While the other boats transited La Perouse Strait and headed home, TUNNY waited three more days, hoping her sister ship would appear. The Seawolf, as well as the Balao class submarine USS Sea Owl (SS-405), had been called to the area after voice communications with the Thresher were originally lost and the two submarines arrived . Remarks: Hull reported located in 1995. Bonefish successfully threaded her way through the minefields by Tsushima Island as she transited the Korea Strait to enter the Sea of Japan for an offensive patrol off the west central coast of Honsh. be put to sea. USS Harder (SS-257) was lost on 24-Aug-1944 with the Remarks: Reportedly dived, no published report seen yet. off Block Island. Remarks: Loss date could be as late as 6 February, however Japanese records indicate At the end of those operations, she visited Hamburg, West Germany, and Portsmouth, England, before returning to Charleston on 9 October. difference. Remarks: Bombed on 10 December 1941 with the loss of 4 crew. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Remarks: Possibly diveable water. R: Roberts, Stephen, et al, Registry of US Warships On 17 May 1978, Bonefish put to sea for the western Pacific. Update: The wreck of the USS Astoria was discovered in early 2015 during a sonar mapping project of Iron Bottom Sound lead by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. This list is for information, so we don't forget -- sailing aboard loss of 83 crew when it was sunk in north end of Formosa Strait in vicinity of On 24 April 1988 Bonefish was submerged, during an exercise with guided-missile frigate USS Carr, about 160 mi (260 km) off the Atlantic coast of Florida, when seawater began leaking onto cables and electric buses in a battery-supply cableway. The crippled USS Bonefish, an attack submarine rocked by a series of explosions that left three sailors dead, arrived at Charleston Harbor Friday behind a Navy salvage ship. Remarks: Possibly diveable water. crew were taken prisoner, only 21 survived the war) MAY -- NH, 42 59' 48N - 20 20' 27W Bonefish managed to evade the escorts, and her crew heard explosions which they interpreted as at least two hits on the oiler and one on the cargo ship. She emerged from the shipyard on 25 June 1977 to begin post-overhaul refresher training. It was the factor that saved BONEFISH. The salvage ship USS Hoist began towing the 219-foot-long Bonefish Wednesday afternoon to its home port of Charleston, S.C., where Navy experts will be able to take a closer look at the damage,. loss of 80 crew when it was sunk in Balabac Strait near Mantangule Island. The USS Bonefish then completed a "special mission". After that, they needed to risk detection by surfacing or snorkeling and running their diesel engines to recharge their batteries. In total, this vessel sank 31 enemy vessels, for a total tonnage of 158,500, and damaged 7, for 42,000 tons. Named Pierces Pole Cats after TUNNY commanding officer Commander George E. Pierce, the wolfpacks assignment was to invade the Sea of Japan, along with two other packs of American subs (Hydemans Hepcats and Bobs Bobcats), and destroy what remained of Japans overseas supply lines. The Navy said the first explosion hit the Bonefish on Sunday afternoon as it was running at periscope depth, engaged in training exercises with surface vessels 160 miles off Florida. USS Amberjack (SS-219) was lost on 16-Feb-1943 with That structure in the final analysis gave me the room to do what was necessary to oversee the salvage of the ship with the knowledge that every effort would be made to send help if I needed it. and also a reported sighting by Bonefish of a US sub on 2 December. Repairs occupied her until June 1969, and post-overhaul trials and refresher training followed. She then cleared the area and, the next day, engaged and destroyed another small ship with gunfire. USS Escolar (SS-294) was lost on or after USS Astoria carried the ashes of former Japanese . She transited the Panama Canal on 23 June and arrived in Naval Station Charleston, South Carolina, her new home port, on 6 July. Remarks: Loss most likely was the result of one of 3 attacks.11Feb42 E of Menado, 17 BONEFISH did not make this rendezvous, and after the other eight vessels had successfully transited La Perouse Strait, TUNNY on 25 and 26 June waited off the entrance to the strait and unsuccessfully tried to contact BONEFISH. But the fire onboard the Bonefish remains arguably the most important asterisk to the Navys impressive submarine safety record. Captain Wilson decided at 4 PM to proceed with a programmed dive to 150 feet while the engineers got to the bottom of a seemingly ordinary problem. Remarks: Sunk by own forces in submarine safety zone. grounding on reef south of Rossel Island Louisande Archipelago. The submarine next trained her torpedo tubes on a convoy of 13 ships which she contacted on 9 February in