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USS Rock (SS-274)
Encyclopedia
USS Rock (SS/SSR/AGSS-274), a Gato-class
submarine
, was a ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the rock, a striped bass
found in the Chesapeake Bay
region and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast.
Rock (SS-274) was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc., 23 December 1942; launched 20 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. B. O. Wells, and commissioned 26 October 1943, Comdr. John Jay Flachsenhar in command.
After a month of intensive training in Lake Michigan
, Rock passed through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
(at the time known as the Chicago Drainage Canal) to Lockport, Ill.
There she entered a floating drydock for her voyage down the Mississippi River
. She arrived in New Orleans
on 29 November 1943, and got underway 6 days later for Panama
, where she received further training before sailing for Pearl Harbor
on 2 January 1944. Following voyage repairs Rock departed from Pearl Harbor for her first war patrol on 8 February 1944.
while making a night surface approach on the convoy, she fired a spread of four torpedo
es from her stern tubes at the closing enemy destroyer
without scoring. Then illuminated by the destroyer's searchlight, and under fire from the surface ship's 5 inches (127 mm) guns, she dived. For 4 hours she underwent depth charge
attacks, but survived. That night she surfaced and found that her periscope
s were excessively damaged and that her bridge had been riddled with shrapnel. The damage necessitated a return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Later that night, the busy Asashimo sank .
Rock began her second war patrol on 4 April 1944, destination Honshū
. However, after 34 days in the Bungo Suido and Sagami Wan area without action, she returned to Majuro
where she was refitted by .
. At dawn on 19 July Rock attacked a Japan
ese convoy of seven large ships and three escorts, firing 10 torpedoes, six of which exploded. But, as she immediately dove to escape a depth-charge attack, she could not observe their effect.
Two days later Rock contacted another enemy convoy
consisting of six large ships and four escorts. She launched four torpedoes, two of which seemed to hit but, again Rock was forced down by depth charges and unable to assess damage to her targets. During the remainder of her time on station, Rock weathered a severe typhoon and witnessed the sinking of Japanese submarine I-29
by Sawfish. On 27 July she headed toward Pearl Harbor.
for her fourth patrol. On 26 October 1944, she scored three hits on a tanker, Rocks only sinking, Takasago Maru No. 7, accompanied by three escorts. On 27 October 1944, she fired nine torpedoes at , stranded on Bombay Shoal, to prevent her salvage by the Japanese. Three of the torpedoes were hits. This patrol ended when Rock departed the area and sailed for Fremantle
, Western Australia
, for refit.
At the start of her sixth patrol, 7 March to 4 May 1945 she picked up 15 merchant seamen, adrift in a life raft for 32 days, and landed them at Exmouth
. Continuing northward the next day, Rock was bombed by an aircraft and that night she was struck by a dud torpedo. Neither attack caused any critical damage. In a night attack on 27 March, Rock fired on an enemy destroyer escort without success. On 18 April she joined in bombarding Batan Island
to leave the Japanese radio station in ruins. Rock then turned toward Saipan
to complete a 54-day patrol.
From the Marianas
the submarine headed for the United States, arriving at Hunter's Point, San Francisco
, 14 May for overhaul. She sailed for Pearl Harbor 7 August 1945, but with the cessation of hostilities was ordered east.
Officially credited with damaging 42,282 tons of enemy shipping during her six war patrols, Rock participated in Navy Day celebrations at New Orleans, then proceeded to New London
where she began inactivation in November 1945. She was decommissioned 1 May 1946 and was berthed as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
, where she was converted to a radar picket
submarine by bisecting her at the forward bulkhead of the control room and inserting a 30 feet (9 m) section between the control room and the forward battery to house the new CIC
and the majority of her new electronic equipment. Reclassified SSR-274 on 18 July 1952, Rock recommissioned at Philadelphia
12 October 1953.
After a short period of training with SubRon 6 off the Virginia Capes
, she proceeded to San Diego to join SubRon 5. On 23 July 1954, she departed San Diego for the western Pacific area and a 6-month tour on the Taiwan Strait
Patrol. She subsequently alternated deployments to WestPac with operations off the Pacific coast. She made 6-month deployments to WestPac in 1956 and during the winter of 1958–1959.
Operating in the eastern Pacific during the first half of 1969, Rock departed San Diego 11 July and conducted operations in support of fleet training in the Hawaii
an operating areas until steaming 16 August for the Pacific coast. Less than a month later, on 13 September 1969, Rock decommissioned at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
. Struck from the Navy List
on the same day, she was designated for use as a target to destruction.
Rock earned four battle stars for World War II
service.
Gato class submarine
The United States Navy Gato class submarine formed the core of the submarine service that was largely responsible for the destruction of the Japanese merchant marine and a large portion of the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II...
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...
to be named for the rock, a striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
found in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
region and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast.
Rock (SS-274) was laid down by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wisc., 23 December 1942; launched 20 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. B. O. Wells, and commissioned 26 October 1943, Comdr. John Jay Flachsenhar in command.
After a month of intensive training in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, Rock passed through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, historically known as the Chicago Drainage Canal, is the only shipping link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system, by way of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers...
(at the time known as the Chicago Drainage Canal) to Lockport, Ill.
Lockport, Illinois
Lockport is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States, that incorporated in 1853. Lockport is located in northeastern Illinois, 30 miles southwest of Chicago, and north of Joliet, at locks connecting Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal with the Des Plaines River via the Lockport...
There she entered a floating drydock for her voyage down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. She arrived in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on 29 November 1943, and got underway 6 days later for Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, where she received further training before sailing for 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...
on 2 January 1944. Following voyage repairs Rock departed from Pearl Harbor for her first war patrol on 8 February 1944.
