Hull Number: SS-193
Last Captain: CDR Keats Montross
Date Lost: 12 January 1945
Location: Off Okinawa
Fatalities: 89
Cause: Uncertain
Construction
Swordfish was a Sargo class submarine completed by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo, CA in July of 1939.
Loss Narrative
After a complete overhaul, Swordfish left Pearl Harbor on 22 December 1944 for her thirteenth war patrol off Okinawa. She was on a reconnaissance mission regarding the beaches there prior to the invasion. On 2 January 1945, she was ordered to stay clear due to our carrier air strikes of the island. Swordfish acknowledged the order the next day. On 9 January, she was ordered to resume her mission. On 12 January, Swordfish exchanged recognition signals with USS Kete (SS-369). Four hours later, Kete heard what seemed to be a series of depth charges. Swordfish was not heard from again.
Japanese records, which were often incomplete, did not show an attack in that area at that time. However, the area was heavily mined and it is also possible that Swordfish ran into a mine and triggered a series of explosions.
Japanese records, which were often incomplete, did not show an attack in that area at that time. However, the area was heavily mined and it is also possible that Swordfish ran into a mine and triggered a series of explosions.
Prior History
After post-shakedown repairs at Mare Island, Swordfish operated out of San Diego until early 1941 when she sailed to Pearl Harbor. On 3 November 1941, Swordfish and three other submarines departed Hawaii and arrived at Manila in the Philippines on 22 November.
When WW2 broke out in the Pacific, in December of 1941, Swordfish was still in Manila. Her first war patrol began on 8 December, heading for the area off Hainan Island, China. On 14 December, she claimed sinking a small freighter. However, it was reported to have run aground and could be refloated. On 16 December, she sank a large freighter. On 27 December, she embarked the staff of the Submarines Asiatic Command at Manila and delivered them to Surabaya, Java. The patrol ended there.
For Swordfish’s second patrol, she departed Surabaya on 16 January 1942 headed for the Celebes Sea. She sank one ship and damaged another. Then she completed two special missions. First, she evacuated President Quezon of the Philippines, his family and some senior officers to San Jose, Panay. Then she returned to Manila to evacuate other high-ranking officials. The patrol ended in Fremantle , Australia on 9 March.
For her third patrol, she was to deliver 40 tons of supplies to U. S. forces on Corregidor. However, while en route, Swordfish learned the island had been overrun by the Japanese. She was directed to patrol in the area of Ambon Island, but there were few targets. This patrol ended in Fremantle on 1 May 1942.
On her fourth patrol, from 15 May to 4 July 1942, Swordfish was assigned an area in the Makassar Strait. She damaged one cargo ship and sank another. However, the second ship had just been damaged by the USS Seal (SS-183) and that boat got the credit. Swordfish did get credit for another sinking on this patrol.
The most notable fact about her fifth patrol was that the captain had caught a bad cold at the end of the previous patrol. Command of the boat was temporarily given to another officer and was returned to LCDR Smith for the sixth patrol. Neither the fifth or sixth were productive patrols. However, Swordfish was attacked by a USAAF B-25 bomber on the sixth patrol. Fortunately, the four bombs detonated far enough behind her so that they caused no damage.
The seventh patrol began on 19 January 1943 with a new captain. Swordfish sank a medium-sized freighter. On 7 February, she was cruising on the surface when she was again attacked by a friendly aircraft. This time it was a USAAF B-17 bomber. Swordfish did a crash dive, but the plane’s .50 caliber armor piercing shells did extensive damage to the conning tower and some systems. The patrol was terminated at Pearl Harbor on 23 February. The boat then proceeded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for an overhaul.
Swordfish’s eighth patrol began on 29 July 1943 at Pearl Harbor, again with a new captain. The previous captain had been reassigned to new construction. This patrol was essentially a transfer from Hawaii to Australia. En route, Swordfish sank two ships and damaged another. The patrol ended at Brisbane , Australia on 5 September 1943.
The ninth patrol, under yet another captain, was plagued with mechanical problems. It lasted only three weeks. After putting in at Brisbane, this captain asked to stand down, feeling that he was somehow responsible for the problems. His request to be relieved was granted. However, since he was considered a capable officer, he was then assigned to new construction.
Swordfish’s tenth patrol began on 26 December 1943. The new commanding officer, CAPT Karl Hensel, was a senior officer who wanted to prove some of his theories. The patrol would be off Tokyo Bay. Swordfish sank a passenger/cargo ship on 13 January 1944, and was then depth charged. This resulted in extensive but minor damage. The next day, she lost all electrical power and dove out of control. She blew all ballast and got back to the surface. While still working on repairs, Swordfish spotted a Japanese patrol vessel. She submerged with only one working propeller and wasn’t spotted. On 16 January, she sank what she thought was an ammunition ship because of the large explosion. However, it was Japan’s first genuine Q-Ship, the Delhi Maru. The Swordfish sank the Q-Ship with three of the recently corrected Mark 14 torpedoes. Later, she sank a converted salvage vessel. CAPT Hensel was satisfied with his one patrol, which ended at Pearl Harbor on 7 February 1944. He thought the patrol included two sinkings. However, Wikipedia claims that the tonnage was reduced but the count was raised from two sinkings to three.
The fifth new captain in five patrols, CDR Montross, took Swordfish out for her eleventh patrol near the Marianas. She departed Pearl Harbor on 13 March 1944. On 5 April, she damaged two cargo ships in a night surface attack, but no sinkings were confirmed at the time. This patrol ended on 29 April at Majuro in the Marshall Islands.
