USS Sea Robin SS-407

The USS Sea Robin submarine was named for a fish that has the ability to walk on the sea bottom as the result of its pectoral fin separation. As a vessel that could reach a depth of 400 feet, the USS Sea Robin emulated its namesake, earning three Battle Stars for World War II service. She carried a complement of 84 men and reached speeds of nine knots per hour when submerged and 20 on the surface. Sea Robin was armed with 10 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one five-inch 25 caliber deck gun and four machine guns - although the guns were removed after conversion to Guppy IA. Her propulsion came from four 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators, two 126-cell batteries, two low-speed direct-drive electric motors, and two propellers. She could endure 75 patrol days and 48 hours underwater at two knots, reduced to 36 hours at three knots after conversion.

A Strong Start

USS Sea Robin was commissioned in 1944. Shortly after finishing shakedown, she was on the receiving end of gunfire from a Scandinavian merchant ship who thought she was a German U-boat. Sea Robin wasn't damaged and was thus able to continue on, sailing through the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor. Her first actual mission was on war patrol, during which she sank a 5,000-ton Japanese tanker, the Tarakan Maru, in 1945. This was followed by the torpedo attack against a cargo ship, Suiten Maru, from which Sea Robin rescued three prisoners of war. In the same week, USS Sea Robin sank the gunboat Manyo Maru before hitting the cargo vessel Shoyu Maru and then sinking the Nagaru Maru.

Her next call to duty was to rescue a downed airman in the South China Sea near Hainan Island. While there, Sea Robin became surrounded by six Japanese destroyers - all of which she skillfully avoided. Her next success involved the sinking of two small Japanese fishing vessels. Again she acquired three prisoners of war from that attack, as well as 10 others from an Allied aircraft destruction of a trawler. Sea Robin's final war patrol in the East China and Yellow seas saw her sinking a small patrol craft and the cargo ship Sakishima Maru. During that voyage, she was hit by a bomb from a Japanese plane, damaging her bow tubes enough to cause torpedo misses. Therefore, for the rest of that deployment, Sea Patrol relied on surface attacks, still sinking enemy trawlers.

After the War

Assigned to Submarine Squadron 6, she began a six-week voyage circumnavigating South America in a simulated war patrol, gaining the distinction of the first U.S. submarine to travel around Cape Horn. After this mission, an overhaul was due; upon completion, Sea Robin was transferred to SubRon 8. In 1950, she joined forces with the Army and Air Force for participation in Exercise Portex, in the Caribbean. This was followed with orders to the Mediterranean to assist the 6th Fleet. The following year, Sea Robin received a conversion to GUPPY IA submarine. In 1952, Sea Robin took part in Exercise Micowex; this involved testing cold weather procedures and equipment in the North Atlantic, followed by the same trials in the warm climate of the Caribbean. Normal maneuvers followed during the next few years, until she sailed for a six-week training cruise in the Arctic Circle and six weeks in Operation Springboard. After participating in NATO exercise New Broom IV, USS Sea Robin received another overhaul.

In 1958, she commenced a long tour of duty in the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet, which was followed by ordinary maneuvers and exercises during the following five years. One of her main assignments was to provide fleet antisubmarine warfare training and services to the United States Naval Submarine School. Sea Robin again partnered with other forces in 1964, when she joined in Master Stroke with Canada and Britain. Two years later, she again participated in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean, assisting other naval units of air squadrons and surface teams. In 1969, Sea Robin was transferred to SubRon 2, with whom she continued Springboard, along with the NATO exercise Steel Ring. In 1970, the USS Sea Robin was decommissioned; she was struck from the Navy list and, the following year, sold for scrap.

Sea Robin's crew, involved with making headway on their first mission after shakedown, was probably stunned that they were attacked by Scandinavia. Such a mistake was probably understandable if environmental factors contributed to poor visibility. This incident proves that even under the most peaceful conditions, misconstrued information and difficult circumstances can lead to accidents. Unfortunately, sailors were placed at the mercy of the weather, enemy attack, and mishaps such as this. The Navy was well aware that accidents happen, and did everything possible to prevent onboard incidents that may have escalated to tragedy. They were especially diligent concerning the threat of fire. With fire prevention measures and trained fire fighting teams, submarines hoped to never incur a spreading inferno, since it could mean death for all aboard.

A common addition to insulation in the mid-20th century was asbestos, since it had proven remarkably resilient in its retardant capabilities. The fact that it weighed almost nothing, and could fit into any tiny, awkward space, made it ideal for warships which needed as much fire protection as they could get. However, if any of the microscopic asbestos fibers escaped their sealant and entered a submarine's air system, they could easily have been inhaled or swallowed by any crew member and remained in their lungs or stomachs up to 40 or 50 years. With a latency period spanning decades, it's only over the last several decades that resulting medical conditions are beginning to appear. In some cases it is a disease called asbestosis; in others, it's various cancers such as mesothelioma. For this reason, it's necessary for any sailor who served on the USS Sea Robin to see their doctor if they've been experiencing unusual physical symptoms. For more information, please fill out the form on this page to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

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