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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on left contributed by Mike Smolinski, on right by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Queenfish (SS-393) (AGSS-393)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - November - Uniform

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons


Presidential Unit Citation
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 July 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 30 November 1943; Commissioned USS Queenfish (SS-393), 11 March 1944; Redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-393), 1 July 1960; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1963; Final Disposition, sunk as target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963. Queenfish was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, and received six battle starts for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced 1,526 t., Submerged 2,391 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2 kts; Operating Depth, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one single 40mm gun mount, one single 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear, Fairbanks Morse diesel engines, 5,400 HP, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gal., four Elliot Motor Co. electric main motors with 2,740 shp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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Queenfish 16k Commemorative launch day badge from Queenfish (SS-393) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 30 November 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.
Queenfish 22k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the commissioning of Queenfish (SS-393), at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 11 March 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Queenfish 62k Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), probably during her sea-trials off the New England coast, Spring 1944. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 92k Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), probably during her sea trials off the New England coast, Spring 1944. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 368k The Queenfish (SS-393) rescuing British and Australian prisoners of war, survivors of the Japanese ship Rakuyo Maru, sunk in the China Sea by the Sealion (SS-315), September 1944. NARA FILE #: 080-G-272803, Photo # HD-SN-99-02608, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center.
Sealion664k Saved! British and Austrailian survivors of Japanese prison ship Rakuyo Maru, torpoded by Sealion (SS-315). Rescue was by Sealion, Growler (SS-215), Queenfish (SS-393), & Barb (SS-220).Text courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
Photo from NARA FILE #: 080-G-281718, Photo # HD-SN-99-02609, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center.
PDF courtesy of Steve Burton.
Spot524kSpot (SS-413), Sea Fox (SS-402) & Queenfish (SS-393) & friends at Saipan, March 45. USN photo by Paul D. Guttman, courtesy of Robert Guttman. Photo added 07/30/10.
Queenfish 190k Returning to the same area for her fourth war patrol, 24 February to 14 April, Queenfish (SS-393) sank 11,600-ton passenger-cargo ship Awa Maru (SS-393) on 1 April 1945. Unfortunately, her victim was a ship whose safe passage had been guaranteed by the United States government, since she was to carry Red Cross relief supplies to Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. Drawing by Ueda Kihachiro courtesy of combinedfleet.com via Tommy Trampp.
Queenfish 83k Queenfish (SS-393), port side view, circa 1944-45, location unknown. Courtesy of John Hummel.
Queenfish 638kQueenfish (SS-393), 7 Sept 1945, with the inscription "We have returned" draped to the conning tower.
South Vallejo in the photo. Logs indicate that she arrived 14 Sept. 45 and completed overhaul on 1 Jan. 1946. 		US Navy photo #222501, from the 12th Naval District, courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. courtesy of Darryl Baker, Dave Johnston & Ric Hedman.
Queenfish 53k WW II battle-flag of the Queenfish (SS-393). USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Parche1.0mParche (SS-384) with YF-312 and S-30 (SS-135) outboard at Mare Island between 19 and 23 October 1945. The submarine to the left of Parche's sail is either Plaice (SS-390), Tinosa (SS-283) or Queenfish (SS-393). The Nereus (AS-17) is just visible left of the Parche's periscope shears.USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Lockwood 155k In March, 1947, Commander Ralph Huntington Lockwood assumed command of the submarine Queenfish (SS-393) and maintained this position until August, 1949. Image from the San Diego Navy Historical Association courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
Queenfish 95k Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), underway, circa 1950's, location unknown. Her deck guns had been removed by this time. When her guns and associated equipment were removed, she became the model for active fleet-type boats that did not receive GUPPY, snorkel, SSR, SSG or other special conversions. Little is recorded about this "Queenfish Modification" that was a household word for submariners in the '50s. Text courtesy of subnet.com. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 116k Port side view of the Queenfish (SS-393), underway, circa 1950's, location unknown. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 79k Port side view of the Queenfish (SS-393) underway, possibly circa 16 January 1958 after she departed for a 6 month deployment to WestPac, returning to San Diego 27 July to resume operations off the west coast of the United States. Text info courtesy of DANFS. Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Queenfish 248k Overhead stern view of the Queenfish (AGSS-393), underway, 2 March 1961. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 157k With a boiling wake from her stern, the Queenfish (AGSS-393) underway, 2 March 1961. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 50k Coming alongside to check out the Queenfish (SS-393) before she is sunk as a target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 61k The Queenfish (SS-393) with an oil slick in her wake before she is sunk as a target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Queenfish 42k The Queenfish (SS-393) is hit amidships by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963, as she starts her final dive. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
View the Queenfish (SS-393)
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
USS Queenfish SS393/SSN651
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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