Camranh Bay. If you served in USS Bonefish (SS-223), Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. U.S. I will never forget, after two days on station. While operating in the vicinity of Makassar Strait on 22 January, Bonefish encountered a large sailing vessel. Minesweeper W.12 picked up the Japanese survivors although recently released documents state that W.12 machine-gunned the surviving POWs (a minimum of 250) in the water,[7]. While in the Sulu Sea on 3 May, Bonefish approached a convoy but was forced to dive when an enemy plane dropped two depth bombs which exploded close aboard. She never did. During that tour of duty, she participated in exercises with units of the Korean and Taiwanese navies as well as with elements of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Bonefish was one of three Barbel-class submarines commissioned in 1959, incorporating new design features such as a sleek tear-drops-shaped hull and a consolidated layout situating the command and fire control centers under the bridge/conning tower. It is dedicated to the three men who gave their lifes aboard the USS Bonefish (SS 582). Causey said he himself was blinded by the smoke and was only able to escape because a wave washing over the ship guided him to an open hatch. The flooding was later traced back to a leaky seal in the Bonefishs Trash Disposal Unit used to eject waste into the water, as detailed in the Navys investigation. Unfortunately, several seemingly minor long-running problems were either accepted or went undetectedand these combined in tragic fashion while Bonefish was submerged. The salvage crew entered the vessel shortly after midnight to test for toxic gases left by the fire in the diesel-electric subs forward battery compartment. Once again, she made the usual port visits and conducted exercises with units of friendly navies. was the only declared enemy but the hazards of maintaining peace required the submarines USS O-9 (SS-70) was lost on 20-Jun-1941 with the She was sunk in June 1945 after sinking a ship on its eighth cruise. The rest of the 92-man crew escaped serious injury when they abandoned the 219-foot, 30-year-old vessel, which was drifting alongside two salvage ships 160 miles east of Port Canaveral, Fla. USSVI has over 13,000 members nationwide. the loss of 77 crew when it was sunk East China Sea. USS Scamp (SS-277) was lost on 16-Nov-1944 with the BONEFISHs luck had finally run out. USS F-4 [ex-SKATE] (SS23) was lost on 21-Mar-1915 Remarks: R states sinking off Southern Formosa. The temperature in the battery space reached 1,200 Fahrenheit (650 Celsius). On 7 May, the submarine returned to Apra Harbor, Guam, ending another successful war patrol. Provision was made in the operation order governing this patrol group for submarines in case of necessity to proceed to Russian waters to claim a 24 hour haven, or to submit to internment in extreme need, or for them to make their exit from the Japan Sea prior to or after 24 June. The interaction between the saltwater and the exposed electrical cables ultimately led to the overheating and explosion of the forward battery well as described at the beginning of the article. She had a busy career in the Pacific against Japanese shipping after being launched and commissioned in May 1943. Grossman's eyes were nearly swollen shut from the fuel and saltwater. walking speed) but that same battery would only last just 90 minutes at a flank speed of 18.5 knots. Fourteen sailors with serious injuries were later air-evacuated to the carrier Kennedy for treatment. All of us were dead tired, but the need to get back on board BONEFISH for yet a final effort of damage control was mandatory. WDR date USS BONEFISH (SS-582) USS Bonefish (SS-582) was a Barbel-class submarine in the United States Navy. Pictures captured by an undersea drone show the wreck of World War II-era submarine USS Bugara in stunning detail. 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM; 1 PM TO 3:45 PM loss of 80 crew when it was sunk within shore battery range of Point Tagan, Radioman First Class Robert Bordelon passed out as well, and his fellows were unable to pull him up the bridge hatch. The Navy said the first explosion hit the Bonefish on Sunday afternoon as it was running at periscope depth, engaged in training exercises with surface vessels 160 miles off Florida. You may recall that BONEFISH, the last diesel submarine in the Atlantic, was in the vicinity of the Bahamas three years ago, when a fire in the battery area caused the captain to abandon ship and left us with the problem of recovering and bringing her back to Charleston. Under the command of Lt. Cmdr. See also Ed Howard's Final Patrol page on USS Bonefish (external link). Remarks: No known reports of wreckage being salvaged or sighted. Photos HERE For a brief history of the boat, please see The Loss of USS Bonefish. Three of 22 injured crewmen remain