USS Tirante SS 420
The USS Tirante SS 420 was a Tench-class submarine that was launched on August 9th, 1944 from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. out of Kittery, Maine and was sponsored by a Mrs. William B. Sieglaff who was the wife of Commander Sieglaff. The submarine was commissioned on November 6th, 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander George L. Street, III. Following her initial shakedown training off the eastern seaboard of the United States off Long Island Sound and after successfully completing her operational trials she was ordered to head for the Pacific to join in the war effort. She head south departing the east coast and after some additional training within Panamanian waters she transited the Panama Canal and headed west out into the deep blue sea where she join the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
The Tirante was given final training and warfare preparations and pulled out of Pearl Harbor embarking on her first war patrol on March 3rd, 1945 where she was ordered to drive right for Japanese enemy territory to begin search and destroy duty. She was patrolling the waters just west of Kyushu observing enemy ships travel along the cargo shipping routes coming in and out of Nagasaki when she finally spotted a large enemy tanker and moved into engagement positions, she sank the Japanese ship and three days later fired her torpedoes and sank another enemy freighter twice as large as the first. The evasions of each of their counterattacks by escorting enemy warships were close but the Tirante escaped unharmed and prepared for battle in other locations of the sea.
She moved on towards the Yellow Sea where Commander Street was given the Medal of Honor for his quick thinking and brave actions during their wartime in the Pacific. For the remainder of the war the submarine operated mainly out of Midway and continued to patrol the South and East China Seas. After the war she was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and operated with NATO forces for the next two decades conducting missions in the Mediterranean Sea. The USS Tirante SS 420 was decommissioned on October 1st, 1973 and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and two battle stars for World War II service.
The USS Tirante SS 420 has been declared to be toxic, asbestos was used as a construction material in items commonly found on submarines. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, so the asbestos on board the USS Tirante SS 420 could have been inhaled by the members of her crew. Asbestos can easily cling to most surfaces, and then be released into the air later. Anyone who served aboard has been exposed to this toxic material because these deadly asbestos fibers were utilized everywhere within the piping construction. Exposure to asbestos is very dangerous and can lead to potentially deadly diseases such as mesothelioma cancer. Any crewmembers who have been exposed to dangerous asbestos should seek respiratory evaluation from their physician.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
