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USS Baya (SS-318)
Encyclopedia
USS Baya (SS/AGSS-318), a Balao-class
submarine
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for the baya, a serranoid food-fish.
Baya was launched on 2 January 1944 by Electric Boat
Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. C. C. Kirkpatrick, wife of Lieutenant Commander
Kirkpatrick; and commissioned on 20 May 1944, Commander
A. H. Holtz in command.
in August 1944. During 23 August 1944 – 25 July 1945 she completed five war patrols in the South China Sea
, Gulf of Siam, Java Sea
, and Philippine Sea
. Baya sank four Japanese vessels totaling 8855 tons and an 8407-ton passenger-cargo ship in conjunction with .
Baya departed Subic Bay
, Philippine Islands, in September 1945 and arrived at San Francisco
on 24 September. Shortly thereafter she began inactivation and on 14 May 1946 went out of commission in reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
.
Baya was recommissioned 10 February 1948 and converted to an electronics experimental submarine. Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine, AGSS-318, 12 August 1949, Baya has since conducted experiments for the Naval Electronics Laboratory
San Diego, Calif.
, participated in local operations near San Diego; and has served with the joint American-Canadian Task Force gathering scientific data off western Canada
in November and December 1948. During July–September 1949 she made a cruise to the Arctic
to gather valuable scientific data in the Bering
and Chukchi Sea
s. Between July and October 1955 she was deployed to Pearl Harbor on further experimental research.
During 1958–1959, Baya was completely reworked at Mare Island Naval Shipyard to test LORAD, an experimental long-range sonar
. The forward torpedo tubes were removed and replaced by a blunt bow with a mushroom anchor in the bottom of the hull. A 23 feet (7 m) section was added between the former Forward Torpedo Room and the Forward Battery compartment, with quarters for twelve scientists. These modifications increased her overall length to 330 feet (100.6 m), and her submerged displacement to approximately 2,600 tons. Her maximum speed was reduced to 10.5 knots (21 km/h).http://www.subnet.com/FLEET/ss318.htm
Baya was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 October 1972, and sold for scrapping, 12 October 1973.
Baya received four battle stars for her World War II
service.
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, was a ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
named for the baya, a serranoid food-fish.
Baya was launched on 2 January 1944 by Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. C. C. Kirkpatrick, wife of Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Kirkpatrick; and commissioned on 20 May 1944, Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
A. H. Holtz in command.
World War II
Baya arrived at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in August 1944. During 23 August 1944 – 25 July 1945 she completed five war patrols in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, Gulf of Siam, Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
, and Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
. Baya sank four Japanese vessels totaling 8855 tons and an 8407-ton passenger-cargo ship in conjunction with .
Baya departed Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, Philippine Islands, in September 1945 and arrived at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
on 24 September. Shortly thereafter she began inactivation and on 14 May 1946 went out of commission in reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
.
Research Submarine
Naval Electronics Laboratory
The U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory was created in 1945, with the consolidation of the Navy Radio and Sound Lab and its wartime partner, the University of California Division of War Research...
San Diego, Calif.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, participated in local operations near San Diego; and has served with the joint American-Canadian Task Force gathering scientific data off western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in November and December 1948. During July–September 1949 she made a cruise to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
to gather valuable scientific data in the Bering
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
and Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea. The Bering Strait forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea and the Pacific...
s. Between July and October 1955 she was deployed to Pearl Harbor on further experimental research.
During 1958–1959, Baya was completely reworked at Mare Island Naval Shipyard to test LORAD, an experimental long-range sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
. The forward torpedo tubes were removed and replaced by a blunt bow with a mushroom anchor in the bottom of the hull. A 23 feet (7 m) section was added between the former Forward Torpedo Room and the Forward Battery compartment, with quarters for twelve scientists. These modifications increased her overall length to 330 feet (100.6 m), and her submerged displacement to approximately 2,600 tons. Her maximum speed was reduced to 10.5 knots (21 km/h).http://www.subnet.com/FLEET/ss318.htm
Baya was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 October 1972, and sold for scrapping, 12 October 1973.
Baya received four battle stars for her World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service.