The USS Burrfish (SS-312), named for a swellfish found on the Atlantic coast, was a Balao-class submarine of the United States Navy. She was built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Maine and launched in June 1943. The war operations of the Bullfish were comprised of six patrols over the 15 months from February 1944 to May 1945.
Enemy Vessels, Special Missions
The Burrfish sank a 5,894-ton Japanese tanker on her own and a 200-ton enemy vessel in concert with the Ronquil (SS-396), in an operating area covering the Western Caroline Islands, Formosa, and the sea south of Japan.
Several special missions were part of the Burrfish’s third war patrol, including reconnaissance of the beaches of Yap and Palau. After her last patrol, the Burrfish went from Pearl Harbor to the Portsmouth Navy Yard for a major overhaul.
Conversion to a Radar Picket Submarine
In 1945, the USS Burrfish was inactivated in New London, Connecticut and placed in reserve the next year. She was later recommissioned and converted to a radar picket submarine, then returned to the active fleet as part of Submarine Squadron 6 at Norfolk, Virginia.
Loaned to Canada
The Burrfish completed three Mediterranean tours with the 6th Fleet and operated along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Her final Naval decommission took place in 1961, but the Burrfish went on loan to Canada, renamed HMCS Grilse (SS-71).
Upon her 1969 return to the U.S., the Burrfish was used for target practice by the U.S. Navy off the coast of California at San Clemente Island. She had been awarded five battle stars for her WWII service.
Asbestos in U.S. Navy Submarines
Navy subs built before the 1970s had a significant amount of asbestos-containing parts. The 80-man crew of the Burrfish — and the hundreds of personnel involved in her construction — were at risk of inhaling the tiny fibers of which asbestos is composed. This inhalation of asbestos can cause of cancer and other diseases.
If you are concerned about asbestos poisoning from the USS Burrfish, find an asbestos law firm online to answer your questions. Protect your legal interests and options.
