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U.S.S. RONQUIL
(SS-396)Click to view crew list
USS RONQUIL (SS-396) - a Balao class submarine
In Commission 1944 to 1952SS-396 Deployments - Major Events
Add a SS-396 Shellback Initiation | Add a SS-396 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEP | 1943 | - | Keel Date: 9 SEP 1943 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Kittery ME | ||
JAN | 1944 | - | Launch Date: 27 JAN 1944 | ||
APR | 1944 | - | Commissioned: 22 APR 1944 | ||
APR | 1955 | - | APR | 1955 | West Pac |
JUL | 1956 | - | DEC | 1956 | Dry Dock |
JAN | 1963 | - | JAN | 1964 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
DEC | 1967 | - | JUL | 1968 | West Pac |
JUL | 1969 | - | DEC | 1969 | West Pac |
JAN | 1970 | - | APR | 1970 | Dry Dock |
AUG | 1970 | - | MAR | 1971 | West Pac |
JUL | 1971 | - | Decommissioned: 1 JUL 1971 |
SS-396 General Specifications
Class: Balao class submarine
Complement: 10 Officers and 70 Enlisted
Displacement: 1526 tons
Length: 311 feet 6 inches
Beam: 27 feet 3 inches
Draft: 16 feet 10 in
Range: 11 000 Nautical Miles
Final Disposition: Transferred to Spain 1 July 1971
USS RONQUIL (SS-396)
Ronquil (SS-396)
was laid down 9 September 1943 at the Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H.; launched 27
January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. C. M. Elder; and commissioned 22 April 1944,
Lt. Comdr. H. S. Monroe in command.
After shakedown off the New England coast, Ronquil sailed for Hawaii. She arrived
at Pearl Harbor on 8 July 1944; and, after preparatory training, sailed on her
first war patrol (31 July-8 September 1944) in the northeastern
Formosa-Sakishima Gunto area. On 24 August the submarine sank two attack cargo
ships: Yoshida Maru No. 3 (4,646
tons) and Fukurei Maru (5,969 tons). Ronquil's second war patrol, from 30
September to 28 November 1944, was carried out in two phases. She first
operated with a coordinated submarine attack group in the Bungo Suido area, and
then joined six other submarines to carry out an antipatrol ship sweep off the
Bonin Islands. On her third war patrol, from 1 January to 14 February 1945, Ronquil patrolled the Bonins and did
lifeguard duty in that area for Army bombers hitting the Japanese home islands.
Her fourth war patrol from 11 March to 23 April 1945, brought her no worthwhile
enemy targets but resulted in the rescue of 10 Army aviators from a B-29 bomber
downed between the Bonins and Japan. The submarine's fifth and last patrol from
19 May to 26 July 1945, took her into the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.
The end of the Pacific war found Ronquil off Pearl Harbor, training for another war patrol. She
returned to San Diego in the fall of 1945 and engaged in training exercises off
the California coast.
In January 1947, Ronquil
departed San Diego for her first peacetime western Pacific deployment. This
patrol lasted 114 days and took the submarine to Tahiti, the Carolines, the
Marianas, Japan, and the Yellow Sea. On her return to San Diego, she resumed
local operations before beginning a 3-year period of intensive training in
offensive and antisubmarine warfare, embodying lessons learned during World War
II as well as new postwar developments.
Ronquil entered
Mare Island Naval Shipyard in May 1952 for decommissioning and
"Guppy" modernization. Her hull and sail were streamlined for greater
submerged speed. She received new, increased-capacity batteries for underwater
endurance, and a snorkel which enabled her to use her diesels at periscope
depth. New electronics, including improved sonar and fire-control systems, were
installed. Ronquil recommissioned 16
January 1953, and on 12 June departed for Japan. She arrived at Yokosuka before
sailing on to Tokyo 19 July to take part in the "Black Ship Festival"
commemorating Commodore Perry's opening of Japan in 1852. Through August and
September, Ronquil participated in
antisubmarine and other operations in the waters near Japan; this was to set
the pattern for most of her later deployments.
On 11 December 1953 Ronquil
returned to San Diego for a year of overhaul, refresher training, Naval Reserve
training, and fleet exercises. She sailed for a second western Pacific tour on
21 March 1955, returning late in September. The next 2 years were devoted to
operations off the west coast of the United States; on 31 July 1957, the
submarine again deployed to the Far East for 7 months.
From 3 to 7 July 1958, Ronquil
took part, with other ships of the fleet, in an observance of the 50th
anniversary of the arrival of the "Great White Fleet" at San
Francisco. She resumed normal operations, then sailed from San Diego on 6 April
1959 for a 5-month "WestPac" deployment. During July and August of
1960, she participated in extensive antisubmarine exercises in the eastern
Pacific with United States and Canadian forces. In the early fall of 1961 Ronquil again sailed for the Far East,
returning in March 1962. After taking part in a demonstration of antisubmarine
operations for the national radio and television networks, she began a period
of overhaul and local operations. The submarine departed San Diego in November
1963 for duty with the 7th Fleet; on her return to California, she again
resumed operations off the west coast. Late in 1964 Ronquil began preparations for deployment to the Vietnam area. In
February 1965 she sailed for Southeast Asia and a 5-month deployment.
In mid-1966, Ronquil
rejoined the 7th Fleet, returning to San Diego in February 1967 for further
work off the coast of California. This was interrupted in August, when Ronquil provided services during the
filming of the motion picture "Ice Station Zebra."
On 26 December the submarine was again underway for Japan.
During this deployment, she took part in exercises with United States, British,
Japanese, Australian, and Canadian forces. On 2 July 1968 Ronquil returned to the west coast. Ronquil departed for the Far East 4 July 1969, returning to San
Diego on Christmas Eve.
At the end of January 1970 Ronquil began a period of repair and overhaul, followed by training and fleet exercises in the eastern Pacific. August 1970 brought another 7th Fleet deployment, which took her into the new year.
Ronquil
was stricken from the US Navy Register on 1 July 1971 and transferred to Spain
the same day. Renamed Isaac Peral (S-32), the submarine served the Spanish Navy until being stricken in 1982.
Ronquil earned six battle stars for World War II service.
[Note: The above USS RONQUIL (SS-396) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS RONQUIL (SS-396), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]