- USS Steelhead (SS-280)
USS "Steelhead" (SS-280), a "Gato"-class
submarine , was a ship of theUnited States Navy named for the steelhead, a North Americantrout found fromCalifornia toAlaska ."Steelhead" (SS-280) was laid down on
1 June 1942 by thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard inKittery, Maine ; launched on11 September 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs. Marguerite Brown; and commissioned on7 December 1942 , Lt. Comdr. David L. Whelchel in command.First war patrol, April – June 1943
"Steelhead" held her shakedown off
Long Island in December 1942 and January 1943. In February, she sailed for the Pacific and arrived atPearl Harbor on8 April . After intensive training, she sailed for Midway Island; topped off her fuel there on25 April , and began her first war patrol. She planted 12 mines off theJapan ese mainland nearErimo Saki and then bombarded a steel plant and iron foundry near Muroran,Hokkaidō . She fired no torpedoes, and the submarine returned to Midway in early June.Second war patrol, June – August 1943
On her second patrol,
30 June to6 August , "Steelhead" fired 10 torpedoes at a Japanese task force on10 July . Explosions were heard, but specific damage could not be ascertained. After refitting at Pearl Harbor, the ship sailed on13 September for theGilbert Islands where she operated as a lifeguard submarine off Tarawa during bombardment by Army aircraft.She called at
Johnston Island for fuel and provisions and departed on25 September to resume her patrol which took her into thePalau Islands . On6 October off the Carolines, she damaged tanker "Kazalhaya", which USS|Tinosa|SS-283|3 sank later that day. All her torpedoes expended, "Steelhead" sighted a largeconvoy which she trailed, while sending information to other submarines in the area.Third, fourth, and fifth war patrols, December 1943 – August 1944
On her next patrol, "Steelhead" operated off
Bungo Suido from late December 1943 to early March 1944. On10 January 1944 , she torpedoed and sank the 6,795 ton converted salvage vessel, "Yamabiko Maru".Her fourth patrol, off Formosa from early April to
23 May , provided no targets worthy of torpedo fire, but she sank a trawler by gunfire.On
17 June , she sortied from Midway Island with USS|Hammerhead|SS-364|3 and USS|Parche|SS-384|3 to patrol south of Formosa. On31 July , the submarine made three successful attacks in which one ship was damaged and two were sunk. "Parche" also sank two from the convoy. Upon concluding the patrol when she arrived at Pearl Harbor on16 August , "Steelhead" was routed to the West Coast for a much needed overhaul.Sixth war patrol, April – August 1945
While in
drydock , on1 October 1944 "Steelhead" suffered a serious fire which required the installation of a newconning tower . After a long repair period, the submarine stood out ofSan Francisco on16 April 1945 , en route to Pearl Harbor. "Steelhead" began her last war patrol on13 May . She performed lifeguard duty in theCaroline Islands and later patrolled in theTokyo Bay area. She made notorpedo attacks but sank two trawlers by gunfire. The patrol ended at Midway Island on5 August and, 20 days later, she sailed for the West Coast."Steelhead" arrived at San Francisco on
5 September 1945 and provided services for the West Coast Sonar School until2 January 1946 . She sailed to Pearl Harbor and operated from there until March when she steamed back to San Francisco for inactivation. The submarine was placed in reserve, out of commission, on29 June 1946 and attached to thePacific Reserve Fleet . In May 1947, "Steelhead" was placed in service, in reserve, and used as a reserve training ship until struck from the Navy List on1 April 1960 ."Steelhead" received six
battle star s forWorld War II service.References
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