USS Greenling (SS-213)

Greenling (SS-213) was launched by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., 20 September 1941; sponsored by Mrs. R. S. Holmes; and commissioned at New London, Conn., 21 January 1942, Lt. Comdr. H. C. Bruton in command.

After shakedown training out of New London, Greenling departed 7 March 1942 for the Pacific. She arrived 1'earl Harbor 3 April and sailed 20 April for her first war patrol in the Marshalls and Carolines. The submarine attacked cargo ship Seia Maru four times 30 April-1 May off Eniwetok, but due to faulty torpedoes was not able to sink her. The tenacious submarine even closed for a night gunfire attack in an attempt to cripple her adversary. Finally forced by Japanese aircraft to break off the attack, Greenling turned her attention to the huge Japanese base at Truk. As the Japanese converged on the Solomons, Truk became a busy shipping point and a fertile ground for submarine operations. The submarine recorded her first kill 4 May when she hit cargo ship Kinjosan Maru amidships, breaking her in two. As the Japanese were turned back in the important Battle of the Coral Sea, history's first big carrier air battle, Greenling attempted to intercept the retiring enemy units, but her speed was no match for the fast Japanese heavy units. The submarine departed the Truk area 4 June, the day of Japan's first great naval defeat at the Battle of Midway, and arrived Pearl Harbor 16 June.

Greenling's third war patrol took her off the Japanese home islands. Departing Midway 23 September, the submarine sank cargo ship Kinkai Maru 3 October, Setsuyo Maru the next day. She fired three torpedoes at cargo ship Takusei Maru 14 October, scored three hits, and watched her sink in the space of 6 minutes. This attack brought a host of escort vessels to search for Greenling, but she evaded them and attacked a large freighter 18 October. One torpedo set the target aflame, but the second "fish" ran erratically, circled, and almost hit Greenling. The next ran true, however, and cargo ship Hakonesan Maru was sent to the bottom. After destroying a sampan in the Tokyo-Aleutians shipping lanes 21 October, Greenling returned to Pearl Harbor 1 November. The attrition on Japanese shipping by submarines was already being felt and would be a major factor in her eventual defeat.

Continue to the full service history →About 950 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Greenling I (SS-213)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.