USS Barb (SS-220)
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USS ''Barb'' (SS-220), a , was the first ship of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
to be named for the
tiger barb The tiger barb or Sumatra barb (''Puntigrus tetrazona''),Kottelat, M. (2013)The Fishes of the Inland Waters of Southeast Asia: A Catalogue and Core Bibliography of the Fishes Known to Occur in Freshwaters, Mangroves and Estuaries. ''The Raffle ...
, a genus of
ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...
. She compiled one of the most outstanding records of any U.S. submarine in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During her twelve war patrols, ''Barb'' is officially credited with sinking 17 enemy vessels totaling 96,628 tons, including the Japanese aircraft carrier . In recognition of one outstanding patrol, ''Barb'' received the Presidential Unit Citation. On her twelfth and final patrol of the war, she landed a party of carefully selected crew members who blew up a train, the only ground combat operation in the Japanese (four main) home islands.


United States Navy service history


World War II

The keel of USS ''Barb'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
on 7 June 1941 by the
Electric Boat An electric boat is a powered watercraft driven by electric motors, which are powered by either on-board battery packs, solar panels or generators. While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power ...
Company of
Groton, Connecticut Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...
. She was launched on 2 April 1942 (sponsored by Mrs. Charles A. Dunn, wife of
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Dunn), and commissioned on 8 July 1942. ''Barb''s war operations spanned the period from 20 October 1942 – 2 August 1945, during which time she completed 12 war patrols.


European Theater – First through fifth patrols

During her first patrol she carried out reconnaissance duties prior to, and during, the invasion of North Africa. Operating out of
Rosneath naval base Rosneath naval base (HMS Rosneath) was a naval base, constructed on the Rosneath peninsula, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. close to the village of Rosneath. The construction of the base started in July 1941, in response to American expectations that ...
,
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until July 1943, she conducted her next four patrols against the Axis blockade runners in European waters. ''Barb''s fifth patrol terminated 1 July and she proceeded to the Submarine Base,
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...
, arriving on 24 July.


Pacific Theater – Sixth through twelfth patrols

Following a brief overhaul period at New London, ''Barb'' departed for
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
where she arrived in September. It was in the Pacific waters that ''Barb'' found lucrative hunting and went on to compile one of the more outstanding submarine records of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the seven war patrols she conducted in the Pacific between March 1944 and August 1945, ''Barb'' is officially credited with sinking 17 enemy vessels totaling 96,628 tons, including , sunk on 17 September 1944. On 15–16 September ''Barb'' rescued 14 Australian and British POW survivors of . The last five war patrols (8-12) conducted by ''Barb'' were under
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Eugene B. Fluckey. Her 11th patrol lasted from 19 December 1944 – 15 February 1945, in the Formosa Straits and
East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...
off the east coast of
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, from
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to Kam Kit. During this patrol, ''Barb'' sank four Japanese merchant ships and numerous enemy small craft. On 22–23 January ''Barb'' penetrated Namkwan Harbor now called Yanpu Wan (沿浦湾) on the
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
coast, opposite the
Matsu Islands The Matsu Islands; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤ ( or ), officially Lienchiang County; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing (), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China ...
, and wrought havoc upon a convoy of some 30 enemy ships at anchor. Maneuvering in dangerously shallow waters, ''Barb'' launched her torpedoes into the enemy group and then retired at high speed on the surface in a full hour's run through uncharted, heavily mined, and rock-obstructed waters. In recognition of this outstanding patrol, Commander Fluckey was awarded the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
and ''Barb'' received the Presidential Unit Citation. Upon completion of her 11th patrol, ''Barb'' was sent to the U.S. for a yard overhaul and alterations, which included the installation of rocket launchers at the Captain's request. Returning to the Pacific, she commenced her 12th and final patrol of World War II on 8 June. This patrol was conducted along the coasts of the
Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk; Historically also known as , or as ; ) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, Japan's island of Hokkaido on the sou ...
. For the first time in U.S. submarine warfare, ''Barb'' successfully employed rockets, against the towns of
Shari, Hokkaido is a town located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Population As of October 2020, the town has an estimated population of 11,418 and a population density of 15 persons per km2. The total area is 736.97 km2. History During Wo ...
; Shikuka; Kashiho; and Shiritoru on
Karafuto , was established by the Empire of Japan in 1907 to govern the southern part of Sakhalin. This territory became part of the Empire of Japan in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, when the portion of Sakhalin south of 50°N was ceded by the R ...
. On 2 July; she also bombarded the garrison on Tyuleny (Kaihyo) Island with her regular armament, destroying the constructions and causing a fire. She next landed a party of carefully selected crew members who blew up a railroad train. During the night of 22–23 July 1945 these men went ashore at
Karafuto , was established by the Empire of Japan in 1907 to govern the southern part of Sakhalin. This territory became part of the Empire of Japan in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War, when the portion of Sakhalin south of 50°N was ceded by the R ...
, Japan, and planted an explosive charge that subsequently wrecked a train. They were: Chief Gunners Mate Paul G. Saunders, USN; Electricians Mate 3rd Class Billy R. Hatfield, USNR; Signalman 2nd Class Francis Neal Sever, USNR; Ships Cook 1st Class Lawrence W. Newland, USN; Torpedoman's mate 3rd Class Edward W. Klingesmith, USNR; Motor Machinists Mate 2nd Class James E. Richard, USN; Motor Machinists Mate 1st Class John Markuson, USN; and Lieutenant William M. Walker, USNR. This raid is represented by the train symbol in the middle bottom of the battle flag.


Post-war history

Returning to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
after the cessation of hostilities, ''Barb'' was placed in commissioned reserve on 9 March 1946 and decommissioned reserve on 12 February 1947 at
New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...
. On 3 December 1951, she was recommissioned and assigned to the Atlantic Fleet, operating out of
Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Islan ...
. She was again decommissioned on 5 February 1954 and underwent the
Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) was initiated by the United States Navy after World War II to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of its submarines. (The "Y" in the acronym was added for pronouncea ...
(GUPPY) conversion. Recommissioned on 3 August 1954, she served with the Atlantic Fleet until 13 December 1954, when she was decommissioned a final time and loaned to
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under the
Mutual Defense Assistance Program The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on October 6, 1949. For U.S. foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military Aid, foreign aid legislation of the Cold War, Cold War era, and ...
.


''Enrico Tazzoli'' (S 511)

The submarine was renamed ''Enrico Tazzoli'' (S 511) by the
Italian Navy The Italian Navy (; abbreviated as MM) is one of the four branches of Italian Armed Forces and was formed in 1946 from what remained of the ''Regia Marina'' (Royal Navy) after World War II. , the Italian Navy had a strength of 30,923 active per ...
, after Enrico Tazzoli, an Italian priest. The submarine was eventually sold for scrap in 1972 for approximately $100,000 (currently $). Admiral Fluckey noted that, had the crew known of this, they would have bought the sub and brought her back to the U.S. to serve as a museum ship.


Awards

* Presidential Unit Citation *
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...
*
European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal The European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those ...
with one
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with seven battle stars *
World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...
*
National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was awarded to every member of the U.S. Armed Forces who served during any one of four s ...


Legacy

''Barb''s battle flag is on display at the
Submarine Force Library and Museum The United States Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum is located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. It is the only submarine museum managed exclusively by the Naval History & Heritage Command division of the Navy, and this makes it a ...
in
Groton, Connecticut Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...
. Another submarine was named for USS ''Barb'' and served in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1989. On 13 October 2020, Secretary of the Navy
Kenneth Braithwaite Kenneth John Braithwaite II (born 1960) is an American diplomat, businessman, and former United States Navy rear admiral who served as the 77th secretary of the Navy from 2020 to 2021, in the first Trump administration. A member of the Republi ...
announced that a future ''Virginia''-class submarine ( SSN-804) will be named for USS ''Barb''.


See also

*
List of most successful American submarines in World War II A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


References


Further reading

* Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey, USN (1992). ''Thunder Below!'' . * Carl Lavo (2007). ''Galloping Ghost: The Extraordinary Life of Submarine Captain Eugene Fluckey''. /


External links


hazegray.org: USS ''Barb''
*
''The Sub That Sank a Train''


* ttp://pigboats.com/ww2/barb.html Kill record: USS ''Barb''
Chart of Namkwan Bay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barb (Ss-220) Gato-class submarines Ships built in Groton, Connecticut 1942 ships World War II submarines of the United States Cold War submarines of the United States Gato-class submarines of the Italian Navy