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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on left contributed by Mike Smolinski, on right by Jack Treutle

Batfish (SS-310) (AGSS-310)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Sierra - Delta

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons


Presidential Unit Citation
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 December 1942, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, on Seavey Island in Kittery, Maine. Launched, 5 May 1943; Commissioned USS Batfish (SS-310), 21 August 1943; Decommissioned, 6 April 1946, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Group; Recommissioned, 7 March 1952; Redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-310), 1 December 1962 (Bauer, Friedman) or 1 July 1960; Decommissioned, 1 November 1969; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, 28 February 1972; Final Disposition, placed as a permanent memorial at Muskogee, OK. Batfish was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and earned six battle stars for her World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 10"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2kts; Operating Depth Limit, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one 40mm gun, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesels-electric reduction gear with four Fairbanks-Morse main generator engines., 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 94,400 gal., four Elliot Motor Co., main motors with 2,740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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Batfish21kCommemorative launch day badge from Batfish's (SS-310) following her launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 May 1943. Courtesy of James A Munroe in remembrance of his father Raymond L Munroe Sr. who worked at the yard during WW II and the Korean wars as a chauffeur.
Batfish86kBatfish's (SS-310) Sponsor, Mrs. A. J. Fortier, holds her bouquetof flowers on the boat's launching day, 5 May 1943 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. USN photo # 80-G-66681, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Batfish665kMiss Mary Reardon, machine shop operator shop no. 37, presenting the Navy Yard employees' gift to Mrs. Albert J. Fortier, sponsor for Batfish (SS-310) launched at Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 May 1943. National Archives Identifier: 12563166
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
Batfish992kMrs. Albert J. Fortier sponsor for Batfish (SS-310) with two of her six sons in U.S. service at launching, at Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 May 1943. National Archives Identifier: 12562977
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
Batfish68kLaunching party of the Batfish (SS-310) included her Sponsor, Mrs. A. J. Fortier, holds her bouquetof flowers and the Matron of Honor, on the boat's launching day, 5 May 1943 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. USN photo # 80-G-66682, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Batfish66kThe ceremonial bottle of Champagne is tied to a rope held by her Sponsor, Mrs. A. J. Fortier, to prevent it from wandering anywhere than the bow of the Batfish (SS-310) on 5 May 1943 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. USN photo # 80-G-66683, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Batfish78kMr & Mrs Sponsor, A. J. Fortier,. USN photo # 80-G-66685, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Batfish137kOfficers and crew line the deck of the Batfish (SS-310) as she is waterborne following her launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 May 1943. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org
Batfish95kBatfish (SS-310), during her shakedown period off the New England coast, 30 September 1943. U.S. Navy photo.
Batfish111kOfficers and crew line the deck of the Batfish (SS-310) as she enters Pearl Harbor, circa 1944. Note the battle flag flying from her periscope shears. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org
Batfish64kBatfish (SS-310) underway outside Pearl Harbor, circa 1944, starboard view. Courtesy of Jerry Bliss, RMCM(SS), USN-Ret.
Batfish61kThe IJN destroyer Samidare, a Shiratsuyu class destroyer sunk by the Batfish (SS-310), 25 August 1944 in Battle of the Philippine Sea. Photo courtesy of combinedfleet.com. & Tommy Trampp.
Batfish59kDO H.W. Kreis, J L Garnet stern planes on Batfish (SS-310), circa 1945.USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org. Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Batfish329k Sailor at work in the electric engine maneuvering room of Batfish (SS-310) on war patrol. May 1945. Text courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Photo from NARA #: 80-G-468645, photographed by Lt. Comdr. Horace Bristol, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
Batfish266kSignalmen attach Japanese flags to the periscope shears and radar of the Batfish (SS-310) as she enters Pearl Harbor, May 1945. USN photo # 80-G-468626 courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Batfish431kCrewmen firing 50 caliber machine gun on Batfish (SS-310). USN photo # 80-G-468650, photographed by Lieutenant Commander Horace Bristol, courtesy of NARA via Rob Hanshew and Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Batfish431kOfficers have coffee in wardroom of Batfish (SS-310) as she heads for base at end of war patrol. USN photo # 80-G-468656 photographed by Lieutenant Commander Horace Bristol, courtesy of NARA via Rob Hanshew and Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Batfish375kBatfish (SS-310) enters San Francisco Harbor, California, after 17 months duty in the Pacific.USN photo # 80-G-468661 photographed by Lieutenant Commander Horace Bristol, courtesy of NARA via Rob Hanshew and Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Batfish439kSailor launders his blues on board Batfish (SS-310) as she comes into port after two months war patrol.USN photo # 80-G-468662 photographed by Lieutenant Commander Horace Bristol, courtesy of NARA via Rob Hanshew and Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Batfish400kOfficer on duty as Officer of the Deck on board Batfish (SS-310), San Francisco Harbor, California.USN photo # 80-G-468652, photographed by Lieutenant Commander Horace Bristol, courtesy of NARA via Rob Hanshew and Tracy White @ Researcher @ Large.
