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USS Bugara (SS-331)
Encyclopedia
USS Bugara (SS-331), a Balao-class
submarine
, was a ship of the United States Navy
named for the bugara, a multicolored fish found along the coast of California.
Bugara (SS-331) was launched 2 July 1944 by Electric Boat
Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. Lyman S. Perry, wife of Captain Perry; and commissioned 15 November 1944, Commander A. F. Schade in command.
Bugaras war operations extended from 21 February to 17 August 1945 during which she completed three war patrols in the Flores
, Java
, and South China Sea
s and the Gulf of Siam
.
While the first two patrols of Bugara proved uneventful, her third war patrol might be classified as one of the most colorful to be made during the war. This patrol in the Gulf of Siam was highlighted by a series of excellently conducted gun attacks which disposed of 57 small ships totaling 5284 tons. All except two of these vessels were boarded and their native crews put safely ashore with their personal belongings. One of the many interesting incidents of this patrol was an encounter with a Japan
ese ship manned by a Chinese
crew being attacked by Malay
pirates. Bugara rescued the Chinese, sank the Japanese ship, and then disposed of the pirates.
On 17 August 1945 Bugara arrived at Fremantle
, Australia
, from her last war patrol. After a few days Bugara sailed to Subic Bay
, Philippine Islands, and joined the other units of her squadron. For the remainder of 1945 she operated out of Subic Bay. In January 1946 she returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor
. After a rehabilitation period on the west coast she returned to Pearl Harbor in May 1946.
She was overhauled at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 1946 and during the fall of that year made a training cruise in the Bering Sea
and then returned to Pearl Harbor via Seattle
and Portland
. In late October 1947 Bugara departed Pearl Harbor for California
. She underwent a yard period between 20 November 1947 and 19 March 1948, returning to Pearl Harbor 27 March. In July she proceeded to Yokosuka
, Japan, via Guam
, Melbourne
, Buckner Bay, and Tsingtao
. She returned to Pearl Harbor 24 August 1948.
On 13 August 1949 she departed Pearl Harbor for overhaul at San Francisco, returning 3 January 1950. She then continued operations out of Pearl Harbor until 7 December 1954. Twice during this period she served in the Far East supporting the Korean operations
.
On 7 December 1954 she departed Pearl Harbor
for San Diego, where she arrived 15 December. Bugara then operated along the Pacific coast participating in type training and fleet exercises until decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1970. While under tow near Cape Flattery, WA, Bugara swamped and sank accidentally.
Bugara received three 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 bugara, a multicolored fish found along the coast of California.
Bugara (SS-331) was launched 2 July 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. Lyman S. Perry, wife of Captain Perry; and commissioned 15 November 1944, Commander A. F. Schade in command.
Bugaras war operations extended from 21 February to 17 August 1945 during which she completed three war patrols in the Flores
Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.- Geography :The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea , Java Sea , and the Banda Sea ....
, Java
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 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...
s and the Gulf of Siam
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
.
While the first two patrols of Bugara proved uneventful, her third war patrol might be classified as one of the most colorful to be made during the war. This patrol in the Gulf of Siam was highlighted by a series of excellently conducted gun attacks which disposed of 57 small ships totaling 5284 tons. All except two of these vessels were boarded and their native crews put safely ashore with their personal belongings. One of the many interesting incidents of this patrol was an encounter with a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese ship manned by a Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
crew being attacked by Malay
Malay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
pirates. Bugara rescued the Chinese, sank the Japanese ship, and then disposed of the pirates.
On 17 August 1945 Bugara arrived at Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, from her last war patrol. After a few days Bugara sailed to 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, and joined the other units of her squadron. For the remainder of 1945 she operated out of Subic Bay. In January 1946 she returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor
Pearl 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...
. After a rehabilitation period on the west coast she returned to Pearl Harbor in May 1946.
She was overhauled at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in 1946 and during the fall of that year made a training cruise in the Bering Sea
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 then returned to Pearl Harbor via Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. In late October 1947 Bugara departed Pearl Harbor for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She underwent a yard period between 20 November 1947 and 19 March 1948, returning to Pearl Harbor 27 March. In July she proceeded to Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
, Japan, via Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Buckner Bay, and Tsingtao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
. She returned to Pearl Harbor 24 August 1948.
On 13 August 1949 she departed Pearl Harbor for overhaul at San Francisco, returning 3 January 1950. She then continued operations out of Pearl Harbor until 7 December 1954. Twice during this period she served in the Far East supporting the Korean operations
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
On 7 December 1954 she departed Pearl Harbor
Pearl 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...
for San Diego, where she arrived 15 December. Bugara then operated along the Pacific coast participating in type training and fleet exercises until decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1970. While under tow near Cape Flattery, WA, Bugara swamped and sank accidentally.
Bugara received three 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.