The USS Barbero (SS-317) completed two World War II patrols before incurring major damage that put her out of action. Named for a family of fish also known as surgeon fish, the Barbero was built by the General Dynamics/Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut and launched at the end of 1943.
Received Two Battle Stars for WWII Service
The Barbero sank Japanese merchant ships during her duty in the South China and Java Seas. In December 1944, the USS Barbero was en route to Fremantle, Australia and was hit by an aerial bomb. The damage ended her WWII service, and she was sent to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard northeast of San Francisco.
A Cargo Submarine, a Nuclear Cruise Missile Launcher
Converted to a cargo submarine, the Barbero was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, where she was used as part of an experiment to use subs as cargo carriers. In 1955, the Barbero was converted a second time at Mare Island, this time to equip her to launch Regulus nuclear cruise missiles. She was soon performing nuclear strategic deterrence patrols in the Atlantic, for example during the Cuban Missile Crisis and other Cold War events.
“Missile Mail”
In 1959 the USS Barbero was tested as the first and only submarine for the delivery of “Missile Mail," sending U.S. mail by rocket. The launch of a mail-carrying Regulus cruise missile by the Barbero to a Navy Air Station in Florida was successful, but the program was not continued.
The Barbero was struck from the Naval Vessel Registry in 1964 and then sunk as a target by the USS Greenfish off Pearl Harbor.
Asbestos Aboard the USS Barbero
Many veterans of submarines and other Navy vessels — and the personnel who built, repaired, or converted these vessels — came into contact with asbestos-containing materials on a regular basis. This asbestos exposure has resulted in a significantly higher rate of asbestos diseases among Navy vets and shipyard workers compared to the general population.
If asbestos exposure has harmed you or a member of your family, contact an asbestos victims’ law firm and schedule a private consultation to discuss your legal rights.
