Allied Warships

Skipjack (SS-184)

Submarine of the Salmon class


USS skipjack as completed

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassSalmon 
Pennant184 
Built byElectric Boat Co. (Groton, Connecticut, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down22 Jul 1936 
Launched23 Oct 1937 
Commissioned30 Jun 1938 
End service28 Aug 1946 
History

Decommissioned 28 August 1946
Bikini target and sunk 25 July 1946.
Raised on 2 September 1946.
Sunk 11 August 1948 by aircraft rockets off San Clemente, California.
Stricken 13 September 1948.

 

Commands listed for USS Skipjack (184)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Herman Sall, USN30 Jun 1938mid 1939
2Frederick Kent Loomis, USNmid 193913 Jul 1941
3Lt. Charles Lawrence Freeman, USN13 Jul 194127 Mar 1942
4Lt. James Wiggins Coe, USN27 Mar 194217 Jan 1943
5T/Cdr. Howard Fletcher Stoner, USN17 Jan 19437 Sep 1943
6T/Cdr. George Garvie Molumphy, USN7 Sep 194321 Sep 1944
7T/Cdr. Richard Stottko Andrews, USN21 Sep 194422 Dec 1944
8Frank John Coulter, USN22 Dec 194421 Aug 1946

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Notable events involving Skipjack include:


LCDR Frank J. Coulter assumes command. He had joined the Skipjack as a LT in February 1943. (1)

9 Dec 1941
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. Charles L. Freeman) left Manila for her first war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the east coast of Samar.

14 Jan 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. C.L. Freeman) ended her first war patrol at Darwin, Australia.

30 Jan 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. C.L. Freeman) left Darwin for her second war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Celebes Sea.

10 Mar 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. C.L. Freeman) ended her second war patrol at Fremantle.

14 Apr 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. James Wiggins Coe) left Fremantle for her third war patrol. she was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.

6 May 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Kanan Maru (2567 GRT) about 25 nautical miles north-east of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina in position 12°33'N, 109°30'E.

8 May 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Bujun Maru (4804 GRT) about 125 nautical miles east of Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina in position 12°18'N, 111°13'E.

17 May 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Tazan Maru (5477 GRT) near the Gulf of Siam in position 06°22'N, 108°36'E.

2 Jun 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) ended her 3th war patrol at Fremantle.

18 Jul 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) left Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Banda Sea.

23 Aug 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese fleet oiler Hayatomo (14050 GRT) south-west of Ambon, Netherlands East Indies in position 03°52'N, 127°54'E.

4 Sep 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle.

27 Sep 1942
Around 0745H/27, USS Skipjack (T/Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe, USN) and USS Searaven (T/Lt.Cdr. H. Cassedy, USN) departed Fremantle for their 5th war patrols.

USS Skipjack was ordered patrol in the Banda Sea and then patrol her way north wards as she is to end her patrol at Pearl Harbour.

USS Searaven was ordered to patrol in the Sunda Strait inspecting Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island en-route and on the way back from the patrol area.

On laving harbour they first conducted exercises with USS Lark (Lt.Cdr. H.P. Thomson, USN) before proceeding on patrol. (2)

14 Oct 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Shunko Maru (6780 GRT) about 450 nautical miles west-south-west of Truk in position 05°35'N, 144°25'E.

26 Nov 1942
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Coe) ended her 5th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She is now ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul. After this overhaul she returns to Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately her 6th, 7th and 8th war patrol are unsuccessful.

11 Jan 1944
After three unsuccessful war patrols USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. George Garvie Molumphy) left Pearl Harbor for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Caroline and Mariana islands.

26 Jan 1944
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. G.G. Molumphy) torpedoed and sank the Japanese destroyer Suzukaze (offsite link) about 140 nautical miles north-west of Ponape, Caroline Islands in position 08°51'N, 157°10'E, and the Japanese transport ship Okitsu Maru (6666 GRT) about 150 nautical miles north-west of Ponape in position 09°22'N, 157°26'E.

7 Mar 1944
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. G.G. Molumphy) ended her 9th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. After torpedo trials Skipjack went to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul.

10 Aug 1944
During 10/11 August 1944, USS Skipjack (T/Cdr. R.S. Andrews, USN) and USS Searaven (T/Cdr. M.H. Dry, USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour with USS Burden R. Hastings (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fay, USNR).

Later USS Seahorse (T/Capt. C.W. Wilkins, USN) and USS Allen (Lt. W.J. Riley, Jr., USNR) before the night exercises commenced.

On the 11th, USS Greiner (T/Lt.Cdr. L.H. Kiser, USN) also joined. (3)

12 Aug 1944
USS Skipjack (T/Cdr. R.S. Andrews, USN) and USS Searaven (T/Cdr. M.H. Dry, USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour with USS Burden R. Hastings (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fay, USNR). (3)

16 Oct 1944
During 16/17 October 1944, the submarines USS Skipjack (T/Cdr. R.S. Andrews, USN), USS Swordfish (T/Cdr. K.E. Montross, USN), USS Albacore (T/Lt.Cdr. H.R. Rimmer, USN), USS Peto (T/Cdr. R.H. Caldwell, Jr., USN), USS Dragonet (T/Cdr. J.H. Lewis, USN) all conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour. These included night exercises. Also participating in these exercises were the destroyer minelayer USS Ramsay (Lt. R.R. Pollard, Jr., USNR) and the destroyer escorts USS Connolly (Lt.Cdr. W.A. Collier, USNR) and USS Hemminger (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Bodler, USNR)

24 Oct 1944
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. Richard S. Andrews) left Pearl Harbor for her 10th and final war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Kuril Islands.

14 Nov 1944
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Andrews) damaged the Japanese motor sail ship Tatsu Maru No.6 off Shimushiru, Kuril Islands in position 46°40'N, 151°40'E. Strong currents then drive the damaged vessel upon a reef. She was beyond salvage.

11 Dec 1944
USS Skipjack (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Andrews) ended her 10th and final war patrol at Midway. She was now retired to training duties.

17 Jun 1945
USS Skipjack arrived in the Panama Canal Zone.

20 Jun 1945
USS Skipjack departed the Panama Canal Zone for New London, Connecticut.

28 Jun 1945
USS Skipjack arrived at New London, Connecticut from the Panama Canal Zone.

25 Jul 1946
Sunk during Test Baker, the second of two atomic bombs exploded at Bikini during Operation Crossroads. (1)

Media links


U. S. Submarines in World War II

Kimmett, Larry and Regis, Margaret


U.S. Submarines Through 1945

Friedman, Norman


amazon.co.uk
(£ 56.95)

Sources

  1. Personal communication
  2. Patrol report of USS Skipjack for her 5th war patrol + Patrol report of USS Searaven for her 5th war patrol
  3. War diary 14th Naval District for August 1944 + War diary USS Burden R. Hastings for August 1944

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