View source for USS Guardfish (SS-217)

{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}
{{other ships|USS Guardfish}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:USS Guardfish;0821701.jpg|300px|Guardfish (SS-217) after launching.]]
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country= United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[General Dynamics Electric Boat|Electric Boat Company]], [[Groton, Connecticut]]<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates">{{cite book
 |last= Friedman
 |first= Norman
 |title= U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History
 |publisher= [[United States Naval Institute]]
 |year= 1995
 |place= [[Annapolis, Maryland]]
 |pages= 285–304
 |isbn= 1-55750-263-3 }}</ref>
|Ship laid down=1 April 1941<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship launched=20 January 1942<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship sponsor=Mrs Edward J Marquart
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=8 May 1942<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship decommissioned=25 May 1946<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=1 June 1960<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship fate=Sunk as a target off [[Block Island]], 10 October 1961<ref name="Register">{{cite book
 |last1= Bauer
 |first1= K. Jack
 |last2= Roberts
 |first2= Stephen S
 |title= Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants
 |publisher= Greenwood Press
 |year= 1991
 |place= [[Westport, Connecticut]]
 |pages= 271–273
 |isbn= 0-313-26202-0}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Gato class submarine|''Gato''-class]] [[diesel-electric]] [[submarine]]<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1525|LT|t|0}} surfaced<ref name="Register"/>
*{{convert|2424|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship length={{convert|311|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship draft={{convert|17|ft|abbr=on}} maximum<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship propulsion={{Fleet-boat-propulsion-early-GM-4-GE}}
|Ship speed=*21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs">''U.S. Submarines Through 1945'' pp. 305–311</ref>
*{{convert|9|kn|km/h|abbr=on}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship range={{convert|11000|nmi|km|lk=in}} surfaced at {{convert|10|kn|km/h|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship endurance=*48 hours at {{convert|2|kn|km/h|0|abbr=on}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
*75 days on patrol
|Ship test depth={{convert|300|ft|m|-1|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship complement=6 officers, 54 enlisted<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament={{Fleet-boat-armament-3-inch}}
}}
|}

'''USS ''Guardfish'' (SS-217)''', a [[Gato class submarine|''Gato''-class]] [[submarine]], was the first ship of the [[United States Navy]] to be named for the [[guardfish]].

==Construction and commissioning==
''Guardfish'' was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] by the [[Electric Boat Company]] at [[Groton, Connecticut|Groton]], [[Connecticut]]. She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] there on 20 January 1942, sponsored by Mrs. Edward J. Marquart, and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] at [[Naval Submarine Base New London]] [[New London, Connecticut|New London]], Connecticut, on 8 May 1942, [[Lieutenant Commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] [[Thomas B. Klakring]] in command.

==First and second war patrols, August – November 1942==
After conducting shakedown out of New London, ''Guardfish'' left that base on 28 June 1942 for [[Pearl Harbor]] via the [[Panama Canal]], and arrived there on 25 July to prepare for her first cruise. Her first war patrol was in previously unpatrolled waters off northeast [[Honshū]]. ''Guardfish'' left Pearl Harbor on 6 August 1942, sank a trawler on 22 August, and two days later sank 3,114&nbsp;ton [[cargo ship]] ''Seikai Maru'' off [[Kinkasan]] Harbor. Evading escort vessels, she proceeded up the coast and found a convoy on 2 September. ''Guardfish'' attacked the next day, sinking 5,253&nbsp;ton ''[[Kaimei Maru]]'' and 1,118&nbsp;ton cargo ship ''Tenyu Maru''. ''Chita Maru'', a 2,376&nbsp;ton freighter, retreated into the harbor and anchored, but a long-range shot from ''Guardfish'' left her beached in the mud. ''Guardfish'' returned from her successful first patrol to [[Midway Atoll|Midway]] for refit on 15 September 1942.

