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Snook file photo [12961]

Snook

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassGato-class Submarine
Hull NumberSS-279
BuilderPortsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States
Laid Down17 Apr 1942
Launched15 Aug 1942
Commissioned24 Oct 1942
Displacement1,549 tons standard; 2,463 tons submerged
Length311 feet
Beam27 feet
Draft17 feet
MachineryFour Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-1/8 9-cyl diesel engines (5,400shp), four high-speed General Electric electric motors (2,740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries
Speed21 knots
Range11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew60
Armament6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x102mm 50cal gun
Submerged Speed9 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseUSS Snook embarked on her first war patrol in Apr 1943. Between 1943 and 1944, she had been very successful in hunting Japanese ships, achieving several sinkings. One of her most successful attacks, ironically, was the 23 Oct 1944 attack on a large Japanese convoy during which she sank three ships; one of them, Arisan Maru, was carrying 1,800 American prisoners of war, most of whom did not survive the sinking. On 8 Apr 1945, east of Taiwan, China while en route to South China Sea, she reported her position to wolfpack mate USS Tigrone. When Tigrone radioed her on the next day, Snook failed to respond. Four days later, she was ordered to perform lifeguard duty off the Sakishima Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and she again failed to respond. On 20 Apr, when a British carrier aircraft was downed in Snook's assigned area and she failed to respond for requests for a rescue mission, USS Bang was ordered to search for Snook. She was presumed lost on 16 May.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Jul 2011

Submarine Snook (SS-279) Interactive Map

Photographs

Launching ceremony of Scamp (left) and Scorpion (right), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States, 20 Jul 1942; note Snook on far rightLaunching of submarine Snook, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, 15 Aug 1942, photo 1 of 2 (taken at 1510 hours)
See all 9 photographs of Submarine Snook (SS-279)

