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USS Blenny SS-324

During the 1940s, hundreds of submarines were produced to join the United States Navy during World War II. One such vessel was the USS Blenny SS-324. A Balao class submarine laid down in July of 1943 by the Electric Boat Company, this submarine is remember today as an integral part of the Pacific Fleet.

Like other Balao-class submarines, the USS Blenny SS-324 was over 300 feet long and over 27 feet wide. She could travel at speeds up to 20.25 knots per hour when surfaced and 8.75 knots per hour when submerged. This ship carried around 70 sailors under the protection of ten torpedo tubes and a number of guns on the deck. Sponsored by Miss Florence B. King, The USS Blenny SS-324 was launched on April 9, 1944 and commissioned on July 27, 1944 under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard.

After training in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Florida, the USS Blenny SS-324 was sent to Pearl Harbor through the Panama Canal. She arrived there on October 15, 1944 and soon headed for Far Eastern waters, where she patrolled the waters off of the coast of Luzon. In December, she fired at an enemy escort ship, but missed. The return fire was also unsuccessful. Less than a week later, the USS Blenny SS-324 was attacked by a Japanese plane, which dropped two bombs that narrowly missed the submarine.

That same day, on December 14, the USS Blenny SS-324 fired upon an enemy cargo ship and had her first success. Later that night, another surface attack sank Coast Defense Vessel Number 128. Less than two weeks later, she also sank a transport, which was later identified as the Kenzui Maru, and import part of the Japanese shipping industry. Before leaving this area, she also fired at another freighter, but Japanese deny that this ship was damaged in the attack. At the close of this first tour, the USS Blenny SS-324 traveled to the port at Fremantle in Australia for a refit.

The USS Blenny SS-324's second war patrol took her to the waters off the coast of Indochina. She battled with a Japanese convey unsuccessfully, but avoided damager. In February of that year, she sank a tanker and, after reloading in Subic Bay, she had a very successful day in March where, in a 24-hour time period, she sank three enemy ships and avoided damage. On March 25, the USS Blenny SS-324 rescued two Blueback airmen and returned to Subic Bay for repairs and refit.

The USS Blenny SS-324's next patrol took her to the Java Sea. One of her hardest battles came during this tour when she encountered an enemy ship close to the coast in very shallow waters. The ship she sank was small, and therefore could not be verified, but less tan a week later, she sank the cargo ship Hokoku Maru, and this victory could be confirmed. On June 5, the USS Blenny SS-324 returned to Fremantle to prepared for what would become her last wartime patrol.

On July 5, 1945, the vessel and her crew departed to once again patrol the Java Sea. During this tour, she sank a sea truck on July 11 and a gunboat on July 16. She sunk many small ships after removing their civilian crew to safety. In August, she headed to Subic Bay. After a refit following the end of the war, she traveled to Guam, where she took part in training exercises until January of 1946, when she departed for the United States once again. The USS Blenny SS-324 stayed in San Diego for a few months before transferring to San Francisco and then to the Far East once again. During the late summer and fall, she patrolled the waters around Tsingtao and Shanghai before heading home for missions patrolling the west coast of the United States. Until 1952, she remained in United States waters, completing missions around California and Hawaii.

During the 1950s, the USS Blenny SS-324 returned to Far Eastern waters. After working in this area for a few years, she was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet. Unlike many other Balao class submarines, the USS Blenny SS-324 stayed active throughout the 1960s, taking part in test and evaluation training, as well as antisubmarine trainings. In 1969, she was renovated and redesigned as an auxiliary submarine and was placed on reserve duties. She never was reactivated and, on August 15, 1973, her name was stricken from the Navy Register. After talks that she might be used as an exercise target, it was decided instead that she be donated to the Maryland coast to be used as an artificial reef.

Although the USS Blenny SS-324 received four battle stars and her crews' various military decorations are impressive, it is important to remember that, like all over vessels during this time period, she was built using products that contained asbestos. Since asbestos exposure if the cause of some very serious medical conditions, it is important to talk to a doctor and you lawyer if you worked on or around this ship.

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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