USS Blower

A fish of the tetraodontidae family, often termed "swellfishes" because of their ability to inflate their bodies with air or water into the shape of a ball. The blower grows to 10 inches in length and is found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and in waters surrounding the West Indies.

Blower (SS-325) was laid down on 15 July 1943 at New London, Conn., by the Electric Boat Co.; launched on 23 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Richard F. J. Johnson, Jr.; and commissioned on 10 August 1944, Lt. Comdr. James H. Campbell in command.

Following shakedown training off the New England coast and in Narragansett Bay, the submarine departed New London on 17 September 1944 for advanced training at the Sound School in Key West, Fla. She left Key West on 10 October, bound for the Panama Canal and the Pacific. Early the next morning, during a heavy rain squall, PC-1145 collided with the submarine. No one on either ship suffered any injuries, but PC-1145 's bow was smashed back to the first water-tight bulkhead. Blower suffered a hole in her bow buoyancy tank, damage to her sail, and a sheared blade on her starboard propeller. She returned to Key West on 12 October for repairs, but the damage proved to be so extensive that the work had to be completed at New London.

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From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Blower (SS-325)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.