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| USN Balao-class submarine 1,550 Tons (surfaced) 2,391 Tons (submerged) 311' 6" x 27' 3" x 16' 10" 10 × 21-inch torpedo tubes 1 × 5"/25 cal deck gun 1 x 40mm AA gun 1 x 20mm cannon  USN circa 1943-1945  USN August 18, 1944 |
Sub History Built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine. Laid down February 24, 1943 as a Balao-class submarine. Launched June 18, 1943 as USS Burrfish (SS-312) named for the Burrfish, a swellfish of the Atlantic coast sponsored by Miss Jane Elizabeth Davis, daughter of Senator James J. Davis from Pennsylvania. Commissioned September 13, 1943 in the U.S. Navy (USN) under the command of Captain William B. Perkins, Jr. After a shakedown cruise conducts six war patrols. Afterwards, to New London and departs on a shakedown cruise off Key West then via the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor arriving January 6, 1944 and continues training. First War Patrol On January 29, 1944 departs Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol with a refueling stop at Midway Atoll then patrols the western Caroline Islands. During the patrol, attacks three transports with torpedoes but none were damaged or sunk. On March 22, 1944 ends the 53 day patrol at Midway. Afterwards, undergoes a refit. Second War Patrol On April 14, 1944 departs Midway on her second war patrol off Japan to the east of Kyushu and south of Honshu. On May 7, 1944 sinks German oiler Rossbach (5,000 tons) south of Murotosaki (Muroto Misaki), off Japan at Lat 33°15'N, Long 134°11'E. On June 4, 1944 ends the 52 day patrol at Pearl Harbor. Afterwards, undergoes a refit. On June 30, 1944 drydock in auxiliary repair dock USS ARD-1 for repairs to the propeller shaft and inspections to stern torpedo tubes, shafts and flanges and repainting and undocked two days later. On July 2, 1944 went to sea and fired two torpedoes in exercises and conducted sound tests the repaired shafts and found them still too noisey. On July 4, 1944 returned to drydock in auxiliary repair dock USS ARD-1 for additional repairs to the shafts and changed propellers. On July 9, 1944 undocked and conducted sound test and conducted final loading including a group of eleven frogmen embarked aboard Burrfish from Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base, Maui and members of Underwater Demolition Team 10 (UDT-10) trained by the Office of Strategic Services Maritime Unit (OSS-MU). All the frogmen were volunteers and were to swim ashore and reconnaissance missions on Palau and Yap. The UDT frogmen included Lt M. R. Massey, CGM Howard “Red” L. Roeder, CBM John E. Ball, CM3c Emmet L. Carpenter, QM1c Robert A. Black, Jr., SP(A)1c John C. MacMahon, SP(X)1c William Moore, S1c Leonard Barnhill, and QM3c Warren Christensen. The frogmen berthed in the forward torpedo room sleeping on mattresses and joined the submarine crew in performing watches. This was the first and only submarine launched frogman operation of the Pacific War. Third War Patrol On July 11, 1944 departs Pearl Harbor escorted by P.C. 578 until sunset on her third war patrol and proceeds westward to Midway. On July 15, 1944 arrives Midway and topped off with fuel and departs with two planes escorting until sunset and the next day crosses the International Date Line and proceeds bound for Palau. On July 22, 1944 at 9:45am dives when a plane is spotted 6 miles away and afterwards surfaces but spots the plane again, which is believed to be homing in on the sub's SD radar. At 6:30pm spots USS Thresher (SS-200) and exchanges signals. On July 30, 1944 at 5:00am makes visual and radar contact with Angaur and dives 12 miles southwest of the island. At 12:23 spots a plane over Angaur. At 7:17pm surfaces and uses SJ radar roughly 8 miles north of the island. At 8:55pm stopped and sent a diver to plug discharge from air conditioning and conducts repairs then resumes patrolling. On August 14, 1944 at 5:40am dived 20 miles west of Toagel Mlengui Pass west of Babelthuap. On August 15, 1944 transmitted reports after midnight and proceeded northeast bound for Yap. At 6:30pm spotted several oil drums and an oil slick at sea at Lat 9° 10' N Long 136° 0' E. On August 16, 1944 at 2:03am made SJ radar contact with Yap Island at a distance of 25 miles. At 4:03am made contact with land based radar for 15 minutes. At 5:08am dived roughly 6 miles southwest of Yap and patrolled close to the southern tip of Yap. Five frogmen "swimmers" led by Lt M. R. Massey with QM3c Warren Christensen, Leonard Barnhill, William Moore, and John MacMahon deployed a rubber boat and paddle towards the coast of Yap. The frogmen swam onto the reef and back and determined that discolored patches visible in aerial photography were only sea grass and would not imped landing craft if used as a landing site. At 7:30pm surfaced close to Yap. At 7:44pm submerged and at midnight surfaced close to the beach and recovered the frogmen. On August 18, 1944 during the night surfaced two miles off eastern Yap and frogmen "swimmers" led by CGM Howard “Red” L. Roeder with Chief John Ball, Emmet Carpenter, Robert Black, and John MacMahon deployed a rubber boat and paddle within a quarter mile of shore and found a fringing reef just below the surface and anchored leaving Chief John Ball aboard while the other