World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS Blackfin was commissioned into service with the United States Navy in the summer of 1944 with Lieutenant Commander George Hays Laird, Jr. She arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States in Sep 1944, and embarked on her first of five war patrols on 30 Sep. She operated mainly off China in the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea. She sank Japanese cargo ship Unkai Maru #12 on 1 Nov 1944 and Japanese destroyer Shigure on 24 Jan 1945; the two sinkings totaled 4,325 tons. During the fifth war patrol, the Pacific War ended with the Japanese surrender. Immediately after the end of the war, she performed lifeguarding duties and assisted in mine clearing operations, destroying 61 mines during the latter mission. She arrived in Guam, Mariana Islands on 5 Sep 1945 to receive fuel and repairs, and then departed for San Diego, California, United States to join Submarine Squadron 1. Through Jul 1948, she conducted patrols in the Pacific Ocean, typically in waters surrounding Mariana Islands and Hawaii Islands. She was inactivated at Mare Island Navy Yard in California, United States in Jul 1948, and was decommissioned there in Nov of the same year. In Nov 1950, Blackfin underwent the GUPPY modernization program to increase her performance. Upon completion of the conversion, she was recommissioned into service on 15 May 1951 to operate with the Submarine Force of the Pacific Fleet, which was based in San Diego until 8 Mar 1954 when it was moved to Pearl Harbor. Between Dec 1951 and Jun 1952, she toured the Far East, and then repeated a similar voyage again between Jan and Jun 1955. She was decommissioned for the second and final time on 15 Sep 1972, and was sunk by a torpedo as a target ship during the exercise "SubSinkEx Project Thurber" off San Diego in the following year.

Submarine Blackfin (SS-322) Interactive Map

Photographs

Blackfin Operational Timeline