USS Skipjack (SS-184)

USS "Skipjack" (SS-184), a "Salmon"-class submarine, wasthe second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the fish. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, on 22 July 1936. She was launched on 23 October 1937 sponsored by Miss Frances Cuthbert Van Keuren, and commissioned on 30 June 1938 with Lieutenant Herman Sall in command.

Following shakedown in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and post-shakedown repairs at New London, Connecticut, "Skipjack" was assigned to Submarine Squadron 6 (SubRon 6) and departed for fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean and South Atlantic. Following her return to New London on 10 April 1939, she sailed with sister ships USS|Snapper|SS-185|3 and USS|Salmon|SS-182|3 for the Pacific, transited the Panama Canal on 25 May, and arrived at San Diego, California, on 2 June. During July, she cruised to Pearl Harbor as part of SubRon 2; returned to San Diego on 16 August; and remained on the West Coast engaged in fleet tactics and training operations until 1 April 1940, when she again got underway for the Hawaiian area for training exercises there. Following her return to San Diego, "Skipjack" underwent overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, and then proceeded back to Pearl Harbor, where she was attached to Rear Admiral Wilhelm L. Friedell's COMSUBPAC, Pacific Fleet, as a member of SubDiv 15 (commanded by Captain Ralph Christie). She operated out of Pearl Harbor until again undergoing overhaul at Mare Island in July and August 1941. "Skipjack" returned on 16 August and commenced patrols off Midway Island, Wake Island, and the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands. In October 1941, SubDiv 15 (then commanded by "Sunshine" Murray) was transferred to ComSubAsiatic Fleet, along with the tender "Holland", [Captain Walter "Red" Doyle was embarked to relieve Captain John Wilkes as ComSubAsiatic Fleet.] and Joe Connolly's SubDiv 16, as SubRon 2. [Blair, p.82.] When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December, "Skipjack" was in the Philippines undergoing repairs at the Cavite Navy Yard.

On 9 December, "Skipjack" (under the command of Charles L. Freeman) [Blair, Clay, Jr. "Silent Victory" (New York: Bantam, 1976), p.137.] departed Manila on her first war patrol, with all unfinished repair work completed by her crew "en route" to the patrol area off the east coast of Samar. The submarine conducted two torpedo attacks during this patrol. On 25 December, in the first attack of its kind by a U.S. submarine, [ Blair, p.137.] "Skipjack" attacked an enemy aircraft carrier and a destroyer. She followed prewar doctrine and fired fired three torpedoes on sonar bearings from a depth of 100 ft (30 m), [Blair, p.137.] without success. On 3 January 1942, three torpedoes were fired at an enemy submarine, resulting in two explosions, but a sinking could not be confirmed. [Blair makes no mention of the attack at all.] She refueled at Balikpapan, Borneo, on 4 January and arrived at Port Darwin, Australia, for refit on 14 January.

"Skipjack"’s second war patrol, conducted in the Celebes Sea, was uneventful with the exception of an unsuccessful attack on a Japanese aircraft carrier. She returned to Fremantle, Western Australia, on 10 March. On 14 April, "Skipjack" got underway for her third war patrol, conducted in the Celebes Sea, Sulu Sea, and South China Sea. On 6 May, contact was made with a Japanese cargo ship, and the submarine moved in for the kill. Finding herself almost dead ahead, "Skipjack" fired a "down the throat" spread of three torpedoes that sank the "Kanan Maru". Two days later, the submarine intercepted a three-ship convoy escorted by a destroyer and she fired two torpedoes that severely damaged the merchant ship, "Taiyu Maru". Then she let go with four more that quickly sank the cargo ship, "Bujun Maru". On 17 May, "Skipjack" sank the passenger-cargo ship "Tazan Maru" off Indochina before heading back to Fremantle. [ While in Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 11 June, Commander James W. Coe sent a notorious message to the yard's Supply Officer regarding the cancellation of his requisition for toilet paper. It had the salubrious result of never leaving "Skipjack" short of this vital supply for the duration. The story is told, and the notorious message reproduced in full, in Ned Beach's "Submarine!". It likely inspired a very similar message sent by the fictional Commander Matt Sherman (Cary Grant) of USS|Sea Tiger in the 1959 film "Operation Petticoat".] [ [http://www.snopes.com/language/document/skipjack.htm] .]

Following participation in performance tests for the Mark 14 torpedo, "Skipjack" sailed for her fourth war patrol on 18 July, conducted along the northwest coast of Timor which she reconnoitered and photographed. She also severely damaged an enemy oiler. The submarine returned to Fremantle for refit on 4 September. "Skipjack"’s fifth war patrol was conducted off Timor Island, Amboina, and Halmahera. On 14 October, while patrolling south of the Palau Islands, the submarine torpedoed and sank the 6,781-ton cargo ship, "Shunko Maru". Following a depth charge attack by a Japanese destroyer, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 26 November. "Skipjack"’s sixth, seventh, and eighth war patrols were unproductive. But, during her ninth, conducted in the Caroline Islands and Mariana Islands areas, she sank two enemy vessels. On 26 January 1944, she commenced a night attack on a merchant ship, but, prior to firing, she shifted targets when an enemy destroyer began a run on the submarine. She quickly fired her forward torpedoes and was rewarded with solid hits that quickly sank "Suzukaze". The submarine then fired her stern tubes at the merchant ship. One of the submarine's torpedo tube valves stuck open and her after torpedo room began to flood. The torpedomen were unable to close the emergency valves until she had taken on approximately 14 tons of water. A large upward angle developed almost immediately, forcing the submarine to surface. By the time control of the boat had been regained, the water in the torpedo room was only a few inches from the top of the water tight door, but fortunately there were no casualties, and "Skipjack" resumed the attack. The submarine then torpedoed and sank the converted seaplane tender "Okitsu Maru". She returned to Pearl Harbor on 7 March.

Following repairs, "Skipjack" participated in performance tests on new torpedoes in cold water off the Pribilof Islands until 17 April and then headed for the Mare Island Navy Yard and overhaul. After returning to Pearl Harbor, "Skipjack" got underway for her tenth and final war patrol, conducted in the Kuril Islands area. During this patrol, she damaged an enemy auxiliary and attacked a Japanese destroyer without success. On 11 December, she returned to Midway Island and then continued on to Ulithi. She then sailed to Pearl Harbor for refit; and got underway on 1 June 1945 for New London, Connecticut, and duty training submarine school students. "Skipjack" was later sunk as a target vessel in the second atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll in July 1946 and was later raised and towed to Mare Island. On 11 August 1948, she was again sunk as a target off the coast of California by aircraft rockets. Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 13 September 1948.

"Skipjack" received seven battle stars for World War II service.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s13/skipjack-i.htm