Pilotfish
An herbivorous fish of the family Kyphosidae, known as "rudderfish" or "pilotfish," "...a hardy customer [with]...great endurance," found along the Atlantic coast of the Americas from the West Indies to Cape cod, whose outstanding behavior is the habit of following ships, and which are sometimes seen in company of sharks.
(SS–386: displacement
1,525 (surface), 2,391 (submerged); length 311'8"; beam 27'3"; draft 15'3";
speed 20 knots (surface), 9 knots (submerged); complement 66; armament 1 4", 2
20 millimeter, 10 21" torpedo tubes; class Balao)
Pilotfish (SS–386) was laid down
on 15 May 1943 by the Portsmouth (N. H.) Navy Yard; launched on 30
August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Martha S. Scheutz, wife
of Congressman Leonard W. Scheutz of Illinois, a
member of the House Naval Affairs Committee; and commissioned on 16 December
1943, Lt. Comdr. Robert H. Close in command.
Following underway
trials, training, and shakedown in the Portsmouth
area, Pilotfish conducted
experimental torpedo firings at Newport, R.I.
(22 January-14 March 1944). She fired 250 Mark 23s, 73 Mark 18s, and 32 dummy
torpedoes at depths ranging from surface to 190 feet, using various impulse
pressures and employing a firing cut-off valve, in the effort to eliminate
impulse bubbles and obtain maximum effectiveness of torpedoes. She then operated
in the vicinity of New London (15-29 March) where workmen completely overhauled
her torpedo tubes, packed the tail shafts with sand, and installed IFF
(identification, friend or foe) gear, and the boat completed all scheduled
tests, at the end of which time she fired three Mk.23 and one Mk.14 exercise
torpedoes in practice approaches. She departed New
London on 29 March, transited the Panama
Canal on 7 April, and on 10 April reported for duty to the Commander
in Chief, Pacific Fleet, for duty, assigned to Submarine Division (SubDiv) 202, Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 20.
Pilotfish arrived at Pearl Harbor
on 26 April 1944 to begin final training (27 April-15 May) in periscope, radar,
and night surface approaches, radar tracking, and battle surface and coordinated
convoy attacks, firing eight exercise torpedoes in practice runs, experiencing
two depth charges dropped close aboard for indoctrination, and exercising her
4-inch and 20-millimeter batteries against a sled target towed by the old tug
Seagull (ATO-141). She capped her training by searching for, and
conducting a practice attack against, an inbound four-ship convoy, in concert
with Pintado (SS-387) and Shark
(SS-314) as part of a coordinated attack group (Capt. Leon N. Blair).
Following that period of “progressive, complete and well
balanced” training, Pilotfish departed on 16 May 1944 on her first war patrol as part of Task Group (TG) 17.12 (Capt. Blair) in company with Pintado and Shark, escorted out of local
waters by submarine chaser PC-571. The boats proceeded to Midway,
rendezvousing with submarine Herring (SS-233) and a pair of Douglas SBD
Dauntlesses flying inner air patrol from the
atoll on the morning of 20 May. After fueling to capacity, Pilotfish departed Midway the next morning. En route
to her assigned operating area, she conducted training, then joined Shark
and Pintado, and received final instructions
from the TG commander on 22 May. Ultimately, their courses took them to
intercept Japanese Convoy No. 3530, that had sailed
from Yokohama on 29 May 1944, its ten
transports/cargo ships carrying soldiers and equipment of the Japanese Army’s
43rd Infantry Division slated to reinforce the defenses of Saipan, and escorted by the torpedo boat Ōtori and three submarine chasers. On 4 June, the
coordinated attack group made contact with the convoy, and although success did
not crown Pilotfish’s work, Shark and
Pintado managed to obtain favorable attack
positions and wreak havoc: Shark sank army transport Katsukawa Maru on 4
June and transport Tamahime Maru and army transport Takaoka Maru the following day. On 6 June, Pintado sank cargo ship Kashimasan Maru and
army transport Havre Maru. On 7 June, the
remnants of Convoy 3530 reached their destination, hurriedly unloading; because
of the work of Shark and Pintado,
however, the 43rd Regiment arrived at its destination at
half-strength, its weapons and equipment at the bottom of the ocean. Pilotfish then patrolled across probable routes of
reinforcement or retirement of the Japanese force engaged in the Battle of the
Philippine Sea (19-20 June), and then shaped a course for the Marshall Islands,
rendezvousing with submarine rescue vessel Florikan
(ASR-9) on 3 July and mooring in Majuro lagoon alongside submarine tender
Bushnell (AS-15) on the morning of 4 July. While Commander, Submarine
Force, Pacific Fleet (ComSubsPac), Vice Admiral
Charles A. Lockwood, subsequently considered the boat’s maiden war patrol as
“not successful,” Commander SubDiv 142, however, wrote
charitably: “Although Pilotfish made no direct
attacks, as a member of the wolf pack, she was in some extent instrumental in
mutually assisting the other two submarines in successfully completing their
attacks.”
