USS Billfish SS-286

The USS Billfish SS-286 was a World War II era submarine that worked in the Pacific during the war. Like other period submarines, this vessel was instrumental in the United State's presence in the Pacific against Japanese and German submarines. This submarine was a Balao-class diesel electric submarine. It had a displacement of over 2,400 tons when submerged and like most other Balao-class vessels, was just over 300 feet in length. The Balao-class submarines were an improvement upon the earlier Gato-class submarines and there were ultimately hundreds produced in the 1940s.

The USS Billfish SS-286 was the first vessel in the United States Navy to have the name of a generic fish. This submarine was laid down on November 12, 1942 and built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The submarine was launched on November 12, 1942 and sponsored my Mrs. Lewis Parks, the wife of Lieutenant Commander Parks. It was officially commissioned on April 20, 1943 and commanded by Lieutenant Commander Frederic Colby Lucas, Jr.

During World War II

After arriving in Pearl Harbor to join the Pacific Fleet, the USS Billfish SS-286 was sent on a number of patrols into Asian water. During her eight tours, she sank many enemy vessels, including three freighters totaling over 4000 tons. She also spent one of her last tours as a plane guard off of the coast of Japan, one of the most dangerous areas for submarines and ships at this time.

The USS Billfish SS-286's career hit a major bump in the road during her eighth patrol tour in 1943. On November 11 of that year, she was patrolling the waters in the Makassar Straight when she was attacked by a Japanese destroyer. The initial attack left the USS Billfish SS-286 severely damaged and the Japanese destroyer forced her to dive to a depth of 650 feet. At this time, the Balao-class submarines were only tested to dive at 400 feet, meaning the vessel was 250 feet (or, 76 meters) below her test depths. As the submarines dove, the attacks continued and crew members were severely injured during the attack.

As the attacks continued, Lieutenant Charlie Rush became the only senior officer that was able to call duties, as the men in place before him were all gravely injured. He took command of the vessel and began strategizing an escape. Lieutenant Rush saw that the main fuel tanks were damaged, causing the submarine to lose oil and show the Japanese a clear path to their location. In order to cover their trail, Rush commanded the officers to reverse the course of the ship, thus tracking back over their own trail and confusing the enemies.

At the same time, the vessel's Chief Electrician's Mate, John D. Rendernick, took charge of the repairs. He led a team of men in emergency repairs to allow the ship to stay submerged. In addition, he led them to block a leak in one of the torpedo tubes as well as use hydraulic jacks to reposition the damaged main motor. Because of these repairs and Lieutenant Rush's strategies to avoid detection, the submarine was able to stay submerged for 16 hours, losing the Japanese destroyer 12 hours after the attack began.

The vessel was then able to resurface and, under the cover of the night, traveled back to port for repairs. For their efforts in saving the submarine and her crew, Rush and Rendernick both were awarded prestigious Navy honors – the Navy Cross and Navy Silver Star. In 2004, the Navy also named a new submarine training center the John D. Rendernick Damage Control Wet Trainer in honor of Rendernick's actions. This center is still in operation today at Pearl Harbor.

After the 1943 attack, the USS Billfish SS-286 was repaired, completed her final tour and returned to Pearl Harbor. She arrived to the port on August 27, 1945 and was soon sent to become part of the Atlantic Fleet. Upon arriving in New Orleans in September, the USS Billfish SS-286 and her crew spent over nine months in training and maneuvers.

After World War II

She spent all of June to October 1946 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard before being towed to New London, Connecticut to become a reserve ship. The USS Billfish SS-286 was officially decommissioned on November 1, 1946. At that time, after only a short few years, she earned seven battle stars. After being part of the reserve fleet for many years, the USS Billfish SS-286 spent time from 1960 to 1968 serving as a training tool for the Navy at the South Annex of the Boston Naval Shipyard. After that, she was stricken from the Navy's official list of ships and sold for scrap metal.

However, even the best ships in the Navy during this time have a black mark on their records as a dangerous substance known as asbestos was used in their construction. If you have served or worked on the USS Billfish SS-286 or any other vessel and have become diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, please fill out the request form on this page to receive a free informational packet.

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