Since 07-06-02
Since 07-06-02
From May 1967 until April 1968, I had the honor and privilege of serving aboard the USS Archerfish. She was an old World War II submarine. In her years at sea, she logged a proud and distinguished history.
During the time I served aboard her, I grew to love her. Her proud history was, and still is, a source of great pride to me. I believe I can truly say that all who served aboard her from World War II until she was laid to rest in 1968 were equally proud.
I would like to tell you about a portion of Archerfish’s proud history: her fifth war patrol. This patrol was to gain Archerfish great recognition as well as the Presidential Unit Citation. Her accomplishments on this patrol were to be of great value in shortening the war.
January 23, 1943, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Great sheets of cold blue steel take shape to become the keel of a new submarine. Life is beginning for another silent killer of the deep. Only four short months later the new sub is launched. This fledgling submersible is christened USS Archerfish (SS-311).
Archerfish is a fleet type submarine. She displaces 1807 tons and is 311 feet in length. She is powered by four huge, nine-cylinder, opposed piston diesel engines. Her low silhouette is accented by a conning tower with two periscopes and several radio antennae. Fore and aft of the bridge are two .50 caliber machine guns. On her main deck, fore and aft of the conning tower, two three-inch cannons are mounted.
She must have been a beautiful sight to the officers and men who were to be her first crew.
For the next several months, Archerfish and her crew work together to become a seaworthy fighting unit. Intense training at battle stations, torpedo firing drills, flooding and fire drills, depth charge drills and much, much more mold seventy minds and bodies to work as one. For Archerfish, this was a period of correcting little flaws and problems. She was being prepared for battle. Now ready to join the war in the Pacific, Archerfish and crew depart the relatively safe waters of the East Coast. She sets sail towards the Panama Canal.
Pearl Harbor, November 1943. Archerfish slips into her berth at Sub Base Pearl and reports to Commander Submarine Forces U.S. Pacific Fleet for duty. From here, she will conduct seven war patrols.
On her very first patrol, and exactly one year after her keel was laid, she drew enemy blood. Several well- placed torpedoes sent a 9,000 ton Japanese freighter to Davy Jones’ Locker. Archerfish had celebrated her birthday well. Her present was the first enemy insignia on her battle flag. For Archerfish and crew, the greatest achievement was to come on their fifth war patrol, deep within enemy waters. In a few short moments she would break the back of Japanese air-sea power.
On October 31, 1944, Archerfish began her fifth patrol. Her crew was hungry for action. Since her first patrol, Archerfish had only one other enemy prize to her credit. An 800-ton Japanese coast-defense frigate had met death at the hands of Archerfish. November 28, on what was beginning to seem like another uneventful effort, Archerfish was patrolling her assigned area southeast of Tokyo Bay. She, along with several other U.S. subs, was assigned to form a lifeguard route from the Marianas Islands to Tokyo Bay. U.S. B-29 bombers were conducting air raids on Tokyo. The subs were to pick-up downed fliers if the need should arise.
Evening was approaching. Commanding Officer Joe Enright was ordering routine watch stations for the night. Archerfish, on the surface, her narrow bow cutting through the waves, was cruising on one of her four diesels. Her battery was being charged, air tanks being recharged and garbage dumped overboard in weighted bags. It seemed like another routine nightfall coming on.
Radar Contact! It’s now about 9:00pm. The captain is called to the Conning Tower. The men in the Con don’t know what it is yet, but from the size of the blip on the radar screen, it’s very big and very fast.
Immediately, upon first radar contact, the bow of Archerfish is swung directly at the contact. A radar plot is prepared to determine the exact range, speed and course of the target. Once determined, Commander Enright orders Archerfish’s four powerful diesels fired into action. All ahead full! Enright set a course he hoped would put Archerfish ahead of the target. Archerfish is making 18 knots. As she gets closer to her goal, radar reveals more blips on the screen. The original large blip is accompanied by four smaller dots.
Target group speed is now estimated at 20 knots. Archerfish will never gain on her contacts at this rate. The captain orders a five-minute blow on all ballast tanks. He orders safety and negative ballast tanks blown. The excess weight of water in the tanks is holding Archerfish back. Another 20 RPM is ordered to the Engine Room. Archerfish is doing 19 knots. Still not enough! The captain orders the Engine Room to “give her all you’ve got!” The speed indicator quivers right around 20 knots!
