The USS Bluegill (SS-242) received both the Navy Unit Commendation and four battle stars for her service in World War II. A Gato-class submarine with a crew of six officers and 54 enlisted men, the USS Bluegill was the only Navy ship named for the bluegill, a fish found in the Great Lakes.
The Bluegill Sank Ten Enemy Vessels
The Bluegill was constructed by the workforce at Groton, Connecticut-based Electric Boat Company and launched in 1943. She reported to the Pacific Fleet and went on to complete six war patrols in the South China and Java Seas. The Bluegill sank a Japanese cruiser (the Yubari), a submarine chaser, and eight other vessels.
The Bluegill was also the flagship of the invasion of Wake Island.
Converted to a Hunter-Killer Submarine
After the war, the USS Bluegill served with the Pacific Fleet until decommissioning in the spring of 1946 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California. Recommissioning in 1951 led to training duty and eventual conversion to a "hunter-killer" sub (SSK).
Used for Underwater Rescue Training
During the Vietnam War, the Bluegill did a tour of the Gulf of Tonkin and reconnaissance and pilot-rescue duties. In 1969, she was struck from the Naval Register and later sunk off the coast of Lahaina, Hawaii to be used as a site for underwater rescue training. It was not until 1984 that the Bluegill received a final military sinking, with honors, out at sea.
Asbestos Risks and the USS Bluegill
All of the submarines used in World War II — and there are more than 100 — used asbestos-containing parts. If you or your family member helped build the Bluegill, or if you/your family member served aboard the Bluegill, it’s in your best interest to know about the dangers of exposure to high levels of asbestos.
Asbestos-caused diseases such as cancer and respiratory disorders often take decades to develop to the point at which symptoms become apparent. Whether it is you or your family member that may have contracted an asbestos disease linked to the USS Bluegill, contact an attorney who represents asbestos victims, to learn more about your legal options.
