USS Batfish (SS-310)

USS "Batfish" (SS/AGSS-310), a "Balao"-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the batfish, any of several fishes; a pediculate fish of the West Indies, the flying gurnard of the Atlantic, or a California sting ray.

Originally named "Acoupa", hull SS-310 was renamed "Batfish" 24 September 1942; launched 6 May 1943 by Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine; sponsored by Mrs. Nellie W. Fortier; and commissioned 21 August 1943, Lieutenant Commander W. R. Merrill in command.

"Batfish"'s war operations span a period from 11 December 1943 to 26 August 1945 during which she completed six war patrols. She is credited with having sunk nine Japanese ships totaling 10,658 tons while operating east of Japan, in the Philippine Sea, Luzon Strait, and South China Sea.

Combatant vessels sunk were: the destroyer "Samidare", 26 August 1944 in coord|08|30|N|134|37|E|. and the submarines "RO-55", 10 February 1945 in coord|18|56|N|121|34|E|.; "RO-112", 11 February 1945 in coord|18|53|N|121|50|E|.; and "RO-113", 13 February 1945 in coord|19|10|N|121|25|E|.

"Batfish" returned to the United States after the Japanese surrender and following completion of her pre-inactivation overhaul was placed out of commission in reserve at Mare Island Navy Yard 6 April 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

On 7 March 1952 "Batfish" was recommissioned and on 21 April assigned to Submarine Division 122 based at Key West, Fla., to carry out training duty. She was redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine AGSS-310, 1 July 1960.

Decommissioned for the last time, 1 November 1969, she was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. "Batfish" was struck from the Naval Register, 28 February 1972. She was transferred to the Oklahoma Maritime Advisory Board and towed up the Arkansas River to Muskogee. There, she was placed in a dry berth and opened to the public as a memorial to Oklahoma combat submariners.

"Batfish" received the Presidential Unit Citation for her sixth war patrol in the South China Sea during which she sank the three Japanese submarines. She was also awarded six battle stars for her World War II service.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b3/batfish-i.htm|http://hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss310.htm

External links

*navsource|08/08310|Batfish
* [http://www.rddesigns.com/ww2/batfish.html Sinkings by boat: USS "Batfish"]
* [http://hnsa.org/ships/batfish.htm Historic Naval Ships Association: USS "Batfish"]
* [http://www.ussbatfish.com/ www.ussbatfish.com]
* [http://www.batfish.org/ www.batfish.org]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/submarines/batfish_ss_310/uss_batfish_ss_310.htm Maritimequest USS Batfish SS-310 Photo Gallery]