USS Bonefish (SS-223)
History of the USS Bonefish Submarine
The USS Bonefish (SS-223) was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Connecticut on June 25, 1942. She was launched on March 7, 1943 and commissioned on May 31, 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Thomas W. Hogan.
The USS Bonefish arrived at Brisbane on August 30, 1943. She began her first war patrol of the South China Sea on September 16. On September 25, she scored three torpedo hits on an enemy freighter before diving to escape the resulting depth charge attack. Two days later, she sank the transport Kashima Maru. The submarine hit two cargo ships with her torpedoes on October 6 but was unable to assess the damage. Four days later, she sank the Japanese cargo ship Isuzugawa and the transport Teibi Maru. She ended her patrol on October 21 at Fremantle.
Her next patrol began on November 22, and the USS Bonefish returned to the South China Sea. Seven days later, she sank the enemy cargo ship Suez Maru. On December 1, she sank the Nichiryo Maru and damaged a destroyer escort. The submarine moved on to conduct a submerged patrol around Borneo in early December. She surfaced to damage the Toyohime Maru with gunfire on December 11, and scored a torpedo hit on an unidentified Japanese vessel the following day. Her patrol ended when she returned to Fremantle on December 19.
After spending the Christmas holiday in Australia during refitting, the USS Bonefish began her third war patrol on January 12, 1944. She sank a sailing vessel that was sheltering Japanese troops on January 22. On February 6, she launched torpedoes at a large convoy, including an oiler, a cargo ship, and at least 15 other vessels. Though she scored two hits, neither target sank. The submarine lost depth control, taking on nine tons of water in her torpedo room before securing the necessary valves. Three days later, she attacked a convoy but was unable to verify the result of the attack when she dove to avoid enemy depth charges. She returned to Fremantle on March 15.
The USS Bonefish headed for the Celebes Sea on April 13. She sank the Tokiwa Maru on April 26 and damaged a cargo ship the following day. On May 3, she attacked another convoy, but she sustained minor damage from the inevitable depth charge attack. Four days later, she launched four torpedoes at an escort ship, but was unable to verify the results. The submarine sank the destroyer Inazuma on May 14 and damaged the tanker she was escorting. After completing a reconnaissance mission, she ended her patrol on May 30 at Fremantle.
On June 25, the USS Bonefish sailed for her next patrol of the Celebes Sea. She sank an enemy schooner on July 6 and another small ship the following day. The day after that, she set a small steamer on fire. Two days later, she sank a sampan. On July 29, the submarine sank the empty tanker Kokuyo Maru. She damaged another tanker on August 3 before returning to Fremantle 10 days later.
The USS Bonefish started her sixth war patrol on September 5, this time in the Sibuyan Sea. On September 24, she sank the Anjo Maru. With a new wolf pack, she scored three hits on a convoy of cargo ships on October 10 and sank the Fushimi Maru four days later. The submarine rescued two downed aviators on October 18 before heading to San Francisco, California via Pearl Harbor for overhaul at the end of the year.
Once her overhaul was completed at Bethlehem Steel Submarine Repair Basin, the USS Bonefish sailed from Pearl Harbor on March 20 to begin her next patrol of the East China Sea. This patrol was relatively uneventful, as she attacked a patrol vessel on April 13 and missed. Three days later, she rescued two Japanese aviators. The submarine returned to Guam on May 7 for refitting.
The USS Bonefish left for her eighth and final war patrol on May 28thalong with the wolf pack known as “Pierce’s Pole Cats.” She sailed for the Sea of Japan off the coast of Honshu. The submarine sank the Japanese cargo ship Oshikayama on June 16. Eight days later, she missed her scheduled rendezvous with her wolf pack, and she was officially presumed lost on July 30. After the war, it was determined that the submarine had sunk the enemy cargo ship Konzan Maru on June 19 before being destroyed herself by the resulting depth charge attack. She was awarded seven battle stars and five Navy Unit Commendations for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences, by John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed
