USS Sunfish (SS-281)

The first USS ''Sunfish'' (SS-281), a ''Gato''-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ocean sunfish, ''Mola mola'', a plectognath marine fish, having a deep body truncated behind, and high dorsal and anal fins.

Construction and early career

''Sunfish'' was laid down on 25 September 1941 by the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California, launched on 2 May 1942, sponsored by Mrs. J. W. Fowler, and commissioned on 15 July 1942, Commander Richard W. Peterson in command.

''Sunfish'' held her shakedown in the San Diego Bay area and then proceeded to San Francisco, California, for post-shakedown repairs. On 26 October 1942, she stood out to sea en route to the Pacific war zone.

First and second war patrols, November 1942 – April 1943

She arrived at Pearl Harbor, T.H. on 1 November, and departed on her first war patrol on 23 November. Her assigned patrol area was off the coasts of Honshū and Hokkaidō, Japan. The submarine laid a minefield at the entrance to Iseno Imi on the night of 16 December. On 18 December, torpedoed and damaged the ''Kyowa Maru''. The patrol ended on 14 January 1943, upon her return to Midway Island.

''Sunfish'' began her second patrol on 4 February, which took her into the East China Sea. She torpedoed a ship on the night of 4 March, setting it alight.

Two days later, she fired at a transport with a four-torpedo spread, with three explosions heard. When the submarine raised her periscope, a destroyer passed over the conning tower and attacked with depth charges causing minor damage. On the night of 13 March, ''Sunfish'' torpedoed and sunk the 3,262-ton ''Kosei Maru'', a cargo ship in the approaches to Takarajima (Toro Shima in DANFS) in .Position in reference is southeast of the island. ''Kosei Maru'' was built as the World War I era Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1023 type ''Buffalo Bridge'' (O/N 218821) in 1919 by Submarine Boat Corporation, Newark, N.J. sold to Japan. The submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 3 April.

Third and fourth war patrols, May – September 1943

Her third patrol was made from 4 May to 24 June in the shipping lanes near Truk Atoll. The ''Sunfish'' did not find any enemy shipping, so she reconnoitered Anguar Island on 23 May and shelled a refinery on Fais Island five days later.

From 28 July to 25 September, ''Sunfish'' patrolled in waters off Formosa. In two attacks on 13 August, she sank a tanker and attacked the converted gunboat ''Edo Maru'' which exploded, sending flames high. In the early-morning hours of 4 September, ''Sunfish'' dodged between lighted sampans to attack a 10-ship convoy, sinking the ''Kozon Maru'', which also exploded.

Fifth and sixth war patrols, October 1943 – March 1944

''Sunfish'' refitted at Pearl Harbor and sailed on 16 October to patrol area northeast of Formosa. She returned to Pearl Harbor on 14 December 1943 without finding any worthy targets.

On 14 January 1944, ''Sunfish'' set off under her new commanding officer Commander Edward E. Shelby to patrol the shipping lanes between the Caroline and Mariana Islands. She made a photographic reconnaissance of Kusaie and another atoll in the Carolines between 21 January and 30 January. On 23 February, the submarine made four attacks on a convoy, sinking the ''Kunishima Maru'' and the ''Shinyubari Maru'' with a combined tonnage of 9,437 tons of enemy shipping. When she returned to Pearl Harbor on 7 March, she was routed onward to San Francisco for an overhaul, which was completed in early June.

Seventh and eighth war patrols, June – September 1944

Following her overhaul, the ''Sunfish'' returned to Pearl Harbor and departed for her seventh war patrol on 22 June in the Kuril Islands area. She sank the passenger-cargo ship ''Shanmai Maru'' on the night of 5 July. The next day, the submarine engaged and destroyed a fleet of 14 sampans and trawlers with her deck guns. ''Sunfish'' mistakenly sank the Soviet merchant ship ''Ob'' on 6 July and sank the 6,284-ton cargo ship ''Taihei Maru'' on the morning of 9 July. ''Sunfish'' steamed to Midway for a refit period from 1 August to 19 August.

''Sunfish'' began her eighth war patrol on 20 August when she departed Midway for the Yellow Sea. On 10 September she intercepted a convoy coming out of Tsushima Strait, sinking ''Chihaya Maru'' and damaging several other targets. On the night of 13 September, the ''Sunfish'' attacked another convoy sinking the ''Etashima Maru'' with damage claimed to other targets, including one ship left with her decks awash. The patrol ended at Pearl Harbor on 27 September.

Ninth war patrol, October – December 1944

''Sunfish'' returned to the Yellow Sea on 23 October as part of a " wolf pack" that included and . On 17 November, the ''Sunfish'' sighted a convoy of eight ships led by the 21,000-ton escort carrier ''Shinyo''. The carrier quickly passed out of range of the ''Sunfish'', which signalled its find to the other members of the wolfpack. The ''Sunfish'' attacked the remaining ships of the convoy, sinking two troopships; the with 2,113 lives lost; and the with 448 lives lost. The ''Spadefish'' torpedoed and sank the ''Shinyo'', with 1,130 lives lost. As the battle continued, the ''Peto'' sank ''Aisakasan Maru'' and ''Chinkai Maru'', while ''Spadefish'' sank ''Submarine Chaser No. 156''.

On 29 November, the ''Spadefish'' sank ''Daiboshi Maru''. The following day the ''Sunfish'' sank the transport ''Dairen Maru''. The patrol ended at Majuro, Marshall Islands, on 19 December 1944, with the wolfpack having sunk a total of 59,000 tons of Japanese shipping.

Tenth and eleventh war patrols, January – April 1945

''Sunfish'' stood out of Majuro on 15 January 1945 to patrol in the East China and Yellow Seas. On 20 February, she collided with an ice floe damaging both periscopes, forcing a premature end to the patrol. The ''Sunfish'' arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, on 27 February, for refit and repairs.

''Sunfish'' began her eleventh, and last, war patrol on 31 March 1945 with Commander John W. Reed now in command, patrolling off Honshū and Hokkaidō. She operated in the approaches to Ominato in April. On the 9th, she damaged a ship which managed to speed away and enter a protected harbor. Five days later, ''Sunfish'' launched three torpedoes at a merchantman; but all missed. The submarine carried out a daylight attack on 16 April, sinking the transport ''Manryu Maru'' and the frigate ''Coast Defense Vessel No. 73''. She expended her last torpedoes three days later in night-radar attacks, sinking ''Kaiho Maru'' and ''Taisei Maru''. ''Sunfish'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 28 April and departed for the United States two days later.

Postwar

''Sunfish'' was in the Mare Island Naval Shipyard from 7 May to 31 July for an overhaul and returned to Pearl Harbor on 9 August. She was preparing for another patrol when hostilities with Japan ceased. The submarine sailed out of Pearl Harbor on 29 August en route to the West Coast. She arrived at Mare Island on 5 September for inactivation, and was decommissioned there on 26 December 1945. She was the first submarine of the ''Gato'' class to be decommissioned after the war. ''Sunfish'' remained out of commission, serving as a classroom for naval reserve units until she was struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1960.

Honors and awards

''Sunfish'' received nine battle stars for World War II.

Footnotes

References

Citations

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Bibliography

Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. ''The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II''. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.
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External links

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USS Sunfish SS-281 web site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunfish (SS-281)
Gato-class submarines
World War II submarines of the United States
Ships built in Vallejo, California
1942 ships
Friendly fire incidents of World War II
Maritime incidents in July 1942