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USS ''Spadefish'' (SS/AGSS-411), a ''Balao''-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the spadefish. Although she was commissioned late in the war and spent only one year in the Pacific war zone, she was to run up a record of 88,091 tons in 21 ships and numerous trawlers sunk. The first ''Spadefish'' was laid down on 27 May 1943 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif.; launched on 8 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Francis W. Scanland; and commissioned on 9 March 1944, Commander Gordon W. Underwood in command. ==First war patrol, July – September 1944== Following shakedown training along the coast of California, ''Spadefish'' departed San Francisco on 14 June and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 22 June. On 23 July, she got underway from Pearl Harbor for her maiden war patrol, as a member of a coordinated attack group with and . On 19 August, while patrolling in Philippine water off the northwest coast of Luzon, ''Spadefish'' torpedoed and sank her first enemy target the 9,589-ton, passenger-cargo ship ''Tamatsu Maru''. Three days later, she trailed three large tankers through Babuyan Channel along the northern Luzon coast; closed range; and fired two spreads of torpedoes, sinking the 10,023-ton tanker ''Hakko Maru No. 2'', and damaging a second tanker that, protected by a destroyer, limped back to a shallow cove off Luzon. For several hours into the next day, ''Spadefish'' attempted to get around the escort to attack the damaged ship anchored in the cove. The submarine finally let go with four stern torpedoes at the destroyer, but the enemy zigged clear and proceeded to depth charge the entire area. Having only three torpedoes remaining, ''Spadefish'' set course for Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, to replenish her supply. On 8 September, ''Spadefish'' was patrolling in waters of Nansei Shoto when she contacted a convoy of eight cargo ships. During a daring night surface attack, she fired a total of 20 torpedoes, sinking cargo ships ''Nichiman Maru'', ''Nichian Maru'', ''Shinten Maru'', and ''Shokei Maru'' and damaging another. The following morning, she fired her final four torpedoes at an escort guarding the stricken ship; but they ran under the target. The submarine's only reward on this occasion was a rain of depth charges. Although she was out of torpedoes, ''Spadefish'' continued to trail the remaining ships of the convoy that first took refuge in the harbor of Ishigaki; and then, in company with five escorts, continued their voyage. ''Spadefish'' terminated her first war patrol at Pearl Harbor on 24 September, having sunk six enemy ships for a total of over 31,500 tons. With the additional 33,000 tons sunk by her sister submarines, the coordinated attack group accounted for a total of 13 ships and over 64,000 tons of enemy shipping. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Spadefish (SS-411)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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