USS Muskallunge SS 262

The USS Muskallunge SS 262 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on December 13^th, 1942 from the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut and was sponsored by a Mrs. Merritt D. Graham who was the widow of Torpedo Chief Graham who was lost the USS Grunion SS 216 in July 1942. The submarine was commissioned on March 15^th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Willard A. Saunders. Following her initial shakedown trials and operations training off the east coast near New London, she was finally ready for action. The submarine headed south where she transited the Panama Canal and then headed west out into the deep Pacific Ocean where she arrived at her new home port o Pearl Harbor on August 7^th.

The USS Muskallunge departed Pearl Harbor and embarked on her first war patrol on September 7^th and took her position in the region around the Palau Islands. The Muskallunge was actually the first American submarine to carry and fire electric torpedoes utilizing new technologies of that type. During this first war patrol she had made two attacks on Japanese convoys and on October 25^th she returned to Pearl Harbor. The submarine began her second war patrol on November 27^th where she was ordered to patrol the regions of the western Caroline Islands as well as just south of Guam. During her third patrol she encountered and successfully engaged an enemy tanker and two Japanese freighters scoring hits on all three and sinking the Noroto Maru.

Terminating her patrol, she then returned to Pearl Harbor on January 21^st, 1944. From April of 1944 until August of 1945 the USS Muskallunge SS 262 conducted a third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh war patrol with the Pacific Fleet and participated with the Battle of the Philippine Sea as well as successfully sinking many more enemy targets throughout the South China Sea, Formosa and the waters near Tokyo before the war ended and the Japanese surrendered on August 15^th, 1945. The USS Muskallunge SS 262 was decommissioned on January 29^th, 1947 and received five battle stars for World War II service.

The crew of the USS Muskallunge SS 262 took immense honor in the help they could provide to their fellow soldiers during service. Unfortunately, the danger they faced was not limited to enemy fire. Indeed, the USS Muskallunge SS 262, like many submarines of its era was laden 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 in many insulation systems aboard most naval vessels of this time. If any 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 asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Veterans who may have come in contact with asbestos should visit their physician to receive a medical evaluation.

Last modified: December 09 2009.