USS Pipefish SS 388
The USS Pipefish SS 388 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on October 12th, 1943 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by Mrs. George J. Bates. The newly constructed masterpiece of a submarine was officially commissioned on January 22nd, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander William D. Deragon. Following her initial shakedown trials and operational training off the eastern seaboard of the United States, the Pipefish was finally ready for serious active service. She headed south towards the Caribbean Sea in order to move west and transit the Panama Canal where upon reaching the Pacific Ocean successfully, she set sail and traveled through the Pacific driving to her intended destination and new home at Pearl Harbor where she finally arrived on May 3rd, 1944.
She departed Pearl Harbor embarking on her first war patrol which lasted from May 24th until July 16th and took her to the waters just west of the Mariana Islands as a rescue submarine on lifeguard duty to support pre-invasion aircraft carrier strikes on Saipan where she was able to rescue one down pilot from the sea on June 12th after his plane was shot down. She then traveled through the Surigao Straits so as to block the Japanese escape from the Battle of the Philippine Sea. She anchored at Majuro on July 16th. Her second war patrol which was from August 6th to September 27th took her to the southern cost of Honshu, Japan. On September 12th she was able to sink an enemy ship totaling more than one thousand tons. She returned to Pearl Harbor on September 27th.
Her third war patrol brought her southwest of Taiwan and patrolling off the east coast of Hainan Island, China where she operated along with a wolf pack of attack submarines in the area traveling through the South China Sea. Her fourth, fifth and sixth war patrols mainly had her conducting invaluable life guard duty in support of aircraft strikes on Japanese enemy occupied islands throughout the region. The USS Pipefish SS 388 was officially decommissioned on March 19th, 1946 and sold for scrap in February 1969. The Pipefish was awarded six battle stars for her honorable and brave service during World War II.
The USS Pipefish SS 388 and her crew served bravely and with great honor during their military careers yet sadly, the sailors faced a danger they were unaware of at the time. Their submarine had been constructed with asbestos used as an insulator around many of its pipes and installations. We now know that workers exposed to asbestos are at risk for the development of lung and breathing problems including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Any crewmembers who have reason to believe they may have come in contact with asbestos while aboard the USS Pipefish SS 388 or any other submarine, ship or maritime vessel during that particular period in time should visit with a medical respiratory physician immediately to undergo testing for asbestos cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
