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USS Pogy (SS-266)
Encyclopedia
USS Pogy (SS-266), a Gato-class
submarine
, was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the pogy, or menhaden
.
The first Pogy (SS–266) was laid down 15 September 1941 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc.
, launched 23 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Julius A. Furer; and commissioned 10 January 1943, Lt. Comdr. G. H. Wales in command. Pogy temporarily decommissioned 1 February for a Mississippi
cruise on a river barge
to New Orleans, LA
, and recommissioned upon her arrival 12 February.
5 April 1943. On 15 April she set out for her patrol area along the eastern coast of Honshū
, making her first contact 1 May. Her periscope
attack on a convoy
of five ships with one escort sank ex-gunboat Keishin Maru, and damaged a small freighter. Upon surfacing that night, Pogy attacked a destroyer
with three torpedo
es, but was unable to observe the results. The next day she destroyed a large sampan
by gunfire. On 9 May while making a submerged attack on a convoy of four freighters, a bomb close astern forced Pogy to retire. On 11 May, she sank a 100-ton sampan by gunfire. Two torpedo hits sent a small freighter to the bottom 26 May, and on 5 June Pogy retired to Midway
.
-Truk main communication and supply line. While patrolling submerged east of the Pulap Islands 5 July, she attacked two freighters with torpedoes, damaging the leading 3,000-ton freighter by one hit.
Pogy sighted an aircraft ferry steaming for Truk, and sank the 7,497-ton Mongamigawa Maru and her valuable cargo 1 August. The submarine then departed the area, stopping at Johnston Island for fuel on the 14th, and arriving at Pearl Harbor two days later for refit.
area. On 28 September she sighted a five ship convoy. After a two-day chase and one unsuccessful attack, she scored two torpedo hits on the largest freighter of the convoy, Maebashi Maru, sinking 7,000 more tons of enemy shipping. On 6 October Pogy fired and missed 4 torpedoes at Nichiei Maru. On 26 October Pogy returned to Pearl Harbor.
The submarine sailed for her patrol area again in the Palau
Islands, 25 November. En route, she sighted a large freighter and a submarine tender
escorted by a destroyer 7 December. In the ensuing attack three torpedoes hit and sank the 6,081-ton submarine tender, and one hit the freighter, before Pogy went deep to sit out an attack of 22 depth charge
s. She surfaced in the darkness to find the freighter dead in the water with the destroyer circling her. Pogy launched two torpedoes, both hits.
On 13 December Pogy sank 3,821-ton transport Fukkai Maru leaving Palau loaded with troops. The angry escort dropped 27 depth charges during the counter-attack, the three closest charges causing damage which forced Pogy to return to Midway 22 December.
area. During the morning of 10 February, she spotted a convoy in Bashi Channel
, off the southern tip of Formosa, guarded by three Japanese destroyers. Pogy attacked with five torpedoes, sinking Japanese destroyer Minekaze
and 5,500-ton passengercargo ship Malta Maru, and damaging another freighter.
Pogy then headed northward up the east coast of Formosa and, on 20 February, caught a convoy on the Tropic of Cancer
. Skillful approach and sharpshooting sent two torpedoes slamming into the Taijin Maru, a 5,154-ton freighter, and one into the Nanyo Maru, a 3,610-ton freighter, sinking both. Three days later in Nansei Islands waters, Pogy blew the bottom out of another freighter, before heading for Pearl Harbor, arriving 8 March 1944.
Three days later Pogy sank a 20-ton sampan by gunfire, and took five of her crew prisoner. On 20 May, Pogy destroyed a small trawler and arrived back in Pearl Harbor 29 May. She departed Pearl Harbor 1 June for a West Coast navy yard overhaul, arriving at Hunter's Point
, San Francisco, Calif
. 8 June. Pogy departed for Pearl Harbor 17 September.
On 27 December Pogy sailed on her eighth patrol in the Bonin and Volcano Islands
. On 14 January 1945 she made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a convoy of three freighters. No other opportunity to attack presented itself during the patrol, and the ship returned to Midway 11 February.
