Submarine Bluefish (SS-222)

Bluefish

Country	United States
Ship Class	Gato-class Submarine
Hull Number	SS-222
Builder	Electric Boat Company
Laid Down	5 Jun 1942
Launched	21 Feb 1943
Commissioned	24 May 1943
Decommissioned	12 Feb 1947
Displacement	1,549 tons standard; 2,463 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 gals oil
Speed	21 knots
Range	11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew	60
Armament	6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533m aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x76mm 50cal deck gun, 2x .50cal machine guns, 3x .30cal machine guns
Submerged Speed	9 knots

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS Bluefish was commissioned into service in May 1943 and embarked on her first war patrol in Sep 1943. In nine war patrols, she sank 12 enemy ships, including one destroyer and one submarine. She was decommissioned in 1947 and saw a second commission between early 1952 and late 1953. She was sold for scrapping in 1960.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: May 2013

Submarine Bluefish (SS-222) Interactive Map

Photographs

Launching of submarine Bluefish, Croton, Connecticut, United States, 21 Feb 1943

Submarine Bluefish shortly after launching, Groton, Connecticut, United States, 21 Feb 1943

USS Bluefish and another submarine possibly at New London, Connecticut, United States, early 1952

Bluefish Operational Timeline

5 Jun 1942	The keel of submarine Bluefish was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, United States.
21 Feb 1943	Submarine Bluefish was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by the wife of Robert Y. Menzie.
24 May 1943	USS Bluefish was commissioned into service with Commander George E. Porter in command.
21 Jul 1943	USS Bluefish departed New London, Connecticut, United States.
21 Aug 1943	USS Bluefish arrived at Brisbane, Australia.
9 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish departed Brisbane, Australia for her first war patrol.
18 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish sank small Japanese ship with her deck gun in the Dutch East Indies.
21 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese ship in the Celebes Sea; all four torpedoes missed.
25 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese ship south of Celebes, Dutch East Indies, hitting her with 3 of 10 torpedoes fired.
26 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese patrol ship and damaged a transport south of Celebes, Dutch East Indies, hitting the patrol ship with 2 of 3 torpedoes fired and the transport with 1 of 5 torpedose fired.
28 Sep 1943	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese transport in the Banda Sea, hitting her with 2 of 2 torpedoes fired.,
8 Nov 1943	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese convoy in the South China Sea, sinking two tankers and damaging several other ships; she expended 18 torpedoes in this series of attacks, 13 of which made hits.
11 Nov 1943	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese patrol boat with her deck gun in the Sulu Sea.
18 Nov 1943	USS Bluefish sank Japanese destroyer Sanae and damaged an oiler in the Celebes Sea, hitting Sanae with 3 of 3 torpedoes fired and the oil with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.
30 Dec 1943	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese oiler southwest of Borneo, Dutch East Indies, hitting her with 5 of 5 torpedoes fired.
4 Jan 1944	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese oiler and damaged other ships in the South China Sea, hitting them with 3 of 13 torpedoes fired.
5 Jan 1944	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese transport in the South China Sea; all 3 torpedoes missed.
3 Mar 1944	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese transport in the South China Sea; all 10 torpedoes missed.
4 Mar 1944	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese oiler in the South China Sea, hitting her with 3 of 3 torpedoes fired.
29 Mar 1944	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese ship northeast of Borneo, Dutch East Indies; all 5 torpedoes missed.
12 Jun 1944	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese ship in the Makassar Strait; all 6 torpedoes missed.
15 Jun 1944	USS Bluefish attacked a Japanese transport in the Celebes Sea; all 5 torpedoes missed.,
16 Jun 1944	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese transport in the Celebes Sea, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.
20 Jun 1944	USS Bluefish pursued a Japanese transport in the Makassar Strait, expending 5 torpedoes.,
21 Jun 1944	USS Bluefish sank the Japanese transport she had been pursuing for several hours in the Makassar Strait, hitting her with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired.
17 Aug 1944	USS Bluefish and USS Puffer sank a Japanese oiler off of Mindoro, Philippine Islands; USS Bluefish hit her with 1 of 1 torpedo fired.
19 Aug 1944	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese transport and a Japanese oiler in the South China Sea, hitting them with 9 of 12 torpedoes fired.
19 Mar 1945	USS Bluefish damaged a Japanese boat south of Japan with her deck gun.
8 Jul 1945	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese patrol boat in the South China Sea, hitting her with 2 of 12 torpedoes fired.
14 Jul 1945	USS Bluefish sank Japanese submarine I-351 in the South China Sea.
15 Jul 1945	USS Bluefish sank Japanese submarine I-351 in the South China Sea, hitting her with 2 of 5 torpedoes fired.
19 Jul 1945	USS Bluefish sank a Japanese patrol boat with her deck gun southeast of Singapore.
29 Jul 1945	USS Bluefish ended her ninth war patrol.
9 Oct 1945	USS Bluefish arrived at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, United States.
31 Oct 1945	USS Bluefish arrived at New London, Connecticut, United States.
12 Jun 1946	USS Bluefish arrived at New London, Connecticut, United States.
12 Feb 1947	USS Bluefish was decommissioned from service.
7 Jan 1952	USS Bluefish was recommissioned into service at New London, Connecticut, United States.
7 Apr 1952	USS Bluefish departed New London, Connecticut, United States.
11 Apr 1952	USS Bluefish arrived at Key West, Florida, United States and joined Submarine Division 41.
7 Jun 1953	USS Bluefish arrived at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States.
20 Nov 1953	USS Bluefish was decommissioned from service at New London, Connecticut, United States.
1 Sep 1958	Submarine Bluefish was struck from the US Navy Register.
8 Jun 1960	Submarine Bluefish was sold for scrap.

