USS Ronquil SS 396
The USS Ronquil SS 396 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on January 27th, 1944 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by a Mrs. C. M. Elder. The newly built submarine was officially commissioned on April 22nd, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Henry S. Monroe. Following her shakedown trials and initial operational training along the eastern sea board off the coast of New England, she headed south transiting the Panama Canal and heading out into the deep Pacific arriving at her new home port of Pearl Harbor on July 8th, 1944.
After further training and naval warfare exercises, she was finally ready for action and departed Pearl Harbor on July 31st embarking on her first war patrol. She directed herself along a northeastern path reaching her intended patrol area surrounding the waters of Formosa. On August 24th the Ronquil was able to successfully sink two Japanese cargo ships totaling over ten thousand tons. The submarine and her crew pulled back into port on September 4th for refitting, refueling and supplies. The USS Ronquil set sail on her second war patrol on September 30th which lasted until November 28th, 1944 where she operated out of the Bungo Suido region accompanied by a coordinated submarine attack group and later joined up with six other submarines in order to carry out search and destroy anti-patrol ship missions in and around the waters of the Bonin Islands.
Departing on her third war patrol on January 1st, 1945 she sailed back to the Bonin Islands to provide life guard duty in support of the Army flight bombers carrying out air strikes against the Japanese home islands. The Ronquil anchored at port on February 14th for fuel and on March 11th embarked once again on this time on her fourth patrol which took her to the Islands of Japan where she encountered no enemy contacts. The Ronquil’s fifth and final war patrol began on May 19th where she traveled throughout the East China and Yellow Seas. After the war ended she sailed to San Diego, California to prepare for inactivation. She helped train soldiers during the Vietnam War and was finally decommissioned on July 1st, 1971. The USS Ronquil SS 396 was awarded six battle stars for service in World War II.
The USS Ronquil SS 396 and her crew experienced the hazards of asbestos that were not well known to the world just yet. It was used extensively as an insulator in the construction of the vessel, specifically within the internal piping of the submarine. Airborne asbestos fibers are extremely harmful if inhaled and the crewmembers were therefore exposed to these dangerous materials without their knowledge. Asbestos is now known to increase the risk of mesothelioma and respiratory problems in people who work near it. Crewmembers of the USS Ronquil SS 396 who may have been exposed to asbestos while serving aboard should visit with a respiratory doctor for thorough evaluation and to begin mesothelioma treatment.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
