USS Finback (SS-230)

USS Finback (SS-230) was a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy that served with distinction during World War II. Commissioned in early 1942, the boat conducted twelve war patrols, primarily in the Pacific Ocean, and is credited with sinking over 69,000 tons of Japanese shipping. The submarine is also historically notable for rescuing the future President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, after he was shot down during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944. For her service, Finback received thirteen battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation.

Construction and commissioning

The vessel's keel was laid down on 5 February 1941 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 25 August 1941, sponsored by Mrs. A. E. Watson, the wife of a senior Navy Department official. Finback was commissioned into active service on 31 January 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Jesse L. Hull, joining the growing fleet of Gato-class submarines that would form the backbone of the Pacific Fleet's submarine warfare campaign against Japan.

Service history

Following shakedown cruise exercises off the New England coast, Finback was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. She transited the Panama Canal and arrived at her new home port of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii in June 1942, reporting to Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet. The submarine operated out of bases including Brisbane in Australia and Fremantle throughout the war, conducting offensive patrols across critical areas such as the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters around the Japanese archipelago.

World War II patrols

Finback executed twelve war patrols, all deemed successful. Her first patrol in July 1942 occurred near the Aleutian Islands during the Aleutian Islands campaign. Subsequent patrols targeted vital Japanese shipping lanes. Significant successes included damaging the aircraft carrier ''Unyō'' in September 1942 and sinking numerous merchant ships and warships, such as the destroyer ''Yūzuki'' in December 1943. On 2 September 1944, during her tenth patrol, Finback rescued Naval Aviator George H. W. Bush and another crewman after their Grumman TBF Avenger was downed during an attack on ChiChi Jima. The submarine completed her final patrol in August 1945, having survived intense anti-submarine warfare efforts by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Post-war service and fate

After Victory over Japan Day, Finback returned to the United States, arriving at San Diego in September 1945. She was subsequently used for training purposes with the Atlantic Fleet. The submarine was officially decommissioned on 21 April 1950 at the Boston Navy Yard and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1958, and her hulk was sold for scrap to the Luria Brothers company on 15 July 1959.

Awards and legacy

For her consistent combat performance, Finback was awarded thirteen battle stars for her World War II service and received the Navy Unit Commendation. Her legacy is cemented not only by her tonnage score but also by her role in the rescue of a future Commander-in-Chief. The name Finback was later revived for the submarine USS Finback (SSN-670), a Sturgeon-class submarine commissioned in 1970. The original vessel's ship's bell and other artifacts are preserved at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas.

Category:Gato-class submarines Category:World War II submarines of the United States Category:Ships built in Maine