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N7KTP > NAVNET 10.06.05 11:13l 131 Lines 7626 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: USS STINGRAY (SS-186)
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Sent: 050609/1645z @:N7FSP.#SEA.#WWA.WA.USA.NOAM West Seattle, WA. on 145.010
Stingray's special missions helped MacArthur's return to Philipines
By Fred Miles Watson - Managing Editor - Northwest Navigator
The second Stingray (SS-186) was built by Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy
Yard and was commissioned on March 15, 1938 with Lt. L.N. Blair at the
helm.
The Salmon-class submarine displaced 2,198-tons submerged and was
308-feet in length. Top speed was 21 knots on the surface and nine
knots submerged. There were 55 Sailors assigned in Stingray. The boat
was outfitted with one, 3-inch gunmount and eight, 21-inch torpedo
tubes.
Following shakedown off New England and in the Caribbean, Stingray
entered Portsmouth Navy Yard for alterations and upon completion on
Jan. 14, 1939, departed for a cruise in Caribbean waters. After briefly
stopping at New London, Conn., on April 20, the submarine transited the
Panama Canal and arrived at San Diego on May 11, for a rigorous
schedule of training and maneuvers as a unit of Submarine Squadron 6.
She put to sea on April 1, 1940 for fleet exercises in the Hawaiian
area, followed by overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo. Upon
completion, Stingray returned to the Hawaiian area, where she remained
until joining the Asiatic Fleet at Cavite, Philippine Islands in
late October, 1941.
Stingray was at Manila on Dec. 7, when the Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor, and immediately put to sea on her first war patrol. Patrolling
in Lingayen Gulf, the submarine witnessed the Japanese invasion of
Lingayen, but due to material deficiencies in the submarine, she was
unable to attack. She terminated her first war patrol at Manila on
Christmas Eve.
Following repairs, Stingray got underway on her second war patrol
on Dec. 30. While in Sama Bay on Jan. 10, 1942, she torpedoed and sank
her initial victim of the war, the transport Harbin Maru. The submarine
then patrolled in Davao Gulf through Feb. 8, without any contacts and
put into Surabaja, Java, on Feb. 12. As the Japanese closed upon that
Dutch base, she quickly got underway for Fremantle, Western Australia,
arriving on March 3.
Stingray departed Fremantle on March 16, for her third war patrol,
conducted in the Celebes and Java seas. The only worthwhile target
encountered during this patrol was a Japanese destroyer cruising just
off Makassar City, Celebes. Although the submarine fired three
torpedoes at the enemy, all were misses. Stingray returned to Fremantle
on May 2.
For her fourth war patrol, Stingray got underway on May 27, and
headed for Davao Gulf, and then on to Guam. On the afternoon of June
28, the submarine sighted two ships with escort, and quickly began to
close the range. She fired four torpedoes at the first ship, and the
resultant explosion quickly sank the converted gunboat Saikyo Maru. The
submarine continued patrol in the vicinity of Guam until July 15, when
she returned to Pearl Harbor for overhaul.
Although Stingray's fifth war patrol, in the vicinity of the
Solomon Islands, and sixth war patrol, conducted in the Marshall
Islands, were unproductive, during the seventh, the submarine torpedoed
and sank the cargo ship Tamon Maru.
For her eighth war patrol, Stingray got underway from Pearl Harbor
on June 12, 1943, and set course for the Caroline Islands. Her only
contact during this patrol was a high-speed northbound convoy that she
was unable to close on. The submarine returned to Brisbane, Australia
on July 31 ending that patrol.
On Aug. 23, Stingray departed Brisbane for her ninth war patrol,
conducted en route to Pearl Harbor. After being slightly damaged by
four bombs mistakenly dropped by a friendly plane, the submarine was
forced to surface and repair the damage. She then patrolled in the
Admiralty Islands without making a single contact and terminated her
ninth patrol at Pearl Harbor on Oct. 10, and continuing on to Mare
Island Navy Yard for shipyard overhaul.
Following her return to Pearl Harbor, Stingray got underway on
March 10, 1944 for her tenth war patrol conducted in the Mariana
Islands. On March 30, she slipped past three escorts to gain attack
position on two cargo ships, and fired four torpedoes at the lead ship.
One torpedo hit amidships and stopped the enemy dead in the water.
Stingray then fired four more torpedoes at the damaged cargo ship that
quickly sent Ikushima Maru to the bottom.
On the afternoon of April 8, while patrolling north of the
Marianas, Stingray bounced off a large submerged object at a depth of
52 feet, lifting the submarine three or four feet. The submarine was in
the middle of the ocean, with her charts showing over 2,000 fathoms of
water, the first thoughts of the commanding officer concerned what new
type of antisubmarine measure the enemy was using. Stingray then took
precautionary soundings and found no bottom at 2,000 fathoms. Unable to
determine what she had collided with, the submarine continued patrol.
During the early morning darkness of April 13, Stingray's lookouts
sighted the approach of a torpedo. She made a sharp turn to port as the
torpedo passed 100 feet ahead. Two seconds later, a second torpedo just
missed as it ran down her starboard side. She searched the area for her
attacker without success and returned to Pearl Harbor on April 22.
Stingray spent her eleventh war patrol on lifeguard station for
air strikes on Guam. On June 11 the submarine rescued a downed Navy
aviator and the following day pulled two more airmen from the water. On
June 13, Stingray received word that a Navy airman was down
approximately 500 yards offshore. With shells exploding on either side
of the submarine, she made four submerged approaches until the pilot
finally grabbed one of the submarine's periscopes and was towed safely
clear of the island and taken on board.
On June 18, Stingray experienced a fire in her superstructure near
the conning tower hatch. After extinguishing the fire several times
only to have it flare up again, the trouble was finally located, and
the submarine continued patrol. She returned to Majuro Atoll in the
Marshall Islands on July 10.
For her twelfth war patrol, Stingray was occupied in a special
mission, landing fifteen Filipino officers and men and six tons of supplies
on the northeastern coast of Luzon. On the way back to Port Darwin,
Australia, on Aug. 18, she picked up four Japanese sailors from a cruiser
sunk earlier in the day by the submarine Hardhead (SS-365). Stingray arrived
at Port Darwin on Sept. 7.
Stingray was underway again three days later for her thirteenth war
patrol, spent on a special mission to look over possible landing beaches at
Marjoe Island. She returned to Port Darwin on Sept. 19.
Stingray carried out two special missions in the Philippine Islands
during her fourteenth and fifteenth war patrols; and, on Jan. 11, 1945, she
put to sea on her sixteenth and final war patrol. Four special missions in
the Celebes area were carried out during this patrol. Landing parties were
put ashore on Nipanipa Peninsula, Celebes; Kagean Island; Pare Pare Bay,
Celebes; and another at Nipanipa Peninsula.
She returned to Fremantle, Western Australia, on Feb. 23 and then
headed back to the United States arriving at New London, Conn., on April 29.
Stingray operated there until being decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy
Yard on Oct. 17, 1945. She was stricken from the Navy list on July 3, 1946
and sold for scrap the following year.
USS Stingray (SS-186) was awarded twelve battle stars for its World
War II service.
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