. On 19 April, while on lifeguard station, a B-24 Liberator
on patrol strafed and bombed Pogy by mistake, causing considerable damage. On 29 April Pogy rescued ten Army aviators from a downed B-29
(The Queen Bee), and got underway for Saipan to transfer them. On 6 May she departed Saipan
for Pearl Harbor arriving 15 May for refit.
on her tenth and last war patrol. She made a run under the minefield
s and patrolled in the "Emperor's private ocean" until V-J Day. Hunting was better on this patrol. On 27 July Pogy sank a large freighter with two torpedoes, damaged a 10,000-ton tanker on 2 August, and on 5 August destroyed the 2,200-ton freighter Kotohirasan Maru. She returned to Midway 21 August with her World War II
career completed.
and then the East Coast of the United States. She arrived New York 3 October.
Pogy was placed out of commission in the U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet 20 July 1946 at New London, Conn
. She was struck from the Navy List
1 September 1958 and sold 1 May 1959.
Pogy was credited with sinking 62,633 tons of shipping in 16 ships. She received eight battle stars for service in World War II.
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 pogy, or menhaden
Menhaden
Menhaden, also known as mossbunker, bunker and pogy, are forage fish of the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium, two genera of marine fish in the family Clupeidae.-Description:...
.
The first Pogy (SS–266) was laid down 15 September 1941 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc.
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Manitowoc is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,053, with over 50,000 residents in the surrounding communities...
, launched 23 June 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Julius A. Furer; and commissioned 10 January 1943, Lt. Comdr. G. H. Wales in command. Pogy temporarily decommissioned 1 February for a Mississippi
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...
cruise on a river barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
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...
, and recommissioned upon her arrival 12 February.
First war patrol, April – June 1943
After fitting out, trial runs, and training, Pogy arrived 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...
5 April 1943. On 15 April she set out for her patrol area along the eastern coast 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...
, making her first contact 1 May. Her periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
attack on 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...
of five ships with one escort sank ex-gunboat Keishin Maru, and damaged a small freighter. Upon surfacing that night, Pogy attacked 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...
with three 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...
es, but was unable to observe the results. The next day she destroyed a large sampan
Sampan
A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
by gunfire. On 9 May while making a submerged attack on a convoy of four freighters, a bomb close astern forced Pogy to retire. On 11 May, she sank a 100-ton sampan by gunfire. Two torpedo hits sent a small freighter to the bottom 26 May, and on 5 June Pogy retired to Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
.
Second war patrol, June – August 1943
She departed Midway on her second war patrol 26 June. Throughout July she covered the EmpireJapan
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...
-Truk main communication and supply line. While patrolling submerged east of the Pulap Islands 5 July, she attacked two freighters with torpedoes, damaging the leading 3,000-ton freighter by one hit.
Pogy sighted an aircraft ferry steaming for Truk, and sank the 7,497-ton Mongamigawa Maru and her valuable cargo 1 August. The submarine then departed the area, stopping at Johnston Island for fuel on the 14th, and arriving at Pearl Harbor two days later for refit.
Third and fourth war patrols, September – December 1943
Pogy departed Pearl Harbor 9 September for her third war patrol, in the PalauPalau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
area. On 28 September she sighted a five ship convoy. After a two-day chase and one unsuccessful attack, she scored two torpedo hits on the largest freighter of the convoy, Maebashi Maru, sinking 7,000 more tons of enemy shipping. On 6 October Pogy fired and missed 4 torpedoes at Nichiei Maru. On 26 October Pogy returned to Pearl Harbor.
The submarine sailed for her patrol area again in the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
Islands, 25 November. En route, she sighted a large freighter and a submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
escorted by a destroyer 7 December. In the ensuing attack three torpedoes hit and sank the 6,081-ton submarine tender, and one hit the freighter, before Pogy went deep to sit out an attack of 22 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...
s. She surfaced in the darkness to find the freighter dead in the water with the destroyer circling her. Pogy launched two torpedoes, both hits.
