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USS Lizardfish SS-373

The USS Lizardfish was a United States Navy Balao-class submarine which was awarded one Battle Star for her actions during World War II. Carrying a complement of 81 sailors, she was powered by 4 x V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators, 2 x 126-cell batteries, 4 x high-speed electric motors with reduction gears, and two propellers. She was 312 feet long and was armed with 10 x 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1 x 5-inch / 25 caliber deck gun, and four machine guns. Her top speed when surfaced was 20 knots per hour, and, underwater, 9 knots per hour-at a maximum depth of 400 feet. Lizardfish could endure 48 hours at 2 knots while submerged, as well as 75 days on patrol, and boasted a range of 11,000 nautical miles when surfaced at 10 knots.

Early War Assignments

In 1944, the keel of Lizardfish was laid down by Wisconsin's Manitowoc Shipbuilding. She was launched that July and commissioned on December 30th. Within three weeks, she sailed the Manitowoc River to Lockport, Illinois, and was placed onto a floating dry-dock. In such a manner, Lizardfish traveled down the Mississippi River until reaching Algiers, Louisiana. Her maiden voyage really began on the first day of February, when she departed for Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal, a journey that took almost eight weeks. Finally in position for her first war patrol by April, Lizardfish set sail towards the South China Sea, with a task to provide a concise and tight patrol of Indochina. Her following orders involved the same duty in the Java Sea. Although her job placed USS Lizardfish in the heart of the battle lines, she failed to find enemy ships during either mission, and she was subsequently directed to Fremantle, Australia, where she arrived in June. Lizardfish put to sea later that month for another patrol, again in the Java and South China Seas. Significant achievements of this duty were her damaging attacks on enemy harbors, straits, and anchorages, proving that her plans were well-thought out and executed, and, in some cases, quite bold.

Responsible For More Damages

In July, near Chelukan Bawang, Bali, USS Lizardfish spied several camouflaged enemy vessels consisting of four landing barges, a 250-ton sea truck, and a 100-ton submarine chaser. With a submerged attack run, she sank Submarine Chaser 37, and then surfaced. She next fired her deck guns, causing a gasoline fire that ignited the barges. Her next feat was the destruction of a nearby boat shed, which coincidentally caused a ship stored inside of it to be destroyed. Two weeks later found Lizardfish on patrol near Sunda Strait, where she noticed a sea truck convoy. She immediately went on the attack as she avoided the shore battery's onset of shell lobbing, and her ammunition started a fire that affected three ships. USS Lizardfish was next called to duty as lifeguard station off Singapore. This was during the influx of Army B-24 Liberator bomber strikes, and it was near there, in Subic Bay, that she heard about the cessation of hostilities on August 15.

A Home in Italy

Lizardfish was back at her home base in San Francisco by September, but was transferred to Tiburon, California, where she stayed until the following January. At that time, her new role was as a school-ship for the Sonar School based in San Diego. However, within just a few months of service off the California coast, she was decommissioned. As of June 24, she was officially part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, operating out of the Mare Island Navy Yard. Her next career step did not occur until 13 years later, when she returned to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for Fleet Snorkel conversion. After her fitting out trials, USS Lizardfish was transferred to the Government of Italy. She thus served with them until 1976, when they chose to discard her.

Lizardfish was a vessel that was able to follow stated directives while achieving other successes at the same time. Had she been constructed earlier, she probably would have made even a greater contribution to the war effort. Her crew appeared to be well trained and alert, and they were also fortunate to have not suffered any tragic accidents or loss of life while in the midst of battle. They were also lucky that they did not incur minor onboard mishaps or fires like the ones they caused. Fires were feared by all sailors, and rightly so; the terror of an uncontrolled inferno in a space that offered limited escape and resources was understandable. It was for that reason that the Navy did what it could to minimize the threat, and that probably including a great deal of asbestos to the ship's insulation. Being lightweight, flexible, and an excellent heat and flame retardant, asbestos was ideal for the cramped spaces inside submarines. However, submarines subjected to bouncing and jarring from dives or depth charge explosions ran the risk of having the asbestos sealant become damaged. Had that occurred on the Lizardfish, fibers may have escaped from the sealant and the crew may have inhaled or swallowed them. It's now known that they can remain in people's bodies for decades. Some individuals have recently found that this long-term irritant has caused serious medical diseases and even malignancies, so it's very important that any former crew member see their doctor at the first sign of any unusual symptom, and then contact us for more information.

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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