Pilotfish departed on
her second war patrol on 27 July 1944 following a refit by a SubDiv 142 relief crew and Bushnell. Within an hour
of the end of the first watch on 20 August, three days after a Mitsubishi G4M
Type 0 land attack plane [Betty] shook up the boat with a near miss,
Pilotfish encountered what she reported later
to be a 150-ton freighter, and fired two Mk.23 torpedoes that, in retrospect,
either ran beneath of target or missed close aboard. Subsequently, on 1
September, she encountered a small dispersed Japanese convoy, en route from
Tokyo Bay to Chichi Jima, the auxiliaries Ina Maru (Nippon Yusen Kaisha line) and Shibazono Maru,
shepherded by a trio of escorts that, when warned of the likelihood of an air
raid on the port toward which they were heading, reversed course, outdistancing
their charges. Then ordered to retire toward Hachijo
Jima, the two plodding auxiliaries gradually drew apart, Ina Maru falling behind and radioing for an escort. Late in
the mid watch on 1 September, Pilotfish
obtained a night radar contact on the 853-ton Ina Maru and fired a spread of four torpedoes (Mk.23) from
the bow tubes, then swung right and loosed four (Mk. 18) from the stern tubes.
Although Lt. Comdr. Close modestly reported no destruction of his target, a
spread of Mk.23s or Mk. 18s had struck home and dealt fatal damage to Ina
Maru; she went down with all hands (30 souls all
told). During the forenoon watch the same day, Pilotfish fired four torpedoes at Shibazono Maru about
55 kilometers east of Tori Jima, but the enemy vessel
avoided the Mk. 18s fired at her and reached a harbor of refuge at Hachijo Jima. Running low on fuel, Pilotfish put in to Midway on 9 September, having
devoted the previous three days to training junior officers and replacement
watchstanders. Departing Midway in company with Pintado and Bluefish (SS-222), Pilotfish arrived at Pearl
Harbor, on 14 September to commence a refit.
Commencing her third war
patrol, Pilotfish sailed from Pearl on 14 October 1944,
and reached Midway on the 18th where she received voyage repairs from
the submarine tender Proteus (AS-19). Topping off her fuel tanks, the
boat sailed for the Bonins. After altering course for
a time on 27 October “to stand west beyond [patrol] area for possible contact
with enemy combatant ships damaged during the recent sea battle [Leyte Gulf],”
she then fell in with Sargo (SS-188)
during the morning watch on the 29th, exchanging “pleasantries” with
the older fleet boat before continuing on. Two days later, on 31 October she
encountered what she reported as a “Taian
Maru-type” cargo ship escorted by what appeared to
be two Chidori-class torpedo boats. After three
hours of tracking the target, she carried out a dawn periscope attack, firing a
spread of four Mk. 18s (the second broaching and veering to the left). Although
she claimed damage, no confirming evidence proved forthcoming from Japanese
records. Loss of depth and a depth-charging by the escorts left little
opportunity for further observation. On 2 November, Pilotfish proceeded to the Nansei Shoto area for the balance
of the patrol. She returned to Midway, arriving on 10 December. Although she had
thoroughly covered her assigned areas, she encountered few targets worthy of the
expenditure of torpedoes.
