World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSubmarine Tirante was commissioned into service 6 Nov 1944, late in WW2, with Lieutenant Commander George L. Street III in command. She had her shakedown cruise in Long Island Sound on the east coast of the United States, and had her training cruise in waters off Panama and off Oahu, Hawaii, United States. On 3 Mar 1945, she departed on her first war patrol on the approaches of Nagasaki, off Kyushu, Japan, sinking the 703-ton tanker Fuji Maru on 25 Mar and the 1,218-ton freighter Nase Maru on 28 Mar; after the latter attack, she was attacked by escort vessels with depth charges for seven hours, but escaped unharmed. On 31 Mar, she sank a 70-ton sail with gunfire. After shifting to waters south of Korea near the Strait of Tsushima, she captured a Japanese fishing boat on 6 Apr, imprisoned the crew of three, and sank the boat by gunfire. On 7 Apr, she torpedoed a cargo freighter, surfaced, and ordered nearby small Korean vessels to rescue two survivors clinging on to debris; this sinking later failed to be confirmed after examining Japanese records. On 9 Apr, USS Tirante was ordered to set up an ambush for a Japanese convoy. When the convoy arrived, she fired two spreads of three torpedoes; the first spread missed, but the second struck the 5,550-ton transport Nikko Maru, carrