LAUNCHING
U.S.S. SEA DOG

U.S.S. Sea Dog (SS-401)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

History
Builder: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down: 1 November 1943
Launched: 28 March 1944
Commissioned: 3 June 1944
Decommissioned: 27 June 1956
Struck: 2 December 1968
Fate: Sold for scrap, 18 May 1973

General characteristics
Class and type: Balao class diesel electric submarine
Displacement: 1,526 long tons (1,550 t) surfaced, 2,391 long tons (2,429 t) submerged
Length: 311 feet 6 inches (94.95 m)
Beam: 27 feet 3 inches (8.31 m)
Draft: 16 feet 10 inches (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion: 4 - Fairbanks Morse Model 38D8 10 cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators, 2 - 126 cell Sargo batteries, 4 - high speed Elliott electric motors with reduction gears, two propellers, 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced, 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed: 20.25 knots (37.50 km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16.21 km/h) submerged
Range: 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance: 48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol
Test depth: 400 feet (120 m)
Complement: 10 officers, 70 - 71 enlisted
Armament: 10 - 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, 6 forward, 4 aft, 24 torpedoes, 1 - 5 inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun, Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

U.S.S. Sea Dog (SS-401/AGSS-401) was a Balao class submarine in the United States Navy. She was the first ship to be named for the dogfish, a small shark of the North Atlantic, considered destructive by fishermen.

First War Patrol
With daylight traffic routed well inshore, she hunted unsuccessfully in the Kikaijima, Amami O Shima, and Okinoerabujima areas for the first few days, then searched the likely traffic lanes to Naha and Unten Ko. By 3 October, she had rounded Okinawa to patrol in the approaches to Nakagusuku Wan, and, by 6 October, she was again northwest of Okinawa in the Iheya Jima area. Sea Dog remained west of Okinawa for another five days but found no targets worthy of a torpedo. On 10 October, however, she took an armed trawler under fire and left it burning. On 11 October, she headed back into the Amami Gunto. A week later, she moved north into the Tokara Gunto and, on 22 October, while between the islands of Suwanosejima and Nakanoshima (Kagoshima), she sighted a convoy making eight to nine knots and zigging every five minutes. Sea Dog moved ahead of the port column and, at 0726, fired as two cargo ships overlapped in a zig. A minute later, she lost depth control and dropped to 85 feet (26 m). Shortly after 0728, three loud explosions were heard. At 0732, the convoy's escorts began dropping depth charges. At 0745, breaking up noises were heard; and, at 0800, there was a dull, heavy explosion. Converted gun boat Tomitsu Maru and collier Muroto had been sunk. Depth charging continued for another two hours. In total, Japanese escorts and aircraft fired 109 depth charges at the Sea Dog, but LtCdr. Lowrance manages to evade the attack. Sea Dog continued to patrol in the Tokara Gunto for another two days, then headed back to the Amami Gunto. On 28 October, she contacted and attacked, unsuccessfully, a formation of two battleships and a destroyer; and, on 29 October, she set an eastward course for Midway. On 30 October, she patrolled in the likely traffic lanes to the Bonin Islands, and, on 5 November, she reached Midway.

Second War Patrol
Refitted by submarine tender Proteus (AS-19), Sea Dog got underway again on 29 November. On 1 December, she rendezvoused with submarines Guardfish (SS-217) and Sea Robin (SS-407) to form a coordinated attack group with the commanding officer of Sea Dog in charge of the wolfpack. On 8 December, the group stopped off at Saipan; and the next day headed west. On 14 December, the ships arrived on station in Balintang Channel to begin their patrol in the South China Sea. The next 34 days were spent on station patrolling a trapezium-shaped area with Luzon, Hainan, Hong Kong and Formosa as the corners. On 3 January 1945, Sea Dog interrupted her hunting to repair her port reduction gear, without which she was limited to single shaft operations. On the night of 5 January, she and Sea Robin made contact with a small convoy and, despite heavy seas, commenced a surface approach. Shortly after 0100 on 6 January, Sea Robin attacked the lead ships and scored two hits. Sea Dog stalked the right rear ship, a converted escort. The target, however, foiled an attempt at a bow shot by reversing course. Further maneuvers for a stern tube attack were frustrated when the converted escort presented a zero angle on the bow and opened fire with her forward gun, estimated to be a three inch. Sea Dog fired four ''down the throat'' and retired. No hits were scored. On 18 January, the submarines closed Luzon Strait in hopes of sighting targets before leaving the area. Unsuccessful, they continued east. On 25 January, Sea Dog reached Guam, whence she continued on to Pearl Harbor. Arriving on 5 February, Sea Dog’s main engines were overhauled; the 40 millimeter gun was installed in a high position forward; and ST radar equipment was added. On 11 March, she got underway to return to Japanese waters.

