Submarine USS Blenny (SS-324) | World War II Database

USS Blenny

Country	United States
Ship Class	Balao-class Submarine
Hull Number	SS-324
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut, United States
Laid Down	8 Jul 1943
Launched	9 Apr 1944
Commissioned	27 Jun 1944
Decommissioned	7 Nov 1969
Sunk	7 Jun 1989
Displacement	1526 tons standard; 2424 tons submerged
Length	312 feet
Beam	27 feet
Draft	17 feet
Machinery	Four General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines (5400shp), four high-speed General Electric motors with reduction gears (2740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries, two propellers
Speed	20 knots
Range	11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew	81
Armament	6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x127mm deck gun

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

Ordered in mid-1942, USS Blenny was commissioned into service in mid-1944 with Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard in command. She conducted four war patrols in the Java Sea and the South China Sea between 10 Nov 1944 and 14 Aug 1945, destroying 8 ships (one destroyer escort, several transports, and others) totaling 18,262 tons, plus over 60 miscellaneous smaller vessels by her deck gun. After the war, she arrived at San Diego, California, United States on 5 Sep 1945. Between Aug and Nov 1946, she made a cruise to China. In 1947, she participated in a midshipman cruise to Canada. Twice between 1947 and 1949, she sailed to Alaskan waters. In 1951, she underwent the Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) modernization. Between May and Nov 1952, she served in the Far East, participating in the Korean War. She patrolled the west coast of the United States in 1953. On 24 May 1954, she was transferred from the Pacific Fleet to the Atlantic Fleet, and her home port was switched to New London, Connecticut, United States. In 1964, she was reclassified an auxiliary submarine and received the new designation AGSS-324. She was decommissioned in Nov 1969. She was struck from the US Naval Register on 15 Aug 1973 and was sunk 15 miles off Ocean City, Maryland, United States in 1989 to form part of an artificial reef.

Source: Wikipedia

USS Blenny Operational Timeline

9 Jul 1942	The submarine that would later be named USS Blenny was ordered.
8 Jul 1943	The keel of submarine Blenny was laid down.
9 Apr 1944	Submarine Blenny was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored Florence King, daughter of Admiral Ernest King.
27 Jun 1944	USS Blenny was commissioned into service Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard in command.
14 Dec 1944	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with her deck gun in the morning; in the evening at about 2200 hours, she sank a destroyer escort with two torpedoes (three were fired).
23 Dec 1944	USS Blenny reported sinking a Japanese transport with torpedoes.
26 Feb 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a Japanese oiler with a torpedo.
20 Mar 1945	USS Blenny attacked a Japanese convoy and reported sinking three transports with torpedoes.
25 May 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with torpedoes.
30 May 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the morning and a transport with torpedoes in the afternoon.
16 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with the deck gun.
23 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking two small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
24 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
25 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking two small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
27 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking three small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
30 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking two small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
31 Jul 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking two small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
1 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking three small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
3 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking two small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
4 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking a small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
5 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking 11 small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
6 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking four small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
7 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking four small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
8 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking 11 small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
9 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking three small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
10 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking six small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
11 Aug 1945	USS Blenny reported sinking three small Japanese craft with the deck gun in the South China Sea off Malaya.
5 Sep 1945	USS Blenny arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
24 May 1954	USS Blenny joined the US Navy Atlantic Fleet.
7 Nov 1969	USS Blenny was decommissioned from service.
15 Aug 1973	Submarine Blenny was struck from the US Naval Register.
7 Jun 1989	Submarine Blenny was sunk 15 miles off Ocean City, Maryland, United States to form part of an artificial reef.