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U.S.S. HARDHEAD
(SS-365)Click to view crew list
USS HARDHEAD (SS-365) - a Balao class submarine
In Commission 1944 to 1946SS-365 Deployments - Major Events
Add a SS-365 Shellback Initiation | Add a SS-365 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JUL | 1943 | - | Keel Date: 7 JUL 1943 at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. Manitowoc WI | ||
DEC | 1943 | - | Launch Date: 12 DEC 1943 | ||
APR | 1944 | - | Commissioned: 18 APR 1944 | ||
SEP | 1962 | - | OCT | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
JUL | 1972 | - | Decommissioned: 26 JUL 1972 |
SS-365 General Specifications
Class: Balao class submarine
Complement: 10 Officers and 70 Enlisted
Displacement: 1526 tons
Length: 311 feet 9 inches
Beam: 27 feet 3 inches
Draft: 16 feet 10 in
Range: 11 000 Nautical Miles
Final Disposition: Transferred to Greece 26 July 1972
USS HARDHEAD (SS-365)
Hardhead (SS-365) was launched by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis., 12 December 1943;
sponsored by Mrs. E. F. McDonald; and commissioned 18 April 1944, Comdr. F. McMaster
in command.
Following
shakedown training in lake Michigan the submarine entered a floating dry dock at Loekport,
III., and
was towed to New Orleans, where she arrived 16 May 1944. Hardhead got
underway from Algiers, La., 22 May, and arrived Balboa, Canal Zone, 5 days later. There
she took
part in additional training exercises before her arrival at Pearl Harbor 7
July 1944.
Hardhead, departed on her first war patrol 27 July and proceeded to her patrol
area off the Philippines. Early 18 August she detected Japanese cruiser Natori east
of San Bernardino Strait, and closed for a surface attack. The first well directed
salvo stopped the cruiser dead in the water; a second sent her to the bottom.
During the remainder of her first
patrol Hardhead rendered lifeguard services
during strikes by fleet aircraft on the Philippines and operated with a reconnaissance line during the
Palaus operation. She arrived
Fermantle, Australia, 26 September
1944.
Hardhead's second patrol began as she departed Fremantle 24 October and set course for the
Philippines. While
steaming on the surface through the Sulu Sea October she discovered a life raft adrift. In it was
Commander
(now Rear Admiral) Bakuti's, fighter squadron commander of Enterprise, who had been in the
water for 6
days after being shot down during America's smashing victory in the Battle for
Leyte Gulf. Operating in a coordinated group with Growler and Hake, the
submarine sighted a large cargo
ship with escorts 8 November. After being
driven off in one attack, Hardhead aggressively gained an ahead position and sank Manei Maru. It
was during this attack that Growler was lost. Hardhead performed lifeguard duty off Suibic Bay in November
and on the 25th came upon an escorted
merchant ship. She sank a coast
defense vessel, damaged the merchantman, and evaded a retaliatory depth charge attack. Soon afterward, the submarine returned to Fremantle, ending
another skillful and effective patrol
5 December.
Putting to sea again
24 December. Hardhead began her third
war patrol in the South China Sea. Operating with Besugo and Blackfin, Hardhead damaged several ships
before sinking Nanshin Maru 2 February 1945. Following lifeguard duty for the B-29 strikes on Singapore she returned to Fremantle 15 February.
Hardhead's fourth war patrol included a special mine laying mission. She sailed 20
March 1945 and laid mines off French Indochina during the night of 2 April. The
submarine
then entered the Gulf of Siam, where after several attacks she sank cargo ship Araosan Maru 6 April. Following a visit to Subic Bay to reload 11-15
April she patrolled the South China
Sea, but found few contacts. American
submarines had by this time reduced Japanese merchant activity to a trickle. The island nation was doomed. Hardhead returned to Fremantle 16
May.
Sailing
from Fremantle 18 June, Hardhead began her fifth war patrol, to be
conducted in the Java Sea. She severely damaged a freighter with her deck guns 22 June, and next day sank four
coastal defense craft during an attack on Ambat Roads with Bullhead. Illness of
her Commanding Officer forced Hardhead, to end her fifth patrol 17 July
at Onslow, Australia.
The
submarine departed Onslow on her sixth and last patrol 18 July, and headed back into the Java Sea.
'She forced a merchant ship to beach 27 July but found few targets and returned to
Subic Bay 10 August. Soon afterward the Pacific war, in which the submarine had played an aggressive and
important part, ended. Hardhead sailed 31 August and arrived San Francisco via Pearl
Harbor 22
September 1945. She decommissioned 10 May 1946 and entered the reserve fleet at Mare Island.
Hardhead was placed in commission in reserve 6 February 1952 and upon her arrival at New London
for conversion was placed out of commission.
Following her "guppy"
conversion, including streamlining, installation of a snorkel breathing
apparatus, and larger storage batteries,
the submarine recommissioned 24 March 1953. She joined the Atlantic Fleet for training exercises and tactical drills in the years that followed, operating
mainly in the Caribbean and off the
East Coast of the United States. She
sailed for the Mediterranean 7 September 1956 to strengthen the 6th Fleet during the Suez crisis.
In
July 1958 Hardhead, joined Submarine Development Group 2, turning her
attention from fleet operations to research and testing of equipment and tactical
doctrine. She
operated off the East Coast and in the north Atlantic, and by 1961 had won four consecutive
"E" awards for her performance. Hardhead
continued through 1967 to perform
this vital work in maintaining the technical superiority and readiness of the
fleet.
Hardhead, received six battle stars for World War II service. All six of her combat patrols were
successful.
[Note: The above USS HARDHEAD (SS-365) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS HARDHEAD (SS-365), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]