Allied Warships

Barb (SS-220)

Submarine of the Gato class


USS Barb shortly after completion

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassGato 
Pennant220 
Built byElectric Boat Co. (Groton, Connecticut, U.S.A.) 
Ordered1 Jul 1940 
Laid down7 Jun 1941 
Launched2 Apr 1942 
Commissioned8 Jul 1942 
End service13 Dec 1954 
History

Decommissioned 12 February 1947.
Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Recommissioned 3 December 1951.
Decommissioned 5 February 1954 for Guppy conversion.
Recommissioned 3 August 1954.
Decommissioned and loaned to Italy 13 December 1954.
Stricken 15 October 1972.
Sold 1 April 1975 to be broken up for scrap.

 

Commands listed for USS Barb (220)

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.Cdr. John Randolph Waterman, USN19 Jun 194226 Mar 1943
2T/Cdr. Nicholas Lucker, Jr., USN26 Mar 194314 May 1943
3Lt.Cdr. John Randolph Waterman, USN14 May 194328 Apr 1944
4T/Cdr. Eugene Bennett Fluckey, USN28 Apr 194417 Aug 1945
5Cdr. Cornelius Patrick Callahan, Jr., USN17 Aug 19459 Mar 1946

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Notable events involving Barb include:


20 Oct 1942
With her trials and training completed USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. John R. Waterman) departed from New London bound for the north-west coast of Africa. Barb was to take part in the landing in North Africa.

25 Nov 1942
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) arrived at Rosneath, Scotland

1 Apr 1943
HMS Severn (Lt.Cdr. A.N.G. Campbell, RN) departed Holy Loch for her 17th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol of the Lofoten. Passage north towards just north of Muckle Fluga was made together with USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. N. Lucker, Jr., USN) under escort by HMS Rhododendron (Lt. L.A. Sayers, RNR). (1)

12 May 1943
HMS Usurper (Lt. D.R.O. Mott, DSC, RN), USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. N. Lucker, Jr., USN) and USS Blackfish (Lt.Cdr. J.F. Davidson, USN) departed Lerwick for Holy Loch. They were escorted by HMS La Capricieuse (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Dobson, RNR).

24 Jul 1943
After making another 4 unsuccessful war patrols in European waters USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) enters the submarine base at New London for an overhaul before being sent to the Pacific.

15 Aug 1943
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman, USN) departed New London, Connecticut for the Panama Canal Zone.

30 Sep 1943
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea.

24 Nov 1943
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) ended her 6th war patrol at Midway. Barb is now ordered to proceed to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul.

2 Mar 1944
With her overhaul completed USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Philippine Sea.

28 Mar 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant Fukusei Maru (2219 GRT) off Rasa Island in position 24°25'N, 131°11'E.

25 Apr 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Waterman) ended her 7th war patrol at Midway.

21 May 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. Eugene Bennett Fluckey) departed from Midway for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Sea of Okhotsk.

31 May 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ships Madras Maru (3802 GRT) southwest of Paramushiro in position 48°21'N, 151°20'E and Koto Maru (1053 GRT) in position 47°55'N, 151°42'E.

11 Jun 1944
While on patrol in Sea of Okhotsk, east of Karafuto USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank two Japanese sampans with gunfire in position 48°13'N, 144°21'E and torpedoed and sank the Japanese sank the Japanese fishing vessels Chihaya Maru (1160 GRT) and Toten Maru (3823 GRT) in position 46°50'N, 144°05'E.

13 Jun 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Takashima Maru (5633 GRT) in Sea of Okhotsk in position 50°53'N, 151°12'E.

5 Jul 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) ended her 8th war patrol at Midway.

4 Aug 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) departed from Midway for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea off Formosa.

31 Aug 1944
While on patrol in Luzon Strait, south of Formosa, USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Hinode Maru No.20 (281 GRT) in position 21°21'N, 121°11'E and the Japanese transport ship Okuni Maru (5633 GRT) in position 21°14'N, 121°22'E.

4 Sep 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank a Japanese sampan with gunfire in position 21°05'N, 119°34'E.

