.gif)
USS Scabbardfish (SS-397)
Encyclopedia
USS Scabbardfish (SS-397), a Balao-class submarine
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the scabbarddfish, a long, compressed, silver-colored fish found on European coasts and around New Zealand
.
Her keel was laid down on 27 September 1943 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
. She was launched
on 27 January 1944 sponsored by Ensign Nancy J. Schetky, and commissioned
on 29 April 1944 with Lieutenant Commander F. A. Gunn in command.
After completing initial training at Portsmouth, and torpedo trials at Newport, Rhode Island
, Scabbardfish reported to the Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, New London, Connecticut
, for advance training and final outfitting. Upon completion thereof, she sailed to Key West, Florida
, for ASW duties which began on 21 June 1944. On 1 July, she departed for Panama
. Four days later, she transited the Panama Canal
en route to the West Coast and Pearl Harbor
.
Scabbardfish, as a unit of Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, arrived at Pearl Harbor on 24 July. After completing voyage repairs and final training, she departed for Midway Island on 17 August. After refueling there, she departed on her first war patrol in the Ryukyu Islands
area.
attack, she surfaced and continued steaming west.
On 19 September, west of Okinawa, she damaged a 5500-ton Jingei-class submarine tender with two hits. She also fired a spread "down the throat" of a Chidori-class escort but missed. As a consequence, she underwent a depth charge attack for three hours but suffered no damage. The remainder of her patrol proved fruitless, and the submarine returned to Midway Island, on 12 October, for refitting. Two weeks later, she sailed to Saipan
, Mariana Islands
, for further orders.
. She arrived at her designated patrol area on 16 November and sank a 2100-ton inter-island steamer that day. Six days later she sank the 875-ton Kisaragi Maru and damaged a 4000-ton freighter. On 29 November, she sank Japanese submarine I-365, picking up one lone survivor named Sasaki.
SS-397 completed her patrol at Guam
on 20 December 1944; remained there until 16 January 1945; and then sailed to Saipan. Upon arrival there, she underwent intensive training in wolfpack tactics. Her third war patrol began on 23 January when she began patrolling the sea lanes between the Philippine Islands and Ryukyu islands
. In late February, she engaged 12 luggers and a trawler with her deck gun but was forced to submerge by an enemy plane. She was bombed but suffered no damage. She returned to Saipan on 6 March and was ordered to return to Pearl Harbor for refitting.
in late April and underwent voyage repairs by submarine tender
. On 29 April, she departed for the East China Sea
. A change of orders assigned her to the Life Guard League, and, on 4 May, she rescued five crewmen from a ditched B-29 Superfortress
. They were transferred to submarine two days later, and SS-397 continued to the Yellow Sea
area. On 17 May, Scabbardfish fired a spread of torpedoes at a small freighter which was accompanied by two escorts. This proved to be a hunter-killer group, and when the torpedoes missed, they subjected the submarine to a grueling four-hour depth charge
attack. The submarine sustained no serious damage and returned to Guam on 11 June to be refitted by submarine tender .
on 15 August, the cease fire had gone into effect, and Scabbardfish sailed to Pearl Harbor
. She sailed from there on 6 September under orders which sent her to Eniwetok for ASW training duties. She remained there for a month; sailed to Guam
for a month; and, on 14 November, stood out of Apra Harbor
en route to San Francisco, California
, via Midway Island. On 29 November 1945, the submarine arrived at Mare Island
for her first overhaul, which was not completed until mid-March 1946.
Scabbardfish operated along the West Coast until 17 March 1947 when she entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
for her second major overhaul. The submarine departed directly from drydock, on 8 August, for San Diego, California
. One month later, she called at Pearl Harbor for a few days and then continued sailing west on a simulated war patrol. After visiting the Palau Islands, Hong Kong
, Shanghai
, Tsingtao
, and Okinawa, she returned to San Diego on 11 December 1947.
On 3 January 1948, she was underway for Mare Island and, two days later, reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet for inactivation. In February 1948, she was placed in reserve, out of commission, and berthed at Mare Island. Scabbardfish remained there until October 1964 when she was again placed in commission, preparatory to transferring her to the government of Greece
.
Scabbardfish received five battle stars for World War II
service.
Ex-Scabbardfish was stricken from the American Naval Vessel Register
on 31 January 1976 and purchased outright by Greece in April 1976. She was stricken from the Greek Navy in 1980 but still in use as a pier-side trainer as late as 1982.
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
, was the only 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 scabbarddfish, a long, compressed, silver-colored fish found on European coasts and around New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Her keel was laid down on 27 September 1943 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in 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...
. 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 27 January 1944 sponsored by Ensign Nancy J. Schetky, 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 29 April 1944 with Lieutenant Commander F. A. Gunn in command.
