- USS Narwhal (SS-167)
USS "Narwhal" (SS-167), the
lead ship of her class ofsubmarine and one of the "V-boat s", was the second ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thenarwhal . She was named "V-5" (SC-1) when herkeel was laid down on10 May 1927 by thePortsmouth Navy Yard , inKittery, Maine ."V-5" was launched on
17 December 1929 sponsored by Mrs.Charles F. Adams , wife of theSecretary of the Navy , and commissioned on15 May 1930 , Lieutenant CommanderJohn H. Brown, Jr. ( nicknamed "Babe") in command.She departed
Annapolis, Maryland , on11 August for a cruise to theWest Indies , returning to Portsmouth on11 September . She trained inNew England waters until31 January 1931 when she sailed for the West Coast via thePanama Canal , arrivingSan Diego, California , on4 April . On19 February , "V-5" was renamed "Narwhal" and on1 July received the new hull number SS-167. After overhaul, "Narwhal" departedMare Island Navy Yard on2 February 1932 for fleet exercises offHawaii . She returned to San Diego17 March . After patrol duty along the West Coast, the submarine got underway12 July 1934 for a cruise with Submarine Division 12 until her arrival atSan Diego, California , on18 September . The next three years she operated as far north asSeattle, Washington , and as far west asPearl Harbor , which became her home base for operations through 1941.Consequently, "Narwhal" was one of five docked
submarine s caught by the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor in the early morning of7 December 1941 . Within in minutes of the first enemy bomb explosions onFord Island , "Narwhal"’s gunners were in action to assist in the destruction of two torpedo planes.On her first war patrol, from
2 February to28 March 1942 , "Narwhal",Lieutenant Commander Charles W. Wilkins (ironically-nicknamed "Weary", Class of 1924) in command, departedPearl Harbor to reconnoiterWake Island on 15 and16 February , then continued on to theItyukyu Islands . On28 February she made her first torpedo attack of the war, heavily damaging 6,515-ton "Maju Maru". Six days later the submarine sank 1,244-ton "Taki Maru" in theEast China Sea .She spent her second war patrol, from
28 May to13 June , in defense ofMidway Atoll . As TF 16, with USS|Enterprise|CV-6|3, USS|Hornet|CV-8|3, and USS|Yorktown|CV-5|3 the mainstay, prepared to meet the Japanese attack. "Narwhal" joined USS|Plunger|SS-179|3 and USS|Trigger|SS-237|3 in scouting east of Midway; during theBattle of Midway , 3-6 June , these submarines, along with fifteen [Blair, pp.236 & 240.] others, accomplished nothing."Narwhal"’s third patrol, from
7 July to26 August , took her close toHokkaidō to stalk Japanese shipping off theKurile Islands . She claimed two small inter-island freighters on24 July and28 July . On1 August "Narwhal" included 2,921-ton "Meiwa Maru" to her credit despite aircraft bomb anddepth charge retaliation. Seven days later she sank 2,559-ton "Bifitku Maru". The morning of14 August the submarine raised her periscope to discover three enemydestroyer s crossing her stern in column. She waited while the destroyers "were running all over the ocean" droppingdepth charge s. Only slightly damaged, "Narwhal" departed her patrol area the next day.On
8 September "Narwhal" sailed from Pearl Harbor for the West Coast, arrivingMare Island Navy Yard on15 September for overhaul. She went on toSan Diego, California , on4 April 1943 , arriving two days later to embark the 7th Infantry Scout Company for the invasion ofAttu Attlit Island . On18 April she set course forAlaska , arrivingDutch Harbor on27 April .The submarine began her fourth war patrol, from
30 April to25 May , departingDutch Harbor for the westernAleutian Islands . She rendezvoused with USS|Nautilus|SS-168|3 on11 May off the northern side of Attu, and the two ships debarked Army Scouts in rubber boats for the preliminary landings in the recapture of the island, a venture successfully completed29 May . "Narwhal" returned toPearl Harbor with a stopover atDutch Harbor on14 May to18 May .With Commander
Frank D. Latta (Class of 1932) in command, she again got underway for theKurile Islands on her fifth war patrol, from26 June to7 August . Her mission, beginning11 July , was to create diversion by bombarding an air base onMatsuwa . USS|Lapon|SS-260|3, USS|Permit|SS-178|3, and "Plunger" (SS-179) were about to attempt an exit from the previously impenetrableSea of Japan which they had so daringly invaded. The night of15 July "Narwhal" drew so much enemy attention to her presence she was forced to dive from the shells, but she accomplished her mission: the other submarines slipped throughEtorofu Strait without detection."Narwhal" made her sixth war patrol, from
31 August to2 October , off theMarshall Islands . The morning of11 September she torpedoed and sank 4,211-ton "Hokusho Maru" before a Japanese escort caught up with her. After a severe depth charging, she departed for theKwajalein Atoll area. By the end of September the submarine was en route toBrisbane, Australia , via theSolomon Islands .Upon arrival, "Narwhal" prepared to assist in the campaign to reoccupy the
Philippines begun in January 1943 when USS|Gudgeon|SS-211|3 debarked six Filipinos and a ton of equipment onNegros Island . Veteran "Narwhal" eventually became the leading submarine in supporting the Philippine guerrilla movement with nine secret transport missions to her credit."Narwhal" was loaded down with 92 tons of ammunition and stores and a party of ten for her seventh patrol, from