''Guardfish'' left Midway on her second war patrol on 30 September and headed for the [[East China Sea]]. Surviving an attack by patrolling aircraft on 19 October, ''Guardfish'' closed a seven-ship convoy 21 October, sinking a 4,000-ton freighter and 6,362&nbsp;ton ''Nichiho Maru'' north of [[Taiwan|Formosa]] as the convoy scattered. After evading pursuing aircraft and surface ships, ''Guardfish'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 28 November 1942. For her success on these first two patrols, ''Guardfish'' received a [[Presidential Unit Citation (US)|Presidential Unit Citation]].

==Third, fourth, and fifth war patrols, January – August 1943==
Moving her base of operations to the [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] area, ''Guardfish'' left Pearl Harbor on 2 January 1943 to patrol off the Japanese stronghold. She sank Japanese patrol ''Boat No.1'' (the former [[destroyer]] {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Shimakaze|1920|2}}) on 12 January west of [[Kavieng]], and a 1,300&nbsp;ton cargo ship the next day. Attacked by the [[destroyer]] {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Hakaze||2}} on 23 January, ''Guardfish'' sank her with a well-placed [[torpedo]]. Moving south toward [[Rabaul]], she attacked a large convoy near [[Simpson Harbor]], but was driven off by concentrated shore fire and escort attacks. ''Guardfish'' ended her third patrol by arriving at [[Brisbane]], Australia on 15 February 1943.

Her fourth war patrol was conducted in the [[Bismarck Archipelago|Bismarcks]], [[Solomon Islands|Solomons]], and [[New Guinea]] area, and ''Guardfish'' recorded no kills on this cruise, 9 March to 30 April 1943.

Leaving Brisbane for the same waters on 25 May 1943, ''Guardfish'' sank the transport and [[hell ship]], ''[[Japanese transport Suzuya Maru (1922)|Suzuya Maru]]'',<ref name=seekrieg194306>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/43-06.htm |title=Seekrieg 1943, June |last1=Rohwer |first1=Jürgen |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer |first2=Gerhard |last2=Hümmelchen |work=Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart |language=de }}</ref> and damaged another before being forced to dive by aircraft on 13 June. She picked up a surveying party on the west coast of [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]] on 14 July and returned to Brisbane for refit on 2 August 1943.

==Sixth and seventh war patrols, August 1943 – February 1944==
''Guardfish'' left Brisbane for her sixth war patrol on 24 August 1943, landing a reconnoitering party on Bougainville and then moving into cruising waters. She sank the 5,460&nbsp;ton ''Kasha Maru'' on 8 October and subsequently spent two days as lifeguard ship during the air strikes on Rabaul. ''Guardfish'' embarked another reconnoitering party on 19 October at [[Tulagi]], landed them on Bougainville, and took vital soundings in [[Empress Augusta Bay]] before re-embarking the Marine party on 28 October. These important missions were carried out two days before the American landings at Bougainville. ''Guardfish'' reached Brisbane, completing her sixth patrol on 3 November 1943.

On 3 December 1943 ''Guardfish'' was damaged in a collision with an unknown tanker.<ref name=USNChron1943>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/TheOfficialChronologyOfTheUSNavyInWorldWarII |title= The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II |chapter= Chapter V: 1943 |chapter-url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron/USN-Chron-1943.html |first= Robert |last= Cressman |place= Annapolis, MD |publisher= [[United States Naval Institute|Naval Institute Press]] |year= 2000 |isbn= 978-1-55750-149-3 |oclc= 41977179 |access-date= 2007-12-04 |url-access= registration}}</ref>

Turning to the shipping lanes between Truk and [[Guadalcanal]], ''Guardfish'' began her seventh war patrol on 27 December 1943, sinking 10,024&nbsp;ton oiler ''Kenyo Maru'' on 14 January 1944. She then closed Truk and sank the destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Umikaze|1936|2}} on 1 February in an attack on a convoy. After serving briefly as lifeguard ship off Truk she arrived at Pearl Harbor 18 February and from there returned to [[San Francisco]] for repairs nine days later.