four swam ashore. Fifteen minutes later, Black brought Carpenter back to the boat due to fatigue then rejoined MacMahon and Roeder. Afterwards, the three frogmen: were never seen again. This was the only mission when frogmen were lost and their remains never recovered. Aboard the rubber boat, Ball and Carpenter became worried, hoisted the anchor and searched for them along the reef. Unable to find them, they paddled back to for the rendezvous with Burrfish and the submarine continued to search for the three missing frogmen until dawn then submerged and moved into deeper water. On August 19, 1944 Burrfish again searched for the missing frogmen unsuccessfully. Aboard, the other frogmen pleaded with Commander Perkins to go back to the fringing reef that night to continue searching but the sea had become rough and he declined to risk them and terminated the search and continued the patrol. A report with a sketch map, Photographic and Special Reconnaissance of Yap-Palau Islands, August 24, 1944 was created based on the submarine and frogmen's observations on Yap. On August 27, 1944 ends the 47 day patrol at Majuro. Afterwards, undergoes a refit by USS Sperry (AS-12). Fourth War Patrol On September 19, 1944 departs Majuro on her fourth war patrol bound for the Nansei Shoto area. The patrol was in two phases, the first 48 days. Burrfish torpedoes a cargo ship of 8,500 tons. Burrfish arrives Saipan for for rest and repair. Next, begins another 22 days patrolling as part of an anti-patrol boat sweep with USS Ronquil (SS-396), USS Silversidess (SS-236), USS Trigger (SS-237), USS Sterlet (SS-392), USS Tambor (SS-198) and USS Saury (SS-189). On November 17, 1944 with USS Ronquil (SS-396), while surfaced in heavy weather engaged Japanese guardboat Fusa Maru in a spirited surface gunnery action south of Hachiro Jima, central Honshu at Lat 32°15'N, Long 140°00'E; American gunfire damages the enemy patrol craft, but not before she in turn damages Burrfish and wounds two of her crew including S1c R. D. Lopez and Coxswain H. A. Foster. During the engagement, USS Ronquil (SS-396), is damaged by own gunfire (premature explosion of 40-millimeter shell or contact with a lifeline stanchion and is forced to terminate her patrol. Fusa Maru is damaged and written off as a total loss and performs no more active service. On December 2, 1944 ends the patrol totaling 74 days at Pearl Harbor then undergoes a refit by USS Pelias (AS–14). On December 20, 1944 placed under the command of Commander M. H. Lytle. Fifth War Patrol On December 20, 1944 departs on her fifth war patrol to perform life guard duty for B-29s in the Bonin Islands. Burrfish made an unsuccessful torpedo attack against a small patrol vessel. For ten days of the patrol on weather station and makes daily weather reports to support the landings on Iwo Jima. On February 24, 1945 the 52 day patrol ends at Apra Harbor on Guam. Afterwards, undergoes refit from USS Apollo (AS-25). Sixth War Patrol On March 25, 1945 departs Apra Harbor on her sixth war patrol to perform life guard duty off southern Formosa (Taiwan) and is on station for 30 days to support the 5th Air Force (5th AF) but no rescues are performed. Departing, conducts a shore bombardment of the radio station on Batan Island firing 5" and 40mm shells at the target with some damage inflicted. On May 13, 1945 ends the 65 day patrol at Pearl Harbor and three days later departs for Mare Island for a major overhaul. On arrival, instead ordered via the Panama Canal to Portsmouth, New Hampshire arriving June 19, 1945 and begins overhaul work until the end of World War II. Postwar On October 12, 1945 arrived at New London, CT. During March 1946 laid up as inactive with the Sixteenth Fleet. October 10, 1946 placed in reserve. On November 2, 1948 recommissioned and assigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for conversion to a radar picket submarine. On January 27, 1949 redesignated USS Burrfish (SSR-312). By November 1949 the conversion was complete. On February 7, 1950 reactivated and assigned to Submarine Squadron 6 in Norfolk, VA. Between February 1950 and June 1956 completed three tours with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, participated in several exercises and operated along the eastern seaboard as a radar picket ship. On June 5, 1956 Burrfish departed Norfolk for New London for inactivation. On December 17, 1956 placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On January 17, 1961 recommissioned. On May 11, 1961 decommissioned, and loaned to Canada. Commissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) as HMCS Grilse (SS-71). During September 1969 returned to the United States. On July 19, 1969 struck from the Naval Register. Sinking History On November 19, 1969 sunk as a target off San Clemente Island. Awards For her World War II service, Burrfish earned five battle stars. Relatives Bill Perkins (son of William B. Perkins) References NARA History of the U.S.S. Burrfish (SS 321) NARA U.S.S. Burrfish, Report of Third War Patrol NARA Photographic and Special Reconnaissance of Yap-Palau Islands August 24, 1944 pages 1-10 MissingAircrew - American Missions Against Yap, 13 August 1944 Nay Seal Museum Blog - USS Burrfish – UDT Special-Mission Group Contribute
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