Hull Number: SS-279
Last Captain: CDR John Walling
Date Lost: Unknown, estimated between 8 and 20 April 1945
Location: East of Formosa
Fatalities: 84
Cause: Unknown
Construction
Snook was a Gato class submarine completed by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, Maine in October of 1942.
Loss Narrative
Snook began her ninth patrol on 25 March 1945. She was operating as lead of a wolfpack that included USS Burrfish (SS-312) and USS Bang (SS-385). Her orders included daily weather reports and, if requested, lifeguard duty. Snook returned to Guam for emergency repairs on 27 March and sailed again on the next day to rejoin the wolfpack. She provided weather reports until directed to discontinue them on 1 April. She reported her position to USS Tigrone (SS-419) on 8 April but that boat could not raise Snook on the next day. On 12 April, Snook was ordered to lifeguard duty in support of British carrier operations. When an aircraft went down in her assigned sector on 20 April, Snook did not respond. Bang rescued the three aviators and then searched for Snook without success.
Prior History
Snook’s first patrol began on 11 April 1943 from Hawaii. She was assigned to the area of the East China and Yellow Seas. Her first duties were to lay 24 mines off Saddle Island near Shanghai. That was completed on 30 April. On 5 May, Snook sighted two freighters and tracked them. She sank them the next day. On the morning of 7 May, she sighted two more cargo ships and sank them. However, credit was given for just one of these ships. Snook claimed two more sinkings on this patrol but JANAC did not credit them. The patrol ended on 23 May 1943 at Midway.
The second patrol began on 9 June 1943, headed to the area around the Ryukyu Islands. On 24 June, Snook heavily damaged a large tanker. On 4 July, she heavily damaged another transport and sank two medium marus. This patrol ended on 18 July 1943 at Pearl Harbor.
Snook sailed on 18 August 1943 for her third war patrol. Her first assignment was lifeguard duty off Marcus Island on 1 September. However, no rescues were needed. After doing some photo reconnaissance, Snook then proceeded on to the East China Sea for her normal patrol. On 13 September, she sank a large tanker with one torpedo. On 22 September, she sank one small freighter. She also hit another but the torpedo did not explode. Snook attacked a small trawler on 29 September. She sank the trawler, but four men on the Snook were injured by gunfire. The patrol ended on 8 October 1943 at Pearl Harbor.
The fourth patrol began on 20 October. Snook was accompanied by USS Pargo (SS-264) and USS Harder (SS-257) off the Marianas. On 28 November, Snook along with Pargo damaged a large cargo ship. She then sank a medium freighter, but this was not credited by JANAC. Early the next morning, she sank a passenger/cargo ship and a cargo ship, both of which JANAC did credit. She also damaged an escort. After a stop at Midway, Snook ended the patrol at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1943.
Snook left Pearl Harbor on 6 January 1944 for her sixth patrol. She was headed to the western coast of Kyushu. While off the Bonin Islands, on 23 January, she sank a converted gunboat. Two days later, she sank a freighter and damaged another. The sunken vessel had been carrying Japanese troops and more than 2,700 soldiers lost their lives at sea. The damaged vessel would be sunk by the USS Raton (SS-270) before the year was out. With a night surface attack on 14 February, Snook sank a cargo ship. The next day she sank a smaller ship with one torpedo. On 23 February, while en route to Midway, she spotted a convoy. She made a daring approach through a screen of 11 escorts and fired five torpedoes. Two hits sank a passenger/cargo ship. This patrol ended on 6 March 1944.
Snook proceeded on to Hunters Point in San Francisco for an overhaul. Her captain, Chuck Triebel had complained often and loudly about the quality of our torpedoes. That, and five very successful patrols, earned him a transfer to the Bureau of Ordnance to assist in development.
For her sixth patrol, Snook departed Pearl Harbor on 24 June 1944. She fired at two freighters on 2 July 1944 but missed. This patrol ended without sinkings on 14 August 1944 at Midway.
