USS Mackerel SS 204
The USS Mackerel SS 204 was the lead ship of her Mackerel-class submarine group and was launched on September 28th, 1940 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. William R. Furlong. The newly constructed submarine was officially commissioned on March 31st, 1941 under the command of Lieutenant John F. Davidson. The Mackerel was immediately appointed to Submarine Squadron 1 after following up her initial shakedown trials off the eastern seaboard of the U. S. at New London, Connecticut. She continued serving off the east coast while participating in operational exercises and overall improvement training of the Navy’s submarine forces.
The USS Mackerel SS 204 was originally designed as an experimental submarine that was built to test and help train the submarines that were to be built and constructed from that point on and long afterwards. She was able to provide support services for the Underwater Sound Laboratory as well as training for the Submarine and Prospective Commanding Officer’s Schools at New London in addition to also training Allied surface vessels and aircraft in antisubmarine warfare and tactical strategy. Even though most of her time during the war was spent off the east coast of the United States she had traveled as far north as Casco Bay and as far down south as Chesapeake Bay in order to conduct anti-submarine training.
During the entire course of the war, the Mackerel only made one enemy contact when on April 12th, 1942 she had departed New London proceeding along the surface of the water heading for Norfolk, Virginia to assist in antisubmarine exercises along with the Army and Navy when on the night of the 14th as well as the next morning, her lookouts spotted the wakes of two torpedoes heading for their submarine. The Mackerel quickly initiated evasive maneuvers and successfully avoided the attack, then engaged the enemy submarine with a counterattack firing two torpedoes but scoring no hits. The USS Mackerel SS 204 was officially decommissioned at Boston, Massachusetts on November 9th, 1945 and was sold for scrapping on April 24th, 1945.
The USS Mackerel SS 204 and her crew were some of the bravest in the U.S. Navy. It’s saddening that these crewmen were exposed to dangerous materials and were not even aware. Among these materials was asbestos. Asbestos was used in many different capacities aboard naval submarines and ships of all classes and types, but most often aboard submarines within materials requiring insulation, such as piping and various duct systems. For sailors, or repairmen, or anyone at all who worked in or around these areas, it is very possible that an exposure could have occurred. It is extremely important for these individuals to monitor their respiratory health carefully, as they may indicate an adverse exposure. Asbestos exposures from airborne fibers like those built into these ships have been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses and diseases such as asbestos cancer. This is including mesothelioma, a deadly and rare form of cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
