USS Apogon (SS-308)

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USS Apogon (SS-308) during World War II
USS Apogon (SS-308) during World War II
Overview
Keel laying December 9, 1942
Launch March 10, 1943
1. Period of service flag
period of service

July 16, 1943–1. October 1945

Whereabouts sunk on July 25, 1946 during a nuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll
Technical specifications
displacement

1526  ts surfaced
2424 ts surfaced
length

95.0 meters

width

8.3 meters

Draft

5.1 meters (maximum)

Diving depth 120 meters
crew

10 officers ,
70 NCOs and
men

drive

4 × 1350 PS diesel engines
(total 5400 PS)
4 × electric motors
(total 2740 PS)

speed

Surfaced 20.25 knots surfaced
8.75 knots

Range

11,000  nautical miles at 10 knots

Armament

10 × 53.3 cm torpedo tubes
(6 in the bow; 4 in the stern)
1 × 10.2 cm (4 inch) gun
1945 replaced by:
1 × 12.7 cm (5 inch)
1 × 4.0 cm Bofors FlaK
1 × 20 mm Oerlikon MK

The USS Apogon (SS-308) was a US Navy submarine . It belonged to the Balao class and, like all other boats in the class, was named after a fish. Apogon is the English name for the family of the cardinalfish (Apogonidae). Originally another name was planned, Abadejo , but it was replaced before the keel was laid.

The submarine was used by the United States Navy during World War II and then as a target ship for nuclear tests.

Technology and armament

The Apogon was a Balao-class diesel-electric patrol submarine. The Balao class was only slightly improved compared to the Gato class and, like those, was designed for long offensive patrols in the Pacific . In particular, the diving depth has been increased and the interior has been improved based on experiences during the war against Japan . Outwardly and in their dimensions, the boats of both classes were largely the same.

technology

The apogon was 95 meters long and 8.3 meters wide, the maximum draft was 5.1 meters. When surfaced it displaced 1526 ts , and when submerged it displaced  2424 ts. The drive was carried out by four nine-cylinder diesel - opposed piston engines of Fairbanks-Morse , Model 38D8-1 / 8, each of 1,000 kW had. Under water, the submarine was powered by four electric motors with a total of 2740 hp, which obtained their energy from two 126-cell accumulators . The motors gave their power via a gearbox on two shafts with one screw each. The surface speed was a maximum of 20.25 knots , submerged the Apogon still managed 8.75 knots. The maximum possible diving time was 48 hours, the maximum construction diving depth was 120 meters. 440 cubic meters of diesel fuel could be stored in the fuel tanks , giving the boat a range of 11,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.

Armament

The main armament consisted of ten 533 mm torpedo tubes , six in the bow, four aft, for which 24 torpedoes were on board. A 12.7 cm deck gun was mounted behind the turret . A 40 mm anti - aircraft gun was initially housed in the winter garden and, according to the original plan, two 12.7 mm machine guns , but their installation has not been proven. In the summer of 1945, the Apogon carried two 12.7 cm deck guns. This modification increased the combat strength of the submarine in surface battles as well as in attacks on coastal targets.

For locating enemy ships, the USS possessed Apogon a JK / QC - and a QB - sonar under the bow, on deck were JP - hydrophones installed. On extendable electronics mast was a SD - radar with 20 mile range reconnaissance to locate enemy aircraft attached, in addition, the submarine had a SJ -Oberflächensuchradar with about twelve nautical miles range. When submerged, enemy ships could also be located using the ST radar attached to the periscope with a range of eight nautical miles.

history

The USS Apogon was laid down in the Portsmouth Navy Yard on December 9, 1942 and launched there on March 10, 1943. The baptism was carried out by the admiral's wife, Mrs. Thomas Withers. The commissioning followed on July 16, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Walter Paul Schoeni.

Second World War

In the summer of 1943, the USS Apogon completed test and training drives off the coast of New England . She left the port of New London on September 13 and reached the Coco Solo submarine base in the Panama Canal Zone on September 22 . Then she passed the Panama Canal (September 25th) and set course for Pearl Harbor . After arriving there, the boat and crew went through a three-week preparation for the war operation off Hawaii in October .

First patrol (November 3, 1943 - December 18, 1943)

The Apogon left for the first patrol on November 3, 1943. The target area was in the sea area around the island of Moen (island) and along the shipping line between the Japanese naval bases Truk and Kwajalein . The Apogon flanked the capture of the Gilbert Islands by United States forces. During the patrol, the Apogon sighted enemy ships four times, which offered a worthwhile target. In three cases there was a torpedo attack. However, most of the attacks failed. Ultimately, the Apogon only achieved one success when she sank the Japanese former gunboat Daido Maru (2962 ts) on September 4, 1943 . The first use of the submarine ended on December 18 when it reached the Midway Islands . On December 26th, the boat continued to Pearl Harbor for maintenance and preparation for the next mission.

Second patrol (January 15, 1944 - March 9, 1944)

From Hawaii , the USS Apogon began its second patrol on January 15, 1944, for which the sea area around the Mariana Islands was ordered as an operational area. During this patrol there was only one opportunity to attack. On February 1, there was an attack on a convoy consisting of six ships . According to the crew, two ships were sunk by torpedo hits in two waves of attack. There was no official confirmation of the successes. The patrol ended on March 9, 1944 in Pearl Harbor.

Third patrol (April 2, 1944 - May 22, 1944)

The third patrol of the Apogon was unsuccessful. Shortly after sailing, there was an accident in which a shot was accidentally released from a 20 mm automatic cannon and hit a crew member in the leg. As a result of the accident, the boat turned around and called at Johnston , where the injured crew member went to the hospital and a substitute on board. After only two and a half hours, the submarine continued its mission. During the entire patrol, the Apogon did not have a single enemy contact. When it entered the makujo base in Makujo on May 22, 1944, the third mission of the boat ended, which was then overhauled and made ready again for the next mission. A short test drive took place on June 8th and the boat then reported that it was ready for use.