==Eighth and ninth war patrols, June – October 1944==
''Guardfish'' again put to sea from San Francisco and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 June. She then joined submarines {{USS|Thresher|SS-200|2}}, {{USS|Piranha|SS-389|2}}, and {{USS|Apogon|SS-308|2}} to form the [[Wolf pack (submarines)|coordinated attack group]] known as the "Mickey Finns", commanded by Captain [[William V. O'Regan|W. V. O'Regan]] in ''Guardfish''.

[[File:Kuretake2.jpg|thumb|The {{sclass|Wakatake|destroyer}} ''Kuretake'' escorted ''[[Teiryu Maru]]'' and tried to [[depth charge]] ''Guardfish'']]
The submarines patrolled the shipping lanes around Formosa with spectacular success, ''Guardfish'' sinking 5,863&nbsp;ton [[Auxiliaries|auxiliary]] ''Mantai Maru'', 2,838&nbsp;ton cargo ship ''Hizan Maru'', and 5,215&nbsp;ton cargo ship ''Jinsan Maru'' southwest of Formosa on 17 July. After damaging another freighter 18 July, ''Guardfish'' sank the {{GRT|6512}} cargo ship ''[[Teiryu Maru]]'' the next day, barely escaping the attacks of her escorts. She arrived at Midway for refit on 31 July 1944, and for her performance on the eighth patrol was awarded a second Presidential Unit Citation.

Sailing the [[Sea of Japan]] as a member of another wolf pack on 23 August 1944, ''Guardfish'' and the submarines, ''Thresher'' and {{USS|Sunfish|SS-281|2}}, had a 40-minute surface gun battle with [[sampan]]s on 2 September. On 25 September ''Guardfish'' attacked and sank 873&nbsp;ton cargo ship ''Miyakawa Maru #2'' and returned to Pearl Harbor on 24 October 1944.

==Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth war patrols, November 1944 – June 1945==
''Guardfish'' left on 26 November 1944 for her 10th war patrol to cruise in the "Convoy College" area of the [[South China Sea]], with yet another wolf pack. She recorded no sinkings on this cruise, but nearing [[Guam]] in the early morning of 24 January 1945 she mistook the U.S. Navy [[rescue and salvage ship]] {{USS|Extractor|ARS-15|3}}, for a Japanese [[I-400-class submarine|I class submarine]]. She fired a torpedo which struck ''Extractor'''s starboard side, causing her to capsize and sink at {{coord|15|44|N|135|29|E}}, within five minutes.<ref>Hinman & Campbell, Appendix A (unpaginated).</ref> Six crew were killed, and the remainder were rescued by ''Guardfish''. This action ended the patrol.

''Guardfish'''s 11th war patrol was spent watching for enemy fleet units attempting to escape from the [[Seto Inland Sea|Inland Sea]] of Japan by way of the [[Kii Suido]] between [[Shikoku]] and [[Honshū]]. Leaving [[Saipan]] on this duty on 27 February, she found no ships but rescued two downed aviators on 19 March before returning to Midway on 11 April 1945.

''Guardfish'' left Midway on 8 May 1945 on her 12th and final war patrol, and was assigned lifeguard station for the ever-increasing air attacks on the Japanese mainland. She sank a small trawler by gunfire on 16 June, and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 26 June 1945.

==Post-war service==
The veteran submarine served with the training command after her return to [[Hawaii]], helping to train surface ships in the newest antisubmarine warfare tactics until 25 August 1945. She then sailed for the United States, transiting the Panama Canal on 12 September and arriving at [[New Orleans]] on 16 September. ''Guardfish'' arrived at New London 6 November and decommissioned there on 25 May 1946.

''Guardfish'' remained inactive until 18 June 1948, when she was placed "in service" for duty as a Naval Reserve Training Ship at New London. Declared surplus to Navy needs, she was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 1 June 1960. This ship, one of the most successful of [[World War II]] submarines, performed her final service as a target ship for a new submarine torpedo. {{USS|Blenny|SS-324|2}} sank her with the newly developed torpedoes off New London on 10 October 1961.

