USS Bugara (SS-331)

USS Bugera (SS-331) in the Pacific in 1967
Overview
Keel laying	October 21, 1943
Launch	July 2, 1944
1. Period of service
period of service	November 15, 1944–1. October 1970
Whereabouts	in reserve October 24, 1953; deleted May 15, 1970; sold for scrapping December 28, 1971.
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 × 12.7 cm (5 inch) gun (2 × 12.7 cm from April 1945) 1 × 40 mm Bofors gun 1 × 20 -mm- Oerlikon - MK 2 × Browning M2 - MGs

The USS Bugara (SS-331) was a submarine of the Balao-class submarine . It was from the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy during World War II in the Pacific against Japan used. The boat was the only ship in the US Navy that was named Bugara . The name is the English name for Hypsurus caryi from the sea bass family .

Technology and armament

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

technology

The Bugara was 95 meters long and 8.3 meters wide, her draft was a maximum of 5.1 meters. When surfaced it displaced 1526 ts , and when submerged it displaced  2424 ts. The drive was provided by four 16-cylinder diesel engines from General Motors , model 16-278A, each with an output of 1000 kW (1350 hp). 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 Bugara 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 of the Bugara consisted of ten 533 mm torpedo tubes , six in the bow, four aft, for which 24 torpedoes were on board. A 5-inch deck gun was mounted in front of the turret . Before the start of the second mission, a second 12.7 cm deck gun was installed aft, which significantly increased the attack potential over water. A 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannon (rear) and a 40 mm anti - aircraft gun (front) were housed in the winter garden . In addition, two 12.7 mm machine guns could be mounted in various positions on the ship if necessary and stowed back in the boat after use. These were never used on the Bugara . For locating enemy ships, the USS possessed Bugara 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.

Mission history

The submarine with the number SS-331 was laid down on October 21, 1943 at Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut . The launch and christening took place on July 2, 1944. The godmother of the Bugara baptized submarine was Mrs. Lyman S. Perry, wife of Captain Perry, US Navy. As the commander , Commander Arnold Frederick Schade took over the command of the submarine when it was commissioned on November 15, 1944, which initially carried out test drives and practice runs off the west coast of the United States and later off Panama .

Second World War

After sea trials and training trips in the Atlantic, the submarine moved through the Panama Canal into the Pacific with the destination Pearl Harbor in Hawaii . In total, the Bugara undertook three enemy voyages in the Pacific theater before Japan surrendered .

First and second patrol (February 21 - June 20, 1945)

• First patrol : February 21 - April 21, 1945
• Second patrol: May 16 - June 20, 1945

On February 21, 1945, the boat left the Pearl Harbor submarine base in Hawaii to embark on the first patrol. The first two war patrols were largely uneventful, apart from the occasional sighting of Allied and enemy aircraft and many small fishing boats, sampans and schooners. The only larger ships that were sighted were four hospital ships marked according to international conventions . In addition to taking up rescue positions to protect against Allied air attacks, a few small, mostly non-motorized boats and ships were inspected. The first trip ended in Fremantle , Western Australia , the second drive in the reconquered Base Subic Bay , Philippines , where the submarine was overtaken each in the regular time and prepared for the next use. The main areas of application were the South China Sea , the Java Sea , Lake Flores and the Luzon Strait .

Third patrol (July 14th - August 17th 1945)

A sampan - the Bugara sank twelve of these small sailing ships in 1945 on her third patrol.

For the third war patrol, the Bugara left Subic Bay on July 14th. The Gulf of Siam and the Java Sea were the areas of application of the Bugara . After the approach and an unsuccessful attack with nine torpedoes on a Japanese convoy on July 19, 1945, there were numerous other opportunities to attack a large number of smaller and very small ships, which the Japanese increased due to the large losses of shipping space and the shortage of fuel towards the end of the war for the cargo shipping and the supply of their own troops.

