USS Bonefish (SS-223)

Bonefish was a Gato class submarine completed by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, CT in May of 1943.

Bonefish left Guam for her eighth war patrol on 28 May 1945 accompanied by USS Tunny (SS-282) and USS Skate (SS-305). This wolfpack was part of the larger wolfpack of nine submarines called the Hellcats. All of these submarines were equipped with a new FM sonar, which allowed them locate mines. The objective was to sail through the minefields that had closed off the Sea of Japan to U. S. boats for nearly two years. These nine submarines were an attempt to sever the last exterior supply routes that Japan had.

Bonefish and the other submarines in the pack entered the Sea of Japan from the south, through the Tsushima Strait. They crept through the minefields without incident from 4 to 6 June 1945. To enhance the element of surprise, the submarines were not to open fire until 9 June. The plan was then to exit the Sea of Japan to the north, through the La Perouse Strait on 24 June.

The three wolfpacks were assigned to different areas in the Sea of Japan. When they arrived, they found Japanese ships sailing straight courses and using running lights - a submariner’s dream. After all, there had been no submarines in the area for nearly two years. That changed quickly. The nine American submarines sank 27 merchant ships plus one IJN submarine over the next two weeks.

Bonefish sank her first ship for this patrol on 13 June. On 18 June, CDR Edge asked his pack leader for permission to sail into Toyama Bay, which was granted. There Bonefish sank another cargo ship on 19 June. However, the Japanese counterattack used concentrated depth charges to sink her. Bonefish was the only boat of the nine not to make it out of the Sea of Japan.

After commissioning, Bonefish began by sailing to Brisbane, Australia. She arrived there on 30 August 1943. After additional training in Moreton Bay, her first war patrol began there on 16 September. She topped off fuel in Darwin on the way to the Balabac Strait and then into the South China Sea. Using “Ultra” intelligence, she caught up with a fast convoy and sank the lead ship, a large transport on 27 September. Two cargo ships were attacked on 6 October and hits were heard. However, neither was credited. On 10 October, Bonefish sank a large transport plus one of medium size. She then sank a large schooner with her deck gun before ending the patrol at Fremantle, Australia on 21 October.

Her second patrol began on 22 November. Bonefish entered the Flores Sea on 28 November. The next day, she sank a medium cargo ship. She sank a smaller cargo ship on 1 December and damaged an escorting destroyer. She damaged a minelayer on 11 December with guns before ending the patrol at Fremantle on 19 December 1943.

After Christmas in Australia, Bonefish began her third patrol on 12 January 1944. This would take her to an area off Indo-China. On 22 January, while passing through the Makassar Strait, Bonefish encountered a large schooner. The crew behaved suspiciously when approached. When Bonefish opened fire, the schooner’s crew finally went overboard. So did 39 Japanese soldiers. On 6 February, Bonefish found a large convoy. She got in position and fired four torpedoes at a large tanker and two at a cargo ship. As she turned to bring the after tubes to bear, the escorts charged. As Bonefish went deep three hits were heard. However, this was never confirmed. On 9 February, Bonefish fired torpedoes at a very large tanker and had to go deep due to the escorts. The crew thought they had heard three hits. There were actually four hits, but the ship was able to limp away.

On the return to Australia, the captain did not want to end the patrol since he still had 13 torpedoes aboard. However, food and fuel were running low. Bonefish pulled in at Exmouth, Australia to replenish supplies. Then Bonefish patrolled around Fremantle. However, hurricane force winds for three days battered the boat and sickened the crew. The patrol ended on 15 March 1944.

Bonefish’s fourth patrol began on 13 April 1944. She was headed to an area off Mindanao in the Philippines. On 26 April, she sank a small passenger-cargo ship in a night surface attack using radar. She claimed damage to another smaller ship. The next day she claimed three hits on a cargo ship but failed to sink it. Bonefish was then ordered to the Tawi Tawi area and, en route, damaged a large freighter. On 3 May, Bonefish approached a convoy, but two bombs and 25 depth charges drove her away. On 14 May, Bonefish approached a convoy of three tankers and three escorts. Two hits left one tanker in flames. Although that tanker did not sink, one of the escorts did. This patrol ended on 24 May 1944.

For the fifth patrol, Bonefish left Fremantle on 25 June 1944. Beginning on 5 July, she sank four small ships with guns. On 30 July, she sank a large tanker. On 3 August, she damaged another tanker. Bonefish returned to Fremantle on 13 August 1944.

Bonefish left Fremantle on her sixth war patrol and stopped at Darwin for fuel. On 12 September 1944 she left Darwin headed to the area west of Luzon in the Philippines. The successful wolfpack consisted of Bonefish, USS Flasher (SS-249) and USS Lapon (SS-260). Bonefish sank a small tanker on 28 September. On 10 October, she attacked a small convoy and claimed hits on two freighters. However, the depth charging that followed prevented confirmation. On 14 October, Bonefish sank a small freighter. On 18 October, she picked up two Navy aviators who had been adrift for a few days. The patrol ended on 8 November at Pearl Harbor. Bonefish then proceeded to San Francisco for an overhaul.

Bonefish left Guam on 6 April 1945 for her seventh patrol. She was headed to the East China Sea and the lower Tsushima Strait. Hunting was poor. For this patrol, Bonefish could only claim rescuing two Japanese fliers floating in life jackets in a large patch of oil.

Bonefish was lost on her eighth war patrol. JANAC credited her with 12 sinkings for 61,345 tons total for her WW2 service.

Bonefish was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for patrols 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.