone
, for further training, and thence to Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
.
, her first engagement came 9 June when she sank a sampan with gunfire. She then encountered a coastal oiler 29 June and closed for the attack, but the topedoes failed to strike home and a surprise aerial attack forced the sub down. Next day Hammerhead damaged several ships of a convoy
. She made port at Fremantle
, Australia
17 August 1944.
and South China Sea
s. She departed Fremantle 9 September and made her first attack the night of 1 October, when a convey consisting of four cargo ships, one oiler, and three escorts was detected off Borneo
. Hammerhead fired 10 torpedoes, scored a total of 6 hits, and sent 3 of the cargo ships to the bottom.
The morning of 20 October the submarine found still another six ship convoy, and after evading one of the escorts delivered a six-torpedo attack. Two more cargo ships fell victim to Hammerheads marksmanship. The submarine returned from this highly successful patrol 2 November 1944, and was later awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
for her outstanding performance.
Hammerhead departed on her fourth war patrol 19 February, in company with . Patrolling off Cape Varella, she detected a convoy and two escorts 23 February and while closing the cargo ships obtained a perfect shot on an escort. A spread of four torpedoes sank Japan
ese frigate
Yaku. Due to the illness of her commanding officer, the submarine was forced to end her patrol, and moored at Subic Bay
3 March 1945.
, where on 29 March she detected a large escorted convoy. Working her way inside the screen, the submarine was able to get a clear shot at an escort vessel, and a single hit broke her in two. After sinking the escort, Hammerhead damaged other members of the group before retiring. She returned from this war patrol 6 April 1945, mooring at Subic Bay, Philippines
.
For her sixth war patrol Hammerhead operated in the Gulf of Siam. She arrived 6 May and that night encountered a small tanker
and two escorts. After missing with two torpedoes at extreme range the submarine found the mark in a second attack, sinking the tanker Kinrei Maru. Hammerhead attacked other ships of the convoy without success and after a depth charge
attack decided to break off. Sighting a cargo carrier 14 May with only an aircraft escort, Hammerhead made a perfect approach and sank the ship with two torpedoes. She returned from this patrol 25 May.
at Mare Island.
, recommissioned 6 February 1952, and engaged in training duty on the West Coast between San Diego and San Francisco, Calif.
, until 21 August 1953. when she decommissioned for return to the Reserve Fleet.
submarine at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
and recommissioned once more 16 July 1954 to prepare for transfer. Decommissioned and loaned to Turkey
23 October 1954, she was recommissioned by the Turkish Navy
as TCG Cerbe (S 341), the first submarine of that name. Initially designated S 03, she was later redesignated S 341. The submarine was formally sold to Turkey 1 January 1972, and subsequently scrapped.
for World War II
service. All seven of her war patrols were designated successful.
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 hammerhead shark
Hammerhead shark
The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna while the...
; a shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
found in warm seas with a flattened anterior forward of the gill slits, presenting a hammer-like silhouette when viewed from above.
The first Hammerhead was launched 24 October 1943 by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. of Manitowoc, Wisc.; sponsored by Mrs. R. W. Berry; and commissioned 1 March 1944, Commander J. C. Martin in command.
After a month's training in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
Hammerhead was placed in a floating drydock and towed down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to New Orleans, La.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, where she arrived 8 April 1944. She subsequently proceeded to Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
, Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, for further training, and thence to 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...
, 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...
.
First patrol, June – August 1944
The submarine departed Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol 6 June 1944 in company with and . Cruising the seas south of FormosaTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, her first engagement came 9 June when she sank a sampan with gunfire. She then encountered a coastal oiler 29 June and closed for the attack, but the topedoes failed to strike home and a surprise aerial attack forced the sub down. Next day Hammerhead damaged several ships of a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
. She made port 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...
