USS BOWFIN HISTORY POST-WAR SUMMARY

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) credited Bowfin with 67,882 tons sunk (16 vessels of that tonnage plus 22 smaller craft). JANAC’s reassessment dimmed Bowfin’s glory no more than that of most other submarines. JANAC’s reassessments continue to be challenged by many who believe that Japan’s remaining WWII records were less than accurate, and by some who know the JANAC’s reassessments in some instances disallowed claims even though trained observers saw the disputed vessels sink. Of the 317 U.S. submarines in commission during WWII, 269 boats had at least one official war patrol, and 188 of them had JANAC officially credited sinking records. USS Bowfin remains a legend, for among these 188 submarines, Bowfin ranks 17th in tonnage and 15th in number of ships sunk. Fifty-two of 317 commissioned submarines and 3,632 out of approximately 20,000 WWII U.S. submariners began their eternal patrols before Japan surrendered.

USS BOWFIN’S BATTLEFLAG

During WWII the crew of Bowfin made two battleflags of their own making that we are honored to house in our museum. Both were made from fabric that they had aboard at the time, and both are unique in their own ways. The third battleflag was made after the war by the Carleton Company from Rochester, NY who offered to make reproductions of flags for all crew members to have. The fourth battleflag is represented below and is the favorite among the WWII Bowfin crew. It was designed for them in the 1980s and represents the three major awards the boat received during the war: Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, and Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. 

USS Bowfin's battleflag graphically depicts the successes of nine war patrols, which are represented by the nine stars located below the bowfin fish mascot firing a torpedo. Bowfin claimed 39 Japanese merchant ships and four Japanese military ships sunk, depicted by white flags with solid red circles (the national flag of Japan) and white flags with solid red rising suns (the Imperial Japanese Navy flag), respectively. The single French flag represents a French merchant ship - Van Vollenhoven - which was sunk off Saigon in convoy with Japanese ships. Flags with white centers are for ships that are claimed damaged, but not sunk.

Japanese Merchant Ship Sunk:

Japanese Merchant Ship Damaged:

Small Japanese Merchant Ship Sunk:

French Ship Sunk on Second Patrol:

Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Sunk:

Imperial Japanese Navy Ship Damaged:

Presidential Unit Citation - earned for Second Patrol:

Navy Unit Commendation - earned for Sixth Patrol:

Philippine Presidential Unit Citation - earned for First Patrol:

Star, One Star per War Patrol (9):

Crane, Bus, & Pier Sunk at Minami Daito on Sixth Patrol:

SINKINGS OF THE USS BOWFIN

This table shows the 16 vessels that JANAC credited Bowfin with in 1946.

Verified Sinkings by USS Bowfin

Total: 16 Vessels for 67,882 tons sunk

This table shows the sinkings of Bowfin based on research done by CDR John Alden, USN (Ret.). He published his research in his book United States and Allied Submarine Success in the Pacific and Far East During World War II.

Revised totals would show that Bowfin sank 22 vessels for a total of 71,437 tons.