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Cuttlefish (SS-171)
launched 21 November 1933 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.;
sponsored by Mrs. B. S. Bullard; and commissioned 8 June
1934, Lieutenant Commander C. W. Styer in command.
Departing New London 15 May 1935, Cuttlefish
arrived at San Diego 22 June. She sailed on torpedo
practice and fleet tactics along the west coast, as well as
in the Hawaiian Islands, until 28 June 1937 when she sailed
for the Panama Canal, Miami, New York, and New London.
After returning to Pearl Harbor, Cuttlefish
put to sea on her first war patrol 29 January 1942. On
13 February she performed a reconnaissance of Marcus Island,
gaining valuable information, and after patrolling in the
Bonins, returned to Midway 24 March. She refitted there and
at Pearl Harbor, and on 2 May cleared Midway for her second
war patrol. Between 18 and 24 May, she reconnoitered Saipan
and the northern islands of the Marianas group. On 19 May
she attacked a patrol ship, and while maneuvering for a
second attack, was detected. She was forced deep to endure 4
hours of severe depth charging, more of which came her way
on 24 May when she challenged three enemy destroyers. The
next day an alert enemy plane caught her on the surface and
dropped two bombs as she went under, both of them misses.
As it became obvious that the
Japanese Fleet was out in strength, Cuttlefish was
ordered to patrol about 700 miles west of Midway, remaining
on station during the Battle of Midway of 4 to 6 June 1942.
She returned to Pearl Harbor 15 June, and there and at
Midway prepared for her third war patrol, for which she
sailed 29 July. Patrolling off the Japanese homeland, she
attacked a destroyer on 18 August, and received a punishing
depth charge attack. Three days later she launched a spread
of torpedoes, three of which hit a freighter and one of
which hit an escort. Explosions were seen, but the sinking
could not be confirmed. On 5 September she attacked a tanker
which, it is believed, she sunk.
Returning to Pearl Harbor 20
September 1942, Cuttlefish was ordered to New London,
where she served the Submarine School as a training ship
from December 1942 until October 1945. She was
decommissioned at Philadelphia 24 October 1945 and sold 12
February 1947.
Cuttlefish 's third war
patrol was designated as "successful," and she
received one battle star for that patrol and one for her
service during the Battle of Midway.
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