USS Jack (SS-259)
History of the USS Jack Submarine
The USS Jack (SS-259) was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Connecticut on February 2, 1942. She was launched on October 16, 1942 and commissioned on January 6, 1943 under the command of Commander T. M. “Tommy” Dykers.
The USS Jack arrived at Pearl Harbor on May 21, 1943. Her first war patrol began on June 5 in the waters off Honshu. On June 26, she sank the Japanese cargo ships Toyo Maru and Shozan Maru. While attempting to sink a third ship, she was damaged by an aerial bomb, but her crew took evasive measures and made the necessary repairs. The submarine sank the Nikkyo Maru on July 4 before returning to Pearl Harbor on July 19 for repairs.
After repair work was done, the USS Jack headed out for her second war patrol from September 5 until October 10. She had to return to Pearl Harbor early due to engine problems, and from there she sailed to Mare Island Navy Yard in California for overhaul.
Once her overhaul was finished, the USS Jack returned to Pearl Harbor to begin her third war patrol of the South China Sea on January 16, 1944. On February 19, her torpedoes sank the Japanese merchant tankers Kokuei Maru, Nanei Maru, Nichirin Maru, and Ichiyo Maru. This successful patrol ended on March 13 at Fremantle.
The USS Jack headed for her fourth war patrol on April 6 in the South China Sea. She sank an enemy trawler on April 28 with her gunfire before pulling in at Fremantle on May 10.
On June 4, the USS Jack sailed for her fifth patrol of the South China Sea. Her torpedoes sank the Japanese merchant tanker San Pedro Maru on June 25 and the cargo ships Tsurushima Maru and Matsukawa Maru five days later. This patrol ended on July 14 at Fremantle.
Her sixth war patrol began on August 6, and the USS Jack departed Fremantle for the Celebes Sea. She sank the Japanese minesweeper W-28 and the cargo ship Mexico Maru on August 29. She returned to Fremantle on September 24.
The USS Jack departed Fremantle on October 27 for her seventh war patrol in the South China Sea. On November 14, she sank the Japanese cargo ship Hinaga Maru and damaged the merchant tanker Yuzzan Maru No. 2, sinking the tanker with her torpedoes the following day. Her patrol ended at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve.
From Pearl Harbor, the USS Jack headed to San Francisco, California for overhaul. Once the work was complete, she returned to Pearl Harbor on April 1. Her eighth war patrol lasted from April 26 until June 18; she did not make any enemy surface contacts, but she did provide lifeguard services during her time in the waters of the Japanese home islands before putting in at Guam.
The USS Jack began her ninth and final war patrol on July 12, sailing for the waters between Luzon and Okinawa. She performed lifeguard duties again until the Japanese surrendered, and she ended her patrol at Midway on August 29.
After World War II, the USS Jack sailed for New London via Pearl Harbor, the Panama Canal, and New York. She was decommissioned there on June 8, 1946 and briefly recommissioned from December 20, 1957 until April 21, 1958 to prepare for her transfer to Greece. The submarine served the Royal Hellenic Navy as HHMS Amfitriti (S-17) until she was returned to U.S. Navy custody and sunk as a target by the Sixth Fleet on September 5, 1967 in the Mediterranean Sea. The USS Jack earned seven battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation 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
