USS Blower SS 325
The USS Blower SS 325 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on April 23rd, 1944 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. Richard F. J. Johnson. The submarine was officially commissioned on August 10th, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander J. H. Campbell. Following intense shakedown trials off of the east coast of the U. S. the Blower was finally ready for action, so she headed south and transited the Panama Canal in order to drive through the Pacific and move west for her destination of Pearl Harbor where she arrived on December 16th, 1944. She underwent massive post-intercontinental voyage repairs and participated in training exercises in preparation for her first war patrol which began on January 17th, 1945.
The Blower had successfully completed three war patrols before the Japanese surrendered and the hostilities between our nations finally ceased. During the missions prior to that date, she had routinely patrolled the Java and South China Seas. Yet all three patrols didn’t bring any conflict or enemy contact of any kind and she pulled into port at Fremantle, Australia after her last patrol had been terminated on July 28th, 1945. Then in September the Blower departed the Southwest Pacific and after engaging in various training maneuvers with her fleet around the Marianas and Caroline Islands for several months, she passed Pearl Harbor and headed back to the mainland finally arriving at San Diego Bay, California on January 29th, 1946.
From 1946 until 1949 she operated along the western seaboard of the United States as a part of the Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force where she conducted various torpedo exercises and submerged sound school operations and training programs. The USS Blower SS 325 was officially decommissioned on November 16th, 1950 at the Naval Submarine Base New London and then transferred to the Turkish Navy on the same day as a part of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She was lost on April 4th, 1953 when during a NATO exercise she collided with a Swedish freighter Naboland and sunk to the bottom of the sea off of the coast of Dardanelles near Nara Point. Tragically, eighty one submariners lost their lives during the incident.
During her time with the US Navy, the USS Blower SS 325 carried her brave crew on patrols all over the world. She also carried items that were made with asbestos. Asbestos is a dangerous material that can lead to respiratory diseases, including mesothelioma. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, so it can be easily inhaled and can cause great harm and even death. The passengers and crew who spent time on the Blower were put at constant risk of exposure to this toxic material. Any veteran sailor who has served aboard the USS Blower SS 325 or any other vessel and may be concerned, it is advisable to be evaluated by your physician for the possibility of asbestos-related illness, including mesothelioma cancer, and should take and further steps to begin receiving mesothelioma treatment if necessary.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