After completing initial training at Portsmouth, and torpedo trials at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, Scabbardfish reported to the Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, New London, Connecticut
New 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....
, for advance training and final outfitting. Upon completion thereof, she sailed to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, for ASW duties which began on 21 June 1944. On 1 July, she departed for Panama
Panama
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...
. Four days later, she transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
en route to the West Coast and 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...
.
Scabbardfish, as a unit of Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, arrived at Pearl Harbor on 24 July. After completing voyage repairs and final training, she departed for Midway Island on 17 August. After refueling there, she departed on her first war patrol in the Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
area.
First War Patrol
On 31 August, she sighted her first enemy ships, an inter-island steamer with two escorts. Scabbardfish fired two spreads of three torpedoes but all missed. After a light 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 surfaced and continued steaming west.
On 19 September, west of Okinawa, she damaged a 5500-ton Jingei-class submarine tender with two hits. She also fired a spread "down the throat" of a Chidori-class escort but missed. As a consequence, she underwent a depth charge attack for three hours but suffered no damage. The remainder of her patrol proved fruitless, and the submarine returned to Midway Island, on 12 October, for refitting. Two weeks later, she sailed to 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...
, 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...
, for further orders.
Second and Third War Patrols
Scabbardfish departed Saipan on 12 November to patrol in the seas southeast of HonshūHonshu
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...
. She arrived at her designated patrol area on 16 November and sank a 2100-ton inter-island steamer that day. Six days later she sank the 875-ton Kisaragi Maru and damaged a 4000-ton freighter. On 29 November, she sank Japanese submarine I-365, picking up one lone survivor named Sasaki.
SS-397 completed her patrol at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 20 December 1944; remained there until 16 January 1945; and then sailed to Saipan. Upon arrival there, she underwent intensive training in wolfpack tactics. Her third war patrol began on 23 January when she began patrolling the sea lanes between the Philippine Islands and Ryukyu islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
. In late February, she engaged 12 luggers and a trawler with her deck gun but was forced to submerge by an enemy plane. She was bombed but suffered no damage. She returned to Saipan on 6 March and was ordered to return to Pearl Harbor for refitting.
Fourth War Patrol
Scabbardfish returned to GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in late April and underwent voyage repairs by submarine tender
. On 29 April, she departed for the East China Sea
East 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:...
. A change of orders assigned her to the Life Guard League, and, on 4 May, she rescued five crewmen from a ditched B-29 Superfortress
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...
. They were transferred to submarine two days later, and SS-397 continued to the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
area. On 17 May, Scabbardfish fired a spread of torpedoes at a small freighter which was accompanied by two escorts. This proved to be a hunter-killer group, and when the torpedoes missed, they subjected the submarine to a grueling four-hour 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. The submarine sustained no serious damage and returned to Guam on 11 June to be refitted by submarine tender .
Fifth War Patrol
Scabbardfish began her fifth, and last, war patrol on 1 July with another assignment to the Life Guard League. During the period from 25 July to 10 August she rescued seven pilots. When she returned to SaipanSaipan
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...
on 15 August, the cease fire had gone into effect, and Scabbardfish sailed 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...
. She sailed from there on 6 September under orders which sent her to Eniwetok for ASW training duties. She remained there for a month; sailed to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
for a month; and, on 14 November, stood out of Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
en route to 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...
, via Midway Island. On 29 November 1945, the submarine arrived at Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
for her first overhaul, which was not completed until mid-March 1946.
Scabbardfish operated along the West Coast until 17 March 1947 when she entered the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
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...
for her second major overhaul. The submarine departed directly from drydock, on 8 August, for San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. One month later, she called at Pearl Harbor for a few days and then continued sailing west on a simulated war patrol. After visiting the Palau Islands, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Tsingtao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, and Okinawa, she returned to San Diego on 11 December 1947.
On 3 January 1948, she was underway for Mare Island and, two days later, reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet for inactivation. In February 1948, she was placed in reserve, out of commission, and berthed at Mare Island. Scabbardfish remained there until October 1964 when she was again placed in commission, preparatory to transferring her to the government of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Scabbardfish received five 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.
Korean War Patrol
"Scabbardfish" participated in reconnaissance missions during the Korean War. In December 1952, when weather conditions required suspension of the Hokkaido area patrols, she was assigned a special patrol duty of the coast of China. This marked a time when submarines were being used increasingly for special operations including amphibious raids and other clandestine missions.HS Triaina (S-86)
She was officially transferred on loan to the Royal Hellenic Navy on 26 February 1965, and commissioned as Triaina (S-86).Ex-Scabbardfish was stricken from the American Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 31 January 1976 and purchased outright by Greece in April 1976. She was stricken from the Greek Navy in 1980 but still in use as a pier-side trainer as late as 1982.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org