Finback

DANFS

Finback I (SS-230)

1942-1958 

The first Finback (SS-230) was named for the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as a finback whale, a species found in all oceans of the world.  Possessing a slender, elongated body that ranges from 60 to 80 feet long and weighing up to 70 tons, they are the second largest animal on Earth after the blue whales and among the fastest whales.

I 

(SS-230: displacement 1,526 (standard), 2,410 (submerged); length 311’8”; beam 27’4”; draft 15’3”; speed 20.25 knots (surface), 8.75 knots (submerged); complement 60; armament 1 3-inch, 2 .50 caliber machine guns, 2 .30 caliber machine guns, 10 21-inch torpedo tubes; class Gato)

The first Finback (SS-230) was laid down on 5 February 1941 at Portsmouth, N.H., by the Portsmouth Navy Yard; launched on 25 August 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Adolphus E. Watson, wife of Rear Adm. Adolphus E. Watson, Commandant Fourth Naval District; and commissioned on 31 January 1942, Lt. Cmdr. Jesse L. Hull in command.

After shakedown training, Finback departed New London, Conn., for Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 2 May 1942, transited the Panama Canal on 13 May, and reached Pearl on 29 May. Two days later, with the Japanese Fleet on the move, she was ordered out on a defensive patrol during what history would record as the Battle of Midway, to guard the Hawaiian Sea Frontier. She returned to Pearl on 9 June to prepare for her first full war patrol, on which she sailed for the Aleutians on 25 June. Finback first contacted the enemy on 5 July, when she attacked two destroyers, and received her baptism of fire in a heavy depth charge attack. Two special missions highlighted this first war patrol, a reconnaissance of Vega Bay, Kiska, on 11 July, and a surveying operation at Tanaga Bay one month later, on 11 August. The submarine ended her patrol at Dutch Harbor on 12 August, and returned to Pearl Harbor on 23 August to refit.

Departing Pearl Harbor on 23 September 1942, Finback made her second war patrol off Taiwan. On 14 October, she sighted a convoy of four merchantmen, guarded by a patrol vessel. The submarine launched two torpedoes at each of the two largest targets, sinking the Japanese Army transport Teison Maru, then went deep for the inevitable depth charging. When she surfaced, she found two destroyers in the area, preventing a further attack. With tubes reloaded she headed for the China coast. Four days later, 18 October, she inflicted heavy damage on a large freighter, and on 20 October, Finback sent another large freighter to the bottom. Rounding out this highly successful patrol with a surface gunfire engagement with an ocean-going sampan, which she sank on 3 November, Finback returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 November.

During her third war patrol, between 16 December 1942 and 6 February 1943, Finback served for some time as escort for a carrier task force, forbidden to reveal herself by making attacks during a part of the patrol. On 17 January, she engaged a patrol boat in a surface gun duel, leaving the enemy craft abandoned and sinking.

After refitting at Midway, Finback made her fourth war patrol between 27 February and 13 April 1943, scouting shipping lanes between Rabaul and the Japanese home islands. On 21 March, she damaged a large cargo ship, and from 24 to 26 March made an exasperatingly difficult chase of a convoy. At last in position to attack, she fired three torpedoes at each of two ships, and was immediately fired upon, then forced deep by an uncomfortably efficient depth-charging. Almost out of fuel, Finback was forced to break off the contact, and shaped course for Wake Island and Midway. On 5 April, passing a reef south of the triangular Japanese-held atoll, Finback sighted a merchantman beached and well down by the stern. Through radical maneuvers and excellent timing, the submarine was able to elude both a patrol boat and a searching aircraft and put a torpedo in the beached vessel, which proved to be the Japanese troopship Suwa Maru, which had been damaged by Tunny (SS-282) on 28 March, then beached by her crew. Seadragon (SS-194), inflicted further damage upon the ill-fated troopship four months later, on 27 July.

Finback refitted at Pearl Harbor from 13 April 1943 to 12 May for her fifth war patrol, through most of which she patrolled off Taiwan, and along the shipping lanes from the Japanese home islands to the Marshalls. On 27 May, she sank a cargo ship, and sent another to the bottom on 7 June. Yet another of Japan’s dwindling merchant fleet was sunk by Finback 4 days later. After refitting at Fremantle, Australia, 26 June to 18 July, the submarine sailed for her sixth war patrol along the Java coast. Her first contact was made 30 July, and although the freighter defended herself with gunfire, she was sunk, as was a larger cargo ship on 3 August. On 10 August, she outwitted both a surface escort and a patrol plane to inflict damage on another merchantman. Finback encountered two small mine planters, a tug, and an inter-island steamer on 19 August, and engaged all but the tug with surface gunfire, leaving three badly damaged ships behind when her dwindling supply of ammunition forced her to break off the action.

After a major overhaul at Pearl Harbor (12 September-15 December 1943), Finback sailed for the South China Sea on her seventh war patrol, one characterized by heavy weather, few contacts, and continual sighting of patrol planes. She sank a large tanker in a surface attack on New Year’s Day 1944, sent a fishing trawler to the bottom after a surface gunfire action on 30 January, and left another badly damaged after a similar action the next day.

The submarine refitted at Pearl Harbor again (11 February-6 March 1944), then sailed for her eighth war patrol, off Truk in the Caroline Islands. Prevented from launching attacks through most of this patrol because of her assignment as lifeguard for carrier air strikes on targets in the Carolines, Finback contacted a six-ship convoy on 12 April, noting three escorts. She attacked four of the ships before heavy counter-attack sent her deep. On 16 April, while making a reconnaissance of Oroluk Atoll, she fired on a partially submerged steamer and a lookout tower on the atoll. Three days later, she sank one of a group of sampans, then sailed for refit at Pearl Harbor from 1 May to 30 May.

During her ninth war patrol, off the Palaus and west of the Marianas, Finback again had as her primary mission lifeguard duty during plane strikes covering the opening of the Marianas operation. She returned to Majuro 21 July 1944 for refit, then sailed 16 August on her tenth war patrol, assigned to lifeguard duty in the Bonins. Guided by friendly aircraft, she rescued a total of five downed pilots, one very close inshore off Iwo Jima. One of those fortunate aviators, retrieved from the sea off Chichi Jima on 2 September, was Lt. (j.g.) George H. W. Bush, USNR, of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 51, who would go on to become the 41st President of the United States.

On 10 and 11 September 1944, Finback tracked a convoy, and although twice her attacks were broken off by an alert escort, she sank two small freighters. On her eleventh war patrol, for which she prepared at Pearl Harbor from 4 October to 1 November, Finback was again detailed to lifeguard duty in the Bonins. She sank a freighter on 16 December, and returned to Midway on 24 December, the day before Christmas.

The submarine’s twelfth war patrol, made between 20 January 1945 and 25 March in the East China Sea, was frustrated by lack of worthwhile targets, and Finback returned to Pearl Harbor for a thorough overhaul. Still at Pearl Harbor at the close of the war, she sailed for New London 29 August 1945.

Homeported at New London for the remaining five years of her active career, Finback was engaged in training student submariners. Twice, in 1947 and in 1948, she sailed to the Caribbean to take part in Second Fleet exercises.

Assigned to the New London Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, on 2 December 1949, Finback reported to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet for inactivation on 4 January 1950. Decommissioned and placed in reserve at New London on 21 April 1950 when 100% inactivated, she was “[d]eclared “unfit for further naval service and authorized to be stricken on 1 Sep[tember] 1958.”

The boat that received 13 battle stars for her World War II service, had nine of her 12 war patrols designated as “successful,” had been credited with sending 59,383 tons of Japanese shipping to the bottom, and saved a young naval aviator who went on to become Chief Executive, was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 September 1958.

Commanding Officers                       Date Assumed Command

Lt. Cmdr. Jesse L. Hull                       31 January 1942

Lt. Cmdr. John A. Tyree, Jr.                23 February 1943

Lt. Cmdr. James L. Jordan                   16 May 1944

Lt. Cmdr. Robert R. Williams, Jr.       2 August 1944

Lt. Cmdr. William T. Alford               14 August 1945

Cmdr. Maurice Ferrara                       4 January 1946

Lt. Cmdr. Howard J. Greene               26 June 1948

Updated, Robert J. Cressman

20 March 2018

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Commissioning ROC Transcription

USS FINBACK (SS-230) — Report of Changes (Commissioning)

Date: 31 January 1942

Pages: 1 to 4 of 4

Page 1

Line	Name (Last, First, Middle)	Service Number	Rating	Enlistment Date	Enlistment Place	Branch	Status Change	Date	Transferred From / Remarks
1	ANDERSEN, Paul Glen	234-24-54	TM3c	17 Apr 1940	Buffalo, N.Y.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
2	ATTEBERRY, William Loran	355-99-08	RM2c	22 July 1940	San Diego, Cal.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
3	BARCEWSKI, Edward Robert	300-42-08	F3c	28 Mar 1941	Chicago, Ill.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
4	BARICKMAN, Robert Nelson	328-07-95	F2c	04 Mar 1941	Minneapolis, Minn.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
5	BARNES, Ralph (n)	392-89-52	RM1c	17 June 1938	Portland, Ore.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
6	BATEMAN, Arnold Frederick	337-64-34	Sea2c	03 July 1941	St. Louis, Mo.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
7	BATHEL, Leonard Fred	316-50-64	MM2c	23 Apr 1941	Omaha, Neb.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
8	BLIFFORD, George Hoxie Jr.	400-94-13	O-1 F3c	26 Dec 1940	Pawtucket, R.I.	USNR	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
9	BRANDHORST, Reinold Carl	356-14-24	EM2c	07 June 1939	Dallas, Texas	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
10	CARLILE, Byron (n)	291-58-29	EM3c	04 May 1939	Indianapolis, Ind.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
11	CHESLEY, Derwin Edward	234-35-23	Sea2c	11 July 1941	Buffalo, N.Y.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
12	CLARK, Frederick Lee	337-56-48	Sea2c	13 Mar 1941	St. Louis, Mo.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
13	COX, James Bethae	268-11-93	PhM1c	19 Apr 1938	Marine Bks., Quantico, Vir.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
14	CRAVENS, Jack Barriger	341-43-11	CEM(PA)	15 Aug 1939	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
15	CREER, Theodore Thomas	224-31-33	Sea2c	15 July 1941	New York, N.Y.	USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.

Page 2

Line	Name (Last, First, Middle)	Service Number	Rating	Enlistment Date	Enlistment Place	Branch	Status Change	Date	Transferred From / Remarks
16	DAUGHTREY, Avner Drew	274-33-45	QM2c	12 Apr 1938	New Orleans, La.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
17	EPPS, John Hollis	268-17-45	MM1c	21 Sep 1939	San Diego, Cal.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
18	ERICKSON, Edward Riley	316-51-64	Y2c	24 July 1941	San Francisco, Cal.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
19	FALCONER, LeRoy Douglas	120-99-39	MM1c	21 Oct 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
20	FEENEY, James Francis	224-31-39	Sea2c	15 July 1941	New York, N.Y.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
21	GOELLER, Donald DeRoy	382-18-09	TM3c	19 Apr 1940	Los Angeles, Calif	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
22	GRAY, William Howard	281-15-87	TM2c	28 Nov 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
23	HAMLETT, Aubrey Glenn	336-72-12	MM1c	12 Dec 1941	Portsmouth, N.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
24	HARMON, Charles Edward	405-02-19	EM1c	14 Oct 1938	San Diego, Calif.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
25	HUDSON, Albert Leroy	265-80-16	MM2c	10 Dec 1936	Richmond, Va.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
26	LACY, Edward Andrew	316-44-65	EM1c	03 Apr 1940	Omaha, Neb.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
27	LANGSTAFF, James Arthur	342-06-17	MM1c	05 Apr 1938	Kansas City, Mo	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
28	LINTH, Vernon Everett	328-49-70	EM3c	08 July 1941	Minneapolis, Minn.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
29	LOUTHIAN, Jimmie Earl	376-01-37	TM3c	10 Jan 1940	San Francisco, Cal.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
30	LUCKETT, John Cratin	274-27-64	MM2c	08 Dec 1936	New Orleans, La.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.

Page 3

Line	Name (Last, First, Middle)	Service Number	Rating	Enlistment Date	Enlistment Place	Branch	Status Change	Date	Transferred From / Remarks
1	MALONEY, Michael John	243-43-26	MM1c	04 Aug 1941	San Francisco, Cal	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
2	McFEATURE, Charles Lewis	295-36-90	MM2c	17 June 1941	NYd. Washington, D	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
3	McGILL, Emmett Neal	274-13-62	MM1c	04 Nov 1937	Olongapo, P.I.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
4	McRAE, Duncan Conrad, Jr.	371-84-46	SM1c	19 Nov 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H,	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
5	MILLER, Paul (n)	267-93-75	EM1c	13 Dec 1941	NYd. Portsmouth, NH	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
6	MONICAL, Russel Maurice	342-39-12	F2c	29 Jan 1941	Kansas City, Mo.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
7	MOORE, Willis Earl	311-15-91	TM1c	28 Oct 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
8	MURPHY, James John Jr.	224-25-82	F3c	26 May 1941	New York, N.Y.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
9	PIEKOS, Stanley Thomas	210-81-17	CTM(PA)	04 Nov 1937	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
10	RHOADS, James Thomas	341-35-75	CMM(PA)	17 May 1940	San Francisco, Cal	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
11	ROWE, James Robert	311-33-56	RM3c	08 Aug 1939	Detroit, Mich.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
12	SAUNDERS, Walter Herbert	201-61-44	MM2c	23 Dec 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
13	SEVERNS, Chesley Virgle	341-64-54	CCStd(AA)	28 Aug 1941	Mare Island, Cal.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
14	SHEEHAN, R.P.	223-35-98	FC2c(M)	—	Not available.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.
15	SMITH, R.F. Jr.	299-83-72	EM3c	—	Not available.	ALL USN	ALL REC.	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H., for duty.

Page 4

Line	Name (Last, First, Middle)	Service Number	Rating	Enlistment Date	Enlistment Place	Branch	Status Change	Date	Transferred From / Remarks
16	STOUT, Richard Wright	223-70-60	TM3c	23 Apr 1940	New York, N.Y.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
17	UPSON, Earl Raymond	342-06-85	GM2c	13 May 1938	Kansas City, Mo.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
18	WARREN, John Waite	311-03-79	SM2c	11 Dec 1941	Pearl Harbor, T.H.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
19	WEAVER, Emil Ralph Jr.	234-35-48	Sea2c	28 July 1941	Buffalo, N.Y.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
20	WILLDRICK, Paul Burton	311-79-43	Sea2c	15 Aug 1941	Detroit, Mich.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.
21	WILLIAMS, Kenneth “H”	287-52-92	Sea2c	21 Feb 1941	Louisville, Ky.	ALL USN	ALL REC	ALL 1-31-42	ALL From NYd. Portsmouth, N.H. for duty.

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