Between July 22nd and August 7th, 1945 a total of 62 units were targeted , 57 of them sunk. All but two were first examined by a prize squad . Subsequently, in 55 cases, the indigenous (Thai, Malay or Chinese) crew was evacuated and then the ship was sunk by some 12.7 cm grenades, 40 mm and 20 mm projectiles. In only two cases were the ships not examined and evacuated before they were sunk. Among them was a Malay pirate ship that was attacking a Chinese schooner . After the pirates were destroyed, the crew of the other ship was evacuated and this one was also sunk. The second ship that was not boarded was a small Japanese ship. A total of five of the ships examined were then allowed to continue sailing. The crews of most of the ships consisted mainly of Chinese, Thais and Malays , who were commanded by one or a few Japanese. The Japanese mostly fled when the Bugara approached by jumping overboard. The other crews were released with their lifeboats near the coast so that they could escape to the coast.

After the Bugara returned to Fremantle, the commander in charge of the 30th submarine squadron of the US Navy, Captain CC Smith, reported to his superior commanders and departments about the operation and commented on the Bugera's patrol as

"[...] thought to be the outstanding gunnery patrol of this war." ( CC Smith : USS BUGARA (SS331), Report of War Patrol Number THREE.)

German:

"... probably the most artillery mission of the war."

post war period

After the armistice following the Japanese surrender , the ship remained in active service with the United States Pacific Fleet .

post war period

After the war, the Bugara initially stayed in the western Pacific and operated from Subic Bay mainly in waters around the Philippines. In 1946 she then drove via Pearl Harbor to San Diego , California , where she stayed for three months and almost the entire previous crew was replaced. Then the new crew went back to Pearl Harbor, where they sank the Japanese submarine I-14 captured in the war with a torpedo in an exercise. It was also routinely overhauled in the summer. In the fall of 1947, the Bugara carried out a training trip in the Bering Sea and then ran at Vancouver and Seattle . During the exercise, the submarine rescued three sailors whose motorized barge had previously crashed and sank.

In the summer of 1947, Bugara took part in an exercise off Hawaii together with the sister submarines USS Bergall (SS-320) and USS Brill (SS-330) in which they repeatedly simulated attacks on the battleship USS Iowa in a coordinated action (BB-61) carried out successfully. This was achieved despite air support for the battleship and despite fast travel and radical change of course. In the fall, the boat took part in further exercises off the west coast of the United States, where she easily collided with the destroyer USS Orleck (DD-886) on November 13 and then went into dry dock in San Francisco to repair the damage .

After the end of the shipyard stay, the boat moved back to Pearl Harbor in March. From May 21 to August 24, 1948, the Bugara conducted a simulated war patrol as a training voyage in Southeast Asia, calling at many ports, including Melbourne , Perth , Guam , Okinawa , Tsingtao , Yokosuka , Pago Pago and Midway , before returning to Pearl Harbor returned. In August 1949 she moved to Mare Island , California, where she went to dry dock for overhaul.

Korean War

Due to the Korean War , the Bugara moved to Yokusuka, Japan, in the fall of 1950, to conduct operations in support of United Nations troops from there . Due to a collision with a frigate in the port of Yokusuka, she returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs. In addition to repairing the damage, modernization into a "Fleet Snorkel" was carried out as part of the GUPPY program. All guns were removed, the turret modified and modern electronics installed. In addition, the boat received a snorkel, which allowed the diesel drive to be used when submerged even when driving just below the water surface. After the stay in the shipyard, exercises went to Pearl Harbor and then to Yokusuka for the second time to be used in the Korean War.

Collision with USS Whitehurst

After six months, the Bugara was ordered back to Pearl Harbor, where it again completed training runs. During one of these missions there was a collision with the destroyer escort USS Whitehurst , in which both ships were severely damaged. The Bugara tower and the instruments housed there were badly damaged. A stay in the shipyard was inevitable.

Operations in the Pacific

From April 6 to October 8, 1954, the Bugara made her fifth voyage to the Western Pacific. During the voyage, she called at various ports, including Chichi-jima on the Bonin Islands , Hong Kong and Yokosuka. Then another overhaul was due.

