USS Pampanito SS 383
The USS Pampanito SS 383 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on July 12th, 1943 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by a Mrs. James Wolfender. The newly built submarine was officially commissioned on November 6th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Charles B. Jackson, Jr. Following intense shakedown training and operational trials off the coast of New London, Connecticut she was finally ready to active service. She then headed south in order to transit the Panama Canal and then drove west to her intended and final destination of Pearl Harbor where she arrived on February 14th, 1944.
She set out on her first war patrol which lasted from March 15th until May 2nd operating during this time in the regions surrounding Saipan and Guam. She also served just south of Yap where she conducted life guard duty, as well as encountering and landing two direct hits on an enemy destroyer before heading to Midway Island and then Pearl Harbor for refitting, refueling and emergency repairs to her hull after it was heavily damaged by depth charges.
The Pampanito’s second war patrol began on June 3rd and lasted until July 23rd and involved her patrolling the waters around the Honshu Island and her surrounding neighbor islands in the region. On June 23rd a submerged Japanese attack submarine spotted the Pampanito and immediately fired two torpedoes directly at her but just missed. On July 6th the Pampanito was able to damage an enemy gun boat and eleven days later, she sailed back to Midway Island terminating her second patrol.
Her third, fourth, fifth, and sixth patrols lasted from August 17th, 1944 until December 30th, 1945 and were far more fierce than her initial two. She was ordered to conduct reconnaissance near Formosa and patrol the South China Sea, as well as the deadly enemy filled area known as the Gulf of Siam. The USS Pampanito SS 383 was officially decommissioned on December 15th, 1945 and was finally struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on December 20th, 1971. The USS Pampanito SS 383 was awarded six battle stars for her honorable and brave service during World War II. She now resides as a memorial submarine and museum vessel at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California.
The USS Pampanito SS 383 and her crew fought bravely, but what her crews didn’t know is that the submarines and ships in their proud fleet had materials made from asbestos on board. Because asbestos is a highly toxic and deadly material, this put the crewmembers as well as anyone who came into contact with it in grave danger. Any exposure to this substance has proven t0 lead to the development of the deadly asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma and other respiratory disease. Any veteran crewmember who served aboard a naval ship such as the USS Pampanito SS 383 should monitor their health closely and have their physician thoroughly evaluate them and take necessary steps towards administering and receiving treatment.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