hospitalized. First, Admiral Dan Cooper as SUBLANT had sent me with the authority to do whatever was necessary to save the submarine and he was there to buffer me from the rest of the world I had only to make reports to him in the interim. She gained fame as an aggressive and highly successful submarine after Lieutenant Commander Dudley Walker "Mush" Morton became her skipper. On 24 April 1988, a fire on board USS Bonefish (SS-582) off the coast of Florida killed three crewmen. Seventy-five years after a U.S. Navy submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, the family members of its 80 lost sailors are finally getting closure as to where their loved ones. Bonefish. Remarks: Hulk reported sighted in 1978 At the end of May, BONEFISH set out on her eighth war patrol alongside USS TUNNY (SS-282) and USS SKATE (SS-305). Personnel began pouring out of Bonefishs hatches in the torpedo room (where most personnel had evacuated), bridge, mid-ship, and engine room. Wilson ordered emergency surfacing. The loss devastated Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet's Submarine Force. USS S-28 (SS-133) was lost on 4-Jul-1944 with the The heat was so intense that it melted the soles of the shoes of the crewmembers in the space above. the loss of 86 crew when it was sunk near 41 49N; 141 11E in channel Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR On 26 April, she intercepted a convoy of four ships steaming along the Mindanao coast. in knowing those 5,000 valves and switches. But even as damage control crews struggled to comply, there was an explosion and a fireball coursed across the compartment, blasting sailors against the wall. USS Pickerel (SS-177) was lost on 3-Apr-1943 with Channel; 20 41N; 118 27E. The boat sustained minor damage and surfaced to make repairs, but two Japanese ships began to close in on her. USS S-27 (SS-132) was lost on 19-Jun-1942 when it grounded off Amchitka In April 1966, Bonefish deployed to the western Pacific for the fourth time. USS Grunion (SS-216) was lost on 1-Aug-1942 with Click on a man's name to go to his personal memorial page on this site. According to helicopter crewman Jim Chapman, the hoist was even lowered inside one of Bonefishs hatches to pry out a heavyset sailor stuck inside. is aware of her location and the condition of the hull. You may recall that BONEFISH, the last diesel submarine in the Atlantic, was in the vicinity of the Bahamas three years ago, when a fire in the battery area caused the captain to abandon ship and left us with the problem of recovering and bringing her back to Charleston. BONEFISH's luck had finally run out. They operate in a hostile environment and do constant battle with the sea. The usual calls to Far Eastern ports punctuated her periods at sea engaged in training missions. USS Shark (SS-174) was lost on 11-Feb-1942 with The crew was able to surface the Bonefish and Wilson ordered the evacuation. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR On the morning of 18 June, TUNNY and BONEFISH rendezvoused in the vicinity of 38 15'N, 136 24'E. while being towed, after collision with USS Silverstein (DE-534). Petty Officer Grossman swam thousands of yards in the choppy waters and received credit for having saved 19 lives. loss of 83 crew when it was sunk off Inubo Saki near Tokyo Bay. On 25 January, the submarine commenced a 14-month overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Reported dived 2001. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR USS Grenadier (SS-210) was scuttled 22-Apr-1943 Remarks: R states NW of Honshu His role was purely that of support for the effort. The day of the wooden ship was over, wit. } loss of 34 crew when it was sunk after ramming by USCG Paulding. : Mikamisan Maru Japan World War II: The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Pacific Ocean off Hokkaido by USS Tench ( United States Navy) with the loss of 24 lives. [2][3][4] The frigate USS McCloy, serving as headquarters of the rescue operation, pulled alongside Bonefish to remove the bodies. ravaged hulk in pure darkness. Four men trapped in torpedo room survived for possibly 60 hours. Sometimes all Patrolling in the vicinity of Cape Bolinao on 10 October, the boats attacked a convoy of cargo ships, and Bonefish scored three hits for undetermined damage. Undersea explorers find wreck of USS Nevada, the ship that almost escaped Pearl Harbor. the loss of 59 crew when it was sunk East of Menado, Celebes The submarine relayed the information, then continued her reconnaissance. loss of 84 crew when it was sunk in South China Sea. Remarks: No losses in the scuttling operation, all crew rescued by Japanese forces. Turnabout Island. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR [8]) Following this action, she continued to seek targets for more than a month before returning to Fremantle on 15 March. Find USS Bonefish (SS-223) unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Meetings begin at 1200, but come early and share a sea story or two. Following the normal post-deployment leave and upkeep period, she resumed operations along the west coast of North America. USS S-51 (SS-162) was lost on 25-Sep-1925 with the Then, after a thorough overhaul and the installation of much new equipment in San Francisco, BONEFISH made her seventh patrol in the East China Sea. Remarks: Scuttled by crew, after severe damage by enemy forces. of Iwo Jima. Copyright 2023 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. Following seven months of operations out of Pearl Harbor, Bonefish departed that port on 9 February 1971 on her way back to the Far East. According to fellow crewmember William Baker, Everts was likely dead set on one thing: verifying on the periscope that Bonefish was clear to surface so she didnt accidentally collide with the Carr nearby. She then conducted type training and other exercises along the California coast for the remainder of the year and into 1979. Portions of wreckage remained in place until late 1950's when Lastly, I have never been quite as touched as I was by the general level of concern for their shipmates demonstrated by the men on the two frigates, the submarine rescue ship, and the carrier that were on scene. Post war information also reveals that on 14 May 1944, while firing at the large tanker, which she sank, BONEFISH hit and sank the Japanese destroyer INAZUMI. spread as 10-17-44 to 11-3-44 Power cables in Bonefishs forward battery well were sparking and glowing cherry red, small flames and electrical arcs licking across the battery bus. During the summer of 1963, she made a two-month cruise to the western Pacific, returning to Pearl Harbor in August. Sources: R, D, SFLM Learn More , Library Hours: Bonefish went deep once again and rigged for the depth charges, 25 in all. the loss of 40 crew when it was sunk north of Groluk Island near Truk. The U.S. Navy has not lost a single submarine to an accident at sea in over fifty years despite operating one of the largest underwater fleets on the planetnot since implementing safety reforms after losing Thresher in 1963 and the Scorpion in 1968. Passage 7 49.5N; 116 47.5E Palawan. Two torpedoes struck the 806ton passenger/cargo ship amidships and aft, sinking her. As nine tons of seawater gushed into the forward end of the boat crewmembers rushed to close the appropriate valves, saving her from a swift trip to the bottom. Presentation The sub is powered on the surface by diesel engines, but when submerged it uses electric motors powered by two battery compartments. Remarks: Diveable water of less than 200 feet grounding on Taka Bakang Reef in Makassar Strait, Indonesia, Near Makassar City, the crew were all rescued. USS Bullhead (SS-332) was lost on 6-Aug-1945 with Remarks: WDR date spread is 1-5-44 to 2-24-44 She sighted a Japanese task force consisting of three battleships, one aircraft carrier, three heavy cruisers, and one light cruiser, screened by eight destroyers. Compiled by Paul W. Wittmer and Charles R. Hinman. Any person or company interested in promoting the importance of submarines to the national defense is eligible to apply for membership. In addition to taking part in 7th Fleet training exercises, she also operated in the Gulf of Tonkin. On 6 February 1944, during her third war patrol, the boat had a close call when, as she moved into position to launch torpedoes from her aft tubes, she suddenly lost depth control, submerging her periscope. This vessel's fifth patrol was in the same area as her fourth, and she sank two small freighters, a large tanker and five miscellaneous small craft, while she damaged a second tanker. Upon completion of refit on 28 May, Bonefish got underway in company with Tunny(SS-282) and Skate(SS-305), as part of "Pierce's Pole Cats", commanded by Tunny's skipper, Commander George E. Pierce. USS Bonefish (SS-223) was lost on 18-Jun-1945 with Sources: R, D, SFLM, USS S-5 (SS-110) was lost on 1-Sep-1920 when it foundered off Deleware Capes Submarine Losses World War II, NAVPERS 15,784, 1949 ISSUE. The dead were identified as Lt. Ray Everts Jr., 30, of Naoma, W.Va.; Petty Officer 1st Class Robert W. Bordelon Jr., 39, of Willis, Texas; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Marshall T. Lindgren, 21, of Pisgah Forest, N.C. Chief Petty Officer Terry D. Borton, a spokesman at Atlantic Fleet headquarters here, said two of the bodies were found at their stations in the control room of the ship and a third was found in an administrative compartment. Sbastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. That employment lasted until October 1967, when she headed back to the Orient. Built by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, CT, USS BONEFISH (SS-223) was commissioned on 31 May 1943. The stranger's crew of seven acted suspiciously as the submarine approached, and despite repeated orders to do so, the crew refused to abandon ship. She fired six torpedoes and scored four hits. