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N7KTP > NAVNET 02.10.04 02:50l 104 Lines 6079 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 23767_N7FSP
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Subj: USS JACK (SS-259)
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0RGB<DB0SL<DB0FSG<I4UKI<IK5CKL<IW2ESA<KP4IG<VE2PAK<
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Sent: 041001/1708z @:N7FSP.#SEA.#WWA.WA.USA.NOAM West Seattle, WA. on 145.010
Submarine USS Jack was an impressive hunter in the Pacific
By FRED MILES WATSON - Managing Editor – Northwest Navigator
The first submarine to be named USS Jack (SS-259) was built by
Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., and was commissioned at New London,
Conn., Jan. 6, 1943. Her first commanding officer was Cmdr. T. M.
Dykers.
A Gato class boat, Jack displaced 1,526-tons and was 312 feet in
length. She carried a draft of 27 feet, three-inches. Top speed was 20
knots on the surface. A total of 60 Sailors were assigned in Jack.
Armament consisted of 10, 21-inch torpedo tubes, one, 3-inch
gunmount, two .50-caliber and two, .30-ca1iber machine guns.
Jack underwent shakedown training along the New England coast,
sailing from New London April 26, 1943 for service in the Pacific.
Reaching Pearl Harbor May 2, the submarine took on supplies and
departed on her first offensive war patrol June 5, 1943. Taking part in
a submarine offensive against Japan, she patrolled off Honshu. Jack
came upon a five-ship convoy June 26 and in a series of five well-
executed attacks sank 4,000-ton passenger-cargo ship Toyo Maru and
6,000-ton cargo ship Shozan Maru. While attempting to torpedo a third
ship, the submarine was rattled by an aerial torpedo; but the crew
corrected her dangerous diving angle and made repairs. On Independence
Day 1943, Jack began to track smoke on the horizon and soon detected
Nikkyo Maru with an escort. The submarine sent the cargo ship under
with three torpedoes and returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs July 19,
1943.
Jack's second war patrol from Sept 5-0ct 10 brought no
opportunities for attack as engineering difficulties forced her to
return prematurely to Pearl Harbor.
On her third war patrol the submarine proceeded westward from
Pearl Harbor to the South China Sea Jan. 16, 1944. Prowling the pivotal
Singapore-Japan shipping lanes, she encountered five large oil tankers
with three escorts early on Feb. 19. She reached attack position at
about 0440 and fired three torpedoes, scoring one hit She then began a
long circling maneuver designed to bring her in front of the remaining
four tankers; and late in the afternoon of Feb. 19 she was again ready
to attack. Two torpedoes sank two more of the frantically zigzagging
ships; and Jack moved in on the trailing tanker. Her first spread of
torpedoes missed and the tanker replied with a 5" salvo; but Jack
returned 3 hours later to sink her with four well-placed torpedoes.
She sank four tankers; all more than 5,000 tons.
After several more attacks she set course for Fremantle,
Australia, her new base, where she arrived March 13, 1944. Departing
Australia April 6, 1944, Jack returned to the South China Sea for her
fourth war patrol She chased a long convoy through the afternoon of
April 25, and shortly after midnight the next day attacked, sinking
Yoshido Maru and damaging two others. She also sank a radio-equipped
trawler, Daisun on April 27, with gunfire before returning to Fremantle
May 10, 1944.
Jack steamed out of Fremantle for her fifth war patrol June 4,
1944, again returning to Japan's important life-lines in the South
China Sea.
Early on June 24, she made an approach on a large convoy and fired
three torpedoes, sinking a large tanker, San Pedro Maru, before being
forced to retire by escorting aircraft. Five days later she came upon
another large convoy, and by early June 30 was in a position to attack.
Three successive attacks sent cargo ships Matukawa Maru and Tsukushima
Maru to the bottom. Jack returned to Fremantle July 14, 1944. For her
highly successful and aggressive first, third, and fifth war patrols,
the submarine was awarded the coveted Presidential Unit Citation.
The submarine turned to the Celebes Sea for her sixth war patrol,
and sailed Aug. 6, 1944. Attacking a convoy Aug. 28, she sank a small
minesweeper and started in pursuit of a cargo ship. After her torpedo
missed and she was raked with gunfire by her adversary; Jack deftly
evaded the attacker and returned later to sink the Japanese ship,
Mexico Maru. She arrived Fremantle following this patrol Sept 24, 1944.
Jack sailed from Fremantle once more Oct 27, 1944 bound for the
South China Sea. She attacked a coastal convoy Nov. 14 to 15, sinking
cargo ships Nichiei Mare and Yuzan Maru before shallow water forced her
to break off the fight. Jack found no more opportunities before ending
her patrol at Pearl Harbor Dec. 24, 1944. From there she returned to
San Francisco for a major overhaul.
The veteran submarine returned to Pearl Harbor April 1, 1945, and
after a short respite, departed on her eighth war patrol 25 days later.
With the majority of Japanese shipping sunk or reluctant to venture
into the sea lanes, Jack's assignment was to act as lifeguard for the
massive carrier strikes and bomber missions on the Japanese mainland.
The submarine returned to Guam for a refit on June 18 and set out
again July 12 for her ninth and last war patrol stationed between Luzon
and Okinawa, she again performed lifeguard duty until the Japanese
surrender on Aug. 15, 1945. Her ninth patrol ended at Midway Aug. 29.
Jack then sailed for the United States on Sept 5, 1945, steaming
via Pearl Harbor and the Canal Zone to New York arriving Oct 3, 1945.
She decommissioned at New London June 8, 1946, and was placed in the
Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
She recommissioned briefly on Dec. 20, 1957, to prepare for trans-
fer to the government of Greece and after training operations was
loaned to the Royal Hellenic Navy on April 21, 1958. She served as HHMS
Amfitriti (S-O9). She was returned to U.S. Naval custody in September
1967 and struck from the Naval Register. She was sunk as a target, Sept
5, 1967, in the Mediterranean Sea.
In addition to her Presidential Unit Citation, USS Jack (SS-259)
received seven battle stars for her World War n service. All patrols,
except for her second and ninth, were designated successful.
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