Third War Patrol
Assigned to patrol immediately south of the home islands, she spent 29 days in the area, with most of that time taken up in providing lifeguard services for aircraft strikes. From 22 March to 24 March, she was on lifeguard duty to the southeast of the Nanp Islands. On 25 March, she moved into that chain and, on 28 March she closed the Kysh coast off Cape Toi. The next day, lifeguard duty took her on a high speed run south to the Osumi Islands, where sea planes picked up the downed pilots as she arrived. A short while later, however, a third plane circled, then ditched eight miles off. Sea Dog picked up the pilot, submerged, and headed back to the Kysh coast. At 1903, as she was making preparations to surface, she sighted an enemy I boat which had just surfaced. Sea Dog took the offensive and fired on the submarine but not fast enough. The torpedoes missed, and the I-boat escaped.

Fourth War Patrol
Refit took Sea Dog into May, when preparations were made for her last foray into Japanese home waters. Additional duties during the patrol included those of flagship for the nine-submarine Japan Sea Patrol Pack (TC 17.21). On 27 May, she departed Guam with the other two submarines of her immediate pack, Spadefish (SS-411) and Crevalle (SS-291). Later that day, the ships separated to proceed independently, planning to rendezvous on 4 June. On 28 May, one of Sea Dog’s crew became seriously ill and was diagnosed as a possible pneumonia case. On 29 May, the submarine rendezvoused with Lamson (DD-367) and, after transferring the patient to that destroyer, continued on to the Sea of Japan. On arrival, Sea Dog reconnoitered the approaches to western Honsh ports to locate minefields; then took up station off the east coast of Sado Island. At 2000 on 9 June, she sank her first target of the patrol, the small cargo ship, Sagawa Maru. Twenty three minutes later, she made her second contact; and, at 2044, she fired three torpedoes at another merchant ship, the Shoyo Maru. One torpedo hit, starting a fire aft. Sea Dog pulled away, watched, then moved in for the coup de grace. Two more torpedoes were fired, one ran erratic; the second hit amidships. The target exploded; her bow broke off; and her stern assumed a 60-degree down angle. Soon afterward, Sea Dog cleared the Niigata area and headed north to patrol off Sakata and Akita. On 10 June, she closed Oga Hanto, and that night she patrolled northwest of Kisakata and northeast of Tobishima, Minato Island. On 11 June, she returned to the vicinity of Oga Hanto. Shortly after 1300, she made contact with another coastal freighter, surfaced, and commenced running west and north to intercept. At 1519, she dived. At 1555, she fired one torpedo. Forty three seconds later, the torpedo hit; and the target, cargo ship Kofuku Maru, broke in two, up-ending both the bow and the stern. Sea Dog resumed her patrol to the southward. That night, she took up station to the north of Nyudozaki and, at 0635 on 12 June, sighted a small convoy as it rounded that headland and continued northward, through relatively shallow waters, toward Henashi Zaki. Sea Dog fired on the freighter farthest from the coast. Shinson Maru broke in two and sank in about two minutes. Her companions moved even closer to the coast. Sea Dog headed for deeper water and patrolled to the southwest. On 13 June, Sea Dog was still off Oga Hanto. That evening, the starboard mine clearing cable, installed during the previous refit at Guam, parted and fouled the starboard screw. Sea Dog cleared the Japanese coast and stopped, lying-to while attempts were made to get divers down. Leaks in the face mask of the shallow water diving outfit, however, proved impossible to repair; and, soon after 0130 on 14 June, the submarine got underway. The noise and vibration from the starboard shaft was found to occur only for short periods at low speeds. At high speeds, its performance was satisfactory, and Sea Dog resumed her patrol, setting a southwest course for a surface patrol across the approaches to Akita, Sakata, and Niigata. With daylight on 14 June, she dived, stopped her starboard propeller, and commenced hunting underwater. Less than an hour later, she sighted smoke and attempted to intercept. Her quarry, two cargo ships beat her into Sakata. That night, she moved northward again, and, at 0510 on 15 June, she sighted a passenger/cargo ship standing south past the northern end of Oga Hanto. At 0522, she fired a torpedo which hit just forward of amidships. Koan Maru sank in four minutes. Sea Dog cleared the area as small craft from the beach moved out to pick up survivors.

