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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Bluefish (SS-222)

Radio Call Sign: November - Bravo - Alpha - Foxtrot

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 June 1942, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 21 February 1943; Commissioned USS Bluefish (SS-222), 24 May 1943; Decommissioned, 12 February 1947, at New London, CT.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 7 January 1952, at New London; Decommissioned 20 November 1953, New London; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1959; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 8 June 1960. Bluefish received ten battle stars for her World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 6 Officers 54 Enlisted; Operating Depth, 300 ft; Submerged Endurance, 48 hrs at 2 kts; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity, 97,140 gals., four General Electric main motors, HP 2740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source By
581k	Bluefish (SS-222) slides down the ways at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 21 February 1943.	USN photo # 80-G-41005 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. via Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
56k	The Bluefish (SS-222) is waterborne wearing her bunting and flags in the ice choked waters at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 21 February 1943.	USN photo courtesy of USNI.
18k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Bluefish's (SS-222) launching at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 21 February 1943.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
29k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Bluefish's (SS-222) commissioning, 24 May 1943.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
101k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Bluefish's (SS-222) commissioning, 24 May 1943.	Courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
493k	Possible caption: Lookout of a new submarine standing next to George Egbert Porter, Bluefish's (SS-222) first CO, and Lt. Comdr. Nimitz, executive officer. The photo was taken during a trial run off Groton, CT. in July 1943.	Photo & text i.d. courtesy of Robert Morgan. Photo # 80G-44562 from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
62k	Bluefish (SS-222), during sea trials in 1943 with a cut down fairwater. It also had a 20mm gun mounted on the forward gun platform. The "SJ" radar is mounted in front of the scoped as was the practice at this time period.	Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
53k	Looking up at the aft part of the lookout platform of the Bluefish (SS-222), during sea trials. Most boats mounted a 9" signal searchlight aft of the shears on a swinging arm bracket The "SD" antenna can be seen behind the light and on top of the lookout platform pipe rail and fittings mpounted to mount a machine gun into.	Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
113k	The Wakatake class destroyer *HIJMS Sanae* underway in August 1930, location unknown. *HIJMS Sanae* was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine Bluefish (SS-222) on 18 November 1943, 90 m S of Basilan Island (04 degrees 52' N, 122 degrees 07' E).	Photo courtesy of Shizuo Fukui. Image taken from "Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945" by Hansgeorg Jentschura, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel. Translated by Antony Preston and J.D. Brown, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
101k	Busy pier scene at Fremantle Australia 19 December 1943. From left to right, stern view to the camera are the Bonefish (SS-223), Rasher (SS-269), Bowfin (SS-287), Bluefish (SS-222), Narwhal (SS-167) and the sub tender Pelias (AS-14). Second row, bow view are the Cod (SS-224), Tinosa (SS-283) and Crevalle (SS-291). I believe the only time that photo could have been taken was 19 December 1943. The *Tinosa* was in Fremantle only once, from 16 December 1943 to 10 January 1944. During that brief window, the *Bonefish* had not arrived until 19 December and the *Rasher* departed 19 December so that is the single date all three submarines were ever in Fremantle port at the same time.	Photo i.d. courtesy of Dan Goodell. USN photo courtesy of Ric Hedman.
74k	A 1944 Charcoal drawing by the artist Griffith Baily Coale entitled "Busy Fremantle--Busy Mother" is reminiscent of the above photo by Lt. Herb Hanson.	Painting # 40 / 88-188-AN. Courtesy of the USNHC.
111k	Looking forward from the bridge of the Bluefish (SS-222) while at sea in 1944 shows the forward part of the main deck with a 4" gun and the 20mm gun in the bridge gun deck. This boat was built with only one small boat storage locker.	Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
131k	Picture of the fleet tanker *HIJMS Hayasui* sinking after being torpedoed by the submarine Bluefish (SS-222), on 19 August 1944, 80 nm NW of Cape Bolinao, Luzon (17 degrees 34' N, 119 degrees 24' E.	USN photo. From Gakken rekishigunzo shirizu dai 51-kan `shinjitsu no kantei-shi 2' (History 2 vessels of truth," Vol. 51 Gakken history Gunzo series) courtesy of Robert Hurst.
156k	Bluefish (SS-222), port side view, circa 1943-45. Location unknown.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
334k	Stern view of the conning tower of the submarine-oil tanker *HIJMS I.351* underway, circa 1945. *HIJMS I.351* was torpedoed and sunk on 14 July 1945 by the submarine Bluefish (SS-222) 100 m ENE of Natuna Besar (04 degrees 30' N, 110 degrees E).	Photo from "Ships of the World, special edition No.37, History of Japanese submarine", Kaijinsha Co., Ltd.(Japan), 1993. And info from "Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869-1945" by Hansgeorg Jentschura, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel. Translated by Antony Preston and J. D. Brown, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
175k	The Bluefish (SS-222) battleflag.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
2.88k	23 page PDF history of the Bluefish (SS-222).	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
365k	This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II.	Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
66k	Battleflag of the Bluefish (SS-222) at the end of WW II.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
132k	The Bluefish (SS-222) outboard of Haddo (SS-255) probably sometime after she was recommissioned 7 January 1952 at the Submarine Base, New London, and reported to Submarine Division 82, Atlantic Fleet. On 7 April she proceeded to Key West, Fla., and reported to Submarine Division 41 on 11 April. She operated along the Florida coast and in the Caribbean, engaging in local operations and training exercises until May 1953.	Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hednan . USN photo courtesy of David Buell. Text courtesy of DANFS.

View the Bluefish (SS-222)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
US Navy submarine USS Bluefish underway with Japanese prisoners aboard it in the ...HD Stock Footage
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ

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