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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left contributed by Mike Smolinski, in center by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.), on right is an original manufactured patch by Mark Shepard.

Queenfish (SS-393) (AGSS-393)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - November - Uniform

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons

Presidential Unit Citation

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 July 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, on Seavey Island in Kittery, Maine. Launched, 30 November 1943; Commissioned USS Queenfish (SS-393), 11 March 1944; Redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-393), 1 July 1960; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1963; Final Disposition, sunk as target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963. Queenfish was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, and received six battle stars for World War II service.

As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced 1,526 t., Submerged 2,391 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2 kts; Operating Depth, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one single 40mm gun mount, one single 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear, Fairbanks Morse diesel engines, 5,400 HP, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gal., four Elliot Motor Co. electric main motors with 2,740 shp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Click On Image For Full Size	Size	Image Description	Source
	222k	Mrs. Rufus G. Thayer, Matron of Honor, Rear Admiral Robert A. Theobald, Commandant of the First Naval District, Mrs. Robert A. Theobald, Sponsor, and Rear Admiral T. Withers, Commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard, at the Launch of the Queenfish (SS-393), 30 November 1943.	National Archives Identifier: 12563205 Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
	16k	Commemorative launch day badge from Queenfish (SS-393) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 30 November 1943.	Courtesy of James A Munroe in remembrance of his father Raymond L. Munroe Sr. who worked at the yard during WW II and the Korean wars as a chauffeur.
	447k	Queenfish (SS-393) starts down the ways on 30 November 1943.	Photo # 80-G-45585 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
0839323	352k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of Queenfish (SS-393), at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 30 November 1943.	Photo courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
	22k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the commissioning of Queenfish (SS-393), at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 11 March 1944.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
	62k	Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), 29 April 1944.	USN photo # 80-G-233790 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. via Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	92k	Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), probably during her sea trials off the New England coast, Spring 1944.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
0839397	1.36k	This patch is an original manufactured not a reproduction and unused.	Photo courtesy of Mark Shepard.
	681k	The Queenfish (SS-393) rescuing British and Australian prisoners of war, survivors of the Japanese ship *Rakuyo Maru, sunk in the China Sea by the Sealion* (SS-315), September 1944.	NARA FILE #: 80-G-272803, Photo # HD-SN-99-02608, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center via Robert Hurst.
	664k	Saved! British and Australian survivors of Japanese prison ship *Rakuyo Maru, torpoded by Sealion* (SS-315). Rescue was by *Sealion, Growler* (SS-215), Queenfish (SS-393), & Barb (SS-220).	Text courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI. Photo from NARA FILE #: 80-G-281718, Photo # HD-SN-99-02609, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center. PDF courtesy of Steve Burton.
	171k	Imperial Japanese Army aircraft transport with landing deck *Akitsu Maru, underway in 1944. Employed mainly as an aircraft ferry (take-off only), Akitsu Maru* was also employed on A/S duties equipped with eight Kokusai Ki-76 "Stella" liaison aircraft, modified to carry two 60 kg (132 lb) depth charges in the light anti-submarine patrol aircraft role. They were not too succesful. *Akitsu Maru* (9,186 grt) was torpedoed and sunk on 15 November 1944 in the Korean Straits (33 degrees 17' N, 128 degrees 11' E) by the submarine Queenfish (SS-393).	Imperial Japanese Army photo taken from Gakken, Rekishi Gunzo Vol.37 via Robert Hurst.
	524k	Spot (SS-413), Sea Fox (SS-402) & Queenfish (SS-393) & friends at Saipan, March 1945.	USN photo by Paul D. Guttman, courtesy of Robert Guttman.