Fifth War Patrol
On 13 August, she departed that port for her fifth war patrol. On 14 August, she received orders to cease hostilities; and, on 15 August, she reversed course for Pearl Harbor. Sea Dog conducted training operations in the Hawaiian Islands during the remainder of August. On 6 September, she headed west with Redfish (SS-395), Scabbardfish (SS-397), and Sea Fox (SS-402); and, on 26 September, she arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippine Islands, to join the newly formed postwar squadron, SubRon 5.

Post War Duties
For the next three and one-half months, Sea Dog operated out of Subic Bay and, on 12 January 1946, set a course for the West Coast, arriving at San Francisco, California, on 2 February. Overhaul at Mare Island followed; and, in June, she returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for her second postwar deployment to the Far East. During July, while en route to the Philippines, she conducted a mock war patrol. In August and early September, she provided antisubmarine training services to Seventh Fleet units in the Tsingtao area; and, at the end of the latter month, she returned to Pearl Harbor. Through 1947, Sea Dog remained in the eastern Pacific, conducting training operations in the Hawaiian Islands and off the coasts of Washington, British Columbia, and California. In mid January 1948, she again deployed to the western Pacific Ocean, where, after a visit to Australia, she again joined TG 71.2, the 7th Fleet's antisubmarine warfare training group at Tsingtao. On 2 March, she suffered minor damage in a collision with Furse (DD-882); and, after repairs, she headed back to Hawaii.

Two months later, Sea Dog cleared Pearl Harbor and headed north to the Bering Sea to collect hydrographic and oceanographic information. On her return to Pearl Harbor, 15 June, she resumed a schedule of local training exercises alternated with periods of antisubmarine warfare training services to Fleet Air Wing 4 off the Washington coast.

On 7 November 1952, while conducting exercises with Airship Squadron 2 off Jacksonville, Florida, she intercepted a distress signal from a damaged U.S. Navy blimp, K-119, commanded by then-Lieutenant G. Robert Keiser, USN, and proceeded at flank speed to the last reported position to pick up Keiser and 2 other survivors, the co-pilot and navigator, for further transfer to the rescue and salvage ship USS Escape (ARS-6). The blimp itself, however, proved too waterlogged to be towed back to port and was taken under fire by Sea Dog. The gas tanks were penetrated, and the burning blimp sank.

Sea Dog remained based at Key West into the fall of 1955 when she was ordered to New London, Connecticut, to begin inactivation. Arriving early in December, she proceeded to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine for overhaul in January 1956; and, in May, she returned to New London, where she was decommissioned on 27 June. She remained in the New London Reserve Group until partially activated in February 1960 for service as a Naval Reserve training ship in the 1st Naval District. She served in that capacity until struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 2 December 1968 She was docked in Salem, Massachusetts as a floating museum until 1973 when she was sold for scrap. Sea Dog earned two battle stars during World War II. As of 2005, no other ship in the United States Navy has carried this name.