USS Cero (SS-225)

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For other ships with the same name, see USS Cero.

USS Cero (SS-225), c. 1943–45.
History
United States
NameUSS Cero
Namesake
Cero mackerel
BuilderElectric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down24 August 1942[1]
Launched4 April 1943[1]
Sponsored byMrs. D. E. Barbey
Commissioned4 July 1943[1]
Decommissioned8 June 1946[1]
Badge
USS Cero SS-225
Commissioned4 February 1952[1]
Decommissioned23 December 1953[1]
Stricken30 June 1967[1]
FateSold for scrap, October 1970[2]
General characteristics
Class and type
diesel-electric submarine[2]
Displacement
  • 1,525 long tons (1,549 t) surfaced[2]
  • 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged[2]
Length311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2]
Beam27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft17 ft (5.2 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced[3]
  • 9 kn (17 km/h) submerged[3]
Range11,000 nmi (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 kn (19 km/h)[3]
Endurance
  • 48 hours at 2 kn (4 km/h) submerged[3]
  • 75 days on patrol
Test depth300 ft (90 m)[3]
Complement6 officers, 54 enlisted[3]
Armament

USS Cero (SS-225), a

cero
.

Construction and commissioning

Cero's

Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut. She was launched 4 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Katherine J. Barbey — the wife of Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, Commanding officer of the Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific Force at the time — and commissioned
4 July 1943.

First War Patrol

Cero cleared New London 17 August 1943 for Pacific waters, and on 26 September sailed from Pearl Harbor, bound for the East China and Yellow Seas on her first war patrol. This patrol was also the first American wolfpack, comprising Cero, Shad (SS-235), and Grayback (SS-208), commanded from Cero by Captain "Swede" Momsen. At dawn on 12 October, Cero made her first attack, on a convoy of three freighters escorted by two destroyers; one of the merchantmen was heavily damaged. During this patrol, she damaged two other freighters, and a small patrol boat which she engaged on the surface.

Second, Third, and Fourth War Patrols

After refitting at

Biak Island. Cero suffered no damage or casualties.[7] Her most successful day to date came on 23 May 1944, when she attacked two freighters and a tanker
, sinking one cargo ship, and damaging the tanker.

Fifth and Sixth War Patrols

Cero was refitted at

Seeadler Harbor, Manus, from 2 to 26 June 1944, then put to sea for the dangerous waters off Mindanao
, where on 5 August, she sent another tanker to the bottom; fifteen days later she finished her fifth patrol at Brisbane.

On 19 September 1944, Cero cleared

Mindanao and Sulu Seas for her sixth patrol. She called en route at Mios Woendi, where she took on board 17 short tons (15 t) of supplies for Philippine guerrillas, along with 16 soldiers headed for behind-the-lines operations in Luzon. Although not permitted by her orders to attack escorted merchantmen while on this mission, Cero encountered two small craft on 27 October, and in a resulting gun action, damaged both and forced them ashore. On 3 November, north of Manila
, she made contact with the guerrillas, landed the soldiers and supplies, and took aboard four evacuees. Later attacked by a Japanese submarine, an alert bridge crew, led by Jim "Red Dog" Vermillion, enabled Cero to evade a torpedo aimed at her. Mission completed, she returned to Pearl Harbor 24 November, then sailed to the West Coast for overhaul.

Seventh War Patrol

Cero, now commanded by Raymond Berthrong, shoved off for action from Pearl Harbor once more 31 March 1945, on her seventh and most productive war patrol. Cruising off

air strikes
on Japan, but sank two picket boats and damaged a third, as well as sending three freighters and a large trawler to the bottom.

Eighth War Patrol

Refitted at

Kurile Islands
, Cero came under enemy air attack; a bomb that landed close aboard caused damage so extensive that the sub was forced to cut short her patrol and head for Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 30 July.

Post-World War II

Cero made prolonged visits to New Orleans and Baton Rouge before arriving 5 November 1945 at New London, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 8 June 1946. She was recommissioned 4 February 1952, and on 22 March, Cero arrived at her new home port of Key West, Florida. For the next year she cruised in the Caribbean Sea and aided in the work of the Fleet Sonar School, then sailed north for inactivation. She was again decommissioned and placed in reserve at New London 23 December 1953.

Cero also served as a reserve pierside training vessel at the Detroit Naval Armory across from Belle Isle from 1960 to 1967, replacing USS Tambor (SS-198). Cero was in turn replaced by USS Piper (SS-409)

Cero was sold for scrap in 1970.

Honors and awards

Of Cero′s eight war patrols, all but the second were designated as "successful." She is credited with having sunk a total of 18,159 tons of shipping.

References

Citations

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-55750-263-3
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-313-26202-0
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
  4. ^
    OCLC 24010356
    .
  5. ^ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 p. 261
  6. ^ a b c U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
  7. ^ Hinman & Campbell, p. 34.

Bibliography

External links
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