Swordfish’s twelfth patrol began on 22 May 1944, departing Majuro for the area of the Bonin Islands. On 9 June, she sank a Japanese destroyer. On 15 June, she sank a medium-sized cargo ship. She was ordered to end the patrol at Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 30 June 1944. She then had an extensive overhaul and did not return to sea until she began her thirteenth patrol on 22 December 1945.
Swordfish was lost on her thirteenth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 12 sinkings for 47,928 tons total for her WW2 service.
Swordfish was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for patrols 1, 2 and 4.
When WW2 broke out in the Pacific, in December of 1941, Swordfish was still in Manila. Her first war patrol began on 8 December, heading for the area off Hainan Island, China. On 14 December, she claimed sinking a small freighter. However, it was reported to have run aground and could be refloated. On 16 December, she sank a large freighter. On 27 December, she embarked the staff of the Submarines Asiatic Command at Manila and delivered them to Surabaya, Java. The patrol ended there.
For Swordfish’s second patrol, she departed Surabaya on 16 January 1942 headed for the Celebes Sea. She sank one ship and damaged another. Then she completed two special missions. First, she evacuated President Quezon of the Philippines, his family and some senior officers to San Jose, Panay. Then she returned to Manila to evacuate other high-ranking officials. The patrol ended in Fremantle , Australia on 9 March.
For her third patrol, she was to deliver 40 tons of supplies to U. S. forces on Corregidor. However, while en route, Swordfish learned the island had been overrun by the Japanese. She was directed to patrol in the area of Ambon Island, but there were few targets. This patrol ended in Fremantle on 1 May 1942.
On her fourth patrol, from 15 May to 4 July 1942, Swordfish was assigned an area in the Makassar Strait. She damaged one cargo ship and sank another. However, the second ship had just been damaged by the USS Seal (SS-183) and that boat got the credit. Swordfish did get credit for another sinking on this patrol.
The most notable fact about her fifth patrol was that the captain had caught a bad cold at the end of the previous patrol. Command of the boat was temporarily given to another officer and was returned to LCDR Smith for the sixth patrol. Neither the fifth or sixth were productive patrols. However, Swordfish was attacked by a USAAF B-25 bomber on the sixth patrol. Fortunately, the four bombs detonated far enough behind her so that they caused no damage.
The seventh patrol began on 19 January 1943 with a new captain. Swordfish sank a medium-sized freighter. On 7 February, she was cruising on the surface when she was again attacked by a friendly aircraft. This time it was a USAAF B-17 bomber. Swordfish did a crash dive, but the plane’s .50 caliber armor piercing shells did extensive damage to the conning tower and some systems. The patrol was terminated at Pearl Harbor on 23 February. The boat then proceeded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for an overhaul.
Swordfish’s eighth patrol began on 29 July 1943 at Pearl Harbor, again with a new captain. The previous captain had been reassigned to new construction. This patrol was essentially a transfer from Hawaii to Australia. En route, Swordfish sank two ships and damaged another. The patrol ended at Brisbane , Australia on 5 September 1943.
The ninth patrol, under yet another captain, was plagued with mechanical problems. It lasted only three weeks. After putting in at Brisbane, this captain asked to stand down, feeling that he was somehow responsible for the problems. His request to be relieved was granted. However, since he was considered a capable officer, he was then assigned to new construction.
Swordfish’s tenth patrol began on 26 December 1943. The new commanding officer, CAPT Karl Hensel, was a senior officer who wanted to prove some of his theories. The patrol would be off Tokyo Bay. Swordfish sank a passenger/cargo ship on 13 January 1944, and was then depth charged. This resulted in extensive but minor damage. The next day, she lost all electrical power and dove out of control. She blew all ballast and got back to the surface. While still working on repairs, Swordfish spotted a Japanese patrol vessel. She submerged with only one working propeller and wasn’t spotted. On 16 January, she sank what she thought was an ammunition ship because of the large explosion. However, it was Japan’s first genuine Q-Ship, the Delhi Maru. The Swordfish sank the Q-Ship with three of the recently corrected Mark 14 torpedoes. Later, she sank a converted salvage vessel. CAPT Hensel was satisfied with his one patrol, which ended at Pearl Harbor on 7 February 1944. He thought the patrol included two sinkings. However, Wikipedia claims that the tonnage was reduced but the count was raised from two sinkings to three.
The fifth new captain in five patrols, CDR Montross, took Swordfish out for her eleventh patrol near the Marianas. She departed Pearl Harbor on 13 March 1944. On 5 April, she damaged two cargo ships in a night surface attack, but no sinkings were confirmed at the time. This patrol ended on 29 April at Majuro in the Marshall Islands.
Swordfish’s twelfth patrol began on 22 May 1944, departing Majuro for the area of the Bonin Islands. On 9 June, she sank a Japanese destroyer. On 15 June, she sank a medium-sized cargo ship. She was ordered to end the patrol at Pearl Harbor, arriving there on 30 June 1944. She then had an extensive overhaul and did not return to sea until she began her thirteenth patrol on 22 December 1945.
Swordfish was lost on her thirteenth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 12 sinkings for 47,928 tons total for her WW2 service.
Swordfish was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for patrols 1, 2 and 4.
Submarine Photo
Captain Photo
CDR Keats Montross