The Balao-class submarine USS Bumper (SS-333), launched in 1944 by the General Dynamics/Electric Boat Co. in Groton, Connecticut, received one battle star for her service in World War II. Named for a fish found in the West Indian Ocean, the Bumper completed two patrols in the South China and Java Seas and the Gulf of Siam.
The Bumper Sank Several Enemy Vessels
The USS Bumper sank four small craft, a 1,189-ton tanker, and another small tanker in the course of her patrols. In August 1945, the Bumper proceeded to Fremantle, Australia and departed for Subic Bay in the Philippines. She served with the Philippine Sea Frontier Submarines until returning to the U.S. for repairs.
Post-War Simulated War Patrols
Her next duty was in the Hawaiian Islands with Submarine Squadron 5. In a simulated war patrol and later in 1946, the Bumper went to:
 Truk, Caroline Islands
 Subic Bay, Philippine Islands
 Yokosuka, Japan
 Midway
 Tsingtao, China
 the Yellow Sea
Transferred to Turkey
An overhaul in California in 1948 took place before a second simulated war patrol in the Western Pacific. The USS Bumper was decommissioned in the fall of 1950 and transferred to the Turkish Navy, renamed the TCG Canakkale. She served there until retirement in 1976.
Asbestos in U.S. Navy Subs
The men who built U.S. Navy subs and other vessels and were exposed to asbestos in the 1940s died at nearly the same rate as the troops. Asbestos was used as a component of hundreds of ship parts, and it was used extensively in shipbuilding methods and even in shipyard buildings.
Submarine Crews at Risk
The crews of Navy ships — especially those of submarines such as the Bumper — were also at risk of being exposed to a toxic level of asbestos on board their vessels. Submarines provide a myriad of opportunities to inhale asbestos fibers in small, poorly ventilated spaces.
If You Or Your Loved One Worked on the USS Bumper
Concerns about asbestos exposure and the legal rights of asbestos victims can be taken up by a knowledgeable asbestos attorney. Contact an asbestos lawyer in your area today.
