USS Albacore SS 218

The USS Albacore SS 218 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on February 17^th, 1942 from the Electric Boat Company out of Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. Elwin F. Cutts who was the wife of Captain Cutts. The sub was commissioned on June 1^st, 1942 under the command of Commander Richard S. Lake. For her first ever patrol, the vessel embarked the eastern seaboard of the U. S. and transited the Panama Canal heading to the Pacific Ocean and onwards to her destination, Pearl Harbor. On August 28^th, 1942 the Albacore set out on her first war patrol through the waters around the island of Truk. Roughly two weeks later on September 13^th she sighted what looked to be two cargo ships and prepared for her first battle action. She fired multiple torpedoes and significantly damaged the lead ship of the enemy convoy. She arrived back at Midway Island and commenced with refitting and repairs.

With her new advanced weaponry installed after the refurbishing, she set out again on her second patrol on November 11^th, 1942 along the east coast of New Guinea where on December 18^th, she was stationed off of Madang and she discovered two enemy vessels, a transport and a destroyer. The Albacore torpedoed the transport ship completely smashing the ship to utter bits while it burst into flames. The ships were successfully destroyed by the Albacore and another American submarine fighting along with it at the time.

On August 23^rd, 1943 the Albacore was underway on her fifth patrol around the waters surrounding the Solomon and the Bismarck Islands and while during her patrol, she encountered three separate convoys and attacked two of them but scored no hits, afterwards she headed back to Brisbane to repairs.

On her tenth patrol, she was caught in a fire fight off the shores of the Bungo Suido area where she was credited in sinking two Japanese Vessels, and an enemy cargo ship and submarine chaser. She docked back at Pearl Harbor on September 25^th.

Tragically, on November 7^th, 1944 she was on her last patrol when she hit an enemy water mine and was sunk off of Hokkaido Island and was never seen or heard from again. On December 21^st, the Albacore was presumably lost and on March 30^th, 1945 she was officially struck from the Naval Vessel Register. The USS Albacore SS 218 was awarded nine battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for her service during World War II.

The USS Albacore SS 218 and her crew faced many dangers during their service, but the sailors faced a danger they were unaware of at the time. Their ship had been constructed with asbestos used as an insulator around many of its pipes and installations. We now know that workers exposed to asbestos are at risk for the development of lung and breathing problems including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Crewmembers aboard the Albacore should visit their doctor to possibly begin mesothelioma treatment.

Last modified: December 09 2009.