Batfish1.00kBatfish (SS-310) docks at end of war patrol against Japanese ships. US National Archives photo # 80-G 468136 photographed by Lt. Comdr. Horace Bristol, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
SS 310
0831030		 NR SUBMARINE: By Comdr. Edward L. Beach, USN
The Hunter Is Hunted as the Batfish (SS-310) Stalks And Kills Off a Class 1 Japanese U-Boat.
HUNTRESS OF THE SEA—It was this submarine, Batfish, commanded by John Fyfe, which taught the Navy how a submarine can hunt an enemy submarine in the most thrilling and chiling of all sea actions.
DINNER FOR A SUBMARINER—Comdr. John K. Fyfe, skipper of Batfish, smiles as a steward's mate serves juicy steak in the submarine's wardroom. The officer on Comdr. Fyfe's left is Lt. Comdr. Walter Small, who later took command of the vessel.		 USN photos.
Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo & text by Evening Star. Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 27 November 1952, Image 5, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Batfish60kBattleflag of the Batfish (SS-310). USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org
Unknown Photos 1.18k The table below lists the location of submarines at Mare Island on 20 September 1945. This information was pulled from microfiche copies of the hand written shipyard journals. I'm surprised that both the clipping and my table show 21 subs at the yard on the date in question. The photo is looking north and berth 3 is at the top of the photo and then the berths run down or south.
Berth 3 - Springer (SS-414) & Spadefish (SS-411)
Berth 4 - Guavina (SS-362) & Barbero (SS-317)
Berth 5 - Hammerhead (SS-364), Tinosa (SS-283), Mapiro (SS-376) & Moray (SS-300)
Berth 6 - Bream (SS-243), Seahorse (SS-304), Batfish (SS-310) & Aspro (SS-309)
Berth 7 - Pomfret (SS-391), Parche (SS-384) & Sunfish (SS-281)
Berth 8 - Queenfish (SS-393)
Berth 9 - Lionfish (SS-298) & Plaice (SS-390)
Dry Dock 1 - Bashaw (SS-241) & Mingo (SS-261)
Berth 12 - Guitarro (SS-363).		 Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
Batfish721kPost war Batfish (SS-310). USN photo courtesy of Dan Bailey in memory of his father, Capt Daniel Bailey USNA class of 47.
Mare Island Reserve Fleet137kReserve fleet at Mare Island, circa January 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. This photo is a Berthing list identifying the ships in the picture. Photo commemorating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Mare Island Reserve Fleet453kPhoto of the Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa January 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. Whether coincidental or on purpose, the number of boats in the photo is the same as that which were lost in WW II.
From back to front and left to right, first group of 12 boats:
Sand Lance (SS-381)
Tunny (SS-282)
Aspro (SS-309)
Lionfish (SS-298)
Guvania (SS-362)
Sunfish (SS-281)
Macabi (SS-375)
Gurnard (SS-254)
Pampanito (SS-383)
Mingo (SS-261)
Guitarro (SS-363)
Bashaw (SS-241)
From back to front and left to right, second group of 12 boats:
Sealion (SS-315)
Hammerhead (SS-364)
Bream (SS-243)
Seahorse (SS-304)
Tinosa (SS-283)
Pintado (SS-387)
Mapiro (SS-376)
Pipefish (SS-388)
Moray (SS-300)
Batfish (SS-310)
Hackleback (SS-295)
Bluegill (SS-242)
From back to front and left to right, third group of 12 boats:
Hawkbill (SS-366)
Menhaden (SS-377)
Perch (SS-313)
Loggerhead (SS-374)
Barbero (SS-317)
Baya (SS-318)
Hardhead (SS-365)
Spadefish (SS-411)
Springer (SS-414)
Devilfish (SS-292)
Kraken (SS-370)
Dragonet (SS-293)
From back to front and left to right, fourth group of 12 boats:
Lamprey (SS-372)
Piranha (SS-389)
Manta (SS-299)
Pargo (SS-264)
Rancador (SS-301)
Archerfish (SS-311)
Mero (SS-378)
Sawfish (SS-276)
Spot (SS-413)
Lizardfish (SS-373)
Jallao (SS-368)
Icefish (SS-367)
From back to front and left to right, last group of 4 boats:
Steelhead (SS-280)
Puffer (SS-268)
Stickleback (SS-415)
Trepang (SS-412)
From back to front, Submarine Tenders group of 4 ships:
Pelias (AS-14)
Aegir (AS-23)
Euryale (AS-22)
Griffin (AS-13)