It’s now about an hour after initial contact. The foe is sighted for the first time. An aircraft carrier! The jackpot! Four destroyers provide a protective screen. Unknown to the Archerfish, this is the Shinano. First designed as a gigantic battleship, she has been secretly converted to a carrier by the Japanese. Since the decisive defeat of Japanese sea power during the Battle of Midway, the enemy was changing their concept about how to gain superiority on the seas. They had realized that huge sea battles between ships were fruitless. Their alternative: air-sea power.
Shinano was massive! She displaced 72,000 tons. In vital areas, she had armor plate up to twenty inches thick. Shinano could carry in excess of 150 aircraft. The Shinano had the distinction of being the largest warship in the world at that time. The U.S. B-29 air raids on Tokyo forced the Japanese to move Shinano to a safer shipyard to the South. Shinano was still not completed. Bulkheads still had many holes where various pieces of equipment were being installed. Numerous cables and conduit ran from compartment to compartment and deck to deck through watertight doors. Compartments and watertight doors still needed to be pressure checked. A great amount of work remained to make Shinano truly seaworthy. The Shinano had 1,900 people aboard. Not yet molded into a crew, they still were preparing and learning about their new home.
So it was then, as Shinano was proceeding to a safer port, she met Archerfish. Shinano and her four escorts are still making 20 knots. The only break in their southerly course is the evasive zig-zag pattern they steer. Archerfish, still in relentless pursuit, traveling a parallel course, is losing ground on her foe.
Commander Enright sends the following coded message to Pearl Harbor:
“FROM ARCHERFISH TO COMSUBPAC AND ALL SUBMARINES IN EMPIRE AREAS AM
PURSUING LARGE AIRCRAFT CARRIER FOUR DESTROYERS POSITION 3230N LONG.
13745E BASE COURSE 240 SPEED 20”
Pearl acknowledges and encourages Archerfish’s pursuit.
The chase continues! Archerfish, giving all she can, is slowly falling behind. The target tracking party is plotting the enemy’s zig-zag course. It is hoped Archerfish can overtake the Shinano by taking advantage of her evasive course. It’s possible, but with Shinano making a steady 20 knots, not probable. Slowly and surely, the target group slips from the grasp of Archerfish. At 11:00pm, Shinano and her escorts turn directly toward Archerfish! The Archerfish is only 6,000 yards away! She’s too far away for a good firing position but close enough to be sighted by the enemy. Enright, fearing being spotted, but not wanting to dive Archerfish yet, orders the lookouts below. Valuable time will be lost if Archerfish has to dive before she gets good position on her target. The enemy fails to see Archerfish. As the destroyers turn away, Commander Enright calls the lookouts back to the bridge. Now, shortly after midnight, Archerfish begins to slowly ease ahead of Shinano. She gains, but still she won’t be able to get into firing position before dawn. It seems as though an eternity passes as Archerfish struggles to maneuver into a good attack position.
03:00am, November 29. A break for Archerfish and her crew! Shinano and her escorts alter their course almost due South..........dead ahead of Archerfish! “Right full rudder! Dive! Dive! Battle stations submerged!” Enright barks out the orders. Archerfish slides beneath the surface. Radar reports 11,000 yards and closing fast! The periscope slashes up through the surface! Shinano is not yet in sight. Down scope! Again the periscope breaks the surface. There she is! She’s coming right down Archerfish’s throat!
“Bearing, mark!” “Two nine six!” is the report. Enright shouts again....”Range, mark!” The report....”Six five double oh!” “Angle on the bow, starboard five!” barks Enright. The tracking officer plots course and firing time. God! they’ll be too close....only 550 yards! “Left full rudder! Left to course zero nine zero!” yells Commander Enright. This new course will put Archerfish on a perfect attack line.
Aboard Archerfish, six torpedoes in the forward tubes wait for Shinano. Continuous last second data is being fed to the Target Data Computer. “Down scope!” barks Enright, “Escort passing overhead!” One of the four destroyers passes right above Archerfish. Outside the hull, the crew can hear the propellers thrash, thrash, thrash as the ship churns through the sea above. “Up scope, this is a shooting observation!” shouts Enright. The Shinano is in perfect position! “Fire one!” yells Enright. Eight seconds later....”Fire two!”....and for the next thirty two seconds ....”Fire three!....fire four!....fire five!....fire six!”
