USS Swordfish (1939)

Версия 04:03, 14 апреля 2015

USS Swordfish (SS-193)

подводная лодка | ВМС США

Служба

США

Исторические данные

27 октября 1937 Заложен

1 апреля 1939 Спущен на воду

22 июля 1939 Сдан

19 мая 1945 Гибель

Общие данные

1450 / 2350 т. Водоизмещение (надводное/подводное)

95 / 8,2 / 5 м. Размерения (длина/ширина/осадка)

21 узл. Скорость хода надводная

8,75 узл. Скорость хода подводная

50 / 76 м. Глубина погружения (рабочая/предельная)

11000 миль Дальность плавания надводная

Вооружение

76 мм пушка - 3 . Артиллерийское

533 мм торпедных отсеков - 8 шт Торпедное

SS-193 (USS Swordfish) — американская дизель-электрическая подводная лодка типа "Sargo". Являлась первой субмариной ВМС США уничтожившая Японское судно во время второй мировой войны.

Общие сведения

USS Swordfish (SS-193) являлась одной из десяти подводных лодок ВМС США типа "Sargo". Заложена на верфи "Mare Island" в г.Валеджо, штат Калифорния. Спущена на воду 3 апреля 1939 года и введена в строй 22 июля 1939 года. Подводные лодки данного типа были первые кто вышли на боевое патрулирование после атаки ВМС Японии военно-морской базы Перл Харбор.

Описание конструкции

In most features the Sargos were a repeat of the Salmons, except for the return to full diesel-electric drive for the last four boats and the adoption of the improved Sargo battery design. The first six Sargos were driven by a composite direct-drive and diesel-electric plant (two engines in each mode) in the same manner as the Salmons. In this arrangement, two main engines in the forward engine room drove generators. In the after engine room, two side-by-side engines were clutched to reduction gears which sat forward of the engines, with vibration-isolating hydraulic clutches. Two high-speed electric motors, driven by the generating engines or batteries, were also connected to each reduction gear.[7] The Bureau of Steam Engineering (BuEng) and the General Board desired a full diesel-electric plant, but there were some dissenting opinions, notably Admiral Thomas C. Hart, the only experienced submariner on the General Board, who pointed out that a full diesel-electric system could be disabled by flooding.[8] Technical problems went against the use of two large direct-drive diesels in place of the four-engine composite plant. No engine of suitable power to reach the desired 21-knot speed existed in the US, and the current vibration-isolating hydraulic clutches were not capable of transmitting enough power. It was also not practical to gear two engines to each shaft.[9] So a full diesel-electric plant was adopted for the last four Sargos, and remained standard for all subsequent conventionally-powered US submarines.

Four of the class (Sargo, Saury, Spearfish, and Seadragon) were equipped with the troublesome Hooven-Owens-Rentschler (HOR) double-acting diesels. An attempt to produce more power from a smaller engine than other contemporary designs, the double-acting system proved unreliable in service. During World War II, all had their engines replaced with GM-Winton 16-278A engines, probably during their overhauls in early 1943.[10]

BuEng had designed a new lead-acid battery to resist battle damage, known as the Sargo battery because it was first installed on Sargo and was based on a suggestion by her commissioning commanding officer, Lieutenant E. E. Yeomans.[11] Instead of a single hard rubber case, it had two concentric hard rubber cases with a layer of soft rubber between them. This was to prevent sulfuric acid leakage in the event one case cracked during depth-charging.[12] This remained the standard battery design until replaced with Sargo II and GUPPY batteries in submarines upgraded under the Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program after World War II. Each battery's capacity was slightly increased by installing 126 cells instead of 120; this also raised the nominal voltage from 250 volts to 270 volts, which has been standard in US usage ever since, including the backup batteries of nuclear submarines.

