USS Sea Devil SS-400

USS Sea Devil was named after the Manta birostria, or sea devil, which is the largest stingray and known to exhibit power and endurance. At 311 feet long and carrying a complement of 80 sailors, she could reach 20 knots on the surface and nine knots underwater. Sea Devil was propelled by four 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines, two126-cell Sargo batteries, four high-speed Elliott electric motors and two propellers. Her armament consisted of 10 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes one five-inch 25-caliber deck gun and four machine guns. She could patrol for 75 straight days and spend 48 hours submerged, if traveling at two knots. Sea Devil earned five Battle Stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for service during World War II.

World War II Achievements

After being commissioned in 1944, Sea Devil joined Submarine Division 281; shortly after leaving her home at Pearl Harbor, she met her first enemy ships off the Honshu coast, but could not attack due to rough water. Soon, however, she closed in on a cargo submarine and fired four torpedoes, sinking the Japanese submarine I-364. When Sea Devil reached the area near Nansei Shoto, she suffered a minor accident: a wave which came over the bridge flooded the main induction and both engine rooms, and sent water into the battery compartment, control room, radio shack, and the crew's mess hall, damaging electricity. But, true to her namesake for endurance, she continued on, firing and striking a ship in a convey 600 yards away, evading other ships and attacking again before submerging to avoid a large freighter less than 150 yards from her.

It turns out that her second round of torpedoes hit a ship which was carrying ammunition; she had sunk both the Akigawa Maru and Hawaii Maru. Proceeding with her mission, she then damaged a Japanese aircraft carrier before returning home. During her next patrol in 1945, Sea Devil evaded a Japanese hunter-killer group, and then sank or exploded four mines. A few months later, she made seven hits against an enemy convoy, before sinking the three ships of Taijo Maru, Edogawa Maru, and Misshan Maru; although only four survivors allowed themselves to be rescued, one died.

Sea Devil next answered the call to duty by locating three of four downed United States Marine Corps pilots in waters off Okinawa. She then sunk Wakamiyasan Maru before sinking one trawler and setting fire to another. While on another search and rescue operation, Sea Devil found a PBM crew from Rescue Squadron 4, as well as the pilot from a US Army Air Corps P-47 Thunderbolt. It was now time for maintenance, and she received new LORAN equipment and a radio direction finder before returning to her task of sinking naval mines. Later that year, Sea Devil participated in the submarine squadron, SubRon 5 and conducted training before an overhaul in San Francisco.

Korean War Involvement

Her next deployment of ASW training was pre-empted by an order of inactivation and decommissioning in 1948. She was re-activated and recommissioned three years later after the onset of the Korean War, and sailed to Puget Sound to join SubDiv 71 for Fleet Air Wing 4 training. Sea Devil also provided support to TF 96 and patrolled, before being placed in reserve in 1954. After another three year hiatus, she returned to training operations off the coast of southern California and in Puget Sound before a voyage to WestPac. Assisting the Seventh Fleet surface units and Fleet Marine Force Pacific, she continued normal patrolling and maneuvers. In 1960, Sea Devil was redesignated as an auxiliary submarine with hull classification symbol training duties. However, she also responded to two Western Pacific deployments before her decommission in 1964. Sea Devil was sunk as a target off southern California later that year.

Fortunately, the Sea Devil did not incur any major collision or accident during her career, except for the damage caused by a wave coming over her bridge. This underlines the fact that, regardless of precaution, Mother Nature may interfere with normal procedure. Even though damage involved a fairly large area of the ship, records do not indicate just how much equipment, supplies or man-hours were wasted due to this occurrence. It's safe to assume that all crew members probably worried about the possibility of extensive damage to the ship's electrical system and the chance of corresponding ignition of fires. Fire was feared almost more than anything except for enemy attack, since escape and resources on any ship, especially a submerged one, were indeed limited. That is why most manufacturers during the mid-20th century outfitted battleships with the best fire prevention measures known at the time, including, in all likelihood, a large supply of asbestos.

With its fire, flame, heat and electricity-retardant features, and its ability to fit into small, tight spaces without adding to a submarine's weight, it seemed like an ideal addition. But, if the asbestos sealant became damaged and any fibers became loose, they could drifted into the confinement of the ship's recycled air system, and been inhaled or swallowed. Many who were exposed to asbestos 40 or 50 years ago are now finding that it has caused diseases, some of which may be extremely dangerous. If any former sailor who served on the USS Sea Devil has been experiencing unusual physical symptoms, he should have them checked as soon as possible. For more information, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

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