Built by: Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Design: Government
Keel laid: 27 October 1937
Launched: 1 April 1939
Sponsor: Miss L. Shaw Hepburn
Commissioned: 22 July 1939
First Skipper: Lt. Chester Smith

1 April 1939 was a happy and gala event as USS SWORDFISH began her life. It was to last not quite six years before the bitter final chapter in her life.

In November of 1941, USS SWORDFISH was one of four American submarines escorting the tender USS HOLLAND from Pearl Harbor to Manila. The encountered a Japanese vessel, but no action issued from this contact and they went onward.

27 November 1941, Admiral Hart received the following dispatch: “

This dispatch is to be considered a war warning. Negotiations with Japan looking towards stabilization of conditions in the Pacific have ceased and an aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days. The number and equipment of Japanese troops and the organization of naval task forces indicate an amphibious expedition either against the Philippines, Thai or Kra Peninsula, or possibly Borneo. Execute an appropriate defensive deployment.”

Once in the Philippines, USS SWORDFISH was attached to Submarine Division 22, Commander J. A. Connolly commanding.

On 8 December 1941, the signal light on USS CANOPUS flashed:

“From Commander Asiatic Fleet to Asiatic Fleet. Urgent. Japan has commenced hostilities. Govern yourselves accordingly.”

It was December 7th on the Hawaiian side of the International Date Line and the Japanese fleet had struck at Pearl Harbor.

Along with USS PIKE, USS SWORDFISH headed northwest to the entrance to Hainan Strait to interrupt Japanese communications. All the Skippers were given the same orders: “You will sink or destroy enemy shipping wherever encountered.”

It wasn’t long until SWORDFISH under command of Chester Smith struck back. On 9 December, they were penetrating a large convoy and fired one torpedo at a large transport but before they could get a visual on the torpedo, a Japanese destroyer closed fast with the intention to ram SWORDFISH. As they dived to evade the tin can, the sound operator confirmed a loud explosion. Soon, the tin can lost SWORDFISH and she came to periscope depth and fired another torpedo into the transport. The Skipper reported a sinking, but there was no confirmation.

On 11 December, they fired again into this same convoy at a large transport, but both torpedoes missed.

Then on the 14th in the South China Sea, they attacked more ships of this convoy after seeing a large number of ships, heavily escorted by destroyers. SWORDFISH reported a large freighter sunk but again, no confirmation but there was a severe counterattack.

Not one to break off such a lucrative target rich environment, they remained and after daylight, fired two torpedoes at one freighter and one torpedo at another. The sound operator reported explosions and a look through the periscope confirmed the rest of the convoy was rushing away from two sinking ships but again – no confirmation of sinking. These ships were merely damaged.

Then on 15 December (16 December in the Far East) USS SWORDFISH trapped a large freighter off the coast of Hainan Island and they fired three torpedoes. This time there was no miss and the 8,663 ton ATSUTUSAN MARU blew up and sank, the first confirmed sinking of a Japanese ship by an American submarine.

From the end of 1941 until 7 January 1942, USS SWORDFISH was used to transport Captain John Wilkes to Java, where he was made ComSubsAsiatic, replacing Captain Doyle.

Since there was no air reconnaissance over Menado and Kema, only the submarines could scout there and in mid-January, USS SWORDFISH reported the harbor alive with Japanese shipping; too late for a concerted effort by the submarines to halt the landings – the Japanese were already there.

24 January, they spotted two freighters anchored in the roadstead off Kema and despite heavy ASW patrols with scout planes overhead, Smith determined to go in after these two prizes. They ran at 90 feet down except for the twenty minute periscope observations, and they moved in during the bright sunny day. At 1238 hours, they fired two torpedoes at the first ship, then swung their aim to the second ship and fired two more. Anchored the way they were, they were just ‘sitting ducks’ waiting to be hit.

Within two minutes, explosions were heard on the first target and moments later, at the second ship. MYOKEN MARU of 4,000 tons was sunk. Two days later, SWORDFISH attacked an enemy destroyer without results and a day later, attacked a freighter with one torpedo – and missed. Then on Valentine’s Day, SWORDFISH fired two torpedoes at a freighter with one hit. 19 Feb., they reported sinking an oil tanker which was not confirmed.

In February, USS SWORDFISH returned to Corregidor to take Mr. Francis B. Sayre, the United States High Commissioner and his party of eleven plus five Navy men, to Fremantle, Australia.

Then on 9 April, USS SWORDFISH was loaded with foodstuffs and ordered to Corregidor, but she never got there. While she was in transit, the Philippines fell and so she was ordered to conduct a short patrol, then return to Fremantle and offload the cargo.

On the night of 28 May, SWORDFISH spotted a large Japanese freighter and fired three torpedoes. They couldn’t miss, because TATSUFURU MARU was already sinking from torpedoes fired by USS SEAL – so this ship was doomed for sure.

In the summer of 1942, American sub were behind Japanese lines and causing havoc. 12 June, SWORDFISH sank BURMA MARU, a 4,584 ton freighter off Thailand.

Under a new Skipper, LCDR J. H. Lewis, SWORDFISH sank the 4,122 ton freighter MYOHO MARU on 19 January 1943.

Under yet another Skipper, Captain K. G. Hensel, SWORDFISH sank the 6,921 ton passenger/freighter YAMAKUNA MARU on 14 January 1944; the 2,182 ton gunboat DELHI MARU on 16 January and the 3,140 converted salvage vessel KASAGI MARU on 27 January.

