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USS Atule SS-403

The USS Atule was a Batao¬-class submarine, launched on March 6, 1944 and commissioned on June 21. She earned four battle stars for her service in World War II.

The USS Atule during World War II

The USS Atule departed Pearl Harbor for her first patrol on October 9, along with two other submarines. Together with the Pintado and Jallao she formed a wolf pack which was nicknamed “Clarey's Crushers,” after the Pintado's commander Bernard Clarey, who lead the pack. After stopping briefly at Saipan for refueling and minor repairs, the pack made its first hit on October 25, when the Jallao sank the Tama, a light cruiser. After two days searching for enemy vessels left behind after the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the wolf pack made for Luzon Strait and the South China Sea.

Over the next several days the Atule encountered several ships, but until November 1 made no attacks. Just after midnight on November 1, she moved in on a quickly-moving transport ship, and despite heavy winds was able to close and fire six torpedoes. The first torpedo hit, and after quickly submerging to avoid depthcharges, the Atule later surfaced to find evidence of the ship, which turned out to be the 17,000 ton transport ship Asama Maru, having sunk. Throughout the next ten days the wolf pack occasionally spotted enemy craft but was not able to attack. Eventually, the Atule headed to Formosa, where she sighted a minesweeper after midnight on November 20. The Atule fired four torpedoes, downing Minesweeper Number 88. On November 24, she sighted a small convoy moving toward Sabtang Island, and after closing with the ships fired and sank a cargo ship, the Santos Maru. On November 27 she was again in the middle of the action, when she sighted a ship anchored between Ibuhos and Dequey Islands. She fired four torpedoes into the ship, blowing its port side apart. The ship exploded just over an hour later. After this eventful patrol, the Atule arrived at Majuro Atoll on December 11 for an upkeep and training period.

The second war patrol of the USS Atule was centered in the Yellow Sea, where she arrived on January 21, 1945 accompanied by other vessels including Spadefish, Bang, Devilfish, and Pompon. She found her first target in the Taiman Maru Number 1, a 7,000 ton freighter which she downed on January 24. For the remainder of her second patrol, the main targets of the Atule were naval mines. Patrolling the Chinese and Korean coastlines, she destroyed 23 of the 29 mines she located, until her patrol ended at Saipan on February 22.

After traveling to Midway Island, she underwent a refit, and was ready for her third patrol on April 2. Most of this patrol was spent destroying mines and carrying out lifeguard duty in her patrol area off Bungo Suido, and she returned to Pearl Harbor on May 30. She departed for her fourth and final patrol of the war on July 3, and made for the Nanpo Islands. The first month of the patrol was uneventful; however on August 12 she discovered two ships, firing at and sinking Coast Defense Vessel Number 6. After hearing the news of the Japanese surrender on August, 15, she headed to New London, Connecticut, after stopping briefly at Pearl Harbor.

After the War

Unlike many other naval vessels, the USS Atule enjoyed an eventful career following the close of World War II. During 1946, she participated in Operation Nanook, a mission which was intended to establish advanced weather stations in the artic, and to provide assistance in planning and executing naval missions in polar regions. Following the end of this mission, she was inactivated and decommissioned on September 8, 1947.

After three years, she was towed to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine for reactivation and conversion. After being outfitted with a streamlined superstructure which improved her speed, and a snorkel which allowed her to use her engines while submerged, she was recommissioned on March 8, 1951. Over the next two decades, she took part in training exercises and operations, visited ports in the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific, and was highly active until her decommission on April 6, 1971. She was removed from the Naval Register on August 15, 1973, and in July 1974 was sold to Peru. After serving in the Peruvian Navy for fourteen years, she was lost after being rammed and sunk by a fishing trawler.

