USS Redfish (SS-395)

The first Redfish (SS-395) was laid down 9 September 1943 by Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H.; launched 27 January 1944; sponsored by Miss Ruth Roper; and commissioned 12 April 1944, Comdr. Louis D. McGregor in command.

Redfish arrived at Pearl Harbor 27 June 1944. Departing 23 July, she sank the 5,953-ton Japanese cargo ship Batopaha Maru 25 August, the 7,311-ton tanker Ogura Maru No. 2 on 16 September, and the 8,506-ton transport Mizuho Maru 21 September, all off Formosa, before arriving at Midway 2 October. Departing Midway on the 25th and Saipan on 3 November, she sank the 2,345-ton Japanese transport Hozan Maru during the night of 22-23 November. Departing Saipan 1 December, she combined with Sea Devil (SS-400) the night of 8-9 to damage heavily the Japanese aircraft carrier Hayataka , putting that enemy ship out of action for the remainder of the war.

Redfish sank the newly built 18,500-ton Japanese aircraft carrier Unryu , bound for Mindoro, 19 December. After diving to 232 feet, she rose to the surface and raced to escape Japanese pursuit. Arriving at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for repairs 17 February 1945, she returned to Pearl Harbor 23 July, and remained there until the end of the war.

After duty at Guam from September 1945 to January 1946, she arrived at San Diego on the 30th. Departing 3 March 1947, she voyaged to Guam and Japan before returning 21 June. After operations off the west coast and Hawaii, she sailed toward Korea 2 February 1951, and operated out of Yokosuka, Japan, until 24 June, in support of U.N. forces. Returning to San Diego 3 July, she operated off the west coast.

In the spring of 1954, she participated in the Walt Disney production of Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," and, in September 1957, in the motion picture "Run Silent, Run Deep."

Reclassified AGSS on 1 July 1960, she was underway from San Diego on western Pacific deployment from 26 March to 26 September. From then into 1968, she made annual training cruises to the western Pacific. Decommissioned 27 June 1968 at San Diego, she was struck from the Navy list 30 June, and sunk as a target.

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Redfish I (SS-395)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.