Following a refit at
Midway carried out by submarine tender Aegir (AS-23) and SubDiv 42, Pilotfish
conducted post-repair training. Excessive noise in both shafts required
attention, however, delaying her “ready for sea” date until 17 January 1945.
Three days later, the boat departed on her fourth war patrol, in company
with Finback (SS-230) and Rasher (SS-269), Pilotfish’s commanding officer, Comdr. Allan G. Schnable, “pack” commander (who had relieved Lt. Comdr.
Close on 1 October 1944) heading for Saipan. After
conducting intensive diving and fire control training and exercising at
tracking, pack communication and tactics (25-27 January), the group reached its
destination on 28 January where Pilotfish
received emergency voyage repairs alongside the submarine tender Fulton
(AS-11). Following a conference of the commanding officers of the three
boats, the trio sailed for the East China Sea.
Over the ensuing weeks, Pilotfish
encountered the hospital ship Takasago Maru
(“…well lighted, steering steady course, apparently complying [with] all
requirements of Hospital Ships”) on 9 February, and a host of fishing boats
(including a veritable fleet of 25 to 30 Chinese fishing vessels on 8 March) or
guardboats [picket boats]. She suffered slight damage
when bombed by an unidentified plane on 26 February. Fortunately, neither that
shaking-up (“that hit the jackpot on the slot machine”) nor the small explosion
and fire that occurred in the after engine room during the mid watch on 4
February proved enough to prevent the ship from continuing her patrol. She
rendezvoused with Finback on 14 March, and ultimately reached Midway on
21 March to received voyage repairs from SubRon 32 and
submarine tender Pelias (AS-14). She departed
Midway later the same day, made rendezvous with submarine chaser PC-1078
an hour before the end of the morning watch on 25 March, and moored at
Pearl Harbor later that day.
Refitted by the workmen
at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor and a SubDiv 44 relief crew, Pilotfish emerged with a 5-inch gun in place of her
4-inch gun among other alterations.
Her departure delayed by a noisy port shaft, constant trouble with both
air compressors, and leaking periscopes that required six dockings and the
replacement of all bearings, renewal of the port shaft and both propellers, as
well as a complete realignment of the machinery on the port side, Pilotfish finally sailed for her fifth
patrol on 21 May 1945. She moored
at Midway four days later to receive voyage repairs from SubDiv 121 and submarine tender Griffin (AS-13).
Underway for her patrol area the next morning, the boat spent 33 of the next 50
days on station in the vicinity of Marcus Island and the Nanpo Shoto areas, plagued by
excessive reduction gear noise; despite providing thorough coverage for her
assigned station she neither had opportunities to inflict damage upon the enemy
or conduct lifeguard duty. Punctuating this patrol with a brief period of voyage
repairs by SubDiv 162 and submarine tender
Orion (AS-18) at Tanapag harbor, Saipan (12-20
June 1945), escorted in by PC-1598 and out by infantry landing craft
LCI-122, she joined the “Lifeguard League” on 25 June. After making
contact with a succession of submarines, Sea Robin (SS-407) and
Quillback (SS-424) on 5 July and Springer (SS-414) the following
day, Pilotfish began developing heavy vibration
aft that defied identification on 9 July. Completing her lifeguard duty the
following day, she undertook an investigation, and while “an obliging B-24”
provided cover, Lt. Harold J. Marty (DE) USNR, assistant engineering officer,
went over the side and inspected the screws, rudder, and stern planes, emerging
from his watery work having found no “visible or apparent defects.” Proceeding
thence to Guam, the boat reached her
destination on 14 June.
