USS Lizardfish SS-373

The USS Lizardfish was a United States Navy Balao-class submarine that was awarded one Battle Star for her actions during World War II. Carrying a complement of 81 sailors, she was powered by four V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators, two 126-cell batteries, four high-speed electric motors with reduction gears and two propellers. She was 312 feet long and was armed with 10 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 5-inch / 25 caliber deck gun and four machine guns. Her top speed when surfaced was 20 knots per hour, and she could reach nine knots submerged. Her a maximum depth was 400 feet. The USS Lizardfish could endure 48 hours at two knots while submerged, as well as 75 days on patrol, and boasted a range of 11,000 nautical miles when surfaced, traveling at 10 knots.

Early War Assignments

In 1944, the USS Lizardfish's keel was laid down by Wisconsin's Manitowoc Shipbuilding. She launched that July and was commissioned December 30. Within three weeks, she sailed the Manitowoc River to Lockport, Illinois, and was placed onto a floating dry-dock and subsequently traveled down the Mississippi River before reaching Algiers, Louisiana. Her maiden voyage began on the February 1, 1945 when she departed for Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal, a journey that took almost eight weeks. Finally in position for her first war patrol by April, the USS Lizardfish set sail towards the South China Sea, with a task to provide a concise and tight patrol of Indochina. Her following orders involved the same duty in the Java Sea. Although her job placed the USS Lizardfish in the heart of the battle lines, she failed to find enemy ships during either mission and was subsequently directed to Fremantle, Australia, where she arrived in June. The USS Lizardfish departed later that month for another patrol, again in the Java and South China Seas. Significant achievements of this duty were her damaging attacks on enemy harbors, straits, and anchorages.

Causing Additional Damages

In July, near Chelukan Bawang, Bali, the USS Lizardfish spied several camouflaged enemy vessels consisting of four landing barges, a 250-ton sea truck and a 100-ton submarine chaser. With a submerged attack run, she sank Submarine Chaser 37 and then surfaced. She next fired her deck guns, causing a gasoline fire that ignited the barges. The vessel then caused destruction to a nearby boat shed, which caused a ship stored inside to be destroyed. Two weeks later the USS Lizardfish departed on patrol near Sunda Strait, where she noticed a sea truck convoy. She immediately went on the attack, avoiding the shore battery's onset of shell lobbing. Her ammunition started a fire that affected three ships. The USS Lizardfish was then called to duty at a lifeguard station off Singapore during the influx of Army B-24 Liberator bomber strikes, and it was near there, in Subic Bay, that she learned of the end of the war August 15.

A Home in Italy

The USS Lizardfish was back at her home base in San Francisco by September, but was transferred to Tiburon, California, where she remained until the following January. At that time, her new role was a school-ship for the Sonar School based in San Diego. However, within a few months of service off the California coast, she was decommissioned. By June 24, she was officially part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, operating out of the Mare Island Navy Yard. Her next career step did not occur until 13 years later, when she returned to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for Fleet Snorkel conversion. After trials, the USS Lizardfish was transferred to the Government of Italy where she served until 1976.

Crew member of the USS Lizardfish were fortunate to have not suffered any tragic accidents or loss of life while in the midst of battle. They were also lucky that they did not incur minor onboard mishaps or fires like the ones they caused. Fires were feared by all sailors and asbestos was commonly used in the construction of submarines to help prevent an onboard fire from occurring. Unfortunately exposure to asbestos presents a danger of its own as inhaling or ingesting the fibers can result in the development of an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Asbestos.com offers a complimentary packet with comprehensive information about asbestos-related illnesses, treatment and legal options. Click here to receive your packet.

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