USS Springer SS 414
The USS Springer SS 414 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on August 3rd, 1944 from the Mare Island Naval Shipyard out of Vallejo, California and was sponsored by a Mrs. M. S. Tisdale. The submarine was commissioned on October 18th, 1944 under the leadership of Commander Russell Kefauver. Following her initial shakedown trials and operational training which took place within the waters off San Diego on December 3rd the USS Springer was declared as being finally ready for active service. She was ordered west out into the Pacific where she arrived at her new home port at Pearl Harbor on January 8th, 1945.
She departed her base in Hawaii on February 4th and headed for Guam where she was refueled and given supplies before setting sail for the Ryukyu Islands beginning her first war patrol. After searching for the enemy in hostile waters for over a month she finally spotted two Japanese war ships on March 11th but wasn’t able to engage due to heavy aircraft defense from her opponent. She encountered three additional enemy vessels on her radar screens but made no more contacts during that patrol and she pulled into Guam on March 25th for refitting.
Her second war patrol began on April 20th and carried her to the dangerous waters the Yellow Sea where she traveled with a wolf pack of hunter killer submarines such as the USS Trepang SS 412 and the USS Raton SS 270. For the next few weeks she and her submarine attack group had many close calls and engaged in many dog fights with the enemy and on April 20th she was able to engage in a coordinating attack on Japanese cargo transport ship that after firing four torpedoes she sunk to the bottom of the sea. On May 4th the Springer moved towards Honshu, Japan to assist in lifeguard duty in support of the Allied aircraft carrier strikes against the Japanese home islands. She arrived at Guam on May 18th terminating her patrol.
After a brief stop at Saipan for fuel and additional supplies the Springer was ready for her third war patrol which began on June 16th when she headed for the waters just outside Tokyo Bay where she conducted lifeguard patrols as well as an offensive search and destroy stance against any enemy she might encounter. The USS Springer SS 414 was decommissioned on January 23rd, 1961 and sold to the Republic of Chile. She was awarded three battle stars for her service during World War II.
The USS Springer SS 414 was built during a period when the dangers of asbestos contamination were not well known. Unfortunately, the men who worked with the insulation material around piping areas within the submarine itself may be at higher risk for developing respiratory problems and deadly diseases like mesothelioma, which is a type of asbestos cancer. Crewmembers who served aboard the Springer concerned they may have been exposed to asbestos should consult a medical doctor for further respiratory evaluation.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
