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USS Pampanito SS-383

USS Pampanito was a United States Navy Balao-class submarine who was awarded six Battle Stars for her service in World War II. She was 311 feet long and could carry a complement of 81 sailors, along with an armament consisting of 10 x 21-inch torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1 x 4-inch / 50 caliber deck gun, and four machine guns. Due to her propulsion equipment of 4 x 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines, 2 x 126-cell batteries, 4 x high-speed electric motors and two propellers, Pampanito could reach top speeds of 20 knots per hour while surfaced and 9 when submerged. At minimum speeds, she could maintain 48 hours underwater-to a depth of 400 feet-and could endure 75 days on patrol.

Rescues, Hits, and Training Service

In Kittery, Maine, in 1943, Pampanito's keel was laid down; she was launched within the next 60 days. Commissioning came six months later and her shakedown commenced near New London, Connecticut. After a maiden voyage through the Panama Canal, Pampanito sailed from Pearl Harbor in March and headed for the approach to Saipan and Guam waters. While in the vicinity of Yap doing lifeguard duty, she struck an enemy destroyer with two torpedo hits. Her first war patrol left her needing refit for a hull that had incurred serious damages from depth charges. Returning to the area of Honshu in July, Pampanito damaged a Japanese gunboat, and in September, she sank transport Kachidoki Maru and tanker Zuihō Maru as part of a wolfpack in the South China Sea. In this incident, Pampanito also damaged a third ship which was carrying POWs, and later found 73 British and Australian 73 survivors, which she delivered to Saipan. Receiving her next orders for Formosa, Pampanito then traveled with sister ships Sea Cat, Pipefish, and Searaven. The team was responsible for the sinking of Shinko Maru Number One and the damage of another vessel late that year before Pampanito required a refit. Early 1945 saw Pampanito answering a call to duty in the Gulf of Siam, where she succeeded in the sinking of two vessels, the Engen Maru and the Eifuku Maru. After a spring overhaul in San Francisco, she conducted various tasks before the hostilities ceased and she was decommissioned at Mare Island. USS Pampanito remained in reserve from 1945 until 1960. At that time, she was transferred to Naval Reserve Training and reclassified as AGSS-383. She thus remained at Vallejo, California in the capacity of Training ship, until stricken from the Navy Register in 1971.

A Noble and Fitting Retirement

USS Pampanito became a naval museum in 1975 while docked at San Francisco. The following year, she was transferred to the Maritime Park Association, where she was opened to the public in March of 1982. By 1986, Pampanito was declared a National Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently, she is docked at Pier 45 in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf area; owned by the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, she remains open for visiting. A broom is flown from her mast, indicating a "clean sweep" of the enemy, due to six sunken ships and various damage to other vessels for which she was responsible. The public can view some of her still-operational components, such as a torpedo tube, periscope, engines, galley and ice-cream maker, and programs allow guests to spend the night in Pampanito's bunk beds. She has also achieved Hollywood fame by portraying the fictional ship Stingray in the 1995 movie “Down Periscope” with Kelsey Grammer.

Probably every former crew member of the USS Pampanito is happy and proud that their ship has been preserved for posterity, and many must have visited her at her new home. In all likelihood, she has been examined thoroughly during her many overhauls while in dry dock. Hopefully, any damaged asbestos sealant would have been obvious and thus repaired or the asbestos removed. Almost every sailor faced the threat of asbestos exposure while serving onboard Navy submarines, since the retardant was often utilized during the building and ship construction years of 1930-1960. Asbestos was especially efficient for the small and awkward spaces of ships, and adding hardly any extra weight, may have been readily used throughout all vessels. After all, a ship needed as much security and protection against fire, flames and heat as it could get, when resources and exits were definitely limited. Yet, if any asbestos fibers escaped and drifted into the ship's air system, they may have been trapped inside a sailor's body and set up an irritation process conducive to the onset of a serious medical condition. That is why all former crew members should be alert to any unusual physical symptoms that may be attributed to exposure many years ago. A doctor should be consulted as soon as possible to ward off the results of possibly dangerous diseases, and we should also be contacted for additional information.

