Submarine USS Puffer (SS-268) | World War II Database

USS Puffer

Country	United States
Ship Class	Gato-class Submarine
Hull Number	SS-268
Builder	Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, United States
Laid Down	16 Feb 1942
Launched	22 Nov 1942
Commissioned	27 Apr 1943
Decommissioned	28 Jun 1946
Displacement	1549 tons standard; 2460 tons submerged
Length	312 feet
Beam	27 feet
Draft	17 feet
Machinery	Four General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engines (5,400), four high-speed General Electric electric motors (2,740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries, two propellers
Speed	21 knots
Range	11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew	60
Armament	6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x76mm 50cal deck gun, 2x .50cal machine guns, 2x .30cal machine guns
Submerged Speed	9 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

USS Puffer was commissioned into service in Apr 1943 and was transported from Wisconsin, United States to the Gulf of Mexico via a special floating drydock via the Mississippi River. She conducted training missions off Panama before heading to Australia to participate in the Pacific War. Of the nine war patrols she embarked on against Japanese shipping, the fourth patrol was the most successful, during which she sank one freighter and two tankers in the Dutch East Indies, earning her the Navy Unit Commendation. After the war, she was decommissioned in mid-1946. While out of commission, she was berthed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California, United States as a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Between 1946 and 1960, she periodically trained personnel of the US Navy Reserve. She was sold for scrap in 1960.

Source: Wikipedia

USS Puffer Operational Timeline

16 Feb 1942	The keel of submarine Puffer was laid down.
8 Mar 1942	The first two sections of submarine Puffer was joined together.
22 Nov 1942	Submarine Puffer was launched, sponsored by Mrs. Ruth B. Lyons, who was the granddaughter of the oldest employee of the submarine's builder, Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Christopher Jacobson, Sr.
27 Apr 1943	USS Puffer was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander M. J. Jensen in command.
7 Sep 1943	USS Puffer departed Fremantle, Australia for her first war patrol in the Makassar Strait-Celebes Sea area in the Dutch East Indies.
17 Sep 1943	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese convoy in the Dutch East Indies, damaging a transport and sinking another; she expended 6 torpedoes and observed 3 hits.
9 Oct 1943	USS Puffer damaged a Japanese transport east of Borneo, Dutch East Indies, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired.
17 Oct 1943	USS Puffer arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her first war patrol.
24 Nov 1943	USS Puffer departed Fremantle, Australia for her second war patrol in the Sulu Sea area off the Philippine Islands.
13 Dec 1943	USS Puffer sank Japanese freight Teiko Maru west of the Philippine Islands, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.
20 Dec 1943	USS Puffer sank Japanese destroyer Fuyo west of the Philippine Islands, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired. She also fired 5 torpedoes at the convoy Fuyo was escorting, claiming two hits and the sinking of a freighter.
1 Jan 1944	USS Puffer sank Japanese freighter Ryuyo Maru and damaged another ship south of the Philippine Islands; she expended 7 torpedoes and observed 4 hits.
7 Jan 1944	USS Puffer sank a Japanese trawler in the South China Sea with her deck gun.
12 Jan 1944	USS Puffer arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her second war patrol.
4 Feb 1944	USS Puffer departed Fremantle, Australia for her third war patrol.
22 Feb 1944	USS Puffer sank Japanese transport Teikyo Maru off Singapore, hitting her with 4 of 6 torpedoes fired.
4 Apr 1944	USS Puffer arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her third war patrol.
30 Apr 1944	USS Puffer departed Fremantle, Australia for her fourth war patrol.
18 May 1944	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea, firing 9 torpedoes, 2 of which hit and sank freighter Shinryu Maru.
22 May 1944	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese carrier in the South China Sea, firing 6 torpedoes and claiming 1 hit.
5 Jun 1944	USS Puffer sank Japanese tankers Ashizuri and Takasaki in the South China Sea, hitting them all 7 of the torpedoes fired.
21 Jun 1944	USS Puffer arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her fourth war patrol.
14 Jul 1944	USS Puffer departed Fremantle, Australia for her fifth war patrol.
29 Jul 1944	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese freighter in the Dutch East Indies; all 6 torpedoes missed.
1 Aug 1944	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese convoy in the Dutch East Indies, firing 8 torpedoes and claiming 2 hits which sank a ship.
7 Aug 1944	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese convoy off the Philippine Islands and sank a freighter, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.
12 Aug 1944	USS Puffer attacked an escorted Japanese convoy of ten freighters and tankers off the Philippine Islands, sinking tanker Teikon Maru and a freighter, and damaging another tanker; she expended 6 torpedoes and observed 5 hits.
6 Sep 1944	USS Puffer entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, United States for a scheduled overhaul.
21 Nov 1944	USS Puffer completed her scheduled overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, United States.
16 Dec 1944	USS Puffer departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her sixth war patrol.
4 Jan 1945	USS Puffer sank a Japanese vessel in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.
10 Jan 1945	USS Puffer attacked a Japanese convoy in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, expending 17 torpedoes and observing 8 hits. She claimed the sinking of an oiler, a freighter,and a destroyer, but ultimately was only given credit for the sinking of Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No. 42.
11 Jan 1945	USS Puffer fired 2 torpedoes at a Japanese patrol vessel in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan; both torpedoes missed.
17 Jan 1945	USS Puffer arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands, ending her sixth war patrol.
11 Feb 1945	USS Puffer departed Guam, Mariana Islands for her seventh war patrol.
6 Mar 1945	USS Puffer fired 3 torpedoes at a Japanese submarine off Taiwan; all 3 torpedoes missed.
20 May 1945	USS Puffer departed Midway Atoll for her eighth war patrol.
5 Jul 1945	USS Puffer claimed the sinking of seven small Japanese vessels with her deck gun and another vessel with 2 torpedoes (1 hit) at Bali, Dutch East Indies, and then went on to bombard shore facilities.
15 Oct 1945	USS Puffer arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
19 Mar 1946	USS Puffer arrived at San Francisco, California, United States.
28 Jun 1946	USS Puffer was decommissioned from service, but would be periodically used to train personnel of the US Navy Reserve.
10 Jun 1960	Submarine Puffer was relieved by submarine Bowfin as the training submarine of the US 13th Naval District.
1 Jul 1960	Submarine Puffer was struck from the US Naval Register.
4 Nov 1960	Submarine Puffer was sold to the Zidell Corporation of Portland, Oregon, United States for scrapping.