The Bonefish was submerged and operating on two massive batteries when, according to initial reports, an explosion occurred in the battery compartment at about 4:30 p.m., a spokesman said. 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. Sbastien Roblin holds a Masters Degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University and served as a university instructor for the Peace Corps in China. Bonefish's keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut on 25 June 1942. USS S-44 (SS-155) was lost on 7-Oct-1943 with the Remarks: Japanese records indicate 26 Feb, US records state 27 Feb. Dateline Deep water loss of 34 crew when it foundered off Isle of Shoals, 15 miles from Portsmouth 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. the loss of 76 crew when it was sunk in or near Tablas Strait, PI. USS Grunion (SS-216) was lost on 1-Aug-1942 with Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR USS Scorpion (SSN-589) was lost on 27-May-1968 with Japanese records of anti-submarine attacks mention an attack made on 19 June 1945 [Editor's Note: Date corrected from 18 June 1945], at 3718'N, 137 25'E in Toyama Wan. Afterward USSHoist, a salvage-and-rescue ship, towed Bonefish to Charleston, South Carolina. Sometimes all The Navy gave no further details, said Williams, of Naoma. On 10 October, in her last action of the patrol, Bonefish fired a spread of four torpedoes at two ships of a convoy off Indochina, sending both the 4,212ton cargo ship Isuzugawa and the 10,086ton transport Teibi Maru to the bottom. The submarine conducted shakedown training out of New London, Conn., and Newport, R.I., until 23 July, when she set out for the Pacific. ravaged hulk in pure darkness. BONEFISH was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for the period of her first and third through sixth patrols. USS S-4 (SS-109) was lost on 17-Dec-1927 with the 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. Bonefish concluded her first tour of duty with the 7th Fleet on 13 March 1961 when she arrived back in San Diego. None of the drills they do could have prepared them for what happened, said Mrs. Causey, who is from Jacksonville, Fla. Causey, 30, was one of 89 of the Bonefishs 92 crewmen evacuated Sunday after explosions and fire filled the vessel with smoke and toxic gases. Pre-WWII Post-WWII Sources. Remarks: WDR gives date spread as 8-20 to 9-27-43 Home This coordinated attack group under Commander G. E. Pierce in TUNNY, which was one of three groups then penetrating the Japan Sea, was ordered to transit Tsushima Strait on 5 June 1945 and to conduct offensive patrol in the Sea of Japan off the west coast of Honshu. In addition to taking part in 7th Fleet training exercises, she also operated in the Gulf of Tonkin. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR While on lifeguard duty off Korea's southern coast on 16 April, Bonefish rescued two Japanese aviators who had been shot down by a Navy plane. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR At the end of the South American deployment, she resumed normal operations out of San Diego, and that employment occupied her time for the remainder of 1979 and during 11 of the 12 months of 1980. Remarks: Dived and photographed by DSRV in 1997 Turnabout Island. In May, the submarine again headed for the western Pacific for a deployment quite similar to her first cruise in Oriental waters. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR The repairs and modifications took nearly a year to complete. The submarine fired five torpedoes. It was an auspicious beginning. Remarks: WDR gives date spread as 9-9 to 9-12-43 She remained in port for three weeks to allow crewmen to settle into the new home port. After four months of operations in the Hawaiian Islands, the submarine headed for the Far East again in January 1964. The majority of the next six patrols were just as successful. Power cables in Bonefish 's forward battery. USS Robalo (SS-273) was lost on 26-Jul-1944 with the in knowing where they were in this pitching, rolling. Bonefish encountered another convoy on 27 September and launched four torpedoes at the lead ship, the largest of the five, and sank the 9,908ton transport Kashima Maru and damaged the Chihaya Maru. 44N; 127 33E; heading for 33 44N; 124 06E. Damage was Remarks: Hull towed by US Battleship Ohio until it foundered about 5 miles from loss of 80 crew when it was sunk in Balabac Strait near Mantangule Island. 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. But two incapacitated crew members proved impossible to remove. Two years earlier, in October 1943, the USS Wahoo had been patrolling in the Sea of Japan when enemy forces attacked and sank it with all hands, including its commander, the legendary Dudley W. "Mush" Morton. Radioman First Class Robert Bordelon passed out as well, and his fellows were unable to pull him up the bridge hatch. 5 50N) Three crewmembers Lieutenant Ray Everts, Radioman First Class (RM1) (SS) Bob Bordelon, and Yeoman Third Class (YN3) (SS) Marshal Lindgren died due to the fire. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Altogether, eighty-nine of the ninety-two crew aboard Bonefish were saved. USS Dorado (SS-248) was lost on 12-Oct-1943 with the The explosion at 4:39 PM cast a dense fog of choking smoke into the submarines command center. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Compiled by Paul W. Wittmer and Charles R. Hinman. Again in the South China Sea on her third patrol, BONEFISH sank a very large tanker, a medium freighter and a schooner, and damaged a second large tanker. From Hawaii, Bonefish continued on to San Francisco, California, where she underwent overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel Submarine Repair Basin from 18 November 1944 to 13 February 1945. For a brief history of the boat, please see The Loss of USS Bonefish. Commander Edge reported be had sunk one large transport and one medium freighter to date. Meetings begin at 1200, but come early and share a sea story or two. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR That employment continued until 8 June 1982, when Bonefish departed San Diego on her way to the east coast. The submarine conducted normal operations out of San Diego until 4 October, when she entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for her first regular overhaul. Bonefish concluded her first war patrol back at Fremantle,Western Australia on 21 October. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR. Following a week of training out of that port, she again got underway for more days of drills in Moreton Bay. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR took place on 25 December. The Bonefishs captain, Cmdr. In a second rendezvous two days later, she requested and received permission to conduct a daylight submerged patrol of Toyama Bay, a bay farther up the Honsh coast. Sea state was still 4 or 5, and the boat crews, having performed marvelously for the previous two days, were so tired that they were no longer functional. in knowing those 5,000 valves and switches. The warship arrived back in Pearl Harbor on 15 May. In moments, jet black smoke poured across the ship, blinding the crew and making breathing poison. In July, the submarine went to sea for refresher training. difference. with editorial notes by Robert H. Downie,originally from: U.S. Halmahera 1 34N; 123 07E or in Molukka Passage. Remarks: The Wahoo has been found and verified by the US Navy. Tests conducted after the battle showed that the Dahlgren guns could be operated safely and efficiently with charges of as much as 30lb (14kg). If you served in USS Bonefish (SS-223), Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. 17-Oct-1944 with the loss of 82 crew when it was sunk somewhere east of 33 Following the normal post-deployment leave and upkeep period, she resumed operations along the west coast of North America. The vessel reached the USS Johnston, which lies 6.5km (4 miles) beneath the waves in the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean.. Arcing then caused an explosion, which flashed into a fire within minutes. Remarks: Bombed on 10 December 1941 with the loss of 4 crew. Bonefish then set course for Sibutu Passage on a reconnaissance mission. 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. She again sighted and reported the same task force on the 17th, this time anchored in Tawitawi Bay. Sixty-five submarines built for the United Petty Officer Grossman swam thousands of yards in the choppy waters and received credit for having saved 19 lives. May 25, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. Thereafter, Bonefish stopped in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. 2: Tabular Record of Movement", Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Bonefish_(SS-223)&oldid=1139586503, 11,000 nautical miles (20,000km) surfaced at 10kn (19km/h), This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 21:52. 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 . She transited the Panama Canal on 4 August and arrived at Brisbane, Australia, on the 30th. Japanese records examined after the war indicate that on 18 June an American sub torpedoed a 6,000-ton cargo vessel in Toyama Wan Bay, where BONEFISH had been operating. and only when I was ready to make them. Everts then climbed up to the bridge, opening the lower hatch, and then attempted to open the upper hatch to the surface. Azores. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR 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 entered the Flores Sea on 28 November and, the next day, intercepted two enemy ships. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday, Operation Hours: only. During that two..day time at sea with BONEFISH there were several realizations that convinced me of the irrefutable wisdom of the way we run todays submarine force. USS S-36 (SS-141) was lost on 20-Jan-1942 when it was destroyed after USS Amberjack (SS-219) was lost on 16-Feb-1943 with She fired the other two bow tubes at a cargo ship and then tried to swing her stern into position to fire her after tubes. Remarks: Possibly diveable water. Others were lost when the sea a muster of the frigate crew at two oclock in the morning. This area was further subdivided, with BONEFISH assigned to patrol the northern portion. BONEFISH made scheduled rendezvous with TUNNY on 16 and 18 June, but when TUNNY, SKATE, and the six other American subs that had been patrolling the area met up on the 24, World War II at 75: The Women at Iwo Jima, Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage in the Navy, Medal of Honor Recipient Samuel D. Dealey. I have never been more impressed with basic submarining than I was with those young fellows. (42 She departed her lifeguard station the next day, stopped at Saipan for fuel on the 27th, and continued on to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 8 November. 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. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR, USS O-5 (SS-66) was lost on 11-Oct-1923 with the USS Scamp (SS-277) was lost on 16-Nov-1944 with the Following refit and training, the submarine sailed from Fremantle on 12 January 1944 to conduct her third war patrol. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Ill always remember that every man in that 200 man crew raised his hand, and I was touched. The USS Bonefish then completed a "special mission". In total, this vessel sank 31 enemy vessels, for a total tonnage of 158,500, and damaged 7, for 42,000 tons. The temperature in the battery space reached 1,200 Fahrenheit (650 Celsius). She emerged from the shipyard on 25 June 1977 to begin post-overhaul refresher training. The causes of death would not be known until a full medical report was done, Borton said. spread as 10-17-44 to 11-3-44 In two separate attacks, the submarine scored a hit on a large passenger/cargo ship Nichiryo Maru which later sank and another on a destroyer escort which apparently survived. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR All the crew escaped through a hole cut in hull in the tiller She resumed active service in the western Atlantic and West Indian operating areas on 5 April 1984 and remained so engaged through the end of the year. He received minor chemical burns on his body from the diesel fuel spilled in the ocean. I will always remember, with Admiral Cooper, that memorial service in Charleston when we remembered the crew, their efforts and the three shipmates who died in the ship. USS Harder (SS-257) was lost on 24-Aug-1944 with the USS O-9 (SS-70) was lost on 20-Jun-1941 with the During the later part of this patrol, Bonefish joined Flasher(SS-249) and Lapon(SS-260) in forming a coordinated attack group. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest noncombat decoration awarded for heroism within the US Department of the Navy, ranking immediately above the Bronze Star Medal in the order of precedence for the awards and decorations of the US armed forces. USS H-1 (SS-28) was lost on 12-Mar-1920 with the Remarks: Sunk by own forces in submarine safety zone. 1983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016, THIS WEBSITE IS SPONSORED BY PROGENY, A CORPORATE MEMBER OF THE NSL. Twenty minutes later Bonefishs crew figured out which battery was the source of the grounding issue at the same time as leaking seawater was detected. The USS Destroyer Escort Samuel B. Roberts, known as the Sammy B., is the world's deepest shipwreck. USS S-28 (SS-133) was lost on 4-Jul-1944 with the Hearing the fire in the battery well was out of control and that submarines #3 diesel engine had quit when activated, Wilson finally gave the order to abandon ship. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR She was commissioned on 9 July 1959 with Lieutenant Commander Elmer H. Kiehl in command. 18N - 137 25E; WDR gives date spread as 11-9-44 to 11-16-44, USS F-1 [ex-CARP] (SS-20) was lost on 17-Dec-1917 Tuesday: Closed, Use Of The Museum For Reunion Or Memorial Services, At the end of May, BONEFISH set out on her eighth war patrol alongside USS TUNNY (SS-282) and USS SKATE (SS-305). Grossman later received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal from the President for his extraordinary heroism. At the end of May, BONEFISH set out on her eighth war patrol alongside USS TUNNY (SS-282) and USS SKATE (SS-305). It was necessary to enter this hellish situation, stepping over dead shipmates, finding the right valves, getting the valves shut, pumps established, and securing the submarine on the surface before we could tow her back to port. Feb 42 N of Kendari 21 Feb 42 E of Kendari (Ros). Declared lost She had only one attack opportunity and did no damage. Presentation Unable to open the hatch, Everts climbed back down and collapsed on the command centers floor, whereupon Wilson noticed and placed an EAB on his face. By 1988 the aging submarine was bedeviled by increasing mechanical problems, but her last operational skipper Mike Wilson lobbied for two months of additional maintenance to try to address them. But the fire onboard the Bonefish remains arguably the most important asterisk to the Navys impressive submarine safety record. USS Grampus . Following a post-deployment standdown and local operations, she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul. Operational history [ edit] Bonefish resumed normal operations after the post-deployment rest and upkeep period. Bonefish conducted training out of Pearl Harbor until early November. . She visited Trinidad, Tobago, Curaao, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Netherlands Antilles before retransiting the canal. Grossman's eyes were nearly swollen shut from the fuel and saltwater. USS Albacore (SS-218) was lost on 7-Nov-1944 with Bonefish conducted trials and training off the New England coast until the spring of 1960. number of submarines we built. She gained fame as an aggressive and highly successful submarine after Lieutenant Commander Dudley Walker "Mush" Morton became her skipper. She was never seen or heard from again. While operating in the vicinity of Makassar Strait on 22 January, Bonefish encountered a large sailing vessel. On 14 May, Bonefish approached a convoy of three tankers and three escorting destroyers, steaming off Tawitawi in the Philippines and headed for Sibutu Passage. Japanese records examined after the war indicate that on 18 June an American sub torpedoed a 6,000-ton cargo vessel in Toyama Wan Bay, where BONEFISH had been operating. the loss of 86 crew when it was sunk in Toyama Wan; Near Suzu Misaki; 37 The vessel reached the USS Johnston, which lies 6.5km (4 miles) beneath the waves in the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean.. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR The Lagarto has been located and the US Navy USS Shark (SS-314) was lost on 24-Oct-1944 with the is aware of her location and the condition of the hull. spread is 11-23 to 12-9-43, Ships and Tonnage USS Bonefish (SS-223) was a Gato -class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the bonefish . loss of 4 crew when it Grounded, Magdalena Bay, Mexico, was sunk in 9 Fathoms Return expeditions have not relocated hull. That repair period lasted through the year, and a material casualty to the snorkel piping system during sea trials in March 1973 extended it into July 1973. Wed really rather not say anything yet, said Williams. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR 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 contract to build her was awarded on 29 June 1956 to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey and her keel . USS Bonefish (SS-582) was a Barbel-class submarine of the United States Navy, and was the second U.S. Navy submarine to be named for the bonefish. A Navy salvage crew boarded the submarine Tuesday but had to pump out toxic gases swirling through the hull before they could enter the ship, which had been adrift since Sunday. The salvageships USS Petrel and USS Hoist are assessing the safety and manner of towing the ship back to port, he said. The sinking of the USS Eagle PE-56 was first deemed an accident . Remarks: Ros discusses date discrepancy. USS Herring (SS-233) was lost on 1-Jun-1944 with the Remarks: WDR date spread is 1-5-44 to 2-24-44 WDR date The next day, Bonefish fired a spread of four torpedoes at a cargo ship headed for Davao Gulf but, in spite of three hits, failed to sink the target. The submarine maneuvered into a position suitable to attack Tokiwa Maru, launched four torpedoes, and then turned to evade the escorts. Remarks: Portions of hull remained as of 1998, USS Corvina (SS-226) was lost on 16-Nov-1943 with Sailors tried repeatedly to hoist Lt. Everts out the bridge hatch but were finally forced to as smoke pervaded the submarine. On the submarines slippery deck, the crew struggled to keep their balance and several fell overboard. She then conducted type training and other exercises along the California coast for the remainder of the year and into 1979. In February 1963, Bonefish moved to a new home port, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (The Tonan Maru was hit but quickly repaired. 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. between Hokkaido and Honshu. the loss of 72 crew when it was sunk off Rabaul; Last Contact at 5 05S; the loss of 74 crew when it was sunk within lume of Shiramuka Light off BONEFISH made scheduled rendezvous with TUNNY on 16 and 18 June, but when TUNNY, SKATE, and the six other American subs that had been patrolling the area met up on the 24th to begin the trip back to Hawaii, BONEFISH was nowhere to be found. She sank three freighters, two transports, a tanker and a schooner, and damaged a fourth freighter. Remarks: Diveable water of less than 200 feet Three of 22 injured crewmen remain hospitalized. While the other boats transited La Perouse Strait and headed home, TUNNY waited three more days, hoping her sister ship would appear. Bonefish returned to Pearl Harbor from that routine deployment on 7 November and began 13 months of local operations. The crews of a whaleboat from Carr and helicopters from both Carr and the aircraft carrier USSJohn F. Kennedy rescued 89 men. Metal from hole in Navy Memorial Museum. That April Bonefish participated in an anti-submarine training exercise with the John F. Kennedys carrier taskforce 160 miles east of Floridaparticularly sparring with Kennedys anti-submarine helicopters and the escorting frigate USS Carr. BONEFISH terrorized enemy shipping in and around Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines, sending a variety of vessels to the bottom or rendering them incapable of continuing to fight. loss of 34 crew when it was sunk after ramming by USCG Paulding. it was sold for scrapping. She was the second to last United States Submarine lost in the war, with Bullhead(SS-332) being lost in August 1945. On 24 April 1988 Bonefish was submerged, during an exercise with guided-missile frigate USSCarr, about 160mi (260km) off the Atlantic coast of Florida, when seawater began leaking onto cables and electric buses in a battery-supply cableway. Sources: R, D, Ros, SFLM, WDR Sources: R, D, SFLM She began her career as an active member of the Submarine Force with a patrol in the South China Sea in September and October 1943. On 14 October the Bonefish sank a Japanese sailing vessel in the Makassar Strait. The submarine departed there on 16 September for her first war patrol. Remarks: No known reports of wreckage being salvaged or sighted. loss of 83 crew when it was sunk off Inubo Saki near Tokyo Bay. Sources: R, D, SFLM As she maneuvered into attack position, Bonefish selected a large oiler as her primary target and launched four bow "fish" at it. Then she moved on to her new homeportPearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ros: Roscoe, Theodore, Submarine Operations of WWII With escorts charging her, the boat suddenly lost depth control and ducked her periscope below the water. The day of the wooden ship was over, wit. } Once again, she made the usual port visits and conducted exercises with units of friendly navies. On 6 December 1977, the submarine began operations along the California coast. USS Gudgeon (SS-211) was lost on 18 April-1944 with After repairs, she returned and rejoined the others. Upon completing this mission, she headed for Australia and arrived at Fremantle on 30 May.