USS Barbel SS 316

The USS Barbel SS 316 was a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy that was originally launched on November 14^th, 1943 from the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. Harold A. Allen. The sub was officially commissioned as of April 3^rd, 1944 under the leadership of Commander R. A. Keating. After rigorous training exercises and mock operational maneuvers off the east coast of the United States of America, the USS Barbel SS 316 was prepped and ready to head out to sea. She drove south and transited the Panama Canal towards her destination of Pearl Harbor and to join with her Pacific Fleet.

She finally arrived at Pearl Harbor on June 21^st, 1944 and began prepping for her first ever war patrol within the Pacific theater of operations. On July 15^th, 1944 she initiated her first of four war patrols total that would last until February 4^th, 1945. During that time she was officially credited with the courageous actions where she successfully sunk six Japanese ships that totaled fifteen thousand two hundred and sixty three tons. She departed Freemantle, Australia on January 5^th, 1945 and headed for the South China Sea to proceed on her fourth patrol. Later that same month, she was suddenly ordered to join in the formation of a wolf pack along with the USS Perch SS 313 as well as the USS Gabilan SS 252 in order to begin patrolling the western approaches off of the Balabac Strait and the southern entrance to Palawan Passage.

On February 3^rd, 1945 the USS Barbel SS 316 sent a crucial message reporting that she had in fact been attacked three times by Japanese enemy aircraft dropping depth charges and would transmit further information the following night. The Barbel was never heard from again. After the war when documents were passed through internationally, it was later discovered that Japanese aviators had reported an attack on a submarine off of southwest Palawan on February 4^th. It was documented that two bombs were dropped and one landed near the bridge of the submarine. The sub then exploded in a sea of fire and wreckage and then sunk to the bottom of the ocean. She was officially reported lost on February 16^th, 1945 and was awarded three battle stars for service during World War II.

The crewmembers of the USS Barbel SS 316 faced many dangers on a daily basis during their tours of duty. The submarine was constructed when the dangers of asbestos exposure weren’t known to the world and the crew aboard the Barbel may have unknowingly been inhaling these deadly asbestos particles. They were being put at serious risk of respiratory problems because these fibers were utilized inside internal piping systems within the submarine’s insulation during construction. Asbestos cancer has been directly linked to asbestos and any crewmember of the USS Barbel SS 316 who is at all concerned about possible exposure should be evaluated by a medical physician immediately for mesothelioma.

Last modified: December 09 2009.