In the winter of 1955/56 the boat moved to the new home port of San Diego. As a result, the boat mainly performed service off the west coast of the United States, interrupted in 1957 and 1959 by two voyages of several months in the western Pacific. In the 1960s, not much changed in the tasks of the Bugara . She drove again in 1964 and in the winter of 1965/66 for several months in the Western Pacific. From 1967 to 1969, when the Vietnam War reached its climax, the Bugara was permanently deployed in East Asia, but hardly took part in combat operations, apart from a deployment in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1969. Towards the end of 1969, the Bugara carried out its 7000th dive. She then left the western Pacific for the last time towards the west coast of the United States, where she was then disarmed and prepared for decommissioning. The decommissioning took place on October 1, 1970. Until May 1971, the boat remained in reserve and was mothballed in Mare Island.

Whereabouts

On June 1, 1971, the Bugara was to be used as a target ship for weapon tests. The attempt to tow the submarine failed. The tow ropes were cut and the Bugara sank off the coast of California.

Commanders of the USS Bugara

During its 36 years of service, the following US Navy officers were in command of the USS Bugara :

1. Commander Arnold Frederic Schade, November 15, 1944 - March 1946
2. Commander Francis Albert Greenup, March 1946-October 1947
3. Commander Charles Robert Gebhardt, October 1947 - June 6, 1949
4. Lieutenant Commander Frank John Coulter, July 6, 1949 - June 15, 1950
5. Commander Harvey Jacob Smith Jr., June 15, 1950 - September 5, 1952
6. Lieutenant Commander Martin Godek, Lieutenant Commander, September 5, 1952 - February 25, 1953
7. Commander LH Rathbun Jr., February 25, 1953 - February 16, 1955
8. Lieutenant Commander George Osborne Bennett, February 16, 1955 - March 3, 1957
9. Lieutenant Commander Edward R. Ettner, March 3, 1957-December 1958
10. Lieutenant Commander Quinley Robert Schulz, December 1958 - May 1960
11. Lieutenant Commander Leonard Douglas Marsolais, May 1960 - June 23, 1962
12. Lieutenant Commander Johnson, Henry Biddle, June 23, 1962-July 1964
13. Lieutenant Commander Stoehr, Leonard Arthur, Lieutenant Commander, July 1964 - May 1966
14. Lieutenant Commander Platt, Grafton Steele, May 1966-April 1968
15. Lieutenant Commander Shrader, Ebert Fenn, April 1968 - May 1970
16. Lieutenant Commander Adams Jr., Samuel W., May 1970 - October 1, 1970

Achievements and Awards

The Bugara sank a total of 57 ships with a total of 5,284 ts in World War II, all of them in the last month before the surrender of Japan and all of them by gunfire. The third patrol in World War II was classified as successful.

The USS Bugara was awarded a total of three Battle Stars for its three patrols in 1945 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} USS Bugara in the World War Two Data Base.
2. ^ ^{A b} Norman Friedman: US Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History . United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland 1995, ISBN 1-55750-263-3 , pp. 285-304.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} K. Jack Bauer, Roberts, Stephen S .: Register of Ships of the US Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants . Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut 1991, ISBN 0-313-26202-0 , pp. 275-280.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} USS Bugara in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e} U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} USS Bugara : Reports of War Patrols No.1-3 .
7. ↑ The Balao class at FleetSubmarine.com
8. ↑ ^{a b} USS Bugara on uboat.net.
9. ↑ HIJMS I-14 on combinedfleet.com.
10. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} USS Bugara homepage, subpages on the history with many details and anecdotes about the USS Bugara .
11. ↑ USS Bugara collides with USS Whitehurst .
12. ↑ USS Bugara at navsource.org.
13. ↑ USS Bugara : List of sinkings.
14. ↑ USS Bugara : List of all attacks on enemy ships, compiled by the Submarine Operations Research Group Attack Data (SORG).

Web links

• USS Bugara in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS )
• USS Bugara at navsource.org (annotated photo gallery )
• USS Bugara at Hyperwar. (engl.)
• USS Bugara on uboat.net (engl.)
• USS Bugara : list of achievements (Engl.)
• USS Bugara at fleetsubmarine.com (Engl.)
• Sinking of all US Navy submarines 1941–1945 (JANAC )
• USS Bugara in World War Two Data Base (Engl.)
• USS Bugara : Reports of War Patrols No.1-3 (Eng.)
• USS Bugara homepage, subpages to the story with many details and anecdotes on the USS Bugara (Engl.)