USS Sablefish SS 303
The USS Sablefish SS 303 was a Balao-class submarine that was originally launched on June 4th, 1944 from the Cramp Shipbuilding Company out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was sponsored by a Mrs. E. W. Burrough. The newly constructed ship was officially commissioned on December 18th, 1945 under the leadership of Commander Richard Henry Crane. After completing her initial shakedown cruise off the eastern seaboard she was declared as being finally ready for action. Although the submarine was commissioned after the end of World War II was still need for naval warfare exercises in the still unsettling atmosphere that follows and any large conflict.
She moved south departing from New London, Connecticut and sailing for Balboa, Canal Zone where she conducted type training within the waters in and around the Panama Canal until May of 1946. She then returned back up north to her home port at New London, Connecticut where she remained of the year she supported and participated in Anti Submarine Warfare training up and down the east coast and Bermuda. From 1946 until 1948 she assisted with experimental naval technologies including sonar and a new type of escape buoy. In 1952 the USS Sablefish sailed to the Mediterranean Sea as the newly assigned submarine to belong to the Sixth Fleet.
While there she worked with NATO command with various warship exercises and international naval education projects as well as peace keeping missions in the many conflict regional nations in the area. She sailed back to the U. S. mainland to begin her service along with the Atlantic Fleet where she conducted local operations up and down the east coast from the Caribbean Sea north to Nova Scotia. During the year 1959 the USS Sablefish was appointed as the Navy’s representative for the new opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. She then operated in the Great Lakes until August. In May of 1967 the USS Sablefish headed across the span of the Atlantic to heading for the Straits of Gibralter where she joined the Sixth Fleet once again. She visited port all along the coast of Europe anchoring at naval stops such as France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. On her way home she also stopped briefly at Iceland for fuel and supplies.
The USS Sablefish SS 303 was officially decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Registry at New London, Connecticut on November 1st, 1969. The USS Sablefish SS 303 and her crew fought brave in their fight for their countries freedoms, but they were in danger even aboard their safe submarine, unknowingly. Asbestos fibers were used to build the submarines, mainly within the submarines insulation dealing with piping. While at one time asbestos was a commonly used building material, it has since been discovered to be carcinogenic. Exposure to asbestos can lead to diseases such as mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. For this reason anyone who has been exposed to any materials made from asbestos should visit a doctor.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