First and second war patrols, February – May 1944
On 29 February 1944, Rock contacted a large enemy convoy en route to Truk. Detected by destroyer AsashimoJapanese destroyer Asashimo
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was sunk with all hands during Operation Ten-Go, while escaping with other escorts while both the and the were attacked and sunk by US aircraft, as were for the other destroyers.-Service career and fate:...
while making a night surface approach on the convoy, she fired a spread of four torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es from her stern tubes at the closing enemy destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
without scoring. Then illuminated by the destroyer's searchlight, and under fire from the surface ship's 5 inches (127 mm) guns, she dived. For 4 hours she underwent 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...
attacks, but survived. That night she surfaced and found that her periscope
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
s were excessively damaged and that her bridge had been riddled with shrapnel. The damage necessitated a return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. Later that night, the busy Asashimo sank .
Rock began her second war patrol on 4 April 1944, destination 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...
. However, after 34 days in the Bungo Suido and Sagami Wan area without action, she returned 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...
where she was refitted by .
Third war patrol, June – August 1944
Rock, in company with and , departed Majuro on 22 June 1944, in a coordinated attack group to patrol the Luzon StraitLuzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
. At dawn on 19 July Rock attacked 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 convoy of seven large ships and three escorts, firing 10 torpedoes, six of which exploded. But, as she immediately dove to escape a depth-charge attack, she could not observe their effect.
Two days later Rock contacted another enemy 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...
consisting of six large ships and four escorts. She launched four torpedoes, two of which seemed to hit but, again Rock was forced down by depth charges and unable to assess damage to her targets. During the remainder of her time on station, Rock weathered a severe typhoon and witnessed the sinking of Japanese submarine I-29
Japanese submarine I-29
I-29, code-named Matsu , was a B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy used during World War II on two secret missions with Germany, during one of which she was sunk.-Type B Submarines:...
by Sawfish. On 27 July she headed toward Pearl Harbor.
Fourth war patrol, September – November 1944
Rock departed Pearl Harbor on 9 September 1944, en route for the South China SeaSouth 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...
for her fourth patrol. On 26 October 1944, she scored three hits on a tanker, Rocks only sinking, Takasago Maru No. 7, accompanied by three escorts. On 27 October 1944, she fired nine torpedoes at , stranded on Bombay Shoal, to prevent her salvage by the Japanese. Three of the torpedoes were hits. This patrol ended when Rock departed the area and sailed for 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...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, for refit.
Fifth and sixth war patrols, December 1944 – May 1945
On 14 December 1944, Rock departed Fremantle on her fifth patrol. The only event of note during this 64-day patrol was the rescuing of a downed pilot from .At the start of her sixth patrol, 7 March to 4 May 1945 she picked up 15 merchant seamen, adrift in a life raft for 32 days, and landed them at Exmouth
Exmouth, Western Australia
-Further reading:* Western Australia. Ministry for Planning. Exmouth-Learmonth structure plan. Perth, W.A. : Western Australian Planning Commission...
. Continuing northward the next day, Rock was bombed by an aircraft and that night she was struck by a dud torpedo. Neither attack caused any critical damage. In a night attack on 27 March, Rock fired on an enemy destroyer escort without success. On 18 April she joined in bombarding Batan Island
Batan Island
Batan island is the main island of the Batanes Province in the Philippines, part of the Batanes Islands group and the Luzon Volcanic Arc. It is home to the provincial capital Basco. The island is known chiefly for Mount Iraya....
to leave the Japanese radio station in ruins. Rock then turned toward 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...
to complete a 54-day patrol.
From the Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
the submarine headed for the United States, arriving at Hunter's Point, 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...
, 14 May for overhaul. She sailed for Pearl Harbor 7 August 1945, but with the cessation of hostilities was ordered east.
Officially credited with damaging 42,282 tons of enemy shipping during her six war patrols, Rock participated in Navy Day celebrations at New Orleans, then proceeded to New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
where she began inactivation in November 1945. She was decommissioned 1 May 1946 and was berthed as a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Radar picket submarine (SSR-274), 1953–1959
In early 1951 Rock was towed from New London to the Philadelphia Naval ShipyardPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
, where she was converted to a radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
submarine by bisecting her at the forward bulkhead of the control room and inserting a 30 feet (9 m) section between the control room and the forward battery to house the new CIC
CIC
- Organizations :* Chelsea Independent College* Central Information Commission* Cable in the Classroom* Cadet Instructors Cadre, or le Cadre des instructeurs de cadets in French, sub-element of the Canadian Reserve Force* Canadian International Council...
and the majority of her new electronic equipment. Reclassified SSR-274 on 18 July 1952, Rock recommissioned at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
12 October 1953.
After a short period of training with SubRon 6 off the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
, she proceeded to San Diego to join SubRon 5. On 23 July 1954, she departed San Diego for the western Pacific area and a 6-month tour on the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
Patrol. She subsequently alternated deployments to WestPac with operations off the Pacific coast. She made 6-month deployments to WestPac in 1956 and during the winter of 1958–1959.
Auxiliary general submarine (AGSS-274), 1959–1969
On 31 December 1959 there no longer existed an operational requirement for a radar picket submarine in the Fleet, and on that date the Air Control Center was decommissioned and Rock was redesignated "auxiliary general submarine" AGSS-274. Following operations off the Pacific coast and another overhaul, Rock again deployed to WestPac in November 1961. She made subsequent 6-month deployments to WestPac in 1963, 1965, 1966–1967, and 1968.Operating in the eastern Pacific during the first half of 1969, Rock departed San Diego 11 July and conducted operations in support of fleet training in the Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an operating areas until steaming 16 August for the Pacific coast. Less than a month later, on 13 September 1969, Rock decommissioned 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...
. Struck from the Navy List
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on the same day, she was designated for use as a target to destruction.
Rock earned four 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.