Lost Subs - USS Swordfish (SS-193)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Compiled July 2, 2008, by David Barth.
USS Swordfish (SS-193), a Sargo-class submarine, was the first submarine of the United States Navy named for the
swordfish, a large fish with a long, swordlike beak and a high dorsal fin.
Early History
Her keel was laid down on 27 October 1937 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo, California. She was launched
on 3 April 1939 sponsored by Miss Louise Shaw Hepburn, and commissioned on 22 July 1939 with Lieutenant Chester C.
Smith in command.
Following shakedown and post-shakedown repairs at Mare Island, Swordfish operated out of San Diego, California, until
early 1941, when she set sail for Pearl Harbor. On 3 November, Swordfish, in company with three other U.S. submarines,
departed Pearl, and on 22 November, arrived at Manila, Philippine Islands. The submarine remained at Manila until the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. The following day, she set sail on her first war patrol, conducted
off the coast of Hainan, China. After damaging several enemy vessels on the 9th, 11th, and 14th, Swordfish sank her
initial victim of the war on 16 December. Hit amidships by one of three torpedoes, the cargo ship Atsutasan Maru
erupted in a cloud of smoke and flames and disappeared beneath the waves. On 27 December, Swordfish embarked the
organizational staff of the Submarine Asiatic Command Staff at Manila and headed for Soerabaja, Java, arriving on 7
January 1942.
Swordfish departed Soerabaja on 16 January for her second war patrol, conducted in the Celebes Sea and in the
Philippines. On 24 January, she torpedoed and sank a cargo ship off Kema, Celebes Islands. On 20 February, she
submerged in the entrance of Mariveles, Luzon, only to surface after dark to take on board the President of the
Philippines and his family. She departed through a minefield and arrived at San Jose, Panay, Philippine Islands on
22 February, where the President and his party were transferred to a motor tender. Swordfish then returned to Manila
Bay and embarked the High Commissioner of the Philippines, arriving Fremantle, Western Australia,
on 9 March.
Swordfish got underway from Fremantle on 1 April for her third war patrol, with her primary mission being to deliver
40 tons of provisions to the besieged island of Corregidor. However, Corregidor fell to the Japanese before the mission
could be carried out and the submarine was ordered to patrol in the vicinity of Ambon Island. The only ships sighted
were beyond effective range, and the submarine returned to Fremantle on 1 May.
Departing Fremantle for her fourth war patrol on 15 May, Swordfish was in the South China Sea on 29 May where she sank
a 1900-ton cargo ship and was in the Gulf of Siam on 12 June where she torpedoed and sank another cargo ship. The
submarine returned to Fremantle on 4 July.
Although her fifth war patrol, conducted in the Sulu Sea, and her sixth war patrol, conducted in the Solomon Islands,
were unproductive, during her seventh war patrol Swordfish sank a 4122-ton cargo ship on 19 January 1942. Returning to
Pearl Harbor on 23 February, the submarine underwent overhaul until 29 July, when she got underway for her eighth war
patrol.
On 22 August, she sighted her first target of the patrol, and quickly sent the cargo ship to the bottom, the victim of
two torpedo hits. A convoy was intercepted on 5 September, and Swordfish damaged a large tanker before sinking a cargo
ship. The submarine concluded this patrol at Brisbane, Australia, on 20 September.
Swordfish's ninth war patrol lasted only three weeks. Shortly after reaching her assigned patrol area, material defects
were discovered, and the submarine had to return to port.
On the day after Christmas 1943, Swordfish departed for her tenth war patrol, conducted in Tokyo Bay. On 14 January 1944,
she sank a passenger-cargo ship and two days later sank a converted gunboat. On 27 January, she fired two torpedoes at a
converted salvage vessel which broke in half and sank. Swordfish terminated her tenth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 7
February.
Swordfish put to sea on 13 March for her eleventh war patrol, conducted in the Mariana Islands. Although several enemy
ships were damaged during this patrol, no sinkings could be confirmed; and the submarine returned to Majure on 29
April.
Swordfish's twelfth war patrol was conducted in the area of the Bonin Islands. On 9 June, the submarine found a Japanese
destroyer clearly illuminated against the horizon and sank the enemy ship with two torpedoes from her bow tubes. On 15
June, she torpedoed and sank a cargo ship. The remainder of the patrol was unproductive, and the submarine terminated her
twelfth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 30 June.
On 22 December, Swordfish departed Pearl Harbor to conduct her thirteenth war patrol, in the vicinity of Nansei Shoto. She
topped off with fuel at Midway on 26 December and left that day for her area. In addition to her regular patrol, Swordfish
was to conduct photographic reconnaissance of Okinawa, for preparation of the Okinawa Campaign.
On 2 January, Swordfish was ordered to delay carrying out her assigned tasks in order to keep her clear of the Nansei Shoto
area until completion of carrier-based air strikes which were scheduled. She was directed to patrol the general vicinity of
30 degrees North, 132 degrees East until further orders were received. Her acknowledgement of those orders on 3 January
was the last communication received from Swordfish.
On 9 January 1945, Swordfish was directed to proceed to the vicinity of Okinawa to carry out her special mission. It was
estimated that the task would not take more than seven days after arrival on station, which she should have reached on 11
January. Upon completion of her mission, Swordfish as to proceed to Saipan, or to Midway if she was unable to transmit by
radio. Since neither place had seen her by 15 February, and repeated attempts to raise her by radio had failed, she was
reported as presumed lost on that date.
In the report of her loss, mention was made that Kete (SS-369), which at the time was patrolling the vicinity of Okinawa,
reported that on the morning of 12 January she contacted a submarine by radar. It was believed that contact was with
Swordfish. Four hours later Kete heard heavy depth charging from this area, and it was believed that this attack might
have been the cause of Swordfish’s loss.
Japanese information on antisubmarine attacks does not mention the attack heard by Kete on 12 January, and records no
attacks in which Swordfish is likely to have been the victim. However, it is now known that there were many mines planted
around Okinawa, since the Japanese were expecting al Allied invasion of that Island. The majority of the mines were
planted close in. It is considered about equally likely that Swordfish was sunk by depth charge attack before she reached
Okinawa for her special mission or that she was lost to a mine at that place.
Honors and Awards
Swordfish earned eight battle stars for World War II service.
A memorial to the boat has been erected in St. Paul, Minnesota on Churchill Street near the Como Park Zoo and
Conservatory. It consists of a torpedo on a stand. On one side is a listing of the names of the crew and on the
other is the history of the vessel.