The original Mark 21 3 inch (76 mm)/50 caliber deck gun proved to be too light in service. It lacked sufficient punch to finish off crippled or small targets quickly enough to suit the crews. It was replaced by the Mark 9 4 inch (102 mm)/50 caliber gun in 1943-44, in most cases removed from an S-boat being transferred to training duty.[13]

История службы

После спуска на воду и принятия на вооружение USS Swordfish находилась в Сан-Диего, штат Калифорния, откуда в начале 1941 года она направилась на военно-морскую базу Перл Харбор. 3 ноября 1941 года USS Swordfish, в компании трёх других субмарин отправилась в Манилу, Филиппинские острова. По прибытию в пункт назначения 22 ноября 1941 года субмарина находилась там до атаки ВМС Японии военно-морской базы Перл Харбор 7 декабря 1941 года. На следующий день после атаки USS Swordfish вышла на боевое патрулирование в прибрежье Хайнана, Китай. В период до 14 декабря 1941 года субмарина атаковала и повредила несколько кораблей Японии. 16 декабря 1941 года выстрелом трёх торпед USS Swordfish потопил первое судно - сухогруз Atsutasan Maru.

27 декабря 1941 года субмарина направилась к новому месту дислокации в Соребайю, о.Ява, куда она прибыла 7 января 1942 года. 16 января субмарина вышла на своё второе боевое патрулирование в море Сулавеси. Там же 24 января 1942 года успешно торпедировало еще одно грузовое судно.

20 февраля 1942 года субмарина взяла на борт президента Филиппин, членов его семьи и ряд высокопоставленных должностных лиц с целью их тайной перевозки в безопасное место. 23 февраля все пассажиры были доставлены coast of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. После выполнения задания подводная лодка направилась в порт Манилы.

1 апреля 1942 года USS Swordfish вышел на своё третье боевое патрулирование, его целью было доставка 40 тонн продовольствия на осажденный японцами остров Коррегидор, Филлипины. Однако до завершения миссии японцы захватили остров и субмарины была вынуждена отправиться в Фремантль, западная Австралия. Откуда 15 мая USS Swordfish приступил к своему четвертому боевому патрулированию на юге китайского моря. 29 мая подводная лодка торпедировала грузовое судно с 1900 тонным водоизмещением, 12 июня успешно потоплено еще одно грузовое судно. По завершению задания лодка прибыла 4 июня 1942 года обратно в Фремантль, западная Австралия.

Although her fifth war patrol, conducted in the Sulu Sea, and her sixth war patrol, conducted in the Solomon Islands, were unproductive, during her seventh war patrol Swordfish sank a 4122-ton cargo ship on 19 January 1943. Returning to Pearl Harbor on 23 February, the submarine underwent overhaul until 29 July, when she got underway for her eighth war patrol.

On 22 August, she sighted her first target of the patrol, and quickly sent the cargo ship to the bottom, the victim of two torpedo hits. A convoy was intercepted on 5 September, and Swordfish damaged a large tanker before sinking a cargo ship. The submarine concluded this patrol at Brisbane, Australia, on 20 September.

Swordfish's ninth war patrol lasted only three weeks. Shortly after reaching her assigned patrol area, material defects were discovered, and the submarine had to return to port.

On the day after Christmas 1943, Swordfish departed for her tenth war patrol, in the hands of one of the Submarine Force's oldest commanders, 42-year-old Karl G. Hensel (Class of 1923), formerly commanding Submarine Division 101.[6] The patrol was conducted in Tokyo Bay. It was plagued with equipment casualties in old Swordfish, including radar trouble and electrical fires.[7] On 13 January 1944, she sank 6,921 ton freighter Yamakuni Maru, while surviving "heavy—and close—depth charges".[7] The depth charging caused her to lose power in her electrical systems, and when she dived at dawn the next day, she suffered two separate fires and nearly went right to the bottom; her captain managed to bring her back up, where she wallowed on the surface, only to have a Japanese patrol boat close on her.[7] She regained power in the nick of time and dived.[7] At around 2200 on 14 January, Swordfish detected another ship, and made radar contact at 7 nmi (8.1 mi; 13 km) on the Japanese navy's first genuine Q-ship,[7] the 2,182 ton merchantman Delhi Maru, on her maiden voyage.[7] She had been outfitted with sonar (which Swordfish had heard pinging), new watertight bulkheads, depth charge throwers, and concealed guns, specially to destroy submarines. At midnight, Swordfish fired three bow torpedo tubes, scoring three hits[7] with the recently corrected Mark XIV torpedo.[7] Delhi Maru blew up, and the two patrol boats of her escort kept Swordfish down with depth charges for three hours before she evaded.[8]

