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USS Mackerel SS-204

The USS Mackerel was as an experimental United States Navy submarine. At 243 feet long, and with a complement of 37 sailors, she could reach a speed of 16 knots surfaced and 11 knots when submerged, and was armed with 6 x 21-inch torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes, and 1 x 3-inch / 50 caliber gun. Her armament consisted of 2 x direct-drive diesel engines, 2 x 60-cell batteries, and 2 x electric motors. She could dive to 250 feet and had a range of 6,500 nautical miles at 10 knots.

Becoming a Training and Testing Expert

After the keel of Mackerel was laid down in 1939, at Groton, Connecticut, she had to wait a year to be launched and then another year to be commissioned. She thus began standard operations, partnering with Submarine Squadron 1 at New London, Connecticut which lasted throughout World War II. Her jobs involved training assignments to produce improvement of the Navy's submarine force, as well as respoding to requests from the Underwater Sound Laboratory. Mackerel also partnered with the Submarine and the Prospective Commanding Officers Schools, while assisting in the development of antisubmarine warfare for allied surface vessels and aircraft. Her progress was steady and profitable, and Mackerel sailed between her base in New London area to the Casco Bay and also to the Chesapeake Bay. USS Mackerel was relied upon to partern with the Antisubmarine Development Detachment and the Underwater Sound Laboratory. She was instrumental in the development of advanced submarine knowledge while providing training and testing as well. Mackerel became an expert when it came to both tacticle and technical measures of antisubmarine warfare.

A Fortunate and Quick Realization

In 1943, Mackerel found herself within firing distance of the enemy: After she stood out of New London, Mackerel set sail for the naval base at Norfolk, Virginia; she had been ordered to join with Army and Navy aircraft in the execution of advanced antisubmarine training maneuvers. In sailing to her destination, Mackerel's lookouts noticed something unusual. They realized it was actually the wake of two torpedoes, which appeared to be heading directly for her. The crew responded immediately and followed proper evasion maneuver procedure. Responding in the standard manner, Mackerel returned gunfire with two of her torpedoes, which did not hit their mark. The following morning it appeared that the same ship was in the area, but by that time, Mackerel had gained enough distance to feel safe from torpedo strikes. That was Mackerel's one and only contact with Japanese gunfire.

USS Mackerel was decommissioned in1945, at Boston, Massachusetts, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register within the month. Two years later, she was sold for scrapping to the Philadelphia-based North American Smelting Company.

Some ships such as Mackerel were fortunate not to be directly involved in the line of gunfire or the midst of heavy battle. Their crews may have felt a bit safer than those on the front of military action, but all soldiers and sailors clearly faced risk at one time or another. Sometimes that danger came from the enemy; sometime it came from carelessness of other crew members; occasionally inclement weather or bad luck played a factor in mishaps such as onboard accidents or collisions. Mackerel's repeated training operations, fleet exercises and maneuvers jarred her infrastructure a good amount, and, hopefully did not result in any damage that was not obvious to repair personnel. An example of such a situation could be if the vessel had been outfitted with asbestos, and the insulation's sealant had become torn due to continued jarring. That would result in no one even noticing the tiny fibers wafting through the air system. Unfortunately, if such an incident occurred, those fibers might have been inhaled or swallowed by any crew member. It is now known that asbestos fibers have remained in people's bodies for several decades. Such a long term irritant could be the cause of several serious medical conditions-or even malignancies-that are now being diagnosed with unsettling frequency.

The U.S. Navy did what it thought was right to protect its men against fire as adequately as possible. Asbestos was a known heat and flame retardant, and its ability to fit into small and awkward spaces made it seem ideal for submarines and aircraft. Therefore, since the Mackerel was constructed during an era that heavily relied upon asbestos, there is a good chance it was also used in auxiliary submarines. It would have been considered an attribute, offering greater assurance that the crew had even greater security against an onboard fire. After all, little was scarier than a fire, considering a ship's limited resources and escape opportunities. That is why it is very important that any former sailor report unusual physical symptoms to their physician in a timely manner, and then contact us for additional information regarding asbestos exposure.

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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