Pacific War, WW2
U.S. Submarines in the Early Years
Submarines prowled the ocean depths alone or in small numbers, hunted and sank enemy warships and shipping, performed reconnaissance, search and rescue for downed aviators, and special missions such as landing and removing small numbers of troops. American submarines sank 1,314 Japanese ships for a total of 5.3 million gross tons. Fifty-two submarines and their crews were lost by all means in World War II.
Submarine Classes
Class
Subs
Comm
Tons
Guns
Torp.
Lost
Notes
O
8
1918
480
1- 3"
4
1
SS-63 to SS-71
R
19
1919
530
1- 3"
4
1
SS-78 to SS-97
S-1
24
1920-24
800
1- 4"
4
4
SS-105,SS-123 to SS-146
S-11
7
1921
790
1- 4"
4
SS-116 to SS-122
S-42
6
1925
850
1- 4"
4
SS-153 to SS-158
S-48
1
1922
1000
1- 4"
4+1
SS-159
V "B"
3
1925
2000
1- 5"
4+2
SS-163 to SS-165
Argonaut
1
1928
2710
2- 6"
4
minelayer SM-1
1942
2710
2- 6"
4
10Jan43
transport APS-1
Nautilus
2
1930
2730
2- 6"
4+2
SS-167, SS-168
Dolphin
1
1932
1540
1- 4"
4+2
SS-169
Cachalot
2
1933-34
1110
1- 3"
4+2
SS-170, SS-171
Porpoise,P-1
2
1935
1310
1- 3"
4+2
SS-172, SS-173
Porpoise,P-3
2
1936
1315
1- 3"
4+2
1
SS-174, SS-175
Porpoise,P-5
6
1937
1330
1- 3"
4+2
3
SS-176 to SS-181
Salmon
6
1938
1450
1- 3"
4+4
SS-182 to SS-187
Sargo
10
1939
1450
1- 3"
4+4
4
SS-188 to SS-197
Tumbor
6
1940
1475
1- 3"
6+4
2
SS-198 to SS-203
Mackerel
2
1941
825
1- 3"
4+2
SS-204, SS-205
Gar
6
1941
1475
1- 3"
6+4
5
SS-206 to SS-211
Wartime
Gato
72
1942-43
1525
1- 4"
6+4
19
SS-212 to SS-284
Balao
92
1943-44
1526
1- 4"
6+4
10
SS-285 to SS-416
Trench
29
1944-45
1570
1- 5"
6+4
0
SS-417 to SS-434
Corsair
15
1944-46
1570
1- 5"
6+4
0
SS-435 to SS-525
After war
Balao
4
1945
1526
1- 5"
6+4
SS-349-SS-352
Corsair
6
1945-46
1570
1- 5"
6+4
SS-435, SS-486-SS-490
Many canceled.
Wartime submarine types were continually improved on the same basic design : Gato, Balao, Trench, Corsair with types and features overlapping. Many were cancelled beginning in 1944 so numbering has gaps. Ten building were additionally completed after the war.
Nine submarines, R and S-1 types, were lend-leased to England.
"The submarine force remained intact following the attack on Pearl Harbor. It became clear at that time the submarine fleet would take the fight to the enemy. By war’s end, submarines had supported all major fleet operations and made more than 1,600 war patrols. Pacific Fleet submarines accounted for 54 percent of all enemy shipping sunk during the war. Success was costly. Fifty-two submarines were lost, and nearly 3,600 submariners remain on
'Eternal Patrol'.
"
Brief descriptions of submarines mentioned on this web site.
USS Argonaut
(SM-1/APS-1) 2,710 tons, 2- 6" 4TT. Commissioned 1Apr28 as
V-4
and configured for mine laying. Reclassified SM-1 in 1931. Converted to transport submarine Spring of 1942.
Argonaut
was on patrol near Midway Island when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. She made an the first submarine approach of the war, on destroyers doing shore bombardment, but could not get a shot before they left. She carried Marine Raiders to Makin, August 1942. Serviced from Brisbane for the Solomons Campaign.
Argonaut
was sunk by depth charges and gunfire from IJN destroyers
Maikaze, Isokaze,
and
Hamakaze
while attacking a Japanese convoy off Rabaul in the S.W. Pacific, 10 Jan 43.
USS
Norwhal
(SS-167). 2,730 tons, 2- 6" 4 bow, 2 stern tubes. Commissioned 1930 as the large
V-5.
survived Pearl Harbor in drydock. Served in Alaska, Marshalls, and then supported guerillas in the Philippines for most of the war.
Narwhal
received 15 battle stars for World War II service.
USS
Nautilus
(SS-168). 3,130 tons, 2- 6" 4 bow, 2 stern tubes. Commissioned 1July30. At Mare Island Naval Shipyard for modernization when the war started. She returned in time to participate in the Battle of Midway putting a torpedo in damaged
Soryu
. Sailed with
Argonaut
(SS-166) and carried Marine Raiders to Makin, 16Aug42.
Nautilus
made fourteen combat patrols and earned 14 battle stars for her service during WWII.
USS
Dolphin
(SS-169). 1,540 tons, 1- 4"aft, 4 bow, 2 stern tubes. Commissioned 1932.
Dolphin
made three war patrols in 1942 to the Marshalls, Midway, and the Kirles, and then went into training duty.
