USS Piranha (SS-389)
Encyclopedia
USS Piranha (SS-389/AGSS-389), a Balao-class
submarine
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the piranha
, a carnivorous freshwater fish of South America. Piranha was laid down 21 June 1943 by Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
; launched
27 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. William S. Farber, wife of Rear Admiral Farber, Assistant Chief of Naval Operations; and commissioned
5 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander Harold E. Ruble in command. Piranha conducted six war patrols during World War II, receiving 5 battle stars. She was scrapped in 1970.
3 April 1944 for the Panama Canal
and her base, Pearl Harbor
, arriving 18 May for final training. With , , and , she made her first war patrol between 14 June and 8 August. The coordinated attack group prowled waters west and north of Luzon
, striking fiercely and with notable success at Japan
ese convoy
s. Piranha’s victims were Nichiran Maru, sunk 12 July, and Seattle Maru, sunk four days later. Several times attacked by enemy aircraft and dodging surface patrol craft, Piranha returned safely to Majuro
.
For the first part of her second patrol, Piranha joined 9 other submarines in offensive reconnaissance covering the Third Fleet during the assault on Peleliu
, patrolling 30 August to 25 September. When Peleliu
, deemed essential for the liberation of the Philippines, had been seized, Piranha’s group dissolved and she searched for targets westward along the 20th parallel, engaging an enemy patrol craft 9 October. She endured a heavy depth charge
attack, but outsmarted the patrol vessel, returning to Pearl Harbor 23 October.
During her third war patrol, again with an attack group, besides seeking worthwhile targets in the East China Sea
19 November to 13 January 1945, Piranha served as lifeguard during B-29
strikes on Kyūshū
. She scored two hits on a merchantman 8 January {No.2 Shinto Maru}, only to be driven off by an escort without being able to regain attack position.
Refitted at Guam
, Piranha sailed 11 February for her fourth war patrol, a classic exhibition of submarine versatility. With her attack group she sought targets on the convoy lanes from Luzon
to Formosa
and Hong Kong
. She spent 17 days on lifeguard during airstrikes on Formosa, on 27 February sinking a junk presumably serving as aircraft spotter.
She was foiled by a large fleet of fishing junks from making a rapid approach on a convoy reported leaving Hong Kong 5 March. Daringly resorting to an ancient ruse of naval warfare, she improvised a Japanese
naval ensign
and ran it up. The deception was successful, and she threaded her way through the fishermen at flank speed, but was unable to locate the convoy.
Piranha bombarded Pratas Island 26 March with 100 5 inches (127 mm) shells. Three times during this patrol, which concluded with 10 days off Wake Island
, the submarine successfully maneuvered to avoid hits from attacking aircraft. She returned to Midway
to refit 21 April – 17 May, then sailed for patrol, lifeguard, and bombardment at Marcus Island 22 May – 31 May. Here she was attacked several times by shore batteries. After refueling at Saipan
, Piranha sailed to complete this patrol off Honshū
.
With the decimated Japanese merchant marine hugging its own coast, Piranha was frequently frustrated by shallow water and omnipresent escorts in her attacks. Hair-raising encounters with submarine chasers and aircraft were rendered infinitely more dangerous by being fought so close offshore, where she had little water depth for maneuver. Her persistence and courage paid off; she heavily damaged a freighter 14 June, sank a coastal tanker
and destroyed a trawler laden with oil drums by gunfire 17 June. Two more trawlers fell to her gun 23 June. Though slightly damaged when their escort retaliated with depth charges, Piranha returned safely to Pearl Harbor 10 July.
31 May 1946. There she lay in reserve, redesignated AGSS-389 on 6 November 1962, until stricken from the Naval Register 1 March 1967 and sold for scrap.
Piranha received 5 battle stars for 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 the only 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...
to be named for the piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
, a carnivorous freshwater fish of South America. Piranha was laid down 21 June 1943 by Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
27 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. William S. Farber, wife of Rear Admiral Farber, Assistant Chief of Naval Operations; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
5 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander Harold E. Ruble in command. Piranha conducted six war patrols during World War II, receiving 5 battle stars. She was scrapped in 1970.
World War II
After East Coast training, Piranha departed Key WestKey West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
3 April 1944 for the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and her base, 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...
, arriving 18 May for final training. With , , and , she made her first war patrol between 14 June and 8 August. The coordinated attack group prowled waters west and north of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, striking fiercely and with notable success at 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 convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s. Piranha’s victims were Nichiran Maru, sunk 12 July, and Seattle Maru, sunk four days later. Several times attacked by enemy aircraft and dodging surface patrol craft, Piranha returned safely to Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
.
For the first part of her second patrol, Piranha joined 9 other submarines in offensive reconnaissance covering the Third Fleet during the assault on Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, patrolling 30 August to 25 September. When Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
, deemed essential for the liberation of the Philippines, had been seized, Piranha’s group dissolved and she searched for targets westward along the 20th parallel, engaging an enemy patrol craft 9 October. She endured a heavy depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attack, but outsmarted the patrol vessel, returning to Pearl Harbor 23 October.
During her third war patrol, again with an attack group, besides seeking worthwhile targets in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
19 November to 13 January 1945, Piranha served as lifeguard during B-29
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
strikes on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. She scored two hits on a merchantman 8 January {No.2 Shinto Maru}, only to be driven off by an escort without being able to regain attack position.
Refitted at 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...
, Piranha sailed 11 February for her fourth war patrol, a classic exhibition of submarine versatility. With her attack group she sought targets on the convoy lanes from Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
to Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. She spent 17 days on lifeguard during airstrikes on Formosa, on 27 February sinking a junk presumably serving as aircraft spotter.
She was foiled by a large fleet of fishing junks from making a rapid approach on a convoy reported leaving Hong Kong 5 March. Daringly resorting to an ancient ruse of naval warfare, she improvised a Japanese
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
naval ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
and ran it up. The deception was successful, and she threaded her way through the fishermen at flank speed, but was unable to locate the convoy.
Piranha bombarded Pratas Island 26 March with 100 5 inches (127 mm) shells. Three times during this patrol, which concluded with 10 days off Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
, the submarine successfully maneuvered to avoid hits from attacking aircraft. She returned to Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
to refit 21 April – 17 May, then sailed for patrol, lifeguard, and bombardment at Marcus Island 22 May – 31 May. Here she was attacked several times by shore batteries. After refueling at Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Piranha sailed to complete this patrol off Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
.
With the decimated Japanese merchant marine hugging its own coast, Piranha was frequently frustrated by shallow water and omnipresent escorts in her attacks. Hair-raising encounters with submarine chasers and aircraft were rendered infinitely more dangerous by being fought so close offshore, where she had little water depth for maneuver. Her persistence and courage paid off; she heavily damaged a freighter 14 June, sank a coastal tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
and destroyed a trawler laden with oil drums by gunfire 17 June. Two more trawlers fell to her gun 23 June. Though slightly damaged when their escort retaliated with depth charges, Piranha returned safely to Pearl Harbor 10 July.
End of war and fate
Her sixth and last war patrol lasted 14 hours; she had sailed from Pearl Harbor 14 August and was ordered back when hostilities ended the next day. Returning to San Francisco 11 September, Piranha decommissioned at Mare Island Naval ShipyardMare 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...
31 May 1946. There she lay in reserve, redesignated AGSS-389 on 6 November 1962, until stricken from the Naval Register 1 March 1967 and sold for scrap.
Piranha received 5 battle stars for 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.