USS Gato (SS-212)

History

The USS Gato (SS-212) is the lead ship of the large Gato-class submarine fleet of 77 ships, which together with the Balao-class submarines formed the backbone of the US Navy's submarine operations in the Pacific during World War II. The type later served post-war service with nine refurbished examples in the navies of Brazil, Greece, Italy, Japan and Turkey, although this would have been his exploits in the U.S. Navy during WWII, which would justly cement his presence in the navy Status History. It should be noted that the life of a submariner in World War II was one of the most dangerous occupations in the conflict.

288 U.S. Navy submarines were launched, and 52 of them were missingoften all on board, with little chance of escape or rescue. Of the US Navy's 14,750 junior submarines, 3,505 (about 24 percent) were killed throughout the war.

The Gato-class ships were developed as improved "T-class" ships, which themselves appeared after the earlier "S-class". This new type of ship adds more forward torpedo tubes and increased endurance, which complements the vast Pacific Ocean, allowing for longer operating times and more restrained torpedo use.

The destruction of the Japanese Empire would be a long campaign spanning tens of thousands of miles of ocean and islands, involving aircraft, surface ships, infantry and submarines to control its power. The main focus of the U-boat is to control the supply/supply routes used by the Empire through its numerous convoys.

These fleetsespecially unprotected onesprovide "juicy" targets for fish like USS Gato.

From there, the Gato and her crew head to Tigmon to reconnect and complete the damaged enemy freighter. However, crew on deck noticed that an unexploded depth charge was still attached to Gato's hull. An attempt was made to remove the cargo, and after being loaded onto an available raft, it was released harmlessly into the sea. To make matters worse, Gato's surveillance spotted two enemy destroyers and conducted evasive maneuvers before overtaking the pair.

Failing to dispose of the damaged freighter, the Gato Guard identified another convoy and pursued it. The effort was abandoned on 29 December when a Japanese naval seaplane pursued it. The seaplane was sent off due to the work of the Gatto deck gun crew, but lost the initiative against the convoy.

Her seventh war patrol ended in Milne Bay, New Guinea, on January 10, 1944.

Gato was put at sea on 2 February 1944 for his eighth war patrol. She was sent to patrol the waters near Bismarck and Truk, where a trawler, Daigen Maru 3, was sunk on 15 February, soon joined by a trawler on 26 February and scuttled on 12 March, Send Okinoyama Maru No. 3 to the bottom.

A pair of trawlers were added to the list, and Gato was recalled to Pearl Harbor on April 1, 1944.

Gato's ninth wartime patrol began on 30 May 1944. During the initial phase of this patrol, Gato served as the covert transport for Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, successfully transporting him and his entourage to Midway. From there, Gato conducted a photographic reconnaissance mission to Woleai Island from June 11 to 18 and supported air strikes on Truk (as a rescue station responsible for recovering downed aircraft).

On June 22, 1944, she was dispatched to Majuro Atoll to complete her ninth war patrol.

USS Gato conducted its tenth war patrol on July 15, again serving as a rescue post during the air raid on Chichi Island. During the battle, Gato was called to rescue at least two downed pilots, and successfully completed the rescue before returning to Pearl Harbor on September 2, 1944.

She was then ordered to Mare Island for another refit and overhaul before returning to Pearl Island for her eleventh war patrol.

Her eleventh war patrol began on January 13, 1945, which took her to the Yellow Sea. As part of a larger force, Gato shot down the cargo ship Tairiku Maru on 21 February. On March 13, 1945, she returned to Guam for further orders and then went to sea again, concluding her eleventh wartime patrol.

On April 12, 1945, the 12th wartime patrol of the USS Gato began. In that month, German leader Adolf Hitler would commit suicide in Europe in late April, effectively officially ending the European campaign in May, allowing much-needed supplies, the robo-men, to be transferred to the Pacific theater. Allied gains at sea and on the Pacific islands (and land in Southeast Asia) began to encircle the Japanese mainland. Gato served as a lifeguard station during the Okinawa amphibious assault, and on April 22 and April 23, Gato narrowly escaped after losing engagement with two enemy submarines.

From April 27 to 30, Gato rescued up to 10 U.S. Army pilots in the waters off Misaki, Toi, Kyushu. She was then ordered to return to Pearl Harbor, where she returned on June 3, 1945.

Beginning July 8, her 13th wartime patrol used her again as a rescue station during the Wake Island air raid. Then she played the same role against the state.

During the August 15 attack on a Japanese cargo ship, Gato's crew finally gained the final say to call off further attacks on Japanese targets, thus officially ending the Pacific War and World War II. The freighter undoubtedly survived, and the USS Gato's long war career came to an end.

On August 31, USS Gato was part of an Allied contingent in Tokyo Bay and was called to witness the official surrender of the Japanese Empire on the deck of USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. USS Gato leaves Japan and returns to Pearl Harbor for supplies. She then traveled through the Panama Canal to the New York Shipyard, officially ending her service in World War II. She was officially decommissioned as a U.S. Navy battleship on March 16, 1946.

Before being transferred to Baltimore, she served as a preparatory training platform for emerging Navy submarines in New York Harbor. Her name was removed from the U.S.

Naval Register on March 1, 1960, after which the ship was sold to Northern Metals of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for scrap on July 25, 1960 - marking another splendor The end of the battleship.

All told, USS Gato and her crew have collected a total of 13 Battle Stars for their WWII achievements. In addition, Gato received the Presidential Unit Award.

The USS Gato and Gato-class warships are named after the small Gato catshark, a species commonly found on the west coast of Mexico.

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