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USS Springer (SS-414)
Encyclopedia
USS Springer (SS-414) was a Balao-class
submarine
of the United States Navy
, named after the springer, a Grampus.
Springer was laid down on 3 October 1943 at Vallejo, Calif.
, by the Mare Island Navy Yard; launched
on 3 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. M. S. Tisdale; and commissioned
on 18 October 1944, Commander Russell Kefauver in command.
Springer sailed for San Diego on 3 December to conduct sea trials and shakedown training. After availability, she departed Mare Island for Hawaii
on 8 January 1945 and arrived at Pearl Harbor
the following week. On 4 February, she steamed to Guam
; topped off her stores and oil; and, on 17 February, sailed for the Ryukyu Islands
to begin her first war patrol.
Later in the month, the submarine made radar
contact with three ships, and she tracked the largest for three hours. When it was within torpedo range, she made a surface attack with four torpedoes. She scored two hits and the target began to burn. An hour later, Transport No. 18 was still afloat so she sank it with another torpedo. The submarine returned to Guam on 25 March and was refitted by .
where they were to operate as a wolfpack. Eight days later, the pack checked Tomei Harbor on Fukue Shima. At 05:15, Springer sighted two ships hugging the coastline, but she found it impossible to close nearer than 6500 yards (5,943.6 m). She heard 14 explosions at approximately 06:30. Trepang had sunk Transport No. 146 and was being depth charge
d by the victim's escort. Springer headed out of the harbor, and sighted the escort returning alone. At 08:30, the submarine launched three torpedoes. The target went dead in the water; and, as the crew was abandoning ship, Springer fired another torpedo. It hit under the target's No. 1 turret and blew off her bow. Two planes and two patrol craft approached, so Springer went deep and cleared the area, leaving Japan
's Submarine Chaser No. 17 to sink.
Springer and Trepang contacted three targets on 30 April. The morning was very foggy, and the submarines decided to make a surface attack. Just as Springer reached a favorable firing position around noon, the fog suddenly lifted and left her exposed to a destroyer escort
crossing her stern. The escort turned toward the submarine with all guns firing. Springer submerged, went deep, and rigged for silent running. Soon the first of 27 depth charges came down, and all were uncomfortably close. Speakers were knocked off the bulkhead, bulbs were smashed, and valves were lifted off their seats. When all was quiet, the submarine surfaced for a look as the fog closed in again. One more explosion was heard as Trepang sank the cargo ship Miho Maru.
On the night of 2 May, Springer attacked a ship and two small escorts with a spread of four torpedoes. She heard the first explode and then saw and heard two more hits which blew up and sank the frigate
Ojika. The next night, she fired a spread of torpedoes at a ship making an antisubmarine sweep and sank the Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No. 25.
On 4 May, Springer sailed toward Honshū for lifeguard duty. No American pilots were sighted but, on 14 May, after watching a dogfight between a Japanese fighter and four of American carrier
planes, she fished the dead enemy pilot from the water. After removing his papers, the submarine's commanding officer returned his body to the sea. The submarine concluded her patrol at Guam, on 18 May, and was refitted by Proteus.
on 16 June and began her third war patrol the next day. This was a combination offensive and life guard patrol in the Tokyo Bay
area. On 26 June, she rescued eight men from a downed B-29
and transferred them to . Springer and Trepang were notified that there was another crew down about 50 miles (80.5 km) distant. They raced to the scene and Springer rescued one airman while Trepang picked up seven. The airman was transferred to several days later. After an uneventful patrol in Kii Suido from 17 July to 23 July, the submarine sailed for Guam.
Springer was at Guam when hostilities with Japan ceased. She departed there on 17 August and headed for the west coast of the United States. She arrived at Mare Island on 5 September 1945 and shortly thereafter was attached to Mare Island Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. In January 1947, her status was changed to in reserve, out of commission.
to be modernized in preparation for her transfer to the Republic of Chile
. She was recommissioned on 24 September and the overhaul completed on 15 November. From 19 December 1960 to 19 January 1961, she held alongside and underway training for the Chilean crew.
Springer was decommissioned on 23 January 1961, transferred to the Republic of Chile, and commissioned in the Armada de Chile
as CNS Thomson (SS-22) on that date.
Springer was struck from the US Navy list
on 1 September 1972, and sold to the government of Chile; she was stripped for spare parts for other submarines and her hulk sold for scrapping.
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named after the springer, a Grampus.
Springer was laid down on 3 October 1943 at Vallejo, Calif.
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, by the Mare Island Navy Yard; 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 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. M. S. Tisdale; 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 18 October 1944, Commander Russell Kefauver in command.
Springer sailed for San Diego on 3 December to conduct sea trials and shakedown training. After availability, she departed Mare Island for 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...
on 8 January 1945 and arrived at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
the following week. On 4 February, she steamed 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...