Almost in a trance, his eyes glued to the periscope, Joe Enright waits. BOOM!.... The first torpedo slams Shinano’s stern! BOOM!.... Another hit, dead center broadside! “Down scope! Take her deep!” orders Commander Enright. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! as the remaining torpedoes ram into Shinano!
Deep beneath the surface slips Archerfish, in anticipation of the depth charge attack she knows will come. The men inside Archerfish hear sounds of beating propellers. The destroyers are starting to unload depth charges. Explosions begin....only fourteen! None dangerously close to Archerfish. There is tremendous confusion on the surface! The destroyers race about, randomly dumping depth charges, hoping to kill the unseen enemy that has just lashed out at their sister. Vainly, they watch as Shinano lists to starboard.
Inside Shinano, water rushes into her lower decks! Bulkheads crush with the tremendous pressure! The engine rooms flood! Shinano is immobile! Slowly, she gives up her grasp on life. She rolls over, looking like a giant, bloated whale. Beneath the surface slips her bow! Her stern, with its gigantic rudder and bronze propellers, slides under the water! With one futile struggle for life, her bow bobs above the surface. Finally, surrounded by masses of churning, boiling foam, Shinano sinks from sight! Beneath the sea, Archerfish silently slips away from the destruction and defeat she has just dealt the Japanese.
Not until a few months later did Archerfish and crew learn their prize had been the Shinano. The defeat of Japanese air-sea power during the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway had left any future dreams of Japanese victory at sea with Shinano. Six Archerfish torpedoes, after a frustrating but successful pursuit, shattered those dreams. For Archerfish, November 29, 1944, meant tremendous pride, recognition, and the Presidential Unit Citation. For Shinano and the Japanese it spelled death and broken dreams.
USS Archerfish (SS-311) had broken the back of the Japanese Imperial Navy Air-sea power.
Following the war, Archerfish returned to peacetime operations. In 1946, she was deactivated. The Korean War saw her return to her nation’s service. Again, the proud lady was moth-balled: this time, from 1955 till 1957. Archerfish’s services were required again in 1958. She returned to duty as a hydrographic/oceanographic research submarine.
1960 saw Archerfish chosen for Operation Sea Scan. Sea Scan was an intensive program of exploration and charting the oceans of the world. Archerfish had the distinction of being the only submarine in the program. She covered the world in mapping and charting operations. Many areas, until her efforts, were previously uncharted. An average month would find Archerfish traveling 5 to 10 thousand miles and spending almost the whole time at sea. Very seldom at her homeport, Pearl Harbor, she visited many exotic, out-of-the-way places.
May 17, 1967. As I stood looking out at that mass of black metal resting on the water, little did I know that I would grow to love her so much, and take so much pride in serving aboard her. My year aboard Archerfish was the happiest of my “Navy life”. The first months of 1968 saw the Defense Department making huge cuts in spending. Suddenly, it seemed, there was no longer a place in Uncle Sam’s Navy for the proud lady who had given so much of herself and her men for her country.
The decision was made to scrap Archerfish. All of us onboard made an appeal to try to save the gallant fighting lady. We hoped that she could be converted to a floating museum....a monument to the submarine service, past, present and future. The decision stood....she must die. Rather than see her used for scrap metal, we requested that Archerfish be towed to sea and used as a target ship. For our lady, this would be a more fitting and dignified death....far better than ending up on a scrap heap.
October 17, 1968. USS Archerfish was towed far out to sea. With her rudder set and one diesel propelling her through the sea, she maneuvered in a giant circle. She was alone now....no crew aboard her....Just her. Just the sea. The last fleeting minutes of her life passing by. The USS Snook, a modern nuclear submarine is lining Archerfish in her sights.... just as Archerfish once had Shinano in her sights. The wake of a torpedo, slashing beneath the sea, races for Archerfish. THWANG!....BOOM!! The torpedo slams Archerfish broadside. She raises about four feet above her waterline. She breaks in half. Her bow and stern raise to the sky like a giant reaching her arms toward Heaven. Suddenly, she slips out of sight......... Rest in Peace Dear Lady! Rest in Peace.