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USS Bluegill
USS Bluegill (SS-242/SSK-242) was a Gato-class submarine in commission in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946, from 1951 to 1952, and from 1953 to 1969. She was named for the bluegill, a sunfish of the Mississippi Valley.
During World War II, Bluegill completed six war patrols between 1 April 1944 and 21 June 1945, operating in an area extending from New Guinea to Formosa and in the South China Sea and Java Sea. She sank ten Japanese vessels, totaling 46,212 tons, including the light cruiser Yubari and a submarine chaser. She was placed in reserve in 1946.
Recommissioned in 1951, Bluegill operated as a training submarine until 1952. She then underwent conversion into a "hunter-killer submarine" specialized for antisubmarine warfare, and was recommissioned as such in 1953. After service in the Vietnam War, she was decommissioned in 1969 and sunk in 1971 for use as a salvage trainer. She was refloated and scuttled in 1983.
Bluegill′s keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, on 17 December 1942. She was launched on 8 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. W. Sterling Cole, wife of Congressman W. Sterling Cole of New York, and commissioned at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton on 11 November 1943.
After shakedown training, Bluegill transited the Panama Canal. She departed Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone on 22 February 1944 and set course for the South West Pacific Area. She arrived at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 22 March 1944.
On 1 April 1944, Bluegill put to sea from Milne Bay on her first war patrol. She conducted it in the area between northern Halmahera in the Maluku Islands and Sonsorol Island in the Palau Islands. She made her first enemy contact, three Japanese merchant ships, on 10 April 1944 but failed to gain a favorable attack position. On 27 April 1944, with the help of signals intelligence, Bluegill sighted an Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer lying to off Sonsorol Island. While she approached the destroyer, the Japanese 3,500-displacement ton light cruiser Yubari crossed her path. She launched six torpedoes at Yubari, two of which struck home and sent Yubari to the bottom. The Japanese destroyer Samidare then charged in to counterattack. Bluegill responded with four torpedoes from her stern torpedo tubes. All four missed Samidare, and Bluegill went deep to escape.
On 28 April 1944, Bluegill encountered another Japanese destroyer escorting a large landing barge. After gaining a favorable position on the target, she fired a spread of four torpedoes. None hit, the torpedoes apparently running under the target. Again, Bluegill dived and escaped.
On the afternoon of 1 May 1944, Bluegill contacted a Japanese convoy of three merchant ships and two escorts west of the Palau Islands. She set up an ambush ahead of the convoy and, as the Japanese ships passed, fired a spread of four torpedoes, two of which crashed into the side of the 8,812-gross register ton cargo ship Asosan Maru. The escorts counterattacked, but Bluegill escaped. That evening, she surfaced and spied Asosan Maru still afloat and burning furiously. On 2 May 1944, she used her deck gun to finish off Asosan Maru.
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USS Bluegill
USS Bluegill (SS-242/SSK-242) was a Gato-class submarine in commission in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946, from 1951 to 1952, and from 1953 to 1969. She was named for the bluegill, a sunfish of the Mississippi Valley.
During World War II, Bluegill completed six war patrols between 1 April 1944 and 21 June 1945, operating in an area extending from New Guinea to Formosa and in the South China Sea and Java Sea. She sank ten Japanese vessels, totaling 46,212 tons, including the light cruiser Yubari and a submarine chaser. She was placed in reserve in 1946.
Recommissioned in 1951, Bluegill operated as a training submarine until 1952. She then underwent conversion into a "hunter-killer submarine" specialized for antisubmarine warfare, and was recommissioned as such in 1953. After service in the Vietnam War, she was decommissioned in 1969 and sunk in 1971 for use as a salvage trainer. She was refloated and scuttled in 1983.
Bluegill′s keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, on 17 December 1942. She was launched on 8 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. W. Sterling Cole, wife of Congressman W. Sterling Cole of New York, and commissioned at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton on 11 November 1943.
After shakedown training, Bluegill transited the Panama Canal. She departed Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone on 22 February 1944 and set course for the South West Pacific Area. She arrived at Milne Bay on the eastern tip of New Guinea on 22 March 1944.
On 1 April 1944, Bluegill put to sea from Milne Bay on her first war patrol. She conducted it in the area between northern Halmahera in the Maluku Islands and Sonsorol Island in the Palau Islands. She made her first enemy contact, three Japanese merchant ships, on 10 April 1944 but failed to gain a favorable attack position. On 27 April 1944, with the help of signals intelligence, Bluegill sighted an Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer lying to off Sonsorol Island. While she approached the destroyer, the Japanese 3,500-displacement ton light cruiser Yubari crossed her path. She launched six torpedoes at Yubari, two of which struck home and sent Yubari to the bottom. The Japanese destroyer Samidare then charged in to counterattack. Bluegill responded with four torpedoes from her stern torpedo tubes. All four missed Samidare, and Bluegill went deep to escape.
On 28 April 1944, Bluegill encountered another Japanese destroyer escorting a large landing barge. After gaining a favorable position on the target, she fired a spread of four torpedoes. None hit, the torpedoes apparently running under the target. Again, Bluegill dived and escaped.
On the afternoon of 1 May 1944, Bluegill contacted a Japanese convoy of three merchant ships and two escorts west of the Palau Islands. She set up an ambush ahead of the convoy and, as the Japanese ships passed, fired a spread of four torpedoes, two of which crashed into the side of the 8,812-gross register ton cargo ship Asosan Maru. The escorts counterattacked, but Bluegill escaped. That evening, she surfaced and spied Asosan Maru still afloat and burning furiously. On 2 May 1944, she used her deck gun to finish off Asosan Maru.
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