USS Muskallunge SS-262

The USS Muskallunge was a United States Navy Gato-class submarine that earned five Battle Stars for her actions during World War II. At almost 312 feet long, she could reach a top surface speed of 21 knots per hour and could travel at nine knots submerged, while carrying a complement of 60 sailors. Her armament consisted of 10 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 3-inch / 50 caliber deck gun and four machine guns. She could dive to 300 feet and stay there for up to 48 hours at two knots, and endure 75 days on patrol. The USS Muskallunge was propelled by four diesel engines driving electrical generators, two 126-cell batteries, four high-speed electric motors and two propellers.

Success During Malfunctions and Hardships

The USS Muskallunge's keel was laid down in 1942 and she was commissioned the following year. After shakedown in the waters off New London, Connecticut she departed on her maiden voyage to the Palau Islands via Pearl Harbor. Arriving there in September, she transported the first electric torpedoes used by an American submarine. The USS Muskallunge damaged a Japanese passenger freighter and cargo ship on this first war patrol though her torpedoes weren't functioning. She next sailed to the western Carolines area in November, where she sank Noroto Maru before completing an overhaul.

The following June, she partnered with eight sister submarines in an intercept effort off the Marianas. It was during this Battle of the Philippine Sea that the team severely damaged numerous enemy carriers. In August, the USS Muskallunge headed to the South China Sea on orders to patrol around French Indochina, and she sank the passenger-cargo Durban Maru. This incident left her badly damaged from retaliating depth charge attacks and her repair and refit lasted until October. Serving in the seas near the Palawan Passage, her next tour was uneventful, but her next job near Formosa found her providing lifeguard duties during air strikes on China. By the summer of 1944, the USS Muskallunge achieved significant success around the Kurile Islands north of Japan. On this last war patrol, she struck many small enemy vessels during severe fog, managing to destroy two Japanese ships. Sadly, returned gunfire took the lives of three of her crew members.

Post War Activity

When the war ended, the USS Muskallunge resumed normal operations as a member of the Atlantic Fleet until she was decommissioned in January 1947. She then became part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet she was transferred to Brazil and re-commissioned to serve in the Brazil Navy for a year. In 1958 she was again decommissioned before being loaned as part of the Military Assistance Program for nearly 12 years. Her new name was Humanita. The USS Muskallunge came back to the United States in 1968 and was later sunk as a target off Long Island, New York.

On more than one occasion, the USS Muskallunge persevered in the face of danger, even when hampered by technical difficulties or adverse weather conditions. She, like many vessels of the World War II era, showed strength and determination in fulfilling assignment. The unfortunate mark on her record, however, is the tragic loss of life of the sailors killed by enemy attack. Unfortunately all ships faced risks, not just related to enemy attacks. Sailors from all ships that served during World War II may have been placed at risk for developing certain diseases. Illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma may occur in crew members or those who worked in shipyards as a result of asbestos exposure. During the twentieth century, it was common practice to use asbestos wherever heat or flame was needed for the operation of equipment, or as additional insulation. Asbestos offered excellent retardant capabilities and had the added benefits of a lightweight and flexible structure - ideal for the small spaces found on submarines. However, all ships faced the threat of asbestos sealant becoming damaged from wear, accidents or continued repairs. If such a thing happened, asbestos fibers would have become disengaged and drifted into the air system. Circulating around the perimeter of an enclosed environment, they could have been inhaled by anyone on board. Too small to be visible, and causing no immediate physical reaction, they were probably never even noticed. However, it has been discovered that asbestos fibers can remain in human tissues for decades, and during those years, cause the development of a serious illness in some people. Such cases have resulted in serious conditions, including the non-malignant disease asbestosis, as well as mesothelioma, which is a lung lining cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos. It is important for any sailor who served aboard the USS Muskallunge to consult a doctor about any unusual physical symptoms. Asbestos.com also offers resources such as an informational packet with additional information about asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

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