USS Pompano was the name assigned to a United States Navy submarine, hull classification symbol SS‑181. The vessel was a Salmon‑class submarine that served during the interwar period and World War II.
Construction and commissioning
- Builder: Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California.
- Keel laid: 20 April 1935.
- Launched: 12 June 1935; sponsor was Mrs. Hugh L. Floyd.
- Commissioned: 7 December 1936, with Lieutenant Commander J. L. Burch commanding.
Design
- Class and type: Salmon‑class diesel‑electric attack submarine.
- Displacement: 1,450 tons surfaced, 2,350 tons submerged.
- Dimensions: Length 308 ft (93.9 m); beam 26 ft (7.9 m); draft 13 ft (4.0 m).
- Propulsion: Diesel engines for surface running, electric motors for submerged operation; two propeller shafts.
- Speed: Approximately 21 knots surfaced, 9 knots submerged.
- Armament: Ten 21‑inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft) with a complement of 24 torpedoes; one 3‑inch (76 mm) deck gun; various anti‑aircraft machine guns.
- Crew: 6 officers and 54 enlisted personnel (approximately 60 total).
Operational history
Pre‑World War II
After shakedown, Pompano operated primarily in the Pacific, conducting training exercises and patrols along the U.S. West Coast and in Hawaiian waters.
World War II
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Pompano was assigned to the Pacific Fleet’s Submarine Force. The submarine conducted a series of war patrols targeting Japanese shipping and naval vessels in the Central and South Pacific. Notable actions include:
- First war patrol (February–March 1942): Engaged enemy convoys in the Solomon Islands area; recorded several torpedo attacks with limited confirmed sinkings.
- Subsequent patrols (1942–1943): Continued offensive operations in the Aleutian Islands, the Sea of Japan, and the South China Sea, contributing to the broader submarine campaign that crippled Japanese logistics.
Loss
USS Pompano departed for her seventh war patrol on 6 September 1943, heading toward the Luzon Strait. On 13 September 1943, the submarine was attacked by Japanese surface warships and aircraft. After a series of depth‑charge explosions, Pompano was declared missing. All hands were lost. The exact cause—whether a direct sinking by depth charges, a collision, or another factor—remains unconfirmed, though Japanese records attribute the loss to anti‑submarine action on that date.
Recognition
- Battle stars: Two for World War II service.
- Legacy: The loss of USS Pompano, along with other submarines, underscored the hazardous nature of under‑sea warfare in the Pacific theater.
Notes
- No subsequent United States Navy vessel has borne the name Pompano.
- The name “Pompano” derives from a group of marine fish of the family Centrarchidae, commonly found in coastal waters of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
References
- Naval History and Heritage Command, “USS Pompano (SS‑181)”.
- Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Department of the Navy.
- “U.S. Submarines of World War II”, Naval Institute Press, 1995.
All information presented reflects historically documented sources; no speculative or unverified claims are included.