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USS Guavina (SS-362)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Guavina (SS-362)

USS Guavina (SS-362) was launched by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis., 29 August 1943; sponsored by Miss Marie Roen; and commissioned 23 December 1943, Lt. Comdr. Carl Tiedeman in command.

After shakedown, USS Guavina (SS-362) was towed down the Mississippi in floating drydock by tug USS Minnesota, reaching New Orleans 24 January 1944. She underwent training exercises at New Orleans and at Balboa, C.Z., before reaching Pearl Harbor 5 April to prepare for her first was patrol. USS Guavina (SS-362) sailed 6 April 1944, on her first offensive cruise.

On her second war patrol (20 June-31 July) USS Guavina (SS-362) sailed from Majuro to Brisbane, Australia, sinking 1 ship and rescuing 12 downed aviators. At 1324 on 3 July she picked up an obviously important ship with four escorts, and trailed her to get in attack position. Finally at 0348 the next morning USS Guavina (SS-362) fired four torpedoes, three of which hit and set off a tremendous explosion. The sub spent the next 3 hours running silent and deep to avoid a total of 18 depth charges and 8 aerial bombs, surfacing at 0643 to observe the wreckage of Tama Maru. While on lifeguard duty off Yap 2 to 21 July, USS Guavina (SS-362) picked up a total of 12 downed B-25 pilots, and then headed for Brisbane via Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands.

Departing Brisbane 27 October, USS Guavina (SS-362) headed to the South China Sea for her fourth war patrol. A night surface attack 15 November netted her a large maru; one torpedo hit caused a violent explosion, as the maru apparently was carrying aviation gasoline; a second fish sent through the fiery waters finished her. Tanker Down Maru fell victim to USS Guavina (SS-362) 22 November, and a second tanker anchored nearby met the same fate the following day. On her sixth war patrol (21 March-8 May) USS Guavina (SS-362) worked in coordination with USS Rock, USS Cobia, and USS Blenny in the South China Sea. A lack of targets resulted in her returning empty-handed, but she did rescue five B-25 crew members 28 March before returning to Pearl Harbor 8 May. With six successful war patrols behind her she proceeded to the West Coast for overhaul. She departed San Francisco for Pearl Harbor 6 August, but with the end of the war returned to the States. USS Guavina (SS-362) then put in at Mare Island and was placed in commission, In reserve.

Operating out of Key West, USS Guavina (SS-362) cruised to the Caribbean and up the East Coast to Nova Scotia to test the concepts of fueling seaplanes and other submarines, although most of her work was in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. After overhaul at Philadelphia 18 April to 26 July 1952, USS Guavina was redesignated AGSS-362. Two more years of operations along the East Coast and in the Gulf were followed by a second extensive overhaul at Philadelphia.

Emerging from overhaul 12 July 1957 with the new designation (AOSS-362), USS Guavina resumed her established pattern of testing various applications of submarine oiler and seaplane refueling concepts, operating principally in the Caribbean. Ranging along the coast from New London to Bermuda, she also engaged in antisubmarine exercises and other peacetime training missions. USS Guavina (AOSS-362) sailed into the Charleston Navy Yard 4 January 1959, and decommissioned there 27 March, going into reserve. She served as a training ship for reservists in the 5th Naval District until struck from the Navy List 30 June 1967 and used as a target for the Atlantic Fleet.

For a complete history of USS Guavina (SS-362) please see its DANFS page.