17 August 1944.
Second patrol, September – November 1944
Hammerheads second war patrol was conducted in the JavaJava 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. She departed Fremantle 9 September and made her first attack the night of 1 October, when a convey consisting of four cargo ships, one oiler, and three escorts was detected off Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Hammerhead fired 10 torpedoes, scored a total of 6 hits, and sent 3 of the cargo ships to the bottom.
The morning of 20 October the submarine found still another six ship convoy, and after evading one of the escorts delivered a six-torpedo attack. Two more cargo ships fell victim to Hammerheads marksmanship. The submarine returned from this highly successful patrol 2 November 1944, and was later awarded 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 outstanding performance.
Third and fourth patrols, November 1944 – March 1945
The submarine commenced her third war patrol 25 November, returning to the South China Sea. On this cruise she operated with and , and although several attacks were made, no sinkings resulted. She returned to Fremantle 17 January 1945.Hammerhead departed on her fourth war patrol 19 February, in company with . Patrolling off Cape Varella, she detected a convoy and two escorts 23 February and while closing the cargo ships obtained a perfect shot on an escort. A spread of four torpedoes sank 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 frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Yaku. Due to the illness of her commanding officer, the submarine was forced to end her patrol, and moored at 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...
3 March 1945.
Fifth and sixth patrols, March – May 1945
Beginning her fifth war patrol 10 March 1945, Hammerhead proceeded to the coast of IndochinaIndochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, where on 29 March she detected a large escorted convoy. Working her way inside the screen, the submarine was able to get a clear shot at an escort vessel, and a single hit broke her in two. After sinking the escort, Hammerhead damaged other members of the group before retiring. She returned from this war patrol 6 April 1945, mooring at Subic Bay, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
For her sixth war patrol Hammerhead operated in the Gulf of Siam. She arrived 6 May and that night encountered a small tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
and two escorts. After missing with two torpedoes at extreme range the submarine found the mark in a second attack, sinking the tanker Kinrei Maru. Hammerhead attacked other ships of the convoy without success and after a depth charge
Depth 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 decided to break off. Sighting a cargo carrier 14 May with only an aircraft escort, Hammerhead made a perfect approach and sank the ship with two torpedoes. She returned from this patrol 25 May.
Seventh patrol, June – August 1945
Hammerhead departed Fremantle 21 June on her seventh and last war patrol, also carried out in the Gulf of Siam, in company with three other submarines. Her major attack of this patrol occurred 10 July, when she sank cargo ships Sakura Maru and Nanmei Maru No. 5. The patrol was brought to a close 21 August 1945 at Pearl Harbor.Decommissioning, 1945
Hammerhead arrived Mare Island, Calif., for decommissioning 20 August 1945 and decommissioned 9 February 1946. She was then placed in the Reserve FleetReserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
at Mare Island.
Second period in commission, 1952-1953
Hammerhead was brought out of reserve during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, recommissioned 6 February 1952, and engaged in training duty on the West Coast between San Diego and San Francisco, Calif.
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...
, until 21 August 1953. when she decommissioned for return to the Reserve Fleet.
TCG Cerbe (S 341)
Earmarked for loan under the Military Assistance Program, the veteran submarine was converted to a GUPPYGuppy
The guppy , also known as the millionfish, is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poeciliidae family [females long, males long] and like all other members of the family, is live-bearing....
submarine at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
and recommissioned once more 16 July 1954 to prepare for transfer. Decommissioned and loaned to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
23 October 1954, she was recommissioned by the Turkish Navy
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.- Ottoman fleet after Mudros :Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, on November 3, 1918, the fleet commander of the Ottoman Navy, Liva Amiral Arif Pasha, ordered all flags to be...
as TCG Cerbe (S 341), the first submarine of that name. Initially designated S 03, she was later redesignated S 341. The submarine was formally sold to Turkey 1 January 1972, and subsequently scrapped.
Awards
Hammerhead received seven battle stars and a Navy Unit CommendationNavy 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 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. All seven of her war patrols were designated successful.