Built by: Electric Boat
Design: EB 209A
Keel laid: 22 July 1936
Launched: 23 October 1937
Sponsor: Miss F. C. VanKeuren
Commissioned: 30 June 1938
First Skipper: Lt. Herman Sail

In November of 1941, USS SKIPJACK was one of a group of American submarines escorting their tender, USS HOLLAND, from Pearl Harbor to Manila when the group was spotted by a Japanese ship. Thinking that the ship would attack HOLLAND, the submarines dived and went to battle stations - torpedo. While the Japanese ship turned directly towards USS HOLLAND she quickly broke off after HOLLAND turned and headed away. The Skipper of the Japanese ship correctly guessed that submerged submarines were waiting to protect their tender. He went away.

On her arrival, under command of LCDR Charles 1. Freeman, USS SKIPJACK was assigned to SubRon 2 1.

On 25 December 1941, USS SKIPJACK sighted a heavy cruiser. This was a terrific Christmas gift for Freeman and his boat, and he fired three torpedoes - all missed.

May of 1942, LCDR J. W. 'Red' Coe took command of this boat. He is credited with the first successful "dOwn the throat' shot which took place on 6 May off Camrahn Bay, (then) French IndoChina. About 0300 they spotted a target some seven miles away and Coe decided not to risk a night-surface attack, so he blitzed ahead on all four engines to be ahead of the freighter before daylight. By 0430, he was in an advantageous position but the freighter was then very close, and coming fairly fast. Coe had to think and decide quickly. He fired three at KANAN MARU and one hit with a tremendous explosion, sending her down before she reached the submarine.

In spring of 1942, Coe was one of the Skippers who documented the disastrous performance of the Mark 14 torpedo and SKIPJACK was used in testing this torpedo whose history is tarnished.

In the fall of 1942, during the blockade of Truk Island, SKIPJACK was able to sink the 6,781 ton freighter SHUNKO MARU midway along her route from Palau.

U,VS SKIPJACK (under CDR Molumphy) was one of the boats blockading Truk when the destroyer SUKUKAZE tried to break out, but was sunk by the American submarine on 25 January 1944.

USS SKIPJACK, under Coe, is famous for a particular requisition, which we copy here. It was also used in the movie Operation Petticoat, staring Cary Grant and Tony Curtis, It goes:

3al84AL8 S36-1 11 July 1942

From: the Commanding Officer, USS SKIPJACK
To: Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island
Subj Toilet Paper

Ref (a) (S184) USS SKIPJACK Req 7042 of 30 July 1941
(b) SO NYMI Cancelled invoice No. 272836

Encl: (a) Sample of cancelled invoice.
(b) sample of material required.

1. This vessel submitted a requisition for 150 rolls of toilet paper on 30 July 1941, to USS HOLLAND. The material was ordered by HOLLAND to the supply officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island, for delivery to USS SKIPJACK.

2. The supply officer Mare Island on 26 November 1941, cancelled Mare Island invoice No. 272836 with the stamped notation "Cancelled. Cannot Identify." This cancelled invoice was received by SKIPJACK 10 June 1942.

3. During the eleven and a half months elapsing from the time of ordering the toilet paper to the present date, USS SKIPJACK personnel, despite their best efforts to await delivery of the subject material, have been unable to wait on several occasions, and the situation is now acute, particularly during depth-charge attacks by the "back stabbers".

4. Enclosure (b) is a sample of the desired material provided for the information of the supply officer, Navy Yard, Mare Island. The commanding officer of USS SKIPJACK cannot help but wonder what is being used at Mare Island as a substitute for this unidentifiable material once well known to this command.

5. Boat's personnel during this period has become accustomed to the use of ersatz in proportion to the vast amount of incoming paper work generally nonessential, and in so doing feels that the wish of the Bureau of Ships for the reduction of paper work is being complied with, thus killing two birds with one stone.

6. It is believed by this command that the stamped notation "Cannot Identify' was possibly an error, and that this is simply a case of shortage of strategic war material, USS SKIPJACK probably being low on the priority list.

7. In order to co-operate in the war effort at small local sacrifice USS SKIPJACK desires no further action be taken until the end of the current war, which has created a situation so aptly described as "War is Hell."

War Patrols of USS SKIPJACK
WP #	FROM	TO	DURATION	SINKINGS
1	CV Samar	FA	36 days	None
2	FA Celebes	FA	40 days	None
3	FA S. China S	FA	50 days	See note A
4	FA Timor	FA	48 days	None
5	FA Transit	PH	60 days	See note B
6	PH Marshalls	PH	45 days	None
7	PH Empire	PH	49 days	None
8	PH Marshalls	PH	43 days	None
9	PH Carolines	PH	57 days	See note C
10	PH Kuriles	MI	49 days	None

NOTE A - On her third war patrol, USS SKIPJACK sank:

2,567 ton transport KANAN MARU,
4,804 ton freighter BAJUN MARU,
5,477 ton transport TAZAN MARU

NOTE B - On her 5th war patrol, USS SKIPJACK sank:

6,780 ton freighter SHUNKO MARU

NOTE C - On her 9th war patrol, USS SKIPJACK sank:

1,685 ton destroyer SUZUKAZE;
6,666 ton transport OKITSU MARU

C. H. Freeman was her Skipper for the first two war patrols; J. W. Coe commanded war patrols 3, 4 and 5; H. F. Stoner commanded war patrols 6 and 7, G. G. Molumphy commanded war patrols 8 and 9, and R. S. Andrews commanded war patrol 10.

USS SKIPJACK was awarded seven Battle Stars for World War II.

She was decommissioned on 28 August 1945 and was taken to Bikini Atoll where she was sunk as one of the many targets of the atomic bomb tests on 25 July 1946.

SKIPJACK was later raised in a salvage exercise, taken to the west coast of the USA where she was sunk as a target for aircraft rockets off San Clemente on 11 August 1948.