USS
Cachalot
(SS-170). 1,100 tons, 1- 3"aft, 4 bow, 2 stern tubes. Commissioned 1933.
Cachalot
was undergoing scheduled overhaul when the surprise attack came; she fired at and was bombed with no effect on either side. Made three reconn patrols - islands, Japan, Alaska-- before assigned to training duty.
USS
Tambor
(SS-198). 1,475 tons, 1- 3", 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 3June40 as first of a class. She was off Wake when the war started and made twelve war patrols. Her sighting of Japanese cruisers at Midway caused them to collide during evasion and
Mikuma
was sunk by
Enterprise
.
Tambor
received 11 battle stars for World War II service
USS
Taulog
(SS-199). 1,475 tons, 1- 6", 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 3July40.
21 October,
Tautog
and
Thresher
(SS-200) begin a 45-day, full-time, simulated war patrol in the area of Midway. For 38 consecutive days, the two submarines operated submerged for 16 to 18 hours each day.
Tautog
returned to the submarine base at Pearl Harbor on 5 December and fired on enemy aircraft during the attack. On her second war patrol she sank submarines RO-30, I-28, and possibly a third, one cargo ship in a voyage that ended in Fremantle, Australia. She made 13 war patrols with sinkings on each.
Tautog
is credited with sinking the most ships, 26, and received 14 battle stars for World War II service.
USS
Thresher
(SS-200). 1,475 tons, 1- 5", 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 21Aug40.
Thresher
and sister-ship
Tautog
(SS-198) made a simulated war patrol north of Midway atoll. They both carried fully-armed torpedo warheads.
Thresher
returned 7Dec and received word that Pearl Harbor was under attack by Japanese aircraft.
Thresher
made 15 war patrols and received 15 battle stars for World War II service.
USS
Triton
(SS-201). 1,475 tons, 1- 3" 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 16Aug40.
On patrol off Wake Island as the War opened,
Triton
made six war patrols. Post-war examination of Japanese records revealed that on 15March43
three Japanese destroyers attacked and sank a submarine near
Triton
's assigned area.
Triton
received five battle stars for World War II service.
USS
Trout
(SS-202). 1,475 tons, 1- 3" 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 15Nov40.
Trout
was on patrol off Midway Island as the War opened. In her second war patrol she delivered ammunition to Corregidor and loaded gold, securities, mail and dispatches. The submarine began her 11th and final war patrol toward the East China Sea,
Trout
was never heard from again.
Japanese records indicate that a convoy was attacked by a submarine on 29Feb44 in the patrol area assigned to
Trout
. The submarine badly damaged one large ship and sank
Sakito Maru
. Possibly one of the convoy's escorts sank the submarine.
USS
Grayling
(SS-209). Tambor class, 1,475 tons, 253'; 1- 3", 10- 21" torpedo tubes. Commissioned 1Mar41, was accepted and sailed for Pacific 17Nov41, arrived Pearl Harbor 24Dec, and had the honor of being chosen for Nimitz's acceptance of Pacific Fleet command ceremony 31Dec41. She made 8 war patrols from Pearl and from Freemantle having recorded five major kills totalling 20,575 tons before being reported "
lost with all hands
" 30Sep43 in the Philippines area.
USS
Gudgeon
(SS-211). Tambor class, 1,475 tons, 253'; 1- 3", 10 21" torpedo tubes. Commissioned 21Apr41, arrived Pearl Harbor 10Oct and was exercising at Lahaina Roads 7Dec. On 27Jan42
Gudgeon
became the first U.S. submarine to sink an enemy warship, submarine
I-173
after shelling Midway on return from Pearl Harbor attack.
Gudgeon
made 12 war patrols with 71,047 tonnage sunk and was declared
overdue at Pearl Harbor
, 12Sep44.
Gudgeon
earned 11 battle stars for World War II service.
USS
Gato
(SS-212). 1,526 tons; 311' 9"; 20 knots. (surf.), 9 k. (subm.); crew 80; 1- 3"; 6 bow and 4 stern tubes (carried 24- 21" torpedoes). Commissioned 31Dec'41. First of her class, these 73 submarines were the most modern sub of the early war. On her first war patrol form Pearl Harbor (20Apr-10Jun42) she attacked an aircraft carrier (unsuccessful) and was part of the western patrol force at Midway. Second and third war patrols were to the Aleutians. Fourth thru seventh patrols were in the Solomons. On her sixth patrol she surfaced to find a depth charge on her deck and two enemy patrol ships headed towards her. She outran the escorts and set the depth carge adrift on a rubber raft. Later patrols were lifeguard to rescue fliers from Truk to Kyushu. Gato made 13 war patrols, received the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars for service in World War II.
USS
Razorback
(SS-394). 1,526 tons ; 1- 3", 2- 40-mm ; 6 bow, 4 stern tubes. Commissioned 27Jan44.
The last operational WW2 submarine, Balao class, decommissioned August 2001, will become a monument at North Little Rock, AR. Five war patrols, at the surrender in Tokyo Bay, converted to Guppy, transferred to Turkey, saved from scrap 2003.
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Subs
- Brief description of the submarines mentioned in Pacific War, the early years.
Last updated on Aug 13, 2015.
URL: http://www.ww2pacific.com/subs.html