USS Bowfin facts for kids
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Namesake | Bowfin |
| Builder | Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine |
| Laid down | 23 July 1942 |
| Launched | 7 December 1942 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Jane Gawne, wife of Captain James Gawne |
| Commissioned | 1 May 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 12 February 1947 |
| Recommissioned | 27 July 1951 |
| Decommissioned | 22 April 1954 |
| Recommissioned | 10 January 1960 |
| Decommissioned | 1 December 1971 |
| Stricken | 1 December 1971 |
| Status | Museum ship in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii since 1 August 1979 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Balao-class diesel-electric submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m) |
| Draft | 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed |
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| Range | 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Endurance |
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| Test depth | 400 feet (120 m) |
| Complement | 10 officers, 70–71 enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Bowfin (submarine)
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 Location in Hawaii
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| Location | 11 Arizona Memorial Dr., Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Built | 1942 |
| Architect | Portsmouth Navy Yard |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000149 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 16 November 1982 |
| Designated NHL | 14 January 1986 |
The USS Bowfin (SS/AGSS-287) is a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy. It was named after the bowfin fish. Since 1981, the Bowfin has been a museum ship at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is located right next to the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center.
The Bowfin was built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Its construction began on July 23, 1942. It was launched into the water on December 7, 1942, and officially joined the Navy on May 1, 1943. Commander Joseph H. Willingham was its first captain.
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Early Missions and First Patrol
After being prepared for duty, the submarine traveled to New London, Connecticut, for training. In July 1943, it set off for the Pacific Ocean, where World War II was happening. After sailing through the Panama Canal, it reached Australia.
The Bowfin began its first war patrol on August 25. It searched the Mindanao Sea for enemy ships. On September 24, it teamed up with another submarine, the Billfish. The next day, they found a group of six enemy ships. The Bowfin fired its torpedoes, hitting a cargo ship and a transport ship. It also fired at a tanker. The 8,120-ton passenger-cargo ship Kirishima Maru slowly sank. The tanker caught fire, and the transport ship seemed to be sinking.
Later, the Bowfin found a small boat carrying over 100 Japanese soldiers. It used its four-inch gun to sink the boat. On October 2, it sank a schooner (a type of sailing ship) with gunfire near Balikpapan. The Bowfin returned to Fremantle on October 10. Its first patrol was very successful.
Second Patrol: More Victories
The Bowfin started its second patrol on November 1, heading for the South China Sea. On November 8, it found five more schooners and sank three of them with its four-inch gun. Later, it sank a large sailing ship and two small steamers.
On November 26, the Bowfin had an amazing day near Indochina. It found itself surrounded by Japanese ships. It quickly sank the 5,069-ton tanker Ogurasan Maru and the 5,407-ton freighter Tainan Maru. A few hours later, it sank the 691-ton coastal cargo ship Van Vollenhoven. This ship had been taken by the Japanese from its French owners.
On November 28, the Bowfin sank a small passenger-cargo ship. It then joined the Billfish to attack a convoy. They quickly sank the 5,425-ton freighter Sydney Maru and the 9,866-ton tanker Tonon Maru. The Bowfin was hit by enemy fire, causing some leaks. But it still managed to fire its last torpedoes. On December 2, on its way back to Australia, it destroyed another sailing ship. The Bowfin arrived back in Fremantle a week later. Its performance was highly praised.
Third Patrol: Torpedo Challenges
The submarine began its third war patrol on January 8, 1944. It sailed through several seas to the Makassar Strait. On January 16, it sank a small schooner with its deck gun. The next day, it found a cargo ship with two escort ships. Some of its torpedoes did not work correctly. One hit the cargo ship, stopping it, but others missed or exploded too early.
The Bowfin returned the next day and finished off the damaged cargo ship. It sank the 4,408-ton Shoyu Maru. It also hit one of the escort ships, but could not sink it. The Bowfin then went to Darwin for more torpedoes. A high-ranking officer, Rear Admiral Christie, even came aboard to see how the torpedoes were working.
On January 28, the Bowfin chased a large tanker. It fired many torpedoes, hitting the tanker several times and causing fires. But the tanker stayed afloat and fought back. The Bowfin had to dive to avoid the enemy fire. The tanker eventually escaped. The next day, the Bowfin laid mines in Makassar Strait. On January 30, it destroyed two small schooners with its gun. The submarine returned to Fremantle on February 5.
Fourth Patrol: Close Calls and Successes
The Bowfin left on February 28, 1944, for its fourth patrol in the Celebes Sea. On March 10, it found a convoy of four ships with two escorts. It fired torpedoes, but some exploded too early. Japanese planes forced the Bowfin to dive deep, to about 350 feet. Enemy ships dropped many depth charges, shaking the submarine, but it was not badly damaged.
