Taken from Proceedings, November 1995 (U.S. Naval Institute), Lest We
Forget by Eric Werthein
"The second U.S. submarine to bear the name
"Argonaut", the SS-475,was laid down on 28 June 1944 by the
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Navy Yard. She was launched on 1 October 1944
and placed in commission, under the command of Lieutenant Commander John
Sneed Schmidt on 15 January 1945.
"Following her shakedown cruise, the Argonaut sailed for Key
West, Florida, to conduct tests on lighter-than-air craft and to train
with the Fleet Sound School. Soon after these operations, the Argonaut
transited to Hawaii and arrived in Pearl Harbor on 11 June 1945. After a
series of exercises and several repairs, she departed Pearl Harbor for
her first war patrol on 28 June 1945, during which she was to travel to
the East China and Yellow Seas to search for Japanese shipping. On 16
July, the Argonaut rescued a downed aviator and transferred him to the
U.S. submarine Quillback (SS-424). On 12 August, the Argonaut sank a
25-ton cargo junk with fire from her 40-mm and 20-mm guns. Soon
afterward, Japan surrendered, and that was to be the Argonaut's only
combat action during her brief episode of wartime service.
"Following the war, the Argonaut joined the Atlantic Fleet and
was based in Panama. While en-route to Panama, the Argonaut collided
with the U.S. cruiser Honolulu (CL-48) and both ships sustained minor
damage. In 1955, the Argonaut was transferred to New London,
Connecticut, where she was fitted with a snorkel system that enabled her
to stay submerged for significantly longer periods of time. Soon after
this conversion, the Argonaut was transferred to Norfork, Virginia,
where she was converted to a guided-missile submarine and armed with the
Regulus I guided missile. However, this missile equipment was later
removed during an overhaul in early 1960-at which time she resumed her
previous antisubmarine activities.
"In 1962, the Argonaut took part in the naval quarantine of
Cuba. Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Argonaut assisted in
training at the Submarine School at New London, Connecticut. She was
decommissioned on 2 December 1968 and later was sold to Canada, where
she completed her service as HMCS Rainbow."Lest we forget - Argonaut (SS-475)