The USS Bluefish (SS-222) was a very highly decorated Gato-class submarine that was instrumental in the U.S. Navy’s contributions in WWII. She received an amazing 10 battle stars for her WWII service, and her crew was awarded many military medals for their courageous conduct both during and after the war.
Nine World War II Patrols
Named for the bluefish, a migrating marine fish found throughout the world, the USS Bluefish was built in Groton, Conn. by the Electric Boat Co. and launched in 1943. She made nine war patrols from late 1943 to the summer of 1945, sinking 12 Japanese vessels, including a destroyer (the Sanae) and a submarine chaser. With another sub, the Puffer (SS-268), she sank a large Japanese tanker.
Transfer to the Atlantic Fleet
After the conclusion of the war, the Bluefish proceeded to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and then back to Groton for extensive repairs. Following a few months as a decommissioned ship, the Bluefish reported to the Atlantic Fleet at New London, Conn. Her operations shifted to the Florida coast and the Caribbean until 1953, when she was overhauled at Naval Base Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Her final decommission brought her to New London, Conn.
Like many of the submarines that served the U.S. for so many years, the Bluefish was eventually sold for scrap.
The USS Bluefish and Asbestos
The more than 125 submarines that served in the Navy in World War II contained asbestos materials that may have been the source of serious medical problems such as:
 asbestosis
 lung cancer
 other organ cancers
 mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium, a tissue lining in the chest cavity)
The millions of people who worked in American shipyards — both military and civilian — often encountered asbestos on a daily basis in the course of their work. The loose fibers of asbestos can remain airborne for hours, invisible to the naked eye.
If you suspect that you or your family member inhaled toxic asbestos, see a physician who is knowledgeable about asbestos diseases and contact an asbestos lawyer to learn about your legal rights.
