USS Tinosa SS 283
The USS Tinosa SS 283 was a Gato-class submarine that was launched on October 7th, 1942 from the Mare Island Naval Shipyard out of Vallejo, California and was sponsored by a Mrs. William E. Molloy. The submarine was commissioned on January 15th, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Lawrence Randall Daspit. Following her initial shakedown operations along the west coast of the United States she was prepped and readied for the ongoing warfare. She departed the west coast and headed towards her new home port at Pearl Harbor where she arrived April 16th, 1943 to join the Pacific Fleet.
After a few weeks of additional training she embarked on her first war patrol on May 3rd driving for the waters off Kyushu, Japan where she was to conduct search and destroy operations. During this first patrol she was able to successfully sink three different enemy warships but after being inflicted serious damage to her own body from depth charge counterattacks, she pulled into Midway for refitting and repairs. She lifted her anchor from port and began her second war patrol on July 7th where she was ordered to head for the known enemy shipping routes between Borneo and Truk.
She departed from Pearl Harbor embarking on her third war patrol on September 23rd where she moved towards the waters off of the Caroline Islands. On October 6th, 1943 she found herself in the path of a large enemy tanker and although heavily damaging her intended target, she made no confirmed kills. Later that same day she drove to Alet Island near Truk where she bombarded a radio station. She returned to Midway for refitting on October 16th. Her fourth war patrol took her to the shipping routes between Palau and Truk where on the morning of November 22nd she sighted and immediately fired her torpedoes at two cargo ships sinking both her targets with ease.
She pulled into Fremantle, Australia on December 16th, 1943 for refueling and refitting. During the time from January 10th, 1944 until the final day of the war when the Japanese Imperial Fleet formally surrendered on August 15th, 1945 the USS Tinosa SS 283 conducted a fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth war patrol. She was decommissioned on December 2nd, 1953 and sunk off Hawaii in November of 1906 after being used as a simulated target. She received a Presidential Unit Citation and nine battle stars for service during World War II.
The honorable crew who served on the USS Tinosa SS 283 endured many dangerous moments. Unfortunately, they were also exposed to a danger they were unaware of while going about their duties. The Tinosa was built with asbestos as insulation within pipes and most of the crewmen were exposed to a dangerous chemical which put them at risk for acquiring many respiratory problems such as the asbestos cancer known as mesothelioma. Crewmembers who served aboard the Tinosa should visit a physician if they have symptoms of any respiratory health problems.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
