Submarine USS Gabilan (SS-252)

USS Gabilan

Country	United States
Ship Class	Gato-class Submarine
Hull Number	SS-252
Builder	Electric Boat Company
Laid Down	5 Jan 1943
Launched	19 Sep 1943
Commissioned	28 Dec 1943
Decommissioned	23 Feb 1946
Displacement	1549 tons standard; 2463 tons submerged
Length	312 feet
Beam	27 feet
Draft	17 feet
Machinery	Four General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engines (5,400shp), four high-speed General Electric electric motors (2,740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries, two propellers
Bunkerage	97,140 gallons of oil
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 50-cal gun, 2x .50cal machine guns, 2x .30cal machine guns
Submerged Speed	9 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseGato-class submarine USS Gabilan was commissioned into service in the final days 1943. After completing her shakedown cruise off Connecticut, United States and training cruise off Key West, Florida, United States, she embarked on her first war patrol in the Pacific Ocean on 21 Apr 1944. She achieved her first sinking during her second war patrol in Jul 1944, a Japanese minesweeper (which commanding officer K. R. Wheland mis-identified as a destroyer), sunk south of Japan. During her fifth war patrol, she and her wolfpack mates gave chase to Japanese light cruiser Isuzu, finally sinking her on 7 Apr 1945 after nearly four days of pursuit. During her sixth and final war patrol, she rescued a total of 17 downed American aviators; 3 of them were picked up in Tokyo Bay, Japan, in range of shore-based batteries should she be discovered. She was decommissioned in early 1946 and remained in reserve until 1959 before being sold for scrap.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Jun 2012

Submarine USS Gabilan (SS-252) Interactive Map

USS Gabilan Operational Timeline

5 Jan 1943	The keel of submarine Gabilan was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, United States.
19 Sep 1943	Submarine Gabilan was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by the wife of Rear Admiral Jules James.
28 Dec 1943	USS Gabilan was commissioned into service, Commander K. R. Wheland in command.
23 Mar 1944	USS Gabilan arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
21 Apr 1944	USS Gabilan departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her first war patrol; her primary task was to conduct reconnaissance in the Mariana Islands area.
6 Jun 1944	USS Gabilan arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending first war patrol.
29 Jun 1944	USS Gabilan departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her second war patrol.
17 Jul 1944	USS Gabilan sank a Japanese minesweeper south of Japan, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired; the victim was logged as a destroyer in a case of mis-identification.
18 Aug 1944	USS Gabilan completed her second war patrol.
26 Sep 1944	USS Gabilan began her third war patrol in Japanese home island waters.
31 Oct 1944	USS Gabilan sank oceanographic research vessel Kaiyo No. 6 in Japanese home island waters, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.
12 Nov 1944	USS Gabilan arrived at Saipan, Mariana Islands, ending her third war patrol.
29 Dec 1944	USS Gabilan departed Fremantle, Australia for her fourth war patrol.
15 Feb 1945	USS Gabilan arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her fourth war patrol.
20 Mar 1945	USS Gabilan departed Fremantle, Australia for her fifth war patrol.
4 Apr 1945	USS Gabilan and her wolfpack mates detected Japanese cruiser Isuzu in the South China Sea and gave chase. She sank one of the escorting gunboats with her deck gun.
7 Apr 1945	USS Gabilan sank the already-damaged Japanese cruiser Isuzu, which she and her wolfpack mates had been chasing since 4 Apr 1945, in the South China Sea, hitting her with 1 of 6 torpedoes fired.
11 Apr 1945	USS Gabilan fired four torpedoes at a convoy of small Japanese ships in the South China Sea; all torpedoes missed.
14 Apr 1945	USS Gabilan sank a Japanese freighters in the South China Sea in the morning, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired. In the evening, she sank another freight in the same area, hitting her with all 4 torpedoes fired.
28 May 1945	USS Gabilan arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her fifth war patrol.
20 Jun 1945	USS Gabilan departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her sixth and final war patrol.
7 Jul 1945	USS Gabilan detected a hostile submarine south of Japan and attacked with 6 torpedoes; all torpedoes missed.
17 Aug 1945	USS Gabilan arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her sixth and final war patrol, during which she rescued 17 downed American aviators, 3 of whom were picked up inside of Tokyo Bay, Japan prior to the Japanese surrender.
23 Feb 1946	USS Gabilan was decommissioned from service at New London, Connecticut, United States and was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
1 Jun 1959	Submarine Gabilan was struck from the US Naval Register.
15 Dec 1959	Submarine Gabilan was sold to Ship Supply Company of Brooklyn, New York, United States for US$67,361.00.
11 Jan 1960	Submarine Gabilan was removed from US Navy facilities by Ship Supply Company of Brooklyn, New York, United States for scrapping.

Photographs

Launching of USS Gabilan, Groton, Connecticut, United States, 19 Sep 1943

USS Gabilan arriving in port in Australia, late 1944

USS Gabilan in port in Australia, late 1944

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USS Gabilan