USS BOWFIN HISTORY

PATROL 1

PATROL 1 – SECRET MISSION

25 August 1943 to 10 October 1943

After the launching of Bowfin she headed west towards Australia from Portsmouth via the Panama Canal, which she passed through on 15 July 1943. Then on 10 August 1943 Bowfin sailed into Fremantle. From Fremantle, Bowfin traveled over 2,000 miles to Darwin where she refueled, loaded up with fresh supplies, and torpedoes, then got underway. Once Bowfin was in open waters where communication was limited, Commander (CDR) Joseph H. Willingham announced to the crew that they would be performing a secret mission. The crew of Bowfin was ordered to transfer reports of secret and confidential operations, and other various supplies to guerrilla fighters in the Philippines. On 2 September 1943 Bowfin entered Mindanao Sea from the Surigao Strait in the darkness of the early morning and submerged near Camiguin Island to begin reconnaissance for the secret mission called BAKER. There were two parts to BAKER, the first was to drop off the supplies and the second was to pick up and bring home Americans. Later that day the signal was given from shore to Bowfin, once confirmed that the man was American, Bowfin moved in closer and waited until dark to surface and commence with the mission. When darkness fell, Bowfin surfaced and a double outrigger banca canoe flying a U.S. flag came alongside her to transfer men and goods. Once the transfer was complete Bowfin slipped out of the area and continued on with a very successful patrol.

Sinking of the Kirishima Maru, sunk on Patrol 1

On 25 September Bowfin sighted USS Billfish (SS-286) and together they performed a submerged attack on a large convoy. Of the five ships assigned to her for this attack, Bowfin sank a cargo ship and a tanker, and set another tanker alight. The next day Bowfin continued to follow the remaining ships in the convoy, however the gap between the convoy and Bowfin grew periodically throughout the day and they were not able to make any attacks. On 27 September Bowfin attempted an attack on an island steamer but the torpedoes failed to hit their marks, and one failed to leave the tube when fired.

All was calm until 29 September when Bowfin geared up for the second part of the secret mission BAKER. Bowfin sailed for Iligan Bay off the coast of the Philippines and submerged off Salimbal Point to wait for the signal. They waited until the cover of darkness and at 1700 Bowfin surfaced one mile off the beach and took a banca alongside to prepare for men coming aboard. Nine men were taken aboard for transportation to Australia:

  • Grashio, Samuel C, 2ND LT U.S. Army Air Corps
  • Morgan, Luis P, Capt. Philippine Constabulary
  • Glover, Dewitt L, CQM, U.S. Navy
  • Offret, Elwood H, CMM, U.S. Navy
  • Owens, Paul A, CMM, U.S. Navy
  • Napolillo, Francis J, SC1c, U.S. Navy
  • Tucker, Tracy, Tech. Sgt. U.S. Army
  • Minter, Leonard, Sgt. U.S. Army
  • Kurder, E.M., Civilian Director of Affairs

Samuel Grashio, a pilot in the Army Air Corps, was a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and was confined in three different Japanese prison camps before finally escaping from the Davao Penal Colony. Once he had escaped with 10 other P.O.W.s he joined up with the guerrillas to aid in the fighting.

Grashio, Samuel C, 2ND LT U.S.A.

After the success of the second part of BAKER, Bowfin headed back out into open water to finish her first war patrol. At the beginning of October Bowfin started to make her way back to Fremantle, where they arrived on 10 October.

PATROL 1 SUMMARY

USS Bowfin was underway for 14,430 miles during her first war patrol. CDR Willingham and higher authorities believed, based on crew records that Bowfin sank 23,753 tons consisting of three large vessels plus two small craft. The post-war Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC) credited Bowfin with sinking only 8,120 tons consisting of one large vessel of that tonnage plus two small craft. For this patrol, CDR Willingham was awarded a second gold star in lieu of his third Navy Cross, and Bowfin was awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

CHANGE OF COMMAND

On 26 October 1943 CDR Willingham was relieved by LCDR Walter Thomas Griffith. LCDR Griffith had previously served on USS Porpoise (SS-177) and USS Gar (SS-206). Willingham continued his submarine service, first as a division commander, and in the closing months of the war, as Commander of Submarine Squadron 28.

BOWFIN TIMELINE

LAUNCHING & COMMISSIONING

On 15 December 1941, eight days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Portsmouth Navy Yard was given the order to start construction on the new Balao class fleet submarines. The third boat of the class was to bear the name USS Bowfin (SS-287). Her keel was laid on…Read More

PATROL 1

PATROL 1 – SECRET MISSION 25 August 1943 to 10 October 1943 After the launching of Bowfin she headed west towards Australia from Portsmouth via the Panama Canal, which she passed through on 15 July 1943. Then on 10 August 1943 Bowfin sailed into Fremantle. From Fremantle, Bowfin traveled over…Read More

PATROL 2

PATROL 2 – PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION 1 November 1943 to 9 December 1943 On USS Bowfin’s second war patrol they sailed from Fremantle towards the South China Sea with a new commanding officer, LCDR Walter Thomas Griffith. This was LCDR Griffith’s first war patrol as commanding officer, before he had…Read More

PATROL 3

PATROL 3 – AN ADMIRAL ABOARD 8 January 1944 to 5 February 1944 On 8 January 1944 Bowfin and crew steamed away from Fremantle and set course for the Celebes Sea, yet again. The valiant crew was departing for their third war patrol and their second patrol with LCDR Griffith.…Read More

PATROL 4

PATROL 4 – THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED 28 February 1944 to 1 April 1944 USS Bowfin left Fremantle for Darwin on 28 February 1944 as she started her fourth war patrol. This time she would be patrolling in the Celebes Sea, in between the Philippines and Indonesia, rather than…Read More

PATROL 5

PATROL 5 – TOUGH LUCK 25 April 1944 to 21 June 1944 USS Bowfin set off from Fremantle for her fifth war patrol on 25 April 1944 and this time she and her crew started the 4,000-mile journey to Palau and the surrounding areas. Unbeknownst to the crew, this war…Read More

PATROL 6

PATROL 6 – SIGHTED BUS, SANK CRANE 16 July 1944 to 13 September 1944 Once Bowfin had received a refit at Pearl Harbor she and her crew were headed out for their sixth war patrol on 16 July 1944. First stop, Midway, where Bowfin rendezvoused with USS Fulton (AS-11), the…Read More

PATROL 7

PATROL 7 – ZOOMIES WITH SQUIDS 25 January 1945 to 25 March 1945 After training and testing at Pearl were complete the crew embarked for Bowfin’s seventh war patrol on 25 January 1945. This patrol largely took place in the waters east of the Japanese mainland, and Bowfin’s secondary assignment…Read More

PATROL 8

PATROL 8 – HELL’S BELLS 23 April 1945 to 15 May 1945 Bowfin’s eighth war patrol took the crew to the northeastern part of the Japanese mainland between the main island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido. Bowfin had originally received orders to proceed alone and without a coding…Read More

PATROL 9

PATROL 9 – OPERATION BARNEY 24 May 1945 to 4 July 1945 Upon their return to Guam, the crew of Bowfin got as much rest and relaxation as possible in the short time allocated before their final war patrol. This patrol consisted of a secret mission designated Operation Barney that…Read More

POST-WAR

POST-WAR SUMMARY Bowfin’s four World War II commanding officers believed that she sank 179,646 tons (34 large vessels, plus 10 more under 500 tons) and damaged 33,934 tons (five large vessels plus two smaller ones) for a total of 213,580 tons sunk or damaged. The Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC)…Read More