More
    HomeMilitaryThe USS Sailfish And The Strike That Signaled A Pivotal Moment In...

    The USS Sailfish And The Strike That Signaled A Pivotal Moment In WWII Submarine Warfare

    Published on

    spot_img

    In the annals of American naval history, few stories capture the danger, courage, and ironies of war as vividly as the tale of the USS Sailfish.

    War Concept. Military silhouettes fighting scene on war fog sky background, World War Soldiers Silhouettes Below Cloudy Skyline At night. Attack scene. Armored vehicles. Tanks battle
    War Concept. Military silhouettes fighting scene on war fog sky background, World War Soldiers Silhouettes Below Cloudy Skyline At night. Attack scene. Armored vehicles. Tanks battle

    It was during the dark, tumultuous waves of a typhoon on December 4, 1943, that the Sailfish etched its name into the history books, becoming the first American submarine to sink a Japanese aircraft carrier during World War II.

    Approximately 250 miles southeast of Tokyo Bay, the Sailfish, under the cover of night and severe weather, launched a daring torpedo attack on the Japanese carrier Chuyo.

    Cityscape of Tokyo at night, as seen from the top of one of the highest buildings in Roppongi Hills, with the illuminated Tokyo Tower glowing in the dark. Long exposure.
    Cityscape of Tokyo at night, as seen from the top of one of the highest buildings in Roppongi Hills, with the illuminated Tokyo Tower glowing in the dark. Long exposure.

    Using radar to track the target amid the typhoon’s chaos, the Sailfish managed to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy vessel. The crew, flying blind in the stormy darkness, relied heavily on radar blips for targeting.

    Bill Dillon, the last surviving crew member of the Sailfish and a radio/radar operator, recalled the incredible feat, stating, “We fired four torpedoes and hit two. And it was unbelievable… we had no idea what it was. And we still got it. Hard to believe you can do something like that.”

    Submarine USS Pampanito used in world war 2

    This attack, well-documented in historian Stephen L. Moore’s “Strike of the Sailfish,” embodies the epitome of valor and innovation under pressure.

    Sailfish fish swimming in ocean
    Sailfish fish swimming in ocean

    The success of the Sailfish was contrasted with the fate of its sister submarine, the Sculpin, which did not share in its fortunes. Moore’s gripping narrative explores the interconnected sagas of these two vessels, culminating in a tragic twist of fate: the Chuyo was carrying prisoners of war from the Sculpin, unaware of the Sailfish crew at the time of the attack.

    related images you might be interested.

    030729-N-5465P-004 Pacific Ocean (Jul. 29, 2003) — Crewmen aboard the Los Angeles-class nuclear powered attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758), man the topside navigation watch as the submarine operates at high speed near San Diego. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 2nd Class Thomas C. Peterson. (RELEASED)
    031000-N-XXXXB-005 Arctic Circle (Oct. 2003) — The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Honolulu (SSN 718) surfaces in an open water area approximately 280 miles from the North Pole. Commanded by Cmdr. Charles Harris, USS Honolulu while conducting otherwise classified operations in the Arctic, collected scientific data and water samples for U.S. and Canadian Universities as part of an agreement with the Artic Submarine Laboratory (ASL) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). USS Honolulu is the 24th Los Angeles-class submarine, and the first original design in her class to visit the North Pole region. Honolulu is as assigned to Commander Submarine Pacific, Submarine Squadron Three, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. U. S. Navy photo by Chief Yeoman Alphonso Braggs. (RELEASED)
    Den Helder, Netherlands. 30 July 2021. The interior of a submarine. High quality photo
    Dock of submarine and shipbuilding at Kobe bay on July 9, 2015 in Kobe, Japan
    SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA, UKRAINE – MAY 06, 2013: Floating charge station PZS- 50, Submarine of The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy

    Latest articles

    F-15 Eagle’s Dominance: The Untold Story of Its First Combat Triumph

    In the annals of military aviation history, few aircraft have earned a reputation quite...

    Uncovering WWII Bombs: Germany’s Continuing Battle with Hidden Threats

    Every year, German land produces a chilling crop: roughly 2,000 tons of unexploded World...

    Clacton Spear Discovery Reshapes Early Hominid Hunting and Cognition Understanding

    The recent focus on the Clacton Spear, an old wooden object discovered in Clacton-on-Sea,...

    FN Five-seveN MRD: A New Era in Precision Handguns

    The FN Five-seveN has stood out in the modern firearms landscape for years, known...

    More like this

    F-15 Eagle’s Dominance: The Untold Story of Its First Combat Triumph

    In the annals of military aviation history, few aircraft have earned a reputation quite...

    Uncovering WWII Bombs: Germany’s Continuing Battle with Hidden Threats

    Every year, German land produces a chilling crop: roughly 2,000 tons of unexploded World...

    Clacton Spear Discovery Reshapes Early Hominid Hunting and Cognition Understanding

    The recent focus on the Clacton Spear, an old wooden object discovered in Clacton-on-Sea,...