USS Puffer (SS-268)

USS Puffer (SS-268) was a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy commissioned during World War II and active in the Pacific War against the Empire of Japan. She conducted multiple war patrols, engaging enemy merchant ships, naval vessels, and supporting Allied operations in the Philippines campaign (1944–45), the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Bismarck Archipelago area. Built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company and commissioned in 1943, Puffer earned battle stars and recognition before being decommissioned after postwar service.

Construction and commissioning

Puffer was laid down at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company yard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin on 28 February 1942, launched on 19 December 1942, and commissioned on 31 May 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Frederick J. Ball (note: link only if proper noun exists). Her construction took place amid the U.S. Navy's expansion following the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the enactment of Two-Ocean Navy Act-era production programs, with components routed via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and assembled to join the Pacific Fleet.

Design and specifications

Puffer, as a Gato-class submarine, shared hull lines, propulsion, and armament common to her class, designed for long-range patrols in the Pacific Ocean theater. She displaced approximately 1,525 tons surfaced and 2,424 tons submerged, with an overall length near 311 feet and a beam of about 27 feet, powered by General Motors diesel engines driving electric motors for submerged operations and capable of speeds exceeding 20 knots surfaced and 9 knots submerged. Her armament package included ten 21-inch torpedo tubes with Mark 14 torpedos and a complement of deck guns such as the 3-inch/50-caliber and later 5-inch/25-caliber mounts, plus anti-aircraft weapons to contend with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft. The boat carried a crew of officers and enlisted personnel trained under Submarine School (U.S. Navy) programs and equipped with SD radar and sonar systems of the period.

War patrols and operational history

Puffer commenced active wartime patrols after shakedown and transits through the Panama Canal to reach the Hawaii forward bases such as Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Her first war patrols operated in coordination with other U.S. submarines and task forces during campaigns that included the Solomon Islands campaign, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, and later operations supporting Leyte and Luzon offensives. On multiple patrols Puffer engaged Japanese convoys, attacking transport ships and escort vessels with torpedoes and gunfire, contributing to interdiction of Japanese sea lines of communication and supporting carrier and surface force operations like those of Task Force 38. During these patrols she encountered anti-submarine warfare measures including depth charge attacks by Imperial Japanese Navy destroyers and escorts, necessitating evasive maneuvers and silent running guided by bathymetry and hydrophone bearings. Puffer coordinated lifeguard duties for Army Air Forces and Naval aviation strikes, rescuing downed aviators during raids on targets such as Truk and Formosa (now Taiwan). Her actions earned recognition in patrol reports, and she participated in wolfpack-style coordinated attacks that mirrored tactics used by U.S. submarines across the South Pacific and East China Sea.

Post-war service and decommissioning

Following Japanese surrender and the end of World War II, Puffer returned to the United States for overhaul and evaluation as the Navy reduced wartime forces. She was placed in reserve during the postwar drawdown and decommissioned, later being struck from the Naval Vessel Register and disposed of by sale for scrap in the period of Cold War fleet realignment. Elements of her hull, equipment, and records were archived with naval historical repositories and referenced in submarine war summaries and patrol reports preserved by the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Awards and honors

For her wartime service Puffer received multiple battle stars for operations in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign. Her crew members were eligible for campaign medals such as the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, and individual awards documented in after-action records include commendations noted in patrol citations archived by the Navy.

Category:Gato-class submarines Category:World War II submarines of the United States