When the Bowfin surfaced, it saw a damaged freighter being towed. Despite enemy planes and escorts, the Bowfin attacked again. It finally sank the 4,470-ton Tsukikawa Maru with four well-aimed torpedoes. The submarine then looked for the rest of the convoy and sank two freighters, the 5,139-ton Shinkyo Maru and the 5,395-ton Bengal Maru, on March 24. It also damaged a third ship. The Bowfin then headed back to Darwin, arriving on April 1.
Fifth and Sixth Patrols
After some changes in command, the Bowfin started its fifth patrol on April 24, heading for the Palau islands. This was its longest patrol, but it only managed to hit one freighter on May 14, which did not sink. It also helped rescue downed pilots. The submarine then went to Pearl Harbor, arriving on June 21.
On July 16, the Bowfin left Hawaii for the Ryukyu Islands. On August 9, it found four ships in the harbor at Minami Daito. It fired torpedoes, blowing up two ships and damaging a third. One torpedo even hit a dock, sending a bus into the water! This event was later used in the movie Operation Petticoat.
A confirmed sinking happened on August 22, off the Tokara Islands. The Bowfin attacked a convoy and sank the 6,754-ton transport ship Tsushima Maru. This ship was carrying many civilians, including 834 schoolchildren, and 775 of them were killed. This was a very sad event.
On August 28, the Bowfin set a small fishing boat on fire with its gun. Since it had used all its torpedoes, the submarine headed back to the U.S. West Coast. It arrived in San Francisco, California, on September 21 for repairs.
Seventh Through Ninth Patrols
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After repairs, the Bowfin headed back to the Pacific. It performed lifeguard duty near Japan, rescuing American pilots whose planes had crashed. On February 17, 1945, the Bowfin sank the 750-ton Japanese ship Coast Defense Vessel No. 56 with torpedoes. It survived a strong attack from another enemy ship. The submarine later sank a Japanese sea truck.
On March 19, the Bowfin rescued two airmen, Lieutenant R. U. Plant and J. Papazoglakis, from a downed Grumman TBF Avenger plane. Their plane had been hit by enemy fire. The submarine brought them safely aboard. The Bowfin then went to Guam, ending its patrol on March 25.
The submarine began its eighth patrol on April 23, north of Honshū and Hokkaidō. On May 1, it sank the 2,719-ton transport Chowa Maru. A week later, it sank the 880-ton freighter Daito Maru No. 3. After searching for more targets without luck, it returned to Apra Harbor, Guam, for more repairs.
During training for its ninth and final patrol of the war, the Bowfin rescued a Marine Corps pilot whose plane crashed. On May 29, it headed back towards Japan. The Bowfin was one of nine submarines sent into the Sea of Japan. It carefully navigated through dangerous minefields. It sank the 1,898-ton cargo ship Shinyō Maru No. 3 on June 11, and the 887-ton freighter Akiura Maru on June 13.
The submarine left the Sea of Japan and headed for Hawaii. It reached Pearl Harbor on Independence Day. In August, the Bowfin was sailing for its 10th patrol when it received news that Japan had surrendered, ending the war. It returned to Hawaii and then sailed to the east coast of the United States. The Bowfin arrived in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York, on September 21, 1945. It was taken out of service on February 12, 1947, and placed in reserve.
After the War
The Bowfin was brought back into service on July 27, 1951, to help the Navy during the Korean War. It trained and operated from San Diego, California, for two years. When the war ended in 1953, the Navy needed fewer active submarines. The Bowfin was taken out of service again on April 22, 1954.
It remained in reserve until May 1, 1960, when it moved to Seattle, Washington. There, it became a training submarine for the United States Navy Reserve. The Bowfin served for over a decade in this role. Its name was officially removed from the Navy list on December 1, 1971. It was then brought back to Pearl Harbor, where it now serves as a memorial.
The Bowfin was named a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 1987, it was put into a drydock and fixed up to be used in the TV show War and Remembrance. It was also drydocked for restoration in 2004 and again in 2022.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
The submarine is owned and run by the Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association. It is part of the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Visitors can take a tour inside the submarine. An audio guide tells you what life was like on the submarine during World War II.
The museum at the park has many exhibits and items about submarines. You can see detailed models, weapon systems, photos, paintings, and flags. There is also a special memorial. It honors the 52 American submarines and over 3,500 submariners who were lost during World War II.
Other cool things at the museum include a Kaiten torpedo and a 40-mm quad gun. You can also see Poseidon C-3 and Regulus I missiles. The park is close to the visitor center for the USS Arizona Memorial. It is also across the harbor from the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Images for kids
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USS Bowfin - Instrument Panel #3 Main Generator Engine
See also
