USS SWORDFISH (SS 193)

USS SWORDFISH (SS 193) January 12, 1945 - 85 Men Lost

SWORDFISH, under Cmdr. K.E. Montross, left Pearl Harbor on December 22, 1944, to carry on her thirteenth patrol in the vicinity of Nansei Shoto. She topped off with fuel at Midway on December 26th 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 January 2nd, 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 until further orders were received. In the last communication received from SWORDFISH, she acknowledged receipt of these orders on January 3rd.

USS Swordfish SS 193

USS Swordfish SS 193 during war time equipment upgrades

On January 9, 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 January 11th. Upon completion of her mission, SWORDFISH was 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, which at the time was patrolling the vicinity of Okinawa, reported that on the morning of January 12th 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 SWORDFISHï¿½s loss. Japanese information on antisubmarine attacks does not mention the attack heard by KETE on January 12, 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. SWORDFISH, in the twelve patrols before her fatal thirteenth, sank twenty-on ships, amounting to 113,100 tons, and damaged an additional eight, totaling 45,800 tons. Her first patrol began the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and was conducted west of the Philippines. SWORDFISH sank four freighters, varying from 3,900 tons to 9,400 tons, and damaged a fifth. At the time, this was the most successful patrol in the war. She conducted the second patrol in the lesser Philippine group and among the small islands between Celebes and New Guinea. Here she sank three medium freighters and a tanker. She also evacuated President Quezon, his family, Vice President Osmena, Chief Justice Santos, and three officers in the Philippine Army from Corregidor and took them to Panay, where they boarded a motor tender. SWORDFISH returned to Manila Bay and evacuated eleven more Philippine officials. SWORDFISHï¿½s primary mission on her third patrol was to deliver 40 tons of supplies to the beleaguered Corregidor. However, on April 10, 1942 ComSubAF told SWORDFISH to neglect her special mission and patrol offensively. SWORDFISH made no attacks on this patrol, but did perform reconnaissance of several islands. The South China Sea area was the scene of this shipï¿½s fourth patrol, and she sank a freighter and a tanker, while she damaged two freighters. She returned to the South China Sea for her fifth patrol, but did no damage to the enemy. SWORDFISH went to the area west of Bouganville for her sixth patrol, and sank a medium freighter and damaged a second freighter. She went again to the Solomons for her seventh patrol and sank a freighter. On her eighth patrol SWORDFISH covered the Palau-Truk-Rabaul areas during August and September 1943. Here she sank a freighter and a transport, while damaging a freighter-transport. Her ninth patrol was cut short by material defects. On her tenth patrol, in the same area as her ninth, she sank a freighter-transport, and two medium freighters. This ship covered the Marianas on her eleventh patrol; she damaged two freighters. On her twelfth patrol, conducted in the Bonins, she sank a freighter and two small trawlers, while she damaged SWORDFISH sank the Japanese destroyer MATSUKAZE in a night submerged attack as the enemy ship was bearing down for an attack. SWORDFISH was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for the period of her first, second and fourth patrols

Sailors Lost On USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) 1-12-1945

Abrahamson, A. CCSA

Arnold, R. G. MOMM2

Baeckler, D. PHOM3

Baker, G. S. MOMM1

Bates, M. F1

Basta, J. J. RM1

Baughman, D. S., Jr. LCDR

Benbennick, C. J. S1

Billy, M. MOMM2

Blanchard, J. R. L. RM3

Bleasdell, L. J. MOMM2

Bogdan, W. C. MOMM3

Braley, A. E. MOMM3

Brown, R. J. SC1

Cauley, F. M., Jr. CRTA

Clark, A. D. EM2

Connors, T. J. TM3

Cox, M. E., Jr. RM3

Daly, R. F. LT

Davis, H. W. EM2

Delladonna, J. V. LT

Dillon, W. TM2

Draga, G. K. S1

Duncan, L. H. EM2

Dunton, E. W., Sr. MOMM1

Echols, L. O. BKR2

Edwards, G. V. TM2

Emmingham, R. L. EM3

Faussett, E. R. GM3

Feiss, K. F. S1

Forsythe, E. J. TM1

Fowler, J. G. S1

Funk, Nick EM1

Galley, E. A., Jr. SM2

Gambrell, D. E., Jr. QM2

Garza, E. MOMM3

Geraghty, B. J., Jr. S1

Gilfillan, H. M. MOMM2

Graf, J. V. MOMM1

Graham, G. P. RM3

Grandy, W. P. STM1

Hafter, R. L. EM1

Hall, C. E. CEM

Haserodt, R. W. MOMM1

Haskins, W. C. EM3

Haynes, J. E. TM3

Holland, R. MOMM2

Hoopes, R. D., Jr. LT

Hrynko, F. A. MOMM3

Janes, R. L. LTJG

Johnson, R. E. MOMM3

Johnson, S. J. PHOM3

Kelly, J. R. F1

Kirk, V. ST3

Kohler, W. E. MOMM3

Kremer, R. B. MM2

Kroll, R. E., Jr. TM3

Lauderdale, H. O. F1

Lindsay, D. C. MOMM3

Looney, G. A. CYA

Lopresti, R. S1

Madden, J. J., Jr. TM3

Marvin, P. ENS

Mayfield, J. M. EM2

McCaffrey, M. F. RT3

Meacham, W. T., Jr. FC2

Montross, K. E. CDR

Pence, K. E. GM2

Petty, F. BM2

Plourd, G. R. PHM1

Pollard, C. L. ENS

Preston, E. W., Jr. S1

Pye, J. B. LCDR

Robinson, H. N., Jr. MOMM3

Russell, W. E. CQMA

Schwendener, K. D. LT

Siskaninetz, W. Cox

Skeldon, J. A. QM3

Slater, C. F. CMOMMA

Soffes, M. MOMM2

Spencer, F. H., Jr. EM3

Statton, W. "G" MOMM1

Stone, H. A. TM2

Tarbox, F. "A" EM3

Taylor, J. F. S1

VanHorn, E. K. TM3

Wagner, A. J. TM2

Williams, T. A. TM1

Wren, J. E. EM3