23 October to22 November . She was in theStulu Sea , offMindanao , the night of10 November "en route" toPuluan Bay when two Japanese ships astern opened fire. The night of13 November she enteredPtiluan Bay stealthily to debark her passengers and half of her cargo while lying off the starboard side of Japanese-registered "Dona Jitana Maru". By midnight "Narwhal" was safely on her way toNasipit, Mindanao , where she docked15 November to unload the rest of her stores to the tune of "Anchors Aweigh" played by a grateful Filipino band. She then embarked 32 evacuees, including eight women, two children, and a baby, for Darwin,Australia , and the end of her patrol.Picking up such odd assortments of passengers and secret cargo soon became routine for "Narwhal". She departed on her eighth war patrol, from
25 November to18 December , with the usual cargo and 11 Army operatives bound forCabadaran, Mindanao , arrivingButtian Bay on2 December for debarking. With seven evacuees on board, "Narwhal" sailed forMajacalar Bay , arriving offNegros Island on3 December . Taking on nine more people, she stood out ofAlajacalar Bay on5 December . Around sunrise that same day the submarine sank 834-ton "Hinteno Maru" in a blaze of gunfire. On11 December she debarked her passengers at Port Darwin, then continued on to Fremantle,Australia .On her ninth war patrol, from
18 January to15 February 1944 , the submarine returned to Darwin to embark observer Commander F. Kent Loomis and more stores. Following a nighttime transit ofSurigao Strait , "Narwhal", slipped west and north, made a submerged patrol offNaso Point ,Panay , then headed forPandan Bay to transfer cargo to sailing craft. With six new passengers she came offNegros Island on7 February to deposit 45 tons of supplies. "Narwhal" then received 28 more evacuees for the trip to Darwin.On her tenth war patrol, from
16 February to20 March , "Narwhal" delivered more ammunition toButuan Bay on2 March . With 28 new people on board, she departed3 March forTawi-Tawi . That evening she damaged 560-ton river gunboat "Karatsu" (the captured American "Luzon" (PG-47) and was heavily bombarded withdepth charge s by enemy escorts for her trouble. On the night of5 March , two small boats, assisted by rubber boats from "Narwhal", put off for shore with cargo. Three Japanese destroyers closed in later; she eluded them and transferred her passengers, now a total of 38, to RAN tug "Chinampa" on11 March before docking at Fremantle."Narwhal", Commander
Jack C. Titus in command, departed on her eleventh war patrol, from7 May to9 June , forAlusan Bay , Samar, where she landed 22 men and supplies, including electric lamps, radio parts, and flour for the priests, the night of24 May . By1 June the submarine was unloading 16 men and stores on the southwest coast ofMindanao . She ended this patrol at Port Darwin.The twelfth war patrol, from
10 June to7 July , gave "Narwhal" a chance for some action. On13 June she submerged for reconnaissance of Bula, Ceram Island, a source of enemy oil. That night the submarine closed the shore and fired 56 rounds of six-inch (152 mm) projectiles to destroy severalgasoline storage tanks and set fires around a power house and pumping station area before she had to retreat from the salvos directed at her. Three minutes before sunset20 June she rendezvoused with native boats to send her cargo ashore during a suspenseful nine and one-half hours. Within 30 minutes after she had completed unloading and taking on 14 evacuees, asubmarine chaser was in her wake. "Narwhal" evaded him to do some shooting herself the next day at a Japanese sea truck and on22 June at an unidentified tanker. After putting her evacuees ashore at Port Darwin on29 June and30 June , she continued to Fremantle.Her thirteenth war patrol, from
12 August to10 September , started at Fremantle and ended at Port Darwin. The night of30 August "Narwhal" surfaced inDibut Bay on the east coast ofLuzon for her usual debarking procedures, greatly speeded this time by the use of bamboo rafts built by the shore party under direction of Commander Charles Parsons, a liaison man in the Philippine supply and evacuation missions. Before midnight2 September "Narwhal" sent a party and supplies ashore to a beach off the mouth of theMasanga River and received four evacuees in return to complete the patrol.On her fourteenth war patrol, from
14 September to5 October , "Narwhal" deposited men and stores on Cebu,27 September ; then took off forSairi Bay , where on29 September she received 31 liberated prisoners-of-war rescued from the sea after USS|Paddle|SS-263|3 sank several Japanese transports offSindagan Point 6 September . "Narwhal" found herself in danger the afternoon of30 September , when she submerged to avoid a Japanese antisubmarine patrol plane, her stern planes locked in a 20 degree angle. Forced to blow her main ballast to stop the steep dive "Narwhal" reversed direction and popped out of the water stern first just two minutes after she went down. Luckily the patrol plane could not maneuver fast enough to return before she again dove."Narwhal" based at
Mios Woendi ,Dutch New Guinea , before starting on her fifteenth and last war patrol, from11 October to2 November , with Commander William G. Holman, USNR, in command. Friday the 13th brought a near attack by aPBY Catalina . Once the submarine was recognized, the aircraft signaled "GOOD LUCK NARWHAL." The evening of17 October she was off aTawi Tawi beach to deliver 11 tons of food stuffs. Two days later she unloaded the rest of her cargo and 37 men atNegros Island and took on her last passengers, 26 in all, for the trip toBrisbane ."Narwhal" departed Brisbane
6 January 1945 for the east coast via thePanama Canal , entering thePhiladelphia Navy Yard on21 February , where she was decommissioned23 April . She was struck from theNaval Vessel Register 19 May 1945 and sold for scrap. "Narwhal"’s two six-inch guns are permanently enshrined at the Naval Submarine Base New London, atGroton, Connecticut ."Narwhal" received 15
battle star s forWorld War II service.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n1/narwhal-ii.htm
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