USS Pilotfish SS 386
The USS Pilotfish SS 386 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on August 30th, 1943 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by Mrs. Martha Szolmeczka Scheutz. The newly constructed submarine was officially commissioned on December 16th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert H. Close. Following shakedown trials and operational training off of the eastern seaboard of the United States, she was finally ready for true action and set sail heading south and departing from New London, Connecticut on March 29th, 1944 moving to the Panamanian waters in order to transit the Panama Canal and move out into the open ocean. She was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and reported to Submarine Division 202 and her newly appointed Submarine Squadron 20 on April 10th, 1944.
On May 16th, the Pilotfish departed on her first war patrol and began patrolling the area around the west of the Mariana Islands and after an additional week, she sailed to the area just south of Formosa. She then scouted out possible Japanese escape routes they might engage in following the Battle of the Philippine Sea and soon thereafter she set sail for Majuro Atoll and the Marshall Islands where she arrived on July 4th. The Pilotfish embarked on her second war patrol on in the Bonin Islands on July 27th and then continued on to conduct lifeguard duty in support of the aircraft carrier offensives in the area where Allied pilots and various aircraft were performing bombing runs on the enemy occupied islands.
The USS Pilotfish departed on October 14th via Midway Island embarking on her third war patrol again traveling to the Bonin Islands region. On October 31st, Halloween Day, she sighted a large enemy cargo ship and engaged in combat severely damaging the four thousand ton ship. After fifty seven days on patrol, she headed back to Midway for refitting and refueling where she arrived on December 10th. The USS Pilotfish SS 386 was used in Operation Crossroads which was the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll and she was sunk during the test on July 25th, 1946. The Pilotfish SS 386 was awarded five battle stars for her brave service during World War II.
The USS Pilotfish SS 386 and her crewmembers served their country well and she carried many thousands of soldiers across the seas. Unfortunately, the submarine also carried materials that were made with the deadly substance asbestos. Asbestos is a dangerous material that can lead to respiratory diseases, more specifically the dangerous and rare cancer known as mesothelioma. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, so it can be easily inhaled where it can cause great harm and can even be fatal. Crewmembers that have spent time on the USS Pilotfish SS 386 was put at risk of exposure to this toxic material. Anyone who has sailed aboard the USS Pilotfish SS 386 should receive evaluations from a medical physician, and take steps towards initiating respiratory illness and mesothelioma treatment.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