; topped off her stores and oil; and, on 17 February, sailed for 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...
to begin her first war patrol.
First patrol, February – March 1945
Springer rode out several heavy storms and was driven down many times by enemy aircraft, but she finally spotted two Japanese warships on 11 March. The ships were at a range of 22,000 yards (20 km), steaming at 17 knots (33.3 km/h), so the submarine surfaced to give chase. She was forced to submerge immediately by planes, and the pursuit was abandoned.Later in the month, the submarine made 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...
contact with three ships, and she tracked the largest for three hours. When it was within torpedo range, she made a surface attack with four torpedoes. She scored two hits and the target began to burn. An hour later, Transport No. 18 was still afloat so she sank it with another torpedo. The submarine returned to Guam on 25 March and was refitted by .
Second patrol, April – May 1945
Springer, , and sailed on 20 April for the Yellow SeaYellow 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...
where they were to operate as a wolfpack. Eight days later, the pack checked Tomei Harbor on Fukue Shima. At 05:15, Springer sighted two ships hugging the coastline, but she found it impossible to close nearer than 6500 yards (5,943.6 m). She heard 14 explosions at approximately 06:30. Trepang had sunk Transport No. 146 and was being 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...
d by the victim's escort. Springer headed out of the harbor, and sighted the escort returning alone. At 08:30, the submarine launched three torpedoes. The target went dead in the water; and, as the crew was abandoning ship, Springer fired another torpedo. It hit under the target's No. 1 turret and blew off her bow. Two planes and two patrol craft approached, so Springer went deep and cleared the area, leaving 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...
's Submarine Chaser No. 17 to sink.
Springer and Trepang contacted three targets on 30 April. The morning was very foggy, and the submarines decided to make a surface attack. Just as Springer reached a favorable firing position around noon, the fog suddenly lifted and left her exposed to a destroyer escort
Destroyer escort
A destroyer escort is the classification for a smaller, lightly armed warship designed to be used to escort convoys of merchant marine ships, primarily of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II. It is employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare, but also provides some protection...
crossing her stern. The escort turned toward the submarine with all guns firing. Springer submerged, went deep, and rigged for silent running. Soon the first of 27 depth charges came down, and all were uncomfortably close. Speakers were knocked off the bulkhead, bulbs were smashed, and valves were lifted off their seats. When all was quiet, the submarine surfaced for a look as the fog closed in again. One more explosion was heard as Trepang sank the cargo ship Miho Maru.
On the night of 2 May, Springer attacked a ship and two small escorts with a spread of four torpedoes. She heard the first explode and then saw and heard two more hits which blew up and sank the 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"...
Ojika. The next night, she fired a spread of torpedoes at a ship making an antisubmarine sweep and sank the Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No. 25.
On 4 May, Springer sailed toward Honshū for lifeguard duty. No American pilots were sighted but, on 14 May, after watching a dogfight between a Japanese fighter and four of American carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
planes, she fished the dead enemy pilot from the water. After removing his papers, the submarine's commanding officer returned his body to the sea. The submarine concluded her patrol at Guam, on 18 May, and was refitted by Proteus.
Third patrol, June – July 1945
Springer sailed 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 16 June and began her third war patrol the next day. This was a combination offensive and life guard patrol in the Tokyo Bay
Tokyo 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...
area. On 26 June, she rescued eight men 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...
and transferred them to . Springer and Trepang were notified that there was another crew down about 50 miles (80.5 km) distant. They raced to the scene and Springer rescued one airman while Trepang picked up seven. The airman was transferred to several days later. After an uneventful patrol in Kii Suido from 17 July to 23 July, the submarine sailed for Guam.
Springer was at Guam when hostilities with Japan ceased. She departed there on 17 August and headed for the west coast of the United States. She arrived at Mare Island on 5 September 1945 and shortly thereafter was attached to Mare Island Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. In January 1947, her status was changed to in reserve, out of commission.
CNS Thomson (SS-22)
In April 1960, Springer was moved from Mare Island to the San Francisco Naval ShipyardSan 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...
to be modernized in preparation for her transfer to the Republic of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. She was recommissioned on 24 September and the overhaul completed on 15 November. From 19 December 1960 to 19 January 1961, she held alongside and underway training for the Chilean crew.
Springer was decommissioned on 23 January 1961, transferred to the Republic of Chile, and commissioned in the Armada de Chile
Military of Chile
Chile's armed forces are subject to civilian control exercised by the president through the Minister of Defense. Military service of 12 to 24 months is mandatory for all male citizens upon turning 18. This conscription service can be postponed for educational or religious reasons...
as CNS Thomson (SS-22) on that date.
Springer was struck from the US 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...
on 1 September 1972, and sold to the government of Chile; she was stripped for spare parts for other submarines and her hulk sold for scrapping.