Still another Skipper, CDR. K. E. Montrose, took SWORDFISH to another victory on 9 June 1944, sinking MATSUKAZE.

USS SWORDFISH did not escape punishment – not by the enemy, the Japanese, but rather by an American bomber! On 7 February 1943, here is how the official report reads:

“Strafed by .50 cal. AP projectiles from U. S. Army B-17 bomber which approached SWORDFISH from 20º on the bow at an altitude of about 500 feet. SWORDFISH made a quick dive but received about 20 hits in bridge, conning tower fairwater and superstructure. Damage was as follows: (a) forward engine room access hatch skirt was struck by one projectile which did not penetrate completely but cracked the plating, causing minor leakage into the boat; (b) pressure proof battery exhaust ventilation piping was punctured forward of conning tower, causing external system to flood completely; (c) one puncture occurred in low pressure blow line to MBT No. 3; (d) one puncture occurred in MBT No. 2A vent riser; (e) several projectiles ricocheted from top of conning tower pressure plating, causing nicks about 1/16 inch deep. Patrol was terminated.”

SWORDFISH was not only beaten up by an American bomber, the Japanese hit her pretty hard on 13 January 1944. The report states:

“Depth charged by three Japanese escorts while at 320 foot depth. No. 1 periscope lost nitrogen pressure and lenses of No. 2 periscope were jarred out of alignment. JP and JK-QC sound heads were disabled. Cast iron plug was blown out of main motor cooling piping. Conning tower hatch was opened momentarily, allowing water to flood conning tower bilges. Clamping shoe on port main motor parallel contactor in control cubicle jarred loose and a securing wing nut on emergency power cable in pump room backed off but these derangements were not discovered until the next dive. At that time the cable in the pump room fell against its cabinet due to the down angle on the boat, starting a fire, and the control cubicle clamping shoe grounded, causing its contactor to weld itself closed. Both main and auxiliary power were lost. Attempts to put the main motors on battery power caused circuit breakers to operate each time due to short circuit in the cubicle. Ship finally submerged with power on the starboard shaft only after pulling port main motor disconnect switches. Temporary repairs were made and the ship remained on patrol.”

These reports bring the situation to life for the reader, and it gives us somewhat of a sense of what happens inside a submarine while under attack and things begin to break, to fail, and to bring possible destruction to the submarine. The report of 12 January 1945 states:

“Last heard from on 3 January 1945. Information furnished by KETE (SS369) indicates that SWORDFISH may have been sunk by Japanese depth charge attack near Okinawa on 12 January 1945. No explanation of loss is available from Japanese sources.”

USS SWORDFISH was gone, and to this date, no cause for the loss is definitely known. She departed Pearl Harbor 22 December 1944 on her 13th war patrol, bound for her patrol area of the Nansei Shotos with a pass near Okinawa for photo reconnaissance to help the planners prepare Operation ICEBERG, the planned invasion of that island. There was special equipment on board for this specific mission and so, SWORDFISH topped off her fuel at Midway and continued onward.

On 2 January 1945, they received orders to keep clear of the Nansei Shotos for the time, as American aircraft carrier airstrikes were underway, but she was ordered to patrol shipping off Yaku Island. SWORDFISH acknowledged receipt of these orders on 3 January.

Then on 9 January, she was ordered to begin her patrol to Nansei Shotos for her special mission. She was to return to Saipan when finished unless she was unable to transmit. In that event, she was to proceed to Midway. SWORDFISH failed to appear at Saipan on the scheduled date, so it was assumed that she had gone on to Midway. She failed to appear there as well.

It is possible she was lost on the morning of 12 January, as USS KETE, then in the Okinawa area, got a sound contact on a nearby submarine, and SWORDFISH was expected in that area at that time. Four hours later, KETE heard a long and heavy depth charge attack in the area. Was SWORDFISH the target?

Another possibility – SWORDFISH could have run onto one of the thousands of mines off Okinawa.

Whatever the reason, her crew of 89 Americans are still on their ‘Eternal Patrol’ somewhere in the oceans of the Far East.

SINKINGS by USS SWORDFISH
DATE	NAME	TYPE	GRT	SKIPPER
12.16.41	ATSUTASAN MARU	Cargo	8,662	C. G. Smith
01.24.42	MYOKEN MARU	Cargo	4,124	C. G. Smith
05.29.42	unknown	Cargo	1,900	C. G. Smith
06.12.42	BURMA MARU	Cargo	4,584	C. G. Smith
01.19.43	MYOHO MARU	Cargo	4,122	J. H. Lewis
08.22.43	NICHIYAMA MARU	Cargo	3,016	F. M. Parker
09.05.43	TENKAI MARU	Cargo	3,203	F. M. Parker
01.14.44	YAMAKUNI MARU	Cargo	6,921	K. G. Hensel
01.16.44	DELHI MARU	Gunboat	2,182	K. G. Hensel
01.27.44	KASAGI MARU	Salvage	3,140	K. G. Hensel
06.09.44	MATSUKAZE	Destroyer	1,270	K. Montross
06.15.44	KANSEISHI MARU	Cargo	4,804	K. Montross

A tough combatant, USS SWORDFISH accounted for the loss of 11 merchant ships and one destroyer totaling 47,928 tons.