USS Cuttlefish (SS-171)

USS "Cuttlefish" (SC-5/SS-171), a "Cachalot"-class submarine and one of the "V-boats," was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Cuttlefish, a ten-armed marine mollusk similar to the squid. Her keel was laid down by Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 21 November 1933 sponsored by Mrs. B. S. Bullard, and commissioned on 8 June 1934 with Lieutenant Commander Charles W. "Gin" Styer in command.

Departing New London, Connecticut, on 15 May 1935, "Cuttlefish" arrived at San Diego, California, on 22 June. She sailed on torpedo practice and fleet tactics along the West Coast, as well as in the Hawaiian Islands, until 28 June 1937 when she sailed for the Panama Canal, Miami, Florida, New York City, and New London, Connecticut.

Arriving at New London on 28 July 1937, she conducted experimental torpedo firing, sound training, and other operations for the Submarine School. She sailed from New York City on 22 October 1938 for Coco Solo, where she conducted diving operations and other exercises for the training of submariners until 20 March 1939, sailing then for Mare Island, California.

"Cuttlefish" arrived at Pearl Harbor on 16 June 1939 and was based there on patrol duty, as well as joining in battle problems and exercises in the Hawaiian area. That autumn she cruised to the Samoan Islands, and in 1940 to the West Coast. On 5 October 1941 she cleared Pearl Harbor for an overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard.

After returning to Pearl Harbor, "Cuttlefish" put to sea on her first war patrol 29 January 1942. (Like her sisters, her MAN engines, license-built in the U.S., caused constant headaches, and she was eventually re-engined). On 13 February she performed a reconnaissance of Marcus Island, gaining valuable information, and after patrolling in the Bonin Islands, returned to Midway Island on 24 March. She refitted there and at Pearl Harbor, and on 2 May cleared Midway for her second war patrol. Between 18 May and 24 May, she reconnoitered Saipan and the northern islands of the Mariana Islands group. On 19 May she attacked a patrol ship, and while maneuvering for a second attack, was detected. She was forced deep to endure four hours of severe depth charging, more of which came her way on 24 May when she challenged three enemy destroyers. The next day an alert enemy plane caught her on the surface and dropped two bombs as she went under, both of them misses.

As it became obvious that the Japanese Fleet was out in strength, "Cuttlefish" was ordered to patrol about convert|700|nm|km|-1 west of Midway, remaining on station during the Battle of Midway of 4 June to 6 June 1942. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 June, and there and at Midway prepared for her third war patrol, for which she sailed on 29 July under the command of Lieutenant Commander Elliot E. Marshall. Patrolling off the Japanese homeland, she attacked a destroyer on 18 August, and received a punishing depth charge attack. Three days later she launched a spread of torpedoes, three of which hit a freighter and one of which hit an escort. Explosions were seen, but the sinking could not be confirmed. On 5 September she attacked a tanker which, it is believed, she sunk.

Returning to Pearl Harbor 20 September 1942, "Cuttlefish" was ordered to New London, where she served the Submarine School as a training ship from December 1942 until October 1945. On 8 December 1944, she suffered minor damage in collision with the destroyer escort USS|Bray|DE-709|2. She was decommissioned at Philadelphia 24 October 1945 and sold 12 February 1947.

"Cuttlefish"’s third war patrol was designated as "successful," and she received one battle star for that patrol and one for her service during the Battle of Midway.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c16/cuttlefish.htm