- USS Gurnard (SS-254)
USS "Gurnard" (SS-254), a "Gato"-class
submarine , was the first ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for thegurnard , a trigloid fish having three free pectoral rays, a food fish of the genus "Trigla ". The striped gurnard inhabits the South Atlantic."Gurnard" was launched
1 June 1942 by the Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Miss Suzanne Slingluff; and commissioned18 September 1942 , Lt. Comdr. C. H. Andrews in command.Following shakedown out of New London, "Gurnard" sailed for
Rosneath, Scotland ,2 November 1942 and reached that port 13 days later. Her first war patrol,28 November to27 December 1942 , brought her to theBay of Biscay where she lay off the Spanish coast awaiting Germanblockade runners bound for Spanish ports. The patrol was uneventful; no enemy ships were sighted and subsequently "Gurnard" returned to New London9 February 1943 for repairs and alterations.Second, third, and fourth war patrols, May 1943 – January 1944
After reaching
Pearl Harbor 26 May , the submarine got underway12 June for her second war patrol. She patrolled offToagel Mlungui Passage and on29 June saw action for the first time, damaging twoJapan ese merchantmen and surviving 24depth charges thrown by an enemydestroyer . Varied damage was inflicted on other ships in these waters before "Gurnard" made her first kill, sinking cargo ship "Taiko Maru" at coord|12|53|N|131|49|E|. on11 June 1943 . Having expended all torpedoes, the submarine returned viaMidway Island to Pearl Harbor, arriving26 July for refit.Underway again
6 September , she sailed to theSouth China Sea to begin her third war patrol. A five-ship convoy was sighted near midnight7 October and "Gurnard" began her stalk, closing at 0139 on8 October and sending to the bottom cargo ship "Taian Maru" and passenger-cargo ship "Dainichi Maru" west ofLuzon . This successful patrol terminated at Pearl Harbor28 October .One month later she sailed on her fourth patrol to prowl off the southeast coast of
Honshū and soon found good hunting. A convoy was sighted24 December and at 0710 "Gurnard" attacked. Two minutes later cargo ship "Seizan Maru No. 2" had broken in two and sunk; she was soon joined by cargo ship "Tofuku Maru". Japanese destroyers attacked the submarine with over 80 depth charges without success; and after damaging another merchantman on27 December Gurnard, returned to Pearl Harbor7 January 1944 .Fifth, sixth, and seventh war patrols, April – November 1944
Following overhaul at
San Francisco "Gurnard" departed Pearl Harbor16 April on her fifth war patrol bound for the easternCelebes Sea . On this patrol she chalked up one of the highest single-patrol tonnage scores of the Pacific war, attacking a convoy6 May and sinking 6,886-ton cargo ship "Tenshinzan Maru", 6,995-ton passenger-cargo vessel "Taijima Maru", and 5,824-ton passenger-cargo ship "Aden Maru". Nearly a hundred depth charges rained down around her but she eluded the hunters and escaped undamaged. This vital convoy carried 40,000 troops intended to oppose Gen. MacArthur inNew Guinea , and the embarked units suffered losses of nearly 50 percent. "Gurnard"'s next kill occurred24 May when several torpedoes sent under 10,090-ton tanker "Tatekawa Maru". No further opportunities presented themselves; and "Gurnard" put in at Fremantle,11 June 1944 with the completion of the patrol.The submarine stood out on her sixth patrol
8 July for the Banda, Molucca, Celebes, Sulu, andMindanao Sea s. After topping off at Darwin she patrolled off thePeleng Straits and damaged one merchantman before returning to Fremantle5 September ."Gurnard"'s seventh patrol commenced
9 October after refit and while cruising offBorneo she raised a five-ship enemy convoy. A successful attack was pressed home3 November at the end of an 18-hour hunt and two torpedoes demolished cargo ship "Taimei Maru". "Gurnard" returned to her Australian port17 November after this victory.Eighth and ninth war patrols, December 1944 – May 1945
The submarine's eighth and ninth patrols (
11 December 1944 –1 February 1945 and10 March –9 May 1945 ) included reconnaissance offCamranh Bay and patrols with submarines USS|Hammerhead|SS-364|2 and USS|Boarfish|SS-327|2, but hunting was poor and no ships were sunk. Gurnard finished her last patrol at Pearl Harbor9 May and put in at Mare Island, Calif., 9 days later for a major overhaul. Following a round-trip voyage thence to Pearl Harbor and Midway, she returned toSan Francisco 11 September 1945 and decommissioned there27 November 1945 ."Gurnard" remained in reserve until
1 July 1949 when she reported to theSan Francisco Naval Shipyard for activation as an armory for naval reserve submarine training. Towed to Pearl Harbor27 November to9 December 1949 , the submarine served there until returning under tow to Tacoma, Wash.,18 May 1953 to continue reserve training duties in that port until June 1960. She was then inactivated in preparation for disposal. Her name was struck from the Navy List1 May 1961 . She was sold for scrapping26 September 1961 to theNational Metal and Steel Corporation ,Terminal Island ,Los Angeles, California "Gurnard" received six
battle star s and theNavy Unit Commendation for service inWorld War II . War patrols numbers two through seven were designated "successful".References
External links
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08254.htm navsource.org: USS "Gurnard"]
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