Tirante file photo [11123]

Tirante

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassTench-class Submarine
Hull NumberSS-420
BuilderPortsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States
Laid Down28 Apr 1944
Launched9 Aug 1944
Commissioned6 Nov 1944
Decommissioned20 Jul 1946
Displacement1,600 tons standard; 2,455 tons submerged
Length312 feet
Beam27 feet
Draft17 feet
Machinery4 Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-1/8 10-cylinder diesel engines, 5,400shp total; 2 low-speed direct-drive General Electric electric motors, 2,740shp total; 2 126-cell batteries; 2 propellers
Speed20 knots
Range11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced; 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew81
Armament6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 28 torpedoes, 1x127mm 25 caliber deck gun, 1x40mm Bofors gun, 1x20mm Oerlikon cannon

Contributor:

ww2dbaseSubmarine Tirante was commissioned into service 6 Nov 1944, late in WW2, with Lieutenant Commander George L. Street III in command. She had her shakedown cruise in Long Island Sound on the east coast of the United States, and had her training cruise in waters off Panama and off Oahu, Hawaii, United States. On 3 Mar 1945, she departed on her first war patrol on the approaches of Nagasaki, off Kyushu, Japan, sinking the 703-ton tanker Fuji Maru on 25 Mar and the 1,218-ton freighter Nase Maru on 28 Mar; after the latter attack, she was attacked by escort vessels with depth charges for seven hours, but escaped unharmed. On 31 Mar, she sank a 70-ton sail with gunfire. After shifting to waters south of Korea near the Strait of Tsushima, she captured a Japanese fishing boat on 6 Apr, imprisoned the crew of three, and sank the boat by gunfire. On 7 Apr, she torpedoed a cargo freighter, surfaced, and ordered nearby small Korean vessels to rescue two survivors clinging on to debris; this sinking later failed to be confirmed after examining Japanese records. On 9 Apr, USS Tirante was ordered to set up an ambush for a Japanese convoy. When the convoy arrived, she fired two spreads of three torpedoes; the first spread missed, but the second struck the 5,550-ton transport Nikko Maru, carrying troops, sinking her. She also claimed the sinking of one of the escorts, but this sinking was not confirmed. Next, she patrolled the Yellow Sea between Jeju Island off southern Korea and the mouth of the Yangtze River; on 14 Apr, she attacked a convoy sailing out of Jeju Island and sank the 4,000-ton Juzan Maru and both of her escort vessels. En route to Midway, she picked up two Japanese airmen from the water. On 26 Apr, she ended her first war patrol. The successful first war patrol earned Lieutenant Commander Street the Medal of Honor award, the executive officer Lieutenant Edward Beach the Navy Cross, and the entire crew the Presidential Unit Citation.

ww2dbaseUSS Tirante departed Midway on 20 May 1945 for her second war patrol. As the command ship of a nine-ship wolfpack, she patrolled the Yellow Sea and waters off of Japan. On 11 Jun, she attacked a small freighter, claiming a kill, but it was not confirmed. On 12 Jun, she sank the 2,200-ton cargo ship Hakuju Maru in Hashima harbor with three torpedoes (only two hit) and then escaped surface gunfire. Until 19 Jul, when she arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands to end her second war patrol, she destroyed several junks and picket boats. She departed Guam for her third war patrol, but it was cut short when Japan surrendered, ending the Pacific War. She arrived at Midway on 23 Aug.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Tirante visited Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, United States briefly for Lieutenant Commander Street's Medal of Honor ceremony, then arrived at Staten Island, New York and then New London, Connecticut in the United States. After training operations at New London, she was decommissioned on 6 Jul 1946. After receiving new machinery, she was recommissioned on 26 Nov 1952 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States. After shakedown cruise to Bermuda, she operated as a part of the Sixth Fleet and served six deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and several exercises and training missions. She was decommissioned from service for the second and final time on 1 Oct 1973 at Key West, Florida, United States. She was sold for scrapping in 1974.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Sep 2010

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) Interactive Map

Photographs

USS Tirante rescuing a downed USAAF pilot (circled) close to the coast of Kyushu, Japan, 1945USS Tirante underway off Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States, 26 Nov 1952

Tirante Operational Timeline

28 Apr 1944 The keel of USS Tirante was laid down at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States.
9 Aug 1944 USS Tirante was launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States.
6 Nov 1944 USS Tirante was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander George L. Street III in command.
3 Mar 1945 USS Tirante departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
25 Mar 1945 USS Tirante sank Japanese tanker Fuji Maru.
28 Mar 1945 USS Tirante sank Japanese freighter Nase Maru.
31 Mar 1945 USS Tirante sank a Japanese sail with gunfire.
1 Apr 1945 USS Tirante attacked a Japanese landing ship with three torpedoes, but all missed.
6 Apr 1945 USS Tirante stopped a Japanese fishing boat, captured the crew of three, and sank the boat by gunfire.
7 Apr 1945 USS Tirante torpedoed a Japanese cargo freighter, surfaced, and observed two survivors clinging to debris. She was initially credited with the kill, but it failed to be confirmed after studying Japanese records post-war.
9 Apr 1945 USS Tirante sank Japanese troop transport Nikko Maru and damaged Japanese coastal defense vessel No. 102; the latter was later towed back to port by transport Kiyokawa Maru.
14 Apr 1945 USS Tirante sank Japanese cargo ship Juzan Maru and her two escort vessels.
26 Apr 1945 USS Tirante arrived at Midway, ending her first war patrol.
20 May 1945 USS Tirante departed Midway for her second war patrol.
11 Jun 1945 USS Tirante attacked a Japanese freighter and claimed a kill; this sinking was not confirmed.
19 Jul 1945 USS Tirante arrived at at Guam, Mariana Islands, ending her second war patrol.
12 Aug 1945 USS Tirante departed Guam, Mariana Islands for her third war patrol.
23 Aug 1945 USS Tirante arrived at Midway Atoll.
31 Oct 1945 USS Tirante arrived at Staten Island, New York, United States.
8 Jan 1946 USS Tirante arrived at New London, Connecticut, United States.
6 Jul 1946 USS Tirante was decommissioned from service for the first time.
20 Jul 1946 Tirante was decommissioned from service.
26 Nov 1952 USS Tirante was recommissioned into service at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States.
1 Oct 1973 USS Tirante was decommissioned from service for the second and final time at Key West, Florida, United States and was removed from the Naval Vessel Register.
11 Apr 1974 USS Tirante was sold to United Minerals and Alloys of New York, United States for scrapping.




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Submarine Tirante (SS-420) Photo Gallery
USS Tirante rescuing a downed USAAF pilot (circled) close to the coast of Kyushu, Japan, 1945
See all 2 photographs of Submarine Tirante (SS-420)


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