USS Hoe SS-258

 the Guam-Palaus area
 west of Truk
 Wake Island
 Mindanao
 southwest of Lingayen Gulf
 off Indochina
 the South China Sea

Launched in ’42, Decommissioned in ‘46
The USS Hoe, named for a type of shark, was another of the Gato-class submarines made for the U.S. Navy by the Electric Boat Company, a division of General Dynamics. The Hoe was launched from Groton, Connecticut in the fall of 1942.  After her WWII service, she was decommissioned at New London, Conn.

During the Hoe’s first patrol, she damaged two enemy freighters; in the second patrol, a tanker. Sustaining damages herself, the Hoe continued after repairs to the Halmahera/Mindanao era and sank the Japanese ship Nissho Maru.

Further patrols yielded no direct hits to or from the Hoe, but in her sixth foray, the Hoe led an attack group that is credited with destroying 38,000 tons’ worth of vessels, including the cargo ship Kohoko Maru. An escort ship, the Shinan, was sunk by the Hoe in her last patrol.

Underwater Collision with the USS Flounder
Notably, the USS Hoe was involved in one of the few collisions of submerged submarines on record. She collided 60 feet below the surface with the USS Flounder, another Gato-class sub, in February 1945. The Hoe returned to the U.S. for repairs and was put in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. A few years as a training ship ended in 1960 when the Hoe was sold for scrap to Laneett Inc. in Boston.

The USS Hoe and Asbestos
As was the case for essentially all Navy and commercial vessels built before the 1970s, the USS Hoe had asbestos-containing components. These components presented a risk of asbestos poisoning to the people who installed, repaired, worked near, or removed them.

If you’re among this population of potential asbestos victims, contact an attorney who represents such clients, and learn about your legal rights.