17 January, Swordfish was detailed to intercept Shokaku and her escort.[9] In the dark, it was impossible to see the carrier, but radar made contact on the force at 16,000 yards (15,000 m) (8 nmi (9.2 mi)), making 27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h).[9] To avoid being detected, Swordfish dived, only to end up 2,000 yards (1,800 m) in front of one of Shokaku?'?s escorting destroyers, which practically ran right over her.[9] Shokaku came on so fast, Swordfish could barely get off a shot from her four stern tubes, with the carrier going away; all missed.[9] On 27 January, Swordfish fired two torpedoes at a converted salvage vessel which broke in half and sank. She completed her tenth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 7 February. Her total score was claimed to be two ships for 15,200 tons; this was reduced by JANAC to 12,543 tons postwar, but raised to three ships.[10]

Swordfish put to sea on 13 March for her eleventh war patrol, conducted in the Mariana Islands. Although several enemy ships were damaged during this patrol, no sinkings could be confirmed; and the submarine returned to Majuro on 29 April.

Swordfish's twelfth war patrol was conducted in the area of the Bonin Islands. On 9 June, the submarine found Japanese destroyer Matsukaze clearly illuminated against the horizon and sank the enemy ship with two torpedoes from her bow tubes. On 15 June, she torpedoed and sank a cargo ship. The remainder of the patrol was unproductive, and the submarine terminated her twelfth patrol at Pearl Harbor on 30 June.

On 22 December, Swordfish departed Pearl Harbor to conduct her thirteenth war patrol, in the vicinity of Nansei Shoto. She topped off with fuel at Midway on 26 December and left that day for her area. In addition to her regular patrol, Swordfish was to conduct photographic reconnaissance of Okinawa, for preparation of the Okinawa Campaign.

On 2 January, Swordfish was ordered to delay carrying out her assigned tasks in order to keep her clear of the Nansei Shoto area until completion of carrier-based air strikes which were scheduled. She was directed to patrol the general vicinity of 30°N; 132°E until further orders were received. Her acknowledgement of those orders on 3 January was the last communication received from Swordfish.

On 9 January 1945, Swordfish was directed to proceed to the vicinity of Okinawa to carry out her special mission. It was estimated that the task would not take more than seven days after arrival on station, which she should have reached on 11 January. Upon completion of her mission, Swordfish was to proceed to Saipan, or to Midway if she was unable to transmit by radio. Since neither place had seen her by 15 February, and repeated attempts to raise her by radio had failed, she was reported as presumed lost on that date.

In the report of her loss, mention was made that Kete (SS-369), which at the time was patrolling the vicinity of Okinawa, reported that on the morning of 12 January she contacted a submarine by radar. It was believed that contact was with Swordfish. Four hours later Kete heard heavy depth charging from this area, and it was believed that this attack might have been the cause of Swordfish’s loss.

Japanese information on antisubmarine attacks does not mention the attack heard by Kete on 12 January, and records no attacks in which Swordfish is likely to have been the victim. However, it is now known that there were many mines planted around Okinawa, since the Japanese were expecting an Allied invasion of that island. The majority of the mines were planted close in. It is considered about equally likely that Swordfish was sunk by depth charge attack before she reached Okinawa for her special mission or that she was lost to a mine at that place.

Admiral William S. Pye's son, LtCommander John Briscoe Pye, was on the USS Swordfish (SS-193) for her 13th and final war patrol.

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