Photo commemorating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Batfish266k Officers salute as the colors are lowered on Batfish (SS-310) at the end of her decomissioning ceremony at Mare Island on 16 April 1946. Moray (SS-300), is to the left; incomplete destroyer escorts Ely (DE-309) and D. W. Halsey (DE-310) are forward await scrapping; Euryale (AS-22) and Pelias (AS-14) are to the right. USN photo # 1504-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Mare Island Reserve Fleet 173k Submarines aft of unidentifed submarine in foregroud at Mare Island Reserve Fleet on 28 September 1950 are:
Left to right: Dragonet (SS-293), Menhaden (SS-377), Mapiro (SS-376), Seahorse (SS-304), Sand Lance (SS-381), Batfish (SS-310), Capitaine (SS-336), Pipefish (SS-388) and Manta (SS-299). 		USN photo # 6988-9-50, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Medregal772kOn 7 March 1952 Batfish (SS-310) was recommissioned and on 21 April assigned to Submarine Division 122 based at Key West, Fla., to carry out training duty.
LCDR R. D. Jackson (Commanding Officer) reads his orders at the commissioning of the Batfish. Left to right: CDR M. K. Clementson (Commander, SUBGRU 1); Col. O. H. Wheeler (Commander, Marine Barracks Mare Island); CDR Paul F. Borden (Shipyard Legal Officer); Capt W. A. Lent (CO, Mare Island Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet); LCDR Jackson; RADM Leon S. Fiske (Vallejo Area Commander) & RADM Bernard E. Manseau (Shipyard Commander).		Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
USN photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
Medregal726kFrom left to right:Mackerel (SST-1), unknown, Medregal (SS-480), Batfish (SS-310) & Chivo (SS-341) at Key West, 1955.Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Batfish 2.50k Twenty nine page history PDF of the Batfish (SS-310). PDF courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Batfish 1.74k Batfish (SS-310) beats the boneyard.
Eight page PDF history of post WW II life for the Batfish.		 PDF courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Batfish56k Batfish (SS-310) entering Key West in 1954. USN photo from the collection of Robert Seitz RD1, USN 51-54, courtesy of Robert Hall.
Batfish54kNewspaper clipping: "Once she was happy, now she's forlorn; just like a relic tattered and torn. The submarine Batfish (SS-310) scourge of the Pacific during WW II, is listing to port and in danger of slipping her moorings. She floats in the Arkansas River at Muskogee, Okla., while state officials look for a way to dump the vessel hailed as the state's No. 1 tourist attraction" less than a year ago. The Tourism Commission has drafted a letter disowning the once proud submarine, and asking the Navy to take it back." (UPI Photo)
USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org
Small624kOctober 1969 Bio for RADM Walter L. Small, USN. Per the bio he commanded Batfish (SS-310), Clamagore (SS-343), Van Valkenburgh (DD-656) and Sperry (AS-12).
The photo is of RADM Small addressing officer and men of SUBPAC during the change of command of SUBPAC on 10/13/70 aboard the Queenfish (SSN-651). Note Sailfish (SS-572) is in the background.		 USN photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
Batfish407k Present home of the Batfish (SS-310), at Muskogee, OK. Photo courtesy of Jim Adkison.
Fremantle 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).
Batfish43kThe First of Three Mk 45 torpedoes has arrived and was installed on a rack in the FTR on the Batfish (SS-310), one of three submarine Memorials in the Central Region that will receive MK 45 torpedoes. The Razorback (SS-394) and Cavalla (SS-244) will also receive Mk 45 torpedoes in the near future. The Mk 45 will bring back memories of the Cold War days. Many of us slept close to these babies in the FTR. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Medregal309kBatfish (SS-310) goes for a sail during the flooding in Muskogee, Oklahoma on 23 May 2019.Photo courtesy of thedrive.com from Kyle Cheromcha's Articles via William Stevens.
Medregal1.49k2 photo PDF of the Batfish (SS-310) now a greenfish, 30 feet up and 25 feet east after her sail following the flooding in Muskogee, Oklahoma on 23 May 2019.Photo courtesy of In. H.
View the Batfish (SS-310)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
ussbatfish.com.
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