USS Runner SS 476
The USS Runner SS 476 was a Tench-class submarine that was originally launched on October 17th, 1944 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard out of Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by a Mrs. R. H. Bass who was the wife of the prospective commanding officer. The newly constructed submarine was officially commissioned on February 6th, 1945 under the leadership of Commander R. H. Bass. Following her operational shakedown training in the Atlantic she departed New London, Connecticut on April 5th, 1945 heading south to transit the Panama Canal and them moving west out into the deep Pacific Ocean arriving at her new home base at Pearl Harbor on May 21st, 1945.
She was ordered to patrol the waters along the east coast of Honshu, Japan embarking on her first war patrol where she was ordered to scout the area for potential defensive minefield activity guarding the Japanese home islands. While patrolling through the Sea of Japan on July 10th she came into direct contact with two Japanese ships, a tanker and a minefield distribution vessel as well as two destroyers that were escorting them. The tanker and her two escorts were able to escape from the attack but the minefield ship took three torpedoes directly against her hull and split in two while sinking.
The USS Runner carried sixteen downed aircraft pilots to Guam where she terminated patrol on July 24th, 1945. After refueling and refitting the Runner set sail once again beginning her second war patrol just a week before the Japanese formally surrendered and had reached her patrol area around Honshu, Japan before her final war patrol was terminated and she and her fellow submarines were ordered to Tokyo Bay. After receiving supplies she began the long journey back to the mainland departing Pearl Harbor and heading to New London, Connecticut arriving on October 6th.
For decades afterwards USS Runner operated off the eastern seaboard of the United States participating in countless naval operations and fleet training exercises. From 1946 until 1959 she assisted NATO operations with system guidance missile testing within the Caribbean Sea and throughout the Atlantic with her home port being San Juan, Puerto Rico. The USS Runner SS 476 was decommissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard on June 29th, 1970 and received one battle star for service during World War II.
The crewmembers of the USS Runner SS 476 were constantly in perilous danger during their tours of duty, but with much regret, the men who worked aboard the Runner were exposed to a danger they knew nothing about. The submarine was constructed, like many others of its time, with asbestos used for insulation around piping and duct systems. Hence forth, the crew who served aboard the submrine is at risk for severe lung conditions including a type of cancer called mesothelioma. Anyone with concerns about possible exposure to asbestos on the USS Runner should consult with a medical physician for an evaluation and take the steps to begin mesothelioma treatment if it is needed.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