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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
9 May 2013 09:27:47 AM

wow it looks like they fired more torpedoes than the rest of the navy!

2. Dana Johnson says:
23 Oct 2016 07:36:33 PM

My dad, Engineman Curtis Johnson, served on the Bluefish in 1944-45.
I have his certificate awarding him his dolphins.

3. pamela m kreft says:
25 Oct 2016 03:09:20 AM

my dad was on the blue fish too. i can't believe i looked this up and there is a comment from oct 23 2016 and today is 0ct 25. unreal. i do not know when he was on it.

4. Steven Schovan says:
27 Dec 2016 08:45:58 AM

My great uncle, Jim Blakesley served on the Bluefish in 1943 and perhaps longer. Still researching. Very proud.

5. airforcebrat says:
15 Jan 2017 08:02:49 AM

My grandfather was one of the crew on the bluefish. He had told me of a time when they were under attack from another sub and they got so close to being hit by the enemies torpedo that they could hear the torpedo scrape down the side of the hull!!! Crazy story and terrifying aswell!

6. Anonymous says:
16 Mar 2017 06:06:35 PM

True Hero

7. Anonymous says:
16 Mar 2017 06:09:14 PM

True Patriots

8. Anonymous says:
29 Jul 2017 03:35:37 PM

True American Heros! I thank all who have served.

9. Anonymous says:
13 Sep 2018 05:28:57 PM

I have recently found out that I'm adopted.What a shock. My birth father served on USS Bluefish 222, which was stationed in Fremantle, Western Australia, during WW2.
I would very much like to trace my birth family. I know my birth father's name. also that he was born in Montana. Thankyou.

10. John Heinz says:
19 Feb 2020 09:09:03 AM

My father was shot down over Ishigaki Jima on 4/30/1945. He and his crewmen were rescued from the sea by the USS Bluefish.

11. Anonymous says:
5 Jun 2021 10:02:27 AM

My father served aboard the USS Bluefish 222. He was born in Alder Montana.

12. Zachary Riley says:
8 Jun 2023 09:45:19 AM

My grandpa was a Chief Petty Officer on the USS Bluefish for 5 years. He's 81 today and has the sharpest mind!

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