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR On 23 May, the submarine reported for duty with Submarine Division 33 (SubDiv33) at Naval Station San Diego, California. USS Barbel (SS-316) was lost on or after 4-Feb-1945 The typical accident happens when hydrogen builds up in the battery compartments while the sub is charging the batteries, said Norman Friedman, author of Submarine Design and Development.. But what I want most to tell you is that the quality of the young BONEFISH sailors in knowing their ship. Grossman later received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal from the President for his extraordinary heroism. (The Tonan Maru was hit but quickly repaired. Sunk or Damaged in WW II by U.S. Submarines. She had only one attack opportunity and did no damage. The Navy gave no further details, said Williams, of Naoma. At least 250 managed to abandon ship but were killed by the Japanese in the water. She entered the Flores Sea on 28 November and, the next day, intercepted two enemy ships. Remarks: Depth 400 feet. the loss of 70 crew when it was sunk near entrance to Kiska (Alaska) Harbor Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Still, Tunny waited in vain off Hokkaid for three days. The crew frantically blasted CO2 fire extinguishers to cool the overheating battery but the flames continued to grow and light smoke began wafting across the submarine began surfacing to periscope depth. Reliance The Soviets sailors associated with the lost YANKEE and the MIKE may have found themselves in not too different a set of circumstances than what we found on BONEFISH. The submarine conducted shakedown training out of New London, Conn., and Newport, R.I., until 23 July, when she set out for the Pacific. The submarine fired five torpedoes. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR The contract to build her was awarded on 29 June 1956 to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey and her keel . USS Wahoo (SS-238) was a Gato-class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the wahoo.Construction started before the U.S. entered World War II, and she was commissioned after entry. Throughout the cruise, the warship conducted UNITAS exercises with the armed forces of the countries visited. 5 50N) Nine tons of water rushed into her forward torpedo room before the proper valves were secured. Some use this date. Dived. This undoubtedly was the attack which sank BONEFISH. She also damaged two medium freighters. John Tull, public affairs officer at the Charleston Naval Base. USS R-12 (SS-89) was lost on 12-Jun-1943 with the On her second war patrol, conducted in the Celebes sea and near Borneo, BONEFISH sank two freighters and an escort vessel, and damaged a minelayer. The wreck of the USS Bugara (OET/Nautilus Live). But Lt. Ray Evert, the Officer On Deck, didnt put on his EAB. She concluded 7th Fleet assignments on 25 April 1976 when she stood out of Subic Bay on her way home. (Nine of the crew were taken prisoner and survived the war). Remarks: Portions of hull remained as of 1998, USS Corvina (SS-226) was lost on 16-Nov-1943 with She attacked a convoy in those waters on 7 May, firing four torpedoes at an escort vessel, but could not observe the results. The Bonefishs captain, Cmdr. I was sent out with a handful of young people (a couple of them BONEFISH sailors who happened to have been on leave or had stayed back in Charleston for training) to see what I could do about bringing the submarine back to port. In July of 1951, Congress authorized construction of the worlds first nuclear powered submarine. In May, the submarine again headed for the western Pacific for a deployment quite similar to her first cruise in Oriental waters. On 1 December, the boat sighted a convoy of three ships with two escorts hugging the Celebes coast. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Crew members abandoned ship and were taken to shore by the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and the frigate USS Carr. During the first five months of 1979, Bonefish underwent a regular overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. 152 37E USS Grampus . The vessel reached the USS Johnston, which lies 6.5km (4 miles) beneath the waves in the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean.. (U.S. Remarks: In diveable water in PRC territory USS Cisco (SS-290) was lost on 28-Sep-1943 with the the 4th as the sinking attack date. [Note: The above USS BONEFISH (SS-582) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS BONEFISH (SS-582) or by other non . WDR: War Damage Report. BONEFISH asked permission to conduct a submerged daylight patrol in Toyama Wan, in the mid part of western Honshu, and having received it, departed for Suzu Misaki.