Snook Operational Timeline

17 Apr 1942 Submarine Snook was laid down at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, United States.
15 Aug 1942 Submarine Snook was launched, sponsored by the wife of Navy Cross winner Lieutenant James C. Dempsey.
24 Oct 1942 USS Snook was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Commander C. O. Triebel in command.
3 Mar 1943 USS Snook departed New London, Connecticut, United States.
11 Apr 1943 USS Snook departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her first war patrol.
25 Apr 1943 USS Snook sank a Japanese or Chinese sampan with her deck gun off China.
5 May 1943 In the afternoon, USS Snook began stalking two Japanese freighters Kinko Maru (hitting with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired) and Daifuku Maru (hitting with 1 of 5 torpedoes fired) departing Dalian, China. She sank them with torpedoes after dark.
7 May 1943 USS Snook attacked a Japanese convoy off China and sank Hosei Maru, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.
13 May 1943 USS Snook sank a Japanese freighter with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired about 90 miles southeast of Jeju island, Korea in the East China Sea.
16 May 1943 USS Snook sank a Japanese trawler with her deck gun.
23 May 1943 USS Snook arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her first war patrol.
9 Jun 1943 USS Snook departed from Midway Atoll for her second war patrol.
24 Jun 1943 At dawn, USS Snook attacked a six-ship Japanese convoy in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, damaging one tanker with 2 of 4 torpedoes fired.
3 Jul 1943 USS Snook began stalking a Japanese convoy off the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
4 Jul 1943 USS Snook attacked a Japanese convoy with 16 torpedoes, 6 of which hit, sinking cargo ships Koki Maru and Liverpool Maru and damaging Atlantic Maru.
18 Jul 1943 USS Snook arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her second war patrol.
18 Aug 1943 USS Snook departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her third war patrol.
30 Aug 1943 USS Snook arrived in the Marcus Island area and a conducted photograph reconnaissance mission.
1 Sep 1943 USS Snook performed lifeguard duty for carrier aircraft airmen.
12 Sep 1943 USS Snook fired 6 torpedoes at a Japanese transport; all torpedoes missed.
13 Sep 1943 USS Snook sank Japanese transport Yamato Maru in the East China Sea with 1 of 6 torpedoes fired.
22 Sep 1943 USS Snook sank Japanese cargo ship Katsurahama Maru off Dalian, China with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired. She fired another 8 torpedoes at another ship, but all of them missed.
29 Sep 1943 USS Snook damaged a Japanese craft with her deck gun.
8 Oct 1943 USS Snook arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her third war patrol.
29 Nov 1943 USS Snook fired a total of 26 torpedoes at a Japanese convoy over a three hour period; 9 torpedoes hit, sinking Japanese passenger ship Yamafuku Maru and cargo ship Shiganoura Maru and damaging one escort vessel off the Mariana Islands.
7 Dec 1943 USS Snook arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her fourth war patrol.
6 Jan 1944 USS Snook departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her fifth war patrol.
23 Jan 1944 USS Snook sank Japanese converted gunboat Magane Maru off the Bonin Islands, hitting with 2 of 6 torpedoes fired.
8 Feb 1944 USS Snook attacked a Japanese convoy with four torpedoes in the East China Sea. Three of them hit, sinking Lima Maru and damaging freighter Shiranesan Maru.
10 Feb 1944 USS Snook fired four torpedoes at a Japanese patrol craft; all torpedoes missed.
14 Feb 1944 USS Snook sank Japanese freighter Nittoku Maru in the East China Sea, hitting with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.
15 Feb 1944 USS Snook sank Japanese cargo ship Hoshi Maru Number 2 in the East China Sea, hitting with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired.
23 Feb 1944 USS Snook attacked a large Japanese convoy in the Pacific Ocean. After sneaking past 11 escort vessels, she fired five torpedoes, two of which hit and sank the passenger-cargo ship Koyo Maru.
6 Mar 1944 USS Snook arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her fifth war patrol.
12 Jul 1944 USS Snook fired four torpedoes at two Japanese freighters; one hit, causing damage but not sinking the target.
27 Jul 1944 USS Snook fired 6 torpedoes at a Japanese freighter; all torpedoes missed.
14 Aug 1944 USS Snook arrived at Midway Atoll, ending her sixth war patrol.
25 Sep 1944 USS Snook arrived at Saipan, Mariana Islands for repairs.
4 Oct 1944 USS Snook completed her repairs at Saipan, Mariana Islands.
23 Oct 1944 USS Snook attacked a Japanese convoy over the course of the day, firing a total of 20 torpedoes. Scoring 7 total hits, she sank passenger-cargo ship Shinsei Maru Number 1, tanker Kikusui Maru, and passenger ship Arisan Maru (which was carrying 1,800 American prisoners of war, many of whom did not survive).
27 Oct 1944 USS Snook fired 3 torpedoes at a Japanese tanker; all torpedoes missed the target, but another Japanese ship was hit by one of them, causing damage.
3 Nov 1944 USS Snook rescued a downed American airman in the Pacific Ocean.
18 Nov 1944 USS Snook arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her seventh war patrol.
25 Dec 1944 USS Snook began her eighth war patrol.
17 Feb 1945 USS Snook ended her eighth war patrol.
8 Apr 1945 USS Snook reported her position to USS Tigrone east of the island of Taiwan, China.
9 Apr 1945 USS Snook failed to respond to a message sent by USS Tigrone.
12 Apr 1945 An order was sent by radio to USS Snook to take lifeguard station off the Sakishima Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan; she failed to respond.
20 Apr 1945 USS Snook failed to respond when requested by a British carrier task force to rescue a downed airman in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan.
16 May 1945 After not responding to communications since 9 Apr 1945, USS Snook was presumed lost.




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Submarine Snook (SS-279) Photo Gallery
Launching ceremony of Scamp (left) and Scorpion (right), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States, 20 Jul 1942; note Snook on far rightLaunching of submarine Snook, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, 15 Aug 1942, photo 1 of 2 (taken at 1510 hours)
See all 9 photographs of Submarine Snook (SS-279)


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