Fourth patrol (June 12, 1944 - July 22, 1944)

The fourth patrol of the Apogon began on June 12, 1944 and led from Majuro into the Japanese-controlled waters between the Philippines and Formosa . The Apogon operated in a so-called "Wolfpack" together with three other submarines: Guardfish , Thresher and Piranha .

On July 22nd, the Wolfpack jointly attacked a convoy consisting of nine transport ships and six escort ships. Before the Apogon could fire its first torpedo, it was discovered by one of the cargo ships. The Japanese ship immediately took a direct course to the sighted periscope of the Apogon and hit the tower of the submarine with a ram as it was positioning itself for an attack on another Japanese ship. The Apogon suffered considerable damage: both periscopes were destroyed, the radar antennas badly damaged and unusable. This damage led to the immediate termination of the operation and the return of the boat to Midway . After the first repairs there, the boat drove on to Pearl Harbor, where the remaining repairs to periscopes and radar devices as well as to the stern of the submarine in the dry dock were carried out and the machines were also fundamentally overhauled to restore the operational readiness of the submarine.

Fifth patrol (September 12, 1944 - October 28, 1944)

Her fifth war mission took the USS Apogon into the waters around the Kuril Islands north of the main Japanese islands . The crew of the submarine claimed the sinking of a small patrol boat on September 23, 1944, but this was not confirmed. The sinking of the freighter Hachirogata Maru on September 27th by torpedo hits, however, is undisputed and thus the second confirmed success of the Apogon . It was the last attack on this patrol, which was otherwise uneventful and ended on October 28 in Midway.

Sixth patrol (November 20, 1944 - January 5, 1945)

After the overhaul, ammunition and provision of provisions, the Apogon left for the next war patrol on November 20th. This led them again to the Kuril Islands. Again the journey was largely unsuccessful. Only one torpedo hit on a Japanese tanker could be achieved and the ship damaged. The mission ended on January 5, 1945 in Pearl Harbor. The Apogon left again on January 7th , this time heading for Vallejo on the northern edge of the Bay of San Pablo in California . The submarine was completely overhauled at the local naval shipyard before the boat was ready for use again in May 1945.

Seventh patrol (May 28, 1945 - July 14, 1945)

The Apogon set out again on May 28 for a patrol in the direction of the Kuril Islands and the Sea of Okhotsk . During this patrol, the Apogon achieved her third sinking on June 18, 1945 when attacking a small convoy consisting of four Japanese ships. In the process, she torpedoed and sank the Japanese freighter Hakuai Maru (2614 ts). On July 2, the Apogon dueled a small Japanese submarine fighter who was seriously damaged in the battle. The patrol ended in Midway on July 14th.

Eighth patrol (August 7, 1945 - September 2, 1945)

The eighth and final voyage of the USS Apogon began eight days before the surrender of Japan . The intended target area for the operation was the waters southeast of Japan in the sea area near the Marcus Island . There were no more enemy contacts on this trip. Due to the capitulation of Japan, the Apogon ended her last war mission on September 2, 1945 when she returned to Pearl Harbor.

Achievements and Awards

During its eight enemy patrols, the USS Apogon achieved several successes against Japanese shipping. However, of the reported successes, only three sinkings could be officially confirmed. These goods:

  • Ex gunboat Daido Maru (2962 ts)
  • Freighter Hachirogata Maru (1999 ts)
  • Freighter Hakuai Maru (2614 ts)

Further sinkings were claimed by the crew but not confirmed. In addition, there is a damaged tanker and a badly damaged submarine hunter as well as other damage to enemy ships.

The USS Apogon was awarded a total of six Battle Stars for its successful missions during World War II .

post war period

Nuclear bomb test "Baker" as part of Operation Crossroads on July 25, 1946 on Bikini Atoll. The USS Apogon is located on the lower left edge of the expanding cloud of water vapor .

Immediately after returning from their last patrol, the Apogon moved to San Diego , where it entered on September 11th and was decommissioned on October 1st.

Operation Crossroads

In January 1946, the Apogon went to Pearl Harbor in preparation for her final mission. Here, similar to the sister boat USS Dentuda (SS-335) at the same time, it was prepared as a target ship for the nuclear bomb tests of Operation Crossroads on the Bikini Atoll , whereby it was equipped, among other things, with a remote control that was required to operate the ship without To bring the crew into position for the Baker nuclear test (second nuclear test as part of Operation Crossroads ). On May 21, 1946, the Apogon reached its final destination, Bikini Atoll.

The Apogon was sunk below the surface of the water on July 25 as part of Operation Crossroads when a 23 kiloton atomic bomb detonated. On February 25, 1947, it was officially removed from the US Navy register. Her wreck is still shallow at the place of its sinking.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Friedman, Norman (1995). US Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. Pp. 285-304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3 .
  2. ^ Lenton, HT, American Submarines. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1973, passim.
  3. ↑ a b c d e USS Apogon at uboat.net.
  4. ^ A b Friedman, Norman (1995). US Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. Pp. 306-311. ISBN 1-55750-263-3 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j USS Apogon in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  6. ^ Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the US Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Pp. 275-280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0
  7. ↑ The Balao Class on fleetsubmarine.com
  8. ↑ Achievements of the USS Apogon
  9. ↑ WA Shurcliff: Bombs at Bikini. The Official Report of Operation Crossroads. Wm. H. Wise & Co., Inc, New York 1947, pp. 166-168.
  10. ↑ USS Apogon at Navsource.org (annotated picture gallery).