- USS Grouper (SS-214)
USS "Grouper" (SS/SSK/AGSS-214), a "Gato"-class
submarine , was the only ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thegrouper , a salt-water fish noted as a gamefish and for its food values."Grouper" was launched by the
Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., 27 October 1941 (sponsored by Mrs. Albert F. Church), and commissioned at New London 12 February 1942, Lieutenant Commander C. E. Duke in command.1942
After shakedown in
Long Island Sound , "Grouper" sailed forPearl Harbor 30 March 1942 to join thePacific Submarine Force which was to play havoc onJapan ese shipping. Before departing for her first war patrol, "Grouper" was assigned to the submarine screen which ringed the area as the American and Japanese fleets clashed in the decisiveBattle of Midway . Patrolling the fringe of the fighting 4 June, "Grouper" sighted two burning enemyaircraft carrier s, but could not close for attack because of heavy air cover. On that day she was strafed by fighter planes and driven deep in a series of aircraft and destroyer attacks which saw over 170 depth charges and bombs dropped on the novice submarine. The next day, as the battle still raged, "Grouper" crash-dived to avoid heavy bombers. She then put in to Midway for three days for fuel and provisions before sailing on her first war patrol 12 June. She torpedoed and damaged two Japanese "maru"s (civilian ships) in theChina Sea before returning to Pearl Harbor 30 July.On her second patrol (28 August – 9 October) "Grouper" had the satisfaction of sending to the bottom two freighters, "Tone Maru" on 21 September and "
Lisbon Maru " on 1 October. It was later learned that "Lisbon Maru" was carrying 1800 BritishPOW s fromHong Kong ; over 800 died in the sinking.Her third patrol, made (12 November – 31 December) as she patrolled to
Brisbane, Australia , was enlivened by the sinking 17 December of "Bandoeng Maru", a passenger-freighter headed for theSolomon Islands with troop reinforcements.1943
During her fourth war patrol (21 January – 18 March 1943), "Grouper" rescued an aviator who had been stranded on
Rengi Island for several days; she also located several key Japaneseradar installations in the Solomons."Grouper"'s next four patrols netted her no further kills, despite several determined attacks, but the patrols illustrated the varied tasks submarines took on during the war. In addition to her regular patrol duties, which harassed Japanese shipping and tied up valuable warships desperately needed by the enemy, "Grouper" landed 50 men and convert|3000|lb|kg|abbr=on of gear on
New Britain to carry on guerrilla warfare; at the same time she rescued an American aviator who had been stranded there almost 3 months. At the conclusion of her eighth patrol, "Grouper" headed for the States and overhaul, reaching San Francisco 19 October 1943.1944
After returning to Pearl Harbor 7 January 1944 for additional repairs, the veteran submarine sailed for her ninth war patrol 22 May. This patrol netted "Grouper" what was to be her last kill of the war, "Kumanoyama Maru", which she sank in a night surface attack 24 June. "Grouper"’s final three war patrols found a lack of targets; American submarines had done their job on Japanese shipping too well for "Grouper"’s purposes. She stood lifeguard duty during several air strikes and rescued seven downed aviators during raids on the
Palau s in September 1944.1945 – 1949
Returning to Pearl Harbor from her 12th and last war patrol 26 April 1945, "Grouper" sailed the following day for San Francisco and overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor 6 August, but
V-J Day cancelled plans for another patrol, and on 9 September "Grouper", in company with USS|Toro|SS-422|2 and USS|Blackfish|SS-221|2, sailed for New London. Four years of local operations and training exercises along the coast toFlorida and in theCaribbean followed for "Grouper". During this period she chalked up two "firsts": in 1946 she became the first submarine to have aCombat Information Center installed, and the following year she effected the first discharge and recovery of men from a submerged and underway submarine.1950 – 1957
These operations ended 5 March 1950 as "Grouper" entered the
Mare Island Naval Shipyard for conversion to the Navy's first "hunter-killer" submarine. Her classification was changed to SSK-214 on 2 January 1951. With the addition of a snorkel and extensivesonar and radar facilities, "Grouper" emerged from the yard 27 June 1951 to pioneer in research on the deadly submarine-versus-submarine warfare. For the next 8 years, as a unit ofSubmarine Development Group 2 , "Grouper" worked to develop and test concepts of hunter-killer antisubmarine warfare. In this duty she ranged along the East Coast fromNova Scotia to Florida as well as participating in Caribbean exercises. In 1953 and 1955 exercises took "Grouper" across the Atlantic to Rothesay, viaIceland . In the Fall of 1957 she then participated inNATO maneuvers.1958 – 1962
"Grouper" was reclassified AG(SS)-214, 17 May 1958, and on 28 November 1959 she entered the
Portsmouth Navy Yard for extensive modification. Her forward torpedo room was converted into a floating laboratory, work benches and additional berths for scientists were installed, and various types of sonar gear were added topside. Thus equipped, "Grouper" departed Portsmouth 23 June 1960 to embark on the fourth phase of her long career, research vessel for theNaval Research and Underwater Sound Laboratories . Her duties as a floating laboratory took her frequently to the Caribbean andBermuda , although she retained New London as her home port and engaged in operations there and as far north as Nova Scotia. Her efforts were focused on the study of sound propagation in water. In December 1962 "Grouper" entered thePhiladelphia Naval Shipyard for overhaul and modification to prepare for further work in this field. "Grouper" left the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in May 1963 to resume her investigation of waterborne sound.1964 – 1968
In June 1964 "Grouper" was awarded the coveted Battle Efficiency "E". In November 1965 the submarine again entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for overhaul and equipment modifications to increase her usefulness as a floating underwater sound laboratory. She departed Philadelphia 1 May 1966, reached New London 1 June, and headed for the Caribbean for intensive research. Her studies during 1966 also took her to
Narragansett Bay and twice to Bermuda. At the beginning of 1967 "Grouper" was at New London preparing to resume gathering knowledge of underwater sound propagation.As of 1968, "Grouper" was still adding accomplishments as a floating laboratory to her long and outstanding record during both war and peace.
"Grouper" received 10
battle star s forWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g9/grouper.htm DANFS: USS "Grouper"]
* [http://hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss214.txt hazegray.org: USS "Grouper"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08214.htm navsource.org: USS "Grouper"]
* [http://www.hamstat.demon.co.uk/HongKong/Lisbon_Maru.html Sinking of "Lisbon Maru"]
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