USS Razorback SS 394
The USS Razorback SS 394 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on January 27th, 1944 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard out of Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by a Mrs. H. F. D. Davis. The submarine was commissioned on April 3rd, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Albert M. Bontier. Following her initial shakedown trials off the coast of New England, she headed south transiting the Panama Canal and moving west out into the Pacific Ocean and driving towards her new home port at Pearl Harbor where she would be stationed in and around for the better part of her naval career.
The Razorback began her first war patrol on August 25th, 1944 when she was ordered to conduct reconnaissance missions east of the Luzon Strait and participated as the newest unit involved with the offensive group carrying out landings on the Palau Islands in September. She arrived back at Midway Island for fuel and supplies on October 19th. On November 15th the USS Razorback sailed from midway embarking on her first war patrol where she headed back to Luzon attached to a submarine wolf pack group departing on search and destroy orders. From December 6th to December 30th the Razorback was able to cause immense damage to enemy ships and took down and sank an enemy cargo freighter as well. She returned to Guam on January 5th, 1945 for refitting.
She set out on her third war patrol on February 1st traveling to the deadly East China Sea and while there was able to sink four wooden enemy ships during three separate surface attacks. She captured three Japanese soldiers and turned them in at Guam before terminating her patrol at Pearl Harbor on March 25th, 1945. She headed back out on May 7th, and on May 25th she spotted a down pilot from the 21st Fighter Group and rescued him from the violent waters. She was anchored peacefully in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese formally surrendered on August 15th, 1945. The USS Razorback SS 394 decommissioned on November 30th, 1970 and received five battle stars for World War II service and four battle stars for service during the Vietnam War.
The USS Razorback SS 394 and her crew were some of the bravest in the U.S. Navy. Yet, the crewmen were exposed to dangerous materials. Among these materials was asbestos. Asbestos was used in many different capacities aboard naval submarines and ships, 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 submarines have been linked to a number of respiratory illnesses and diseases, including mesothelioma, a deadly and rare form of asbestos cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