17 Sep 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese escort carrier Unyo (offsite link) and the Japanese tanker Asuza Maru (10022 GRT) about 220 nautical miles south-east of Hong Kong in position 19°08'N, 116°36'E.

25 Sep 1944
USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) ended her 9th war patrol at Saipan. A day later Barb departed from Saipan for Majuro.

27 Oct 1944
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) departed from Majuro for her 10th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea.

10 Nov 1944
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Gokoku Maru (10438 GRT, offsite link) about seven nautical miles off Koshiki Jima, eastern Kyushu, Japan, in position 33°24'N, 129°04'E.

12 Nov 1944
While on patrol in the East China Sea, USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Naruo Maru (4823 GRT) and torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant Gyokuyo Maru (5396 GRT) in position 31°39'N, 125°36'E. The damaged Gyokuyo Maru is sunk 2 days later by USS Spadefish.

25 Nov 1944
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) ended her 10th war patrol at Midway.

19 Dec 1944
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) departed from Midway for her 11th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Formosa Strait.

8 Jan 1945
While on patrol in Formosa Strait, USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchants Anyo Maru (9256 GRT) in position 24°34'N, 120°37'E, Tatsuyo Maru (6892 GRT) in position 24°55'N, 120°26'E, the Japanese tanker Sanyo Maru (2854 GRT) in position 24°37'N, 120°31'E, and damaged the Japanese transport ship Meiho Maru (2857 GRT) in position 24°25'N, 120°29'E.

9 Jan 1945
The Japanese tanker Hikoshima Maru (2854 GRT) sank as the result of damage inflicted by USS Barb (Cdr E.B. Fluckey) and beaching the previous day in position 24°37'N, 120°31'E

23 Jan 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. Eugene Bennett Fluckey) enters the shallow harbour of Namkwan, China, and sank the Japanese merchant Taikyo Maru (5244 GRT) in position 27°04'N, 120°27'E.

For this attack Cdr. Eugene Bennett Fluckey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and Barb received the Presidential Unit Citation.

10 Feb 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) ended her 11th war patrol at Midway. Barb departed for Pearl Harbor the next day.

15 Feb 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

27 Feb 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) starts a major overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard.

5 Jun 1945
USS Barb (T/Cdr. E.B. Fluckey, USN) and USS Moray (T/Cdr. F.L. Barrows, USN) conducted exercises off Pearl Harbour with USS Darby (Lt.Cdr. M.W. Martin, USNR) and USS Florikan (T/Lt. D. Hima, USN).

8 Jun 1945
With her overhaul completed USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 12th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the northern part of the Japanese home islands.

21 Jun 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank two small Japanese tugs with gunfire of the north-west coast of Hokkaido in position 44°39'N, 146°42'E.

23 Jun 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank a Japanese fishing vessel with gunfire in La Perouse Strait in position 47°21'N, 143°06'E

2 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) employs rockets in a bombardment of Japanese shore installations at Kaihyo Island off the east coast of Karafuto. This is the first successful use of these weapons against shore positions by a US submarine. Barb also sank three Japanese sampans with gunfire in position 48°30'N, 144°38'E.

5 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant Sapporo Maru No.11 (2820 GRT) just outside Odomari harbour, south-west of Sakhalin in position 46°04'N, 142°14'E.

8 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank a small Japanese tug with gunfire in La P?rouse Strait in position 47°27'N, 142°47'E.

15 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank the Japanese sampan Seiho Maru No.15 (91 GRT) with gunfire off Hokkaido.

25 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) sank a Japanese sampan with gunfire in position 49°04'N, 143°49'E and 5 more in position 48°53'N, 144°19'E.

26 Jul 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) shells a Japanese shipyard and destroys 35 Japanese sampans under construction of the East coast of Hokkaido in position 44°20'N, 146°01'E. Later she also sank a Japanese trawler with gunfire in position 44°21'N, 145°52'E.

2 Aug 1945
USS Barb (Cdr. E.B. Fluckey) ended her 12th war patrol at Midway.

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)


Thunder Below!

Fluckey, Eugene B.


amazon.com
($ 25.00)

amazon.co.uk
(£ 37.00)

Sources

  1. ADM 199/1878

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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