USS Bashaw SS-241

The USS Bashaw was a Gato-class submarine that was launched July 25, 1943 and commissioned October 25, 1943. She arrived at Milne Bay, New Guinea on March 3, 1944 and while based there completed six war patrols in the Celebes, Philippine, and South China Seas. The USS Bashaw sank three Japanese merchant vessels and a number of smaller craft, and received five battle stars for her service in World War II.

The USS Bashaw During World War II

The USS Bashaw completed six war patrols between March 10, 1944 and April 29, 1945. Her first patrol site was in the Palaus, where she was tasked with intercepting Japanese ships that might be attempting to escape through Toagel Mlungi Pass. She met with several Japanese vessels, but on this patrol failed to score more than a few damaging hits. Her patrol ended at Brisbane, Australia, on May 10.

The second war patrol of the USS Bashaw began on May 27. This time assigned to patrol in the waters around Mindanao, she made just one contact on June 25. This time she managed to score three hits and sank the army cargo ship Yamamiya Maru, before returning to port on July 16. After refit and training, she began her third patrol on August 7. She sighted few enemy vessels on this patrol, but even so located and sank the Yanagigawa Maru, with a barrage of six torpedoes, three of which hit the vessel.

The second war patrol of the USS Bashaw began on May 27. This time assigned to patrol in the waters around Mindanao, she made just one contact on June 25. This time she managed to score three hits and sank the army cargo ship Yamamiya Maru before returning to port on July 16.

Following another refit the USS Bashaw commenced her fourth war patrol on October 27, this time as part of a wolf pack—a coordinated attack group—which included Flounder and Guavina. Assigned to patrol the coast of Indochina they found few targets, and Bashaw finished the patrol at the end of December. After refit she patrolled around Hainan Island, the Gulf of Tonkin, and the coast of Indochina. This time she managed to sink a small freighter before ending her patrol in March. Her sixth and final patrol began on March 27, but with Japanese naval forces stretched thin by this time, she encountered no targets.

Following another refit, the USS Bashaw commenced her fourth war patrol on October 27, this time as part of a wolf pack—a coordinated attack group—which included Flounder and Guavina. While assigned to patrol the coast of Indochina, they found few targets and Bashaw finished the patrol at the end of December.

After refit, she patrolled around Hainan Island, the Gulf of Tonkin and the coast of Indochina. This time she managed to sink a small freighter before ending her patrol in March. Her sixth and final patrol began on March 27, but with Japanese naval forces stretched thin by this time, she did not encounter any targets.

After the War

At the end of her sixth and final patrol, the USS Bashaw returned to Subic Bay in the Philippine Islands where she arrived April 29. Following an overhaul, she departed Subic Bay, bound for Pearl Harbor. While she was en route, she received the news of the Japanese surrender which officially signaled the end of the war. She was subsequently ordered to return to Mare Island. Arriving on September 5, she prepared for inactivation. She was placed on commission in reserve on November 24, and on June 20, 1949 her status was changed to in reserve out of commission.

The USS Bashaw was recommissioned April 3, 1951. Until May 10, 1952 her base of operations was San Diego and she was engaged in activities along the west coast. On May 10, she was placed out of commission in reserve, and until March 1953, was undergoing conversion to an antisubmarine “hunter-killer” sub. Reclassified as SSK-24, she was recommissioned on March 28, 1953 and joined Submarine Division 33 in San Diego.

Between March and August 1954, the USS Bashaw cruised in the Far East and during the next year she participated in exercises in Hawaii before undergoing an overhaul at San Francisco. Between the months of January and August 1956, the USS Bashaw commenced her second post-war Far Eastern voyage, after the completion of which she arrived at the submarine base in Pearl Harbor on August 14, 1956.

In August 1959, she was redesignated as SS-241, and in September 1962 was again redesignated, this time as AGSS-241. Finally decommissioned and removed from the Naval Register on September 13, 1969, she was sunk during target practice in July 1972.

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