On 13 December Pogy sank 3,821-ton transport Fukkai Maru leaving Palau loaded with troops. The angry escort dropped 27 depth charges during the counter-attack, the three closest charges causing damage which forced Pogy to return to Midway 22 December.
Fifth war patrol, February – March 1944
On 5 February 1944 Pogy departed Midway on her fifth war patrol for an anti-shipping sweep of the 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...
area. During the morning of 10 February, she spotted a convoy in 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....
, off the southern tip of Formosa, guarded by three Japanese destroyers. Pogy attacked with five torpedoes, sinking Japanese destroyer Minekaze
Japanese destroyer Minekaze
was the lead ship of the destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy immediately following World War I. Advanced for their time, these ships served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, but were considered obsolescent by the start of the Pacific War....
and 5,500-ton passengercargo ship Malta Maru, and damaging another freighter.
Pogy then headed northward up the east coast of Formosa and, on 20 February, caught a convoy on the Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
. Skillful approach and sharpshooting sent two torpedoes slamming into the Taijin Maru, a 5,154-ton freighter, and one into the Nanyo Maru, a 3,610-ton freighter, sinking both. Three days later in Nansei Islands waters, Pogy blew the bottom out of another freighter, before heading for Pearl Harbor, arriving 8 March 1944.
Sixth war patrol, April – June 1944
On 7 April she departed on her sixth patrol, southeast of Japan. The night of 28 April, Pogy sighted and sank a Japanese submarine, I-183. She then attacked and sank a freighter 5 May, and a medium freighter on 13 May.Three days later Pogy sank a 20-ton sampan by gunfire, and took five of her crew prisoner. On 20 May, Pogy destroyed a small trawler and arrived back in Pearl Harbor 29 May. She departed Pearl Harbor 1 June for a West Coast navy yard overhaul, arriving at Hunter's Point
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
, 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...
. 8 June. Pogy departed for Pearl Harbor 17 September.
Seventh and eighth war patrols, October 1944 – February 1945
After a training period, she got underway 13 October for her seventh war patrol, in the Nansei Shoto and waters south of Japan, but made no contacts before returning to Midway 2 December.On 27 December Pogy sailed on her eighth patrol in the Bonin and Volcano Islands
Volcano Islands
The Volcano Islands is a group of three Japanese islands south of the Bonin Islands that belong to the municipality of Ogasawara...
. On 14 January 1945 she made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a convoy of three freighters. No other opportunity to attack presented itself during the patrol, and the ship returned to Midway 11 February.
Ninth war patrol, March – May 1945
On 12 March Pogy got underway for her ninth patrol in the area south of Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. On 19 April, while on lifeguard station, a B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
on patrol strafed and bombed Pogy by mistake, causing considerable damage. On 29 April Pogy rescued ten Army aviators from a downed B-29
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(The Queen Bee), and got underway for Saipan to transfer them. On 6 May she departed 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...
for Pearl Harbor arriving 15 May for refit.
Tenth war patrol, July – August 1945
On 2 July Pogy departed Pearl Harbor for the Sea of JapanSea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
on her tenth and last war patrol. She made a run under the minefield
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s and patrolled in the "Emperor's private ocean" until V-J Day. Hunting was better on this patrol. On 27 July Pogy sank a large freighter with two torpedoes, damaged a 10,000-ton tanker on 2 August, and on 5 August destroyed the 2,200-ton freighter Kotohirasan Maru. She returned to Midway 21 August with her 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...
career completed.
Postwar
She departed Midway 5 September for PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and then the East Coast of the United States. She arrived New York 3 October.
Pogy was placed out of commission in the U.S. Atlantic Reserve Fleet 20 July 1946 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:...
. She was struck from the Navy List
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...
1 September 1958 and sold 1 May 1959.
Pogy was credited with sinking 62,633 tons of shipping in 16 ships. She received eight battle stars for service in World War II.