USS Barbel (SS-316)

History
United States
Name	Barbel
Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down	11 March 1943[1]
Launched	14 November 1943[1]
Commissioned	3 April 1944[1]
Fate	Sunk by Japanese aircraft off Palawan on 4 February 1945[2]
General characteristics
Class and type	diesel-electric submarine[2]
Displacement	1,526 long tons (1,550 t) surfaced[2] 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged[2]
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion	4 × electrical generators 2 × 126- batteries 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears 2 × propellers 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed	20.25 kn (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph) surfaced[3] 8.75 kn (16.21 km/h; 10.07 mph) submerged[3]
Range	11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)[3]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 kn (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged,[3] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes[4] 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun[4] Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

USS Barbel (SS-316), a

Barbel arrived at Pearl Harbor on 21 June 1944 and commenced preparation for her first war patrol. From 15 July 1944 to 4 February 1945, she carried out four war patrols and is officially credited with sinking six Japanese ships totaling 15,263 tons.

Barbel departed Fremantle submarine base, Western Australia, on 5 January 1945 for the South China Sea on her fourth patrol. Late in January she was ordered to form a "wolfpack" with Perch and Gabilan and patrol the western approaches to Balabac Strait and the southern entrance to the Palawan Passage. On 3 February, Barbel sent a message reporting that she had been attacked three times by enemy aircraft dropping depth charges and would transmit further information on the following night.

Barbel was never heard from again. Japanese aviators reported an attack on a submarine off southwest Palawan on 4 February. Two bombs were dropped and one landed on the submarine near the bridge. The sub plunged, under a cloud of fire and spray. This was very likely the last engagement of Barbel. She was officially reported lost on 16 February 1945.

Awards

• battle stars for World War II

  service

Barbel has a war memorial in the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery in Casper, Wyoming.

References

External links

• On Eternal Patrol: USS Barbel
• Kill record: USS Barbel
• USS Barbel Memorial

7°49′N 116°47′E / 7.817°N 116.783°E / 7.817; 116.783