Submarines Index

USS Albacore SS 218 USS Amberjack SS 219 USS Angler SS 240 USS Apogon SS 308 USS Archer-Fish SS 311 USS Argonaut-SM-1 USS Argonaut SS 475 USS Aspro SS 309 USS Atule SS 403 USS Balao SS 285 USS Bang SS 385 USS Barbel SS 316 USS Barbero SS 317 USS Barb SS 220 USS Barracuda SS 163 USS Bashaw SS 241 USS Bergall SS 320 USS Besugo SS 321 USS Billfish SS 286 USS Blackfin SS 322 USS Blackfish SS 221 USS Blenny SS 324 USS Blower SS 325 USS Blueback SS 326 USS Bluefish SS 222 USS Bluegill SS 242 USS Boarfish SS 327 USS Bonefish SS 223 USS Bonita SS 165 USS Bowfin SS 287 USS Bream SS 243 USS Brill SS 330 USS Bugara SS 331 USS Bullhead SS 332 USS Bumper SS 333 USS Burrfish SS 312 USS Cabezon SS 334 USS Carbonero SS 337 USS Hake SS 256 USS Hammerhead SS 364 USS Harder SS 257 USS Hardhead SS 365 USS Hawkbill SS 366

USS Herring SS 233 USS Hoe SS 258 USS Icefish SS 367 USS Jack SS 259 USS Jallao SS 368 USS Kete S 369 USS Kingfish SS 234 USS Kraken SS 370 USS Lagarto SS 371 USS Lizardfish SS 373 USS Loggerhead SS 374 USS Macabi SS 375 USS Mackerel 204 USS Manta SS 299 USS Mapiro SS 376 USS Marlin SS 205 USS Mingo SS 261 USS Moray SS 300 USS Muskallunge SS 262 USS Narwhal SS 263 USS Nautilus SS 168 USS Paddle SS 167 USS Pampanito SS 383 USS Parche SS 384 USS Pargo SS 264 USS Perch SS 176 USS Permit SS 178 USS Peto SS 265 USS Pickerel SS 177 USS Picuda SS 382 USS Pike SS 173 USS Pilotfish SS 386 USS Pintado SS 387 USS Pipefish SS 388 USS Piranha SS 389 USS Plaice SS 390 USS Plunger SS 179 USS Pogy SS 266 USS Pollack SS 180 USS Pomfret SS 391 USS Pompano SS 181 USS Pompon SS 267 USS Porpoise SS 172

USS Puffer SS 268 USS Queenfish SS 393 USS Quillback SS 424 USS Rasher SS 269 USS Raton SS 270 USS Ray SS 271 USS Razorback SS 394 USS Redfin SS 272 USS Redfish SS 395 USS Robalo SS 273 USS Rock SS 274 USS Ronquil SS 396 USS Runner SS 275 USS Runner SS 476 USS S-1 SS 105 USS S-20 SS 125 USS S-46 SS 157 USS Sailfish SS 192 USS Salmon SS 182 USS Sand Lance SS 381 USS Sargo SS 188 USS Saury SS 189 USS Sawfish SS 276 USS Scabbardfish SS 397 USS Scamp SS 277 USS Scorpion SS 278 USS Sculpin SS 191 USS Sea Cat SS 399 USS Sea Devil SS 400 USS Sea Dog SS 401 USS Seadragon SS 194 USS Sea Fox SS 402 USS Seahorse SS 304 USS Sealion SS 195 USS Seal SS 183 USS Sea Owl SS 405 USS Sea Poacher SS 406 USS Searaven SS 196 USS Sea Robin SS 407 USS Seawolf SS 197 USS Segundo SS 398 USS Sennet SS 408

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