USS Queenfish SS-393

Construction began on the USS Queenfish in the summer of 1943, and she was completed in the fall of the same year. She was a Balao-class submarine. Balao-class submarines were the largest class of subs that were produced by the U.S. Navy. A total of 128 Balao-class submarines were developed for use during World War II. They were a replacement to the Gato-class subs, and had many improvements. The most significant improvement was the use of stronger steel in the hull of the submarine, which allowed the Balao-subs to dive up to 400 feet.

Early Patrols

The Queenfish trained in the waters of the Atlantic along the East Coast and then in Hawaii. Her first war patrol was in the Luzon Strait. There, she took part in a wolf pack. A wolf pack is a group of submarines that travel and patrol together. There were three submarines in the patrol. Three weeks into the patrol one of the submarines was hit by air, and had to return to base for repairs. The Queenfish, however, struck a tanker with her torpedoes, causing it to sink. Less than two weeks later, she hit and sank a cargo ship and a transport. While still on her first patrol, she was assigned lifesaving duties. Allied prisoners of war were on board an enemy convoy that was hit. While the Japanese managed to rescue their crew, the POWs were abandoned in the water. The submarines in the wolf pack took part in the rescue mission, and were responsible for pulling 127 crew men to safety. Impending bad weather ended the mission.

On the Queenfish's second patrol, she headed to the East China Sea. Again, she patrolled as part of a wolf pack with two other submarines. She sank three enemy vessels early in her patrol. With an enemy convoy approaching, the wolf pack prepared to attack. The convoy was bringing aid and reinforcement to the enemy on the Philippine Islands. The Queenfish sank an aircraft ferry, getting the first hit among the wolf pack. The barrage continued for two days, and in the end, eight of the enemy's vessels had been destroyed. This successful patrol was followed by a relatively quiet patrol along the coast of China.

Catastrophe

On her fourth patrol, the Queenfish headed back to the waters off of the Chinese coast. She was once again patrolling with a team of submarines. The Queenfish had a direct hit on a large passenger-cargo ship. This hit presented a problem however. The ship, the Awa Maru, was guaranteed safe passage because she was carrying supplies to Japanese POW camps. There was a great deal of fog in the area, and the ship was not operating with its fog horn, but the Queenfish was ordered back to port. Her commander was relieved of duty and subject to court-martial. Although Commander Loughlin was convicted of negligence in obeying orders, he was vindicated following the war when it was determined that the supposed relief ship was carrying munitions and other contraband for delivery to the enemy.

The Queenfish helped to remove the tarnish to her name by the sinking of the Awa Maru before her fifth patrol, when she rescued thirteen men who were the crew of a Navy flying boat. On her fifth patrol, the Queenfish worked as a lifeguard in the East China and Yellow Sea. She then returned to Midway Island where she was preparing for her sixth patrol when an end to hostilities occurred.

Training For a New Generation

At the end of the war, the Queenfish returned to Mare Island, where she received a much needed overhaul. She then took up the position of Flagship of the Pacific Fleet of submarines. Her home port was Pearl Harbor. Although she made several trips to the Far East as well as a visit to the Bering Sea, she spent most of her time in the waters closer to the United States, completing training operations. One notable training mission involved joint training with the British military. She also made several patrols through the waters off of Korea in the early 1950s.

Early in 1954, the Queenfish was transferred to San Diego. While in San Diego, she continued operating training missions. Aside from two weeks spent in Hawaii during this time, the only travel by the Queenfish was a six-month deployment to the western Pacific. The Queenfish was removed from the Navy List in the spring of 1963, and was destined for the scrap yard. A change of plans led to the Queenfish being used as a target by the USS Swordfish. She was sunk in the summer of 1963.

Because of her service during World War II, the Queenfish was awarded six Battle Stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.

The U.S. Military used asbestos-containing materials for many of the components within the submarines it built. Insulation that contained asbestos was durable, effective and inexpensive. However, many of the men that lived on these submarines are now at risk of developing health problems associated with asbestos exposure. If you believe that you may be at risk and would like more information, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

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