USS Blenny SS 324

The USS Blenny SS 324 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on April 9^th, 1944 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Miss Florence King who was the daughter of CNO Admiral Ernest J. King. The submarine was officially commissioned on July 27^th, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard. After countless training maneuvers along the eastern seaboard of the United States, she was ordered to head south transiting the Panama Canal and to ultimately join the Pacific Fleet.

During the time between November 10^th, 1944 and August 14^th, 1945 she conducted a total of four war patrols within the Java and South China Seas. While on those particular war patrols she encountered many conflicts such as how she successfully combated and sank eight Japanese vessels totaling eighteen thousand two hundred sixty two tons. The Blenny was also credited with destroying sixty two miscellaneous Japanese enemy small craft by gun fire.

After the Japanese surrendered, the USS Blenny SS 324 returned to San Diego Bay, California arriving September 5^th, 1945 where she then operated exclusively within the San Diego area throughout the remainder of 1945. Within the years of 1946 and 1951 the USS Blenny made one voyage to China between August and November of 1946, she participated with a midshipman cruise to Canada, embarked on two winter voyages to Alaska between 1947-1948 and 1948-1949, and took part in continued fleet maneuvers off the coast of Hawaii and training exercises off of San Diego.

Between May and November of 1952 she cruised through the waters Far East where she conducted a thirty five day reconnaissance in support of North Korean operations. On May 24^th, 1954 she joined the Atlantic Fleet and NATO with anti-submarine warfare exercises in the Atlantic in order to evaluate new equipment scheduled to be constructed and distributed. The USS Blenny SS 324 was officially decommissioned on November 7^th, 1969 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on August 15^th, 1973. The submarine was sunk off of Ocean City, Maryland in an effort to create an artificial reef on June 7^th, 1989. She received four battle stars for service during World War II and one for the Korean War.

The crew of the USS Blenny SS 324 took immense honor in their service to their country. The danger they faced was not limited to enemy fire and the USS Blenny SS 324 was like many submarines of its era were constructed with toxic materials and one of them was asbestos. Many had no idea of the harmful health consequences of asbestos exposures during this time and many were endangered because of this. Asbestos was used in piping as well as many insulation systems aboard most naval vessels of this time. If any veteran crewmembers worked around these materials, it is important to be aware of the possible respiratory dangers that asbestos exposure can cause, such as the development of the deadly cancer mesothelioma, often referred to as asbestos cancer. Vets diagnosed with this deadly disease should consider all possible mesothelioma treatment options.

Last modified: December 09 2009.