Many United States Navy vessels contained large amounts of asbestos, as the substance was once used extensively as an insulator and fire-proofing material. Many people who served onboard these vessels, or were involved in building, repairing, or outfitting them, have subsequently developed asbestos-related diseases due to asbestos exposure. If you've developed an asbestos-related disease as a result of involvement with Navy vessels, contact us for information about your legal options.

Submarines Index

USS Albacore SS 218 USS AmberJack SS 219 USS Angler SS 240 USS Apogon SS 308 USS Archer-fish SS 311 USS Argonaut-SM-1 USS Argonaut SS 475 USS Aspro SS 309 USS Atule SS 403 USS Balao SS 285 USS Bang SS 385 USS Barbel SS 316 USS Barbero SS 317 USS Barb SS 220 USS Barracuda SS 163 USS Bashaw SS 241 USS Bergall SS 320 USS Besugo SS 321 USS Billfish SS 286 USS Blackfin SS 322 USS Blackfish SS 221 USS Blenny SS 324 USS Blower SS 325 USS Blueback SS 326 USS Bluefish SS 222 USS Bluegill SS 242 USS Boarfish SS 327 USS Bonefish SS 223 USS Bonita SS 165 USS Bowfin SS 287 USS Bream SS 243 USS Brill SS 330 USS Bugara SS 331 USS Bullhead SS 332 USS Bumper SS 333 USS Burrfish SS 312 USS Cabezon SS 334 USS Carbonero SS 337 USS Hake SS 256 USS Hammerhead SS 364 USS Harder SS 257 USS Hardhead SS 365 USS Hawkbill SS 366

USS Herring SS 233 USS Hoe SS 258 USS Icefish SS 367 USS Jack SS 259 USS Jallao SS 368 USS Kete S 369 USS Kingfish SS 234 USS Kraken SS 370 USS Lagarto SS 371 USS Lizardfish SS 373 USS Loggerhead SS 374 USS Macabi SS 375 USS Mackerel-204 USS Manta SS 299 USS Mapiro SS 376 USS Marlin SS 205 USS Mingo SS 261 USS Moray SS 300 USS Muskallunge SS 262 USS Narwhal SS 263 USS Nautilus-ss-0024 USS Paddle SS 167 USS Pampanito SS 383 USS Parche SS 384 USS Pargo SS 264 USS Perch SS 176 USS Permit SS 178 USS Peto SS 265 USS Pickerel SS 177 USS Picuda SS 382 USS Pike SS 173 USS Pilotfish SS 386 USS Pintado SS 387 USS Pipefish SS 388 USS Pirahna SS 389 USS Plaice SS 390 USS Plunger SS 179 USS Pogy SS 266 USS Pollack SS 180 USS Pomfret SS 391 USS Pompano SS 181 USS Pompon SS 267 USS Porpoise SS 172

USS Puffer SS 268 USS Queenfish SS 393 USS Quillback SS 424 USS Rasher SS 269 USS Raton SS 270 USS Ray SS 271 USS Razorback SS 394 USS Redfin SS 272 USS Redfish SS 395 USS Robalo SS 273 USS Rock SS 274 USS Ronquil SS 396 USS Runner SS 275 USS Runner SS 476 USS S-1 SS 105 USS S-20 SS 125 USS S-46 SS 157 USS Sailfish SS 192 USS Salmon SS 182 USS Sand Lance SS 381 USS Sargo SS 188 USS Saury SS 189 USS Sawfish SS 276 USS Scabbardfish SS 397 USS Scamp SS 277 USS Scorpion SS 278 USS Sculpin SS 191 USS Sea Cat SS 399 USS Sea Devil SS 400 USS Sea Dog SS 401 USS Seadragon SS 194 USS Sea Fox SS 402 USS Seahorse SS 304 USS Sealion SS 195 USS Seal SS 183 USS Sea Owl SS 405 USS Sea Poacher SS 406 USS Searaven SS 196 USS Sea Robin SS 407 USS Seawolf SS 197 USS Segundo SS 398 USS Sennet SS 408

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