USS Wahoo (SS-238)

History of USS Wahoo (SS-238)

The USS Wahoo (SS-238) is a Gato-class submarine and the first ship of the United States Navy to be named Wahoo. Construction began before the United States entered World War II and was commissioned after it entered. Wahoo was assigned to the Pacific Theater.

She rose to prominence as an aggressive and highly successful submarine after Lieutenant Colonel Dudley Walker "Mush" Morton became her captain. In October 1943, she was sunk by Japanese aircraft while returning from patrolling the Sea of ??Japan.

Important Wahoo-related events include:

August 12, 1942 After her exams and initial training, USS Wahoo (Lieutenant M.G. Kennedy) left San Francisco for Pearl Harbor.

August 18, 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) arrives at Pearl Harbor.

August 23, 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) leaves Pearl Harbor on her first war patrol. She was ordered to patrol the territory of the Caroline Islands.

October 17, 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) completed her first wartime patrol at Pearl Harbor.

8. November 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) leaves Pearl Harbor on her second war patrol. She was ordered to patrol Solomon Islands territory.

December 10, 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M. G. Kennedy) torpedoed the Japanese Collier Kamoi Maru (5355 BRT) at Buin, Bougainville, 0406'S, 15458'E.

December 26, 1942 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) completed her second war patrol in Brisbane, Australia.

January 16, 1943 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. D.W. Morton) leaves Brisbane on her third war patrol. She was ordered to patrol the outskirts of Palau.

January 24, 1943 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed and damaged Japanese destroyer Harusame at positions 0323'S, 14334'E approximately 11 nautical miles west of Wewak, New Guinea (external link).

26. January 1943 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. D. W. Morton) attacked a Japanese convoy approximately 270 nautical miles north of New Guinea and torpedoed the Japanese Army cargo ships Buyo Maru (5447 GRT) and Buyo Maru (5447 GRT) >Fukui Maru No.

2 (1901 BRT) is located at 0200'N, 13914'E. Wahoo then pursued at 0230'N, 13944'E and torpedoed and damaged the Japanese tanker Pacific Maru (5872 BRT).

February 7, 1943 USS Wahoo (Lt. Cdr. D. W. Morton) completed her third wartime patrol at Pearl Harbor.

February 23, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) leaves Pearl Harbor on her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol the Yellow Sea.

February 27, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) refuels at Midway.

March 19, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed Japanese merchant ship Zogen Maru (1428 BRT) east of Dalian, Kanto Peninsula, Manchukuo, at 3829'N, 12219'E , and torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant ship Kowa Maru (3217 BRT) at 3827'N, 12218'E.

March 21, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant vessel Hozan Maru (2260 GRT) >Nittsu Maru at 3811'N, 12433'E and in the Yellow Sea (2183 GRT) at position 3805'N, 12433'E.

March 23, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed Japanese merchant ship Teisho Maru (9849 BRT) at 3901'N, 12225'E while operating in the Yellow Sea, Japanese Army Cargo ship Takaosan Maru (2076 GRT) at positions 3813'N, 12324'E and Japanese Army cargo ship Satsuki Maru strong> (830 GRT) at 3810 'N, 12326'E position fire.

March 29, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed the Japanese auxiliary cable vessel Yamabato Maru (2256 GRT) at 3026'N, 12941'E south of Kyushu, Japan.

6. April 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) completed her fourth wartime patrol at Midway.

April 25, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) leaves halfway through her 5th war patrol. She was initially ordered to patrol around the Kuril Islands.

7. May 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant vessel Tamon Maru No. 5 (5260 BRT) 53'E at 4005'N, 141 Benten Zaki, Honshu, Japan.

May 9, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed the Japanese merchant ships Takao Maru (3204 GRT) and Jimmu Maru (1912 GRT) near Kone Zaki in northeastern Honshu , Japan at position 3857'N, 14149'E.

21. May 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) completed her 5th wartime patrol at Pearl Harbor. Now, she has been ordered to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a complete overhaul.

July 21, 1943 With her overhaul complete, USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) leaves the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for Pearl Harbor.

July 27, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) arrives at Pearl Harbor.

August 2, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) leaves Pearl Harbor on her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol the Sea of ??Japan.

6. August 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) refuels at Midway.

August 29, 1943 She completed her 6th war patrol at Pearl Harbor after USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) fired all torpedoes in vain due to malfunction.

September 9, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) leaves Pearl Harbor on her 7th war patrol. She will be patrolling the Sea of ??Japan again.

September 13, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) refuels at Midway.

September 21, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) sank the Japanese commercial fishing vessel Hokusei Maru (1394 BRT) at 4545'N, 14546'E west of the Kuril Islands.

September 25, 1943 probably USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) torpedoed the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Taiko Maru (2958 GRT) in the sea west of the Tsugaru Strait at approx. Position 4130'N, 13900'E.

On July 14, 1944, the Taiko Maru was raised and returned to service, eventually sunk by the USS Sand Lance.

September 29, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) sinks the Japanese merchant vessel Masaki Maru No. 2 (1238 GRT) in the Sea of ??Japan 125 nautical miles east of Heungnam, South Korea at 4000'N, 130 00'E.

October 5, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) sank the Japanese warship Konron Maru (7908 BRT) in the Tsushima Strait at 3400'N, 12900'E.

October 6, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) sank the Japanese Army cargo ship Kanko Maru (1283 GRT) at 3718', 12933'N in the Sea of ??Japan east of Korea E. [ /p]

October 9, 1943 USS Wahoo (Cdr. D. W. Morton) sank the Japanese Army cargo ship Hankow Maru (2995 GRT) at 3718'N, 12933'E near Oga Peninsula, Japan.

Specification

Basic

Years of Service

1942

Origins

United States

supplement

60

staff

Class Information

classes

Overtime

Class Size

77

Carrier

United States

Roles

Underwater attack

Move subsurface to find, track and/or attack or reconnaissance areas.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Dimensions and weights

Length

311. 8 feet

95.04m

Ray

27. 2 feet

8.29m

Draft

17. 0 feet

5.18m

Shift

1,525 t

No. submerged

2,425 t

Power and Performance

Installed power:

4 x Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-1/8 10-cylinder diesel engines w/ alternator and 4 x GE engines w/ 2 x 126 battery Sargo batteries producing 5,400 hp on 2 x axles

Surface Velocity

21. 0 nodes

(24.2 km/h)

Underwater speed

9. 0 nodes

(10.4 km/h)

Area

11,297nm

(13,000 miles | 20,921 kilometers)

Armor

6 x 21" (533 mm) front torpedo tubes 4 x 21" (533 mm) rear torpedo tubes 24 x torpedo reloads 1 x 3" (76 mm) /50 cal Deck guns 1 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun 1 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun

Aircraft

No.