USS BOWFIN HISTORY

PATROL 9

PATROL 9 – OPERATION BARNEY

24 May 1945 to 4 July 1945

Upon their return to Guam, the crew of Bowfin got as much rest and relaxation as possible in the short time allocated before their final war patrol. This patrol consisted of a secret mission designated Operation Barney that sent Bowfin and eight other submarines into the Sea of Japan, known as the Emperor’s backyard, through a highly dangerous path, and the only feasible way to enter the Sea of Japan was through the heavily mined Tsushima Strait. To accomplish this suicidal task they would be using the new FM Sonar mine detecting equipment which had been recently installed on each of the boats.

Each of the nine submarines assigned for this operation was grouped in wolf packs of three. Bowfin was grouped with USS Flying Fish (SS-229) and USS Tinosa (SS-283), and the wolf pack was named Bob Risser’s Bobcats, for the commander of the Flying Fish. As a whole, the nine submarines were known as Hydeman’s Hellcats, for the officer in charge of the operation.

Bowfin, Flying Fish and Tinosa traveled together towards the Tsushima Strait and then to the Sea of Japan. When using the sonar through the Tsushima Strait the hell’s bells were a near-constant tone as they came within 300 feet of a mine. Through the treacherous strait, Bowfin’s crew could hear the sound of a mine cable scraping along the side of the boat’s hull.

Once through the deadly strait and in the Sea of Japan, Bowfin was assigned to patrol off the eastern coast of Korea. On 11 June Bowfin sighted an unescorted cargo ship and fired four torpedoes, one of which hit. The ship was the 1,898-ton Shinyo Maru sinking in only three minutes. Two days later Bowfin torpedoed and sank the Akiura Maru, a small, 887-ton freighter.

On 24 June, the Hellcats rendezvoused in preparation for the wolf pack’s exit from the Sea of Japan. One of the submarines, USS Bonefish (SS-223), did not appear. The remaining eight boats made a daring and successful high-speed surface run out of the Sea of Japan through the narrow and heavily-patrolled La Perouse Strait, between Russia’s Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido.

The operation was a success and on 4 July, a triumphant USS Bowfin pulled into Pearl Harbor, having completed a historic patrol. VADM Lockwood awarded each of the Hellcats’ crew members with a certificate enrolling them as members of the “distinguished order of Mighty Mine Dodgers” for their success in transiting what he called “the most dangerous of war waters.”

USS Bowfin‘s ninth patrol had been a life or death situation in more ways than one. An aerial photographer, Marshall LaCour, was chosen to film Bowfin’s ninth patrol. Mr. LaCour recalls drawing straws in a pool of photographers to decide which submarine each person would be assigned to. Finally, it was down to only two submarines: Bowfin and Bonefish. However, it was then decided that the more experienced photographer would go aboard Bowfin, the more highly decorated submarine. If Mr. LaCour had been assigned to Bonefish, he would not be here today to tell his story. USS Bonefish, one of the nine submarines to participate in this dangerous mission, was the only submarine that did not return safely from the Sea of Japan.

PATROL 9 SUMMARY

USS Bowfin was underway for 8,559 miles during her ninth patrol. CDR Tyree and higher authorities believed Bowfin sank 6,300 tons (two vessels). JANAC credited USS Bowfin with sinking 2,785 tons (two vessels). CDR Tyree was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of his second Navy Cross.

VADM Lockwood with CDR Tyree.

 

Bowfin crew upon their return home from Patrol 9 on 4 July 1945.

 

Mighty Mine Dodger certificate from our collection

BOWFIN TIMELINE

LAUNCHING & COMMISSIONING

On 15 December 1941, eight days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Portsmouth Navy Yard was given the order to start construction on the new Balao class fleet submarines. The third boat of the class was to bear the name USS Bowfin (SS-287). Her keel was laid on…Read More

PATROL 1

PATROL 1 – SECRET MISSION 25 August 1943 to 10 October 1943 After the launching of Bowfin she headed west towards Australia from Portsmouth via the Panama Canal, which she passed through on 15 July 1943. Then on 10 August 1943 Bowfin sailed into Fremantle. From Fremantle, Bowfin traveled over…Read More

PATROL 2

PATROL 2 – PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION 1 November 1943 to 9 December 1943 On USS Bowfin’s second war patrol they sailed from Fremantle towards the South China Sea with a new commanding officer, LCDR Walter Thomas Griffith. This was LCDR Griffith’s first war patrol as commanding officer, before he had…Read More

PATROL 3

PATROL 3 – AN ADMIRAL ABOARD 8 January 1944 to 5 February 1944 On 8 January 1944 Bowfin and crew steamed away from Fremantle and set course for the Celebes Sea, yet again. The valiant crew was departing for their third war patrol and their second patrol with LCDR Griffith.…Read More

PATROL 4

PATROL 4 – THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED 28 February 1944 to 1 April 1944 USS Bowfin left Fremantle for Darwin on 28 February 1944 as she started her fourth war patrol. This time she would be patrolling in the Celebes Sea, in between the Philippines and Indonesia, rather than…Read More

PATROL 5

PATROL 5 – TOUGH LUCK 25 April 1944 to 21 June 1944 USS Bowfin set off from Fremantle for her fifth war patrol on 25 April 1944 and this time she and her crew started the 4,000-mile journey to Palau and the surrounding areas. Unbeknownst to the crew, this war…Read More

PATROL 6

PATROL 6 – SIGHTED BUS, SANK CRANE 16 July 1944 to 13 September 1944 Once Bowfin had received a refit at Pearl Harbor she and her crew were headed out for their sixth war patrol on 16 July 1944. First stop, Midway, where Bowfin rendezvoused with USS Fulton (AS-11), the…Read More

PATROL 7

PATROL 7 – ZOOMIES WITH SQUIDS 25 January 1945 to 25 March 1945 After training and testing at Pearl were complete the crew embarked for Bowfin’s seventh war patrol on 25 January 1945. This patrol largely took place in the waters east of the Japanese mainland, and Bowfin’s secondary assignment…Read More

PATROL 8

PATROL 8 – HELL’S BELLS 23 April 1945 to 15 May 1945 Bowfin’s eighth war patrol took the crew to the northeastern part of the Japanese mainland between the main island of Honshu and the island of Hokkaido. Bowfin had originally received orders to proceed alone and without a coding…Read More

PATROL 9

PATROL 9 – OPERATION BARNEY 24 May 1945 to 4 July 1945 Upon their return to Guam, the crew of Bowfin got as much rest and relaxation as possible in the short time allocated before their final war patrol. This patrol consisted of a secret mission designated Operation Barney that…Read More

POST-WAR

POST-WAR SUMMARY Bowfin’s four World War II commanding officers believed that she sank 179,646 tons (34 large vessels, plus 10 more under 500 tons) and damaged 33,934 tons (five large vessels plus two smaller ones) for a total of 213,580 tons sunk or damaged. The Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC)…Read More