	190k	Returning to the same area for her fourth war patrol, 24 February to 14 April, Queenfish (SS-393) sank 11,600-ton passenger-cargo ship *Awa Maru* on 1 April 1945. Unfortunately, her victim was a ship whose safe passage had been guaranteed by the United States government, since she was to carry Red Cross relief supplies to Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.	Drawing by Ueda Kihachiro courtesy of combinedfleet.com via Tommy Trampp.
	83k	Queenfish (SS-393), port side view, circa 1944-45, location unknown.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	1.18k	The table below lists the location of submarines at Mare Island on 20 September 1945. This information was pulled from microfiche copies of the hand written shipyard journals. I'm surprised that both the clipping and my table show 21 subs at the yard on the date in question. The photo is looking north and berth 3 is at the top of the photo and then the berths run down or south. Berth 3 - Springer (SS-414) & Spadefish (SS-411) Berth 4 - Guavina (SS-362) & Barbero (SS-317) Berth 5 - Hammerhead (SS-364), Tinosa (SS-283), Mapiro (SS-376) & Moray (SS-300) Berth 6 - Bream (SS-243), Seahorse (SS-304), Batfish (SS-310) & Aspro (SS-309) Berth 7 - Pomfret (SS-391), Parche (SS-384) & Sunfish (SS-281) Berth 8 - Queenfish (SS-393) Berth 9 - Lionfish (SS-298) & Plaice (SS-390) Dry Dock 1 - Bashaw (SS-241) & Mingo (SS-261) Berth 12 - Guitarro (SS-363).	Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	638k	Queenfish (SS-393), 7 September 1945, with the inscription "We have returned" draped to the conning tower. South Vallejo in the photo. Logs indicate that she arrived 14 September 45 and completed overhaul on 1 January 1946.	USN photo #222501, from the 12th Naval District, courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. courtesy of Darryl L. Baker, David Johnston (USN, retired) & Ric Hedman.
	53k	WW II battle-flag of the Queenfish (SS-393).	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	1.00k	Parche (SS-384) with *YF-312* and S-30 (SS-135) outboard at Mare Island between 19 and 23 October 1945. The submarine to the left of *Parche's* sail is either Plaice (SS-390), Tinosa (SS-283) or Queenfish (SS-393). The Nereus (AS-17) is just visible left of the *Parche's* periscope shears.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
	324k	Queenfish (SS-393) leaving Guam for Subic Bay, 1946. Austin E. Smith (QM-2), appears on the lower look out area.	In memory of *Queenfish*, crew, and my father Austin E. Smith (QM-2) of rank on board 1945-48. Text provided by Austin and image source courtesy of son Clare Smith Austin's Memorial #76281019 at Findagrave.com.
	155k	In March, 1947, Commander Ralph Huntington Lockwood assumed command of the submarine Queenfish (SS-393) and maintained this position until August, 1949.	Image from the San Diego Navy Historical Association courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
	95k	Starboard view of the Queenfish (SS-393), underway, circa 1950's, location unknown. Her deck guns had been removed by this time. When her guns and associated equipment were removed, she became the model for active fleet-type boats that did not receive GUPPY, snorkel, SSR, SSG or other special conversions. Little is recorded about this "*Queenfish Modification*" that was a household word for submariners in the '50s.	Text courtesy of subnet.com. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	116k	Port side view of the Queenfish (SS-393), underway, circa 1950's, location unknown.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	79k	Port side view of the Queenfish (SS-393) underway, possibly circa 16 January 1958 after she departed for a 6 month deployment to WestPac, returning to San Diego 27 July to resume operations off the west coast of the United States.	Text info courtesy of DANFS. Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
	248k	Overhead stern view of the Queenfish (AGSS-393), underway, 2 March 1961.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	157k	With a boiling wake from her stern, the Queenfish (AGSS-393) underway, 2 March 1961.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	50k	Coming alongside to check out the Queenfish (SS-393) before she is sunk as a target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	61k	The Queenfish (SS-393) with an oil slick in her wake before she is sunk as a target by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
	42k	The Queenfish (SS-393) is hit amidships by Swordfish (SSN-579), 14 August 1963, as she starts her final dive.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.

View the Queenfish (SS-393)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Queenfish SS393/SSN651
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ

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