Operational history USS Cavalla (SS-244)

1 operational history

1.1 first patrol
1.2 second patrol
1.3 third patrol
1.4 fourth , fifth patrols
1.5 sixth patrol
1.6 postwar

operational history

departing new london 11 april 1944, cavalla arrived @ pearl harbor 9 may, voyage repairs , training. on 31 may 1944 sub put sea on active service first time.

first patrol

on maiden patrol cavalla, en route station in eastern philippines, made contact large japanese task force on 17 june. cavalla tracked force several hours, relaying information contributed united states victory in battle of philippine sea (commonly known marianas turkey shoot ) on 19–20 june 1944. on 19 june caught carrier shōkaku recovering planes, , fired spread of 6 torpedoes, 3 hits. shōkaku sank @ 11°50′n 137°57′e / 11.833°n 137.950°e / 11.833; 137.950. after severe depth charging 3 destroyers, cavalla escaped continue patrol, relatively minor damage depth charges japanese destroyer urakaze. feat earned presidential unit citation.

second patrol

cavalla s second patrol took philippine sea member of wolfpack operating in support of invasion of peleliu 15 september 1944.

third patrol

on 25 november 1944, during third patrol, cavalla encountered 2 japanese destroyers , made surface attack destroyed shimotsuki @ 02°21′n 107°20′e / 2.350°n 107.333°e / 2.350; 107.333. companion destroyer began depth charging while cavalla evaded on surface. later in same patrol, 5 january 1945, cavalla made night surface attack on enemy convoy, , sank 2 converted net tenders @ 05°00′s 112°20′e / 5.000°s 112.333°e / -5.000; 112.333.

fourth , fifth patrols

cavalla cruised south china , java seas on fourth , fifth war patrols. targets few , far between, came aid of ally on 21 may 1945. month out on fifth patrol, submarine sighted hms terrapin, damaged enemy depth charges , unable submerge or make full speed. cavalla stood damaged submarine , escorted on surface fremantle, arriving 27 may 1945.

sixth patrol

cavalla received cease-fire order of 15 august while lifeguarding off japan on sixth war patrol. few minutes later bombed japanese plane apparently had not yet received same information, or heard gyokuon-hōsō. joined fleet units entering tokyo bay 31 august, remained signing of surrender on 2 september, departed next day new london, arriving 6 october 1945. placed out of commission in reserve there 16 march 1946.

postwar

recommissioned 10 april 1951, cavalla assigned submarine squadron 8 , engaged in various fleet exercises in caribbean , off nova scotia. placed out of commission 3 september 1952 , entered electric boat co. yard conversion hunter-killer submarine (reclassified ssk-244, 18 february 1953). ssk conversion included remodeling cavalla s bow addition of curved bow adapted mount bqr-4 sonar system. conversion included removal of 2 bow torpedo tubes, along remodeling original conning tower , bridge sail visible today.

cavalla recommissioned 15 july 1953 , assigned submarine squadron 10. new sonar made cavalla valuable experimentation, , transferred submarine development group 2 on 1 january 1954, evaluate new weapons , equipment, , participate in fleet exercises. cruised european waters several times take part in nato exercises, , visited norfolk, va., international naval review (11–12 june 1957). on 15 august 1959, classification reverted ss-244.

in november, 1961, cavalla ordered puerto rico , provided electrical power via umbilical connection uss thresher (ssn-593) had suffered diesel generator failure while nuclear reactor shut down. cavalla assisted thresher s restart of reactor. thresher go on sink 2 years later.