Snook began her seventh patrol on 6 September 1944 from Midway. However, she had to stop at Saipan for repairs on 25 September. Repairs took longer than expected and Snook didn’t sail again until 4 October 1944. On 23 October, Snook sank three ships, first a tanker, then a large cargo ship and lastly a medium cargo ship. On 3 November, Snook rescued a Navy pilot. The patrol ended on 18 November 1944 at Pearl Harbor.
Snook’s eighth patrol, which began on Christmas Day of 1944, was non-productive. She was assigned to the area off Kuril Island. The only sightings of note were two Russian vessels. Fortunately, Snook’s captain had determined their identity before attempting an attack. The patrol ended on 17 February 1945 at Midway.
Snook was lost on her ninth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 17 sinkings for 75,473 tons total for her WW2 service.
The second patrol began on 9 June 1943, headed to the area around the Ryukyu Islands. On 24 June, Snook heavily damaged a large tanker. On 4 July, she heavily damaged another transport and sank two medium marus. This patrol ended on 18 July 1943 at Pearl Harbor.
Snook sailed on 18 August 1943 for her third war patrol. Her first assignment was lifeguard duty off Marcus Island on 1 September. However, no rescues were needed. After doing some photo reconnaissance, Snook then proceeded on to the East China Sea for her normal patrol. On 13 September, she sank a large tanker with one torpedo. On 22 September, she sank one small freighter. She also hit another but the torpedo did not explode. Snook attacked a small trawler on 29 September. She sank the trawler, but four men on the Snook were injured by gunfire. The patrol ended on 8 October 1943 at Pearl Harbor.
The fourth patrol began on 20 October. Snook was accompanied by USS Pargo (SS-264) and USS Harder (SS-257) off the Marianas. On 28 November, Snook along with Pargo damaged a large cargo ship. She then sank a medium freighter, but this was not credited by JANAC. Early the next morning, she sank a passenger/cargo ship and a cargo ship, both of which JANAC did credit. She also damaged an escort. After a stop at Midway, Snook ended the patrol at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1943.
Snook left Pearl Harbor on 6 January 1944 for her sixth patrol. She was headed to the western coast of Kyushu. While off the Bonin Islands, on 23 January, she sank a converted gunboat. Two days later, she sank a freighter and damaged another. The sunken vessel had been carrying Japanese troops and more than 2,700 soldiers lost their lives at sea. The damaged vessel would be sunk by the USS Raton (SS-270) before the year was out. With a night surface attack on 14 February, Snook sank a cargo ship. The next day she sank a smaller ship with one torpedo. On 23 February, while en route to Midway, she spotted a convoy. She made a daring approach through a screen of 11 escorts and fired five torpedoes. Two hits sank a passenger/cargo ship. This patrol ended on 6 March 1944.
Snook proceeded on to Hunters Point in San Francisco for an overhaul. Her captain, Chuck Triebel had complained often and loudly about the quality of our torpedoes. That, and five very successful patrols, earned him a transfer to the Bureau of Ordnance to assist in development.
For her sixth patrol, Snook departed Pearl Harbor on 24 June 1944. She fired at two freighters on 2 July 1944 but missed. This patrol ended without sinkings on 14 August 1944 at Midway.
Snook began her seventh patrol on 6 September 1944 from Midway. However, she had to stop at Saipan for repairs on 25 September. Repairs took longer than expected and Snook didn’t sail again until 4 October 1944. On 23 October, Snook sank three ships, first a tanker, then a large cargo ship and lastly a medium cargo ship. On 3 November, Snook rescued a Navy pilot. The patrol ended on 18 November 1944 at Pearl Harbor.
Snook’s eighth patrol, which began on Christmas Day of 1944, was non-productive. She was assigned to the area off Kuril Island. The only sightings of note were two Russian vessels. Fortunately, Snook’s captain had determined their identity before attempting an attack. The patrol ended on 17 February 1945 at Midway.
Snook was lost on her ninth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 17 sinkings for 75,473 tons total for her WW2 service.
Submarine Photo
