USS Barbero SS 317

The USS Barbero SS 317 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on December 12th, 1943 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. Katherine R. Keating. The sub was commissioned on April 29th, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Irvin S. Hartman. Following intense trial and exercise operations off the eastern seaboard, she transited the Panama Canal and headed west towards the Pacific and onwards to Pearl Harbor.

She initiated her first ever war patrol on the morning of August 9th, 1944 and concluded her final mission on the night of January 2nd, 1945. During that period of time, she was officially credited with the sinking of three Japanese merchant vessels totaling ninety six hundred and twenty six tons while on her first and last war patrols off the coasts of Java and the South China Seas while in the Pacific theater of war.

The USS Barbero SS 317 was on her way to Freemantle, Australia on December 27th, 1944 when she took a close hit from an aerial bomb near her aft while she was at periscope depth. This hit wasn’t enough to sink her but it severely damaged her port reduction gear to the point of no return and she was officially anchored at her home base harbor for the remainder of the war. IN the month of September of 1945 she was ordered to Mare Island Naval Shipyard where she underwent pre-inactivation overhaul and was placed into commission in reserve on April 25th, 1946. The USS Barbero SS 317 was awarded two battle stars for World War II service.

The submarine was later re-commissioned and assigned to the Pacific Fleet on March 31st, 1948 in order to assist with nuclear strategic deterrence patrols which she conducted throughout the cold war and beyond. The USS Barbero SS 317 was officially struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on July 1st, 1964 just before she had been appointed to become a target for operational warfare training where she was sunk on October 7th, 1964 by the USS Greenfish SS 351 and laid to rest at the bottom of the ocean off of the coast of Pearl Harbor.

The USS Barbero SS 317 and her crew fought bravely for their country. However, they were unwittingly exposed to the hazards of asbestos during their time at sea. She was constructed during an era when the threats involved with asbestos were not well understood, and the material was commonly used as an insulator throughout the vessel. Now we’re aware that veterans are at risk of developing serious respiratory conditions as a result of their time aboard subs such as the Barbero. Diseases including a type of deadly cancer called mesothelioma are a dangerous risk for retired veterans, and any crewmembers who are concerned that they may have been exposed to asbestos while aboard the USS Barbero SS 317 or any other sub should consult with a doctor.

Last modified: December 09 2009.