==Honors and awards==
* {{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]], two awards, one for her first and second war patrols, and a second for her eighth war patrol.<ref>{{Cite book |title=[[United States Submarine Operations in World War II]] |first= Theodore |last= Roscoe |author-link= Theodore Roscoe |publisher= Naval Institute Press |place= Annapolis, MD |year= 1949 |page= 500}}</ref>
* {{ribbon devices|number=11|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with 11 [[battle star]]s for [[World War II]] service

Of about 250 American submarines which conducted combat patrols in World War II, ''Guardfish'' ranked 13th in total tonnage sunk (72,424 tons) and tied for eighth in number of ships sunk with 19.

==In the media==
''Guardfish'' was the subject of an article in the 14 December 1942 edition of ''TIME'' magazine. The article, titled Battle of the Pacific: A Day at the Races<ref>''Time'' Magazine Archives</ref> and written by an embedded Times staff writer (Clay Blair?), describes the ''Guardfish'', either the 1st or 2nd war patrol and Commander Klakring's famed sneak into Tokyo Bay; Close enough to watch the horse races through the periscope.

Excerpt from article – ''It was a Sunday afternoon. Lieut. Commander Thomas Burton Klakring had run his submarine smack up to Japan's shore. Klakring raised his periscope. There was a big seaside town, a race track and a race, which "the whole town" had turned out to see. Klakring & crew placed some bets, "but we were just a little too far away to be sure which horse won." Anyhow, they were there to provide more exciting diversion for the people of Japan.''

''Guardfish'' life on patrol was predominately displayed in the much longer article, featured in the 15 March 1943 publication of ''LIFE'' magazine.<ref name="LIFE magazine archives">''LIFE'' magazine archives</ref> The article is titled West to Japan. US sub patrols the Japanese Coast, watches Horse-races and sinks 70,000 tons of Japanese shipping. By John Field. The article is over 4,000 words and depicts life aboard a submarine, both exciting and mundane. Byline: "This story has 50 heros and one heroine. The heros are the officers and men of an American submarine. The heroine is the ship herself. More than 300 ft. long, with ten [[torpedo tube]]s and a surface speed of better than 20 knots, she was commissioned about a year ago. Since that day, she has led an exciting and secret life. On one cruise, to the shores of Japan itself, she sank 70,000 tons of (enemy) shipping. This is the story of that cruise."<ref name="LIFE magazine archives"/>

''Guardfish'' was the subject of one episode of the syndicated television series ''The Silent Service''

==See also==
*[[List of most successful American submarines in World War II]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Refbegin}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/g/guardfish-i.html}}
{{Refend}}

===Bibliography===
*http://content.time.com/time/archive/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531073813/http://content.time.com/time/archive/ |date=31 May 2014 }} 14 December 1942
*http://life.time.com/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208034901/http://life.time.com/ |date=8 December 2014 }} 15 March 1943
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=hkupDwAAQBAJ&dq=LApon+raton&pg=PA181 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.] {{ISBN|978-0-359-76906-3}}.

==External links==
* {{navsource|08/08217|Guardfish}}
*[http://hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss217.txt hazegray.org: USS ''Guardfish'']
*[http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/guardfish.html Kill Record: USS ''Guardfish''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106114453/http://www.pigboats.com/ww2/guardfish.html |date=6 January 2009 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130829012620/http://content.time.com/time/archive ''TIME'' magazine archives: Dec. 14, 1942]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120202233647/http://life.time.com/ ''LIFE'' magazine archive: March 15, 1943]

{{Gato class submarine}}
{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}
{{1961 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guardfish (SS-217)}}
[[Category:Gato-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Groton, Connecticut]]
[[Category:1942 ships]]
[[Category:Friendly fire incidents of World War II]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1945]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1961]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Connecticut coast]]