At Guam, Pilotfish
received a two-week refit by submarine tender Sperry (AS-12) and a
SubDiv 361relief crew. She departed on her sixth patrol on 9
August 1945, again slated for lifeguard duty. Proceeding to sea in company with
Sea Devil (SS-400) and escorted out by submarine chaser PC-784,
Pilotfish and Sea Devil proceeded to
their assigned stations, conducting daily training dives and fire control
drills. Sea Devil departed for her area on 12 August, and Pilotfish reached hers the following morning. In the
middle of the forenoon watch on 15 August 1945, however, Pilotfish received a “Cease Attack” order from
ComSubsPac that announced the
cessation of hostilities with Japan. Originally routed to Midway
the following afternoon, she received orders an hour before the end of the mid
watch the following day to proceed elsewhere, joined en route by Hake
(SS-256) on 29 August. Falling in with destroyer Wren (DD-568) the
falling day and passing to the operational control of Commander, Third Fleet,
Pilotfish rendezvoused with the submarine
Runner (SS-476), Archer-Fish (SS-311), Muskallunge (SS-262), Cavalla (SS-244), Gato (SS-212), Tigrone (SS-419), Razorback (SS-394), Haddo (SS-255) and Sea Cat (SS-399) at
0535 on 31 August, entered Sagami Wan at 0757 and Tokyo Bay proper at 0932 “to
participate in the initial occupation of Japan and the formal surrender
ceremonies.” She moored in a nest alongside Proteus (which flew Vice
Admiral Lockwood’s flag) at Yokosuka, and was thus present when, at 1045 on
2 September 1945, she received word of the “formal surrender signed on board
U.S.S. Missouri [(BB-63)] by the representatives of all interested
nations.”
The following morning (3
September 1945), in company with the same boats with which she had arrived,
Pilotfish, having completed her operations with
the Third Fleet and with operational control resumed by ComSubsPac and Commander Task Force 17, got underway
for Pearl Harbor with 26 passengers embarked.
Pausing at Pearl (12-14 September), she
ultimately reached San
Francisco on 21 September, earmarked to be placed in
reserve. She remained at San
Francisco for the remainder of the year 1945, but got
underway on 2 January 1946, and returned to Hawaiian waters soon thereafter.
Earmarked on 25 January for use as an “atom bomb target,” the boat stayed at
Pearl Harbor into late May, a period punctuated by a liberty and recreation
visit to Kahului,
Maui (6-11 May). Assigned to temporary duty
with SubRon 11 on 15 May for the duration of her time
with Joint Task Force 1, Pilotfish departed Pearl for the last time on 22 May, and reached Bikini atoll on 30 May to serve as a target during
Operation Crossroads, as part of Task Unit 1.2.4 (Submarine Unit).
Her crew having
evacuated to the attack transport Bottineau (APA-235) during the forenoon
watch on 30 June 1946, Pilotfish rode out Test
Able on 1 July, 2,506 yards northeast of the actual blast but suffered
“no damage of consequence.” Net tender Etlah
(AN-79) placed a boarding team on board during the afternoon watch the day of
the Able explosion for about 18 minutes,
declaring the boat radiologically clear for boarding
over an hour later. Damage control parties boarded the submarine the following
day, completing a material inspection; the crew re-boarded her by 3 July, and
moved her alongside Fulton that afternoon. Pilotfish’s crew returned to Bottineau on the
morning of 24 July and the boat was submerged in advance of Test Baker on
25 July. In the wake of the underwater blast that occurred on that day only 260
yards from Pilotfish, however, the submarine rescue vessel Coucal (ASR-8) reported being
able to locate only two buoys marking the boat’s location. Efforts to bring
her to the surface proved unsuccessful on 28 July, and those evolutions
ceased at 1704 on 30 July. Her officers and men embarked in the attack transport
Fillmore (APA-83) on the morning of 9 August. Three days later,
apparently in response to questions concerning her future, Commander TG 1.2
reported that “recommendations for [Pilotfish’s] disposal will depend upon conditions
discovered if and when raised.”
While efforts to
raise Pilotfish had indeed ceased, salvage operations continued on 16
August 1946, finding the boat listing 30-40º to starboard, while the
superstructure aft of frame 100 appeared to be displaced about an inch to
starboard. Silt and chunks of coral covered the deck, in some places to a depth
of 18 inches. Consequently, on 21 August 1946, Pilotfish
“was declared lost as a result of [Test] Baker.” Formally decommissioned
on 29 August 1946, Pilotfish was stricken from the Naval Register on 25
February 1947. Subsequent dives confirmed the serious damage received in the
Baker blast.
Pilotfish received
five battle stars for World War II service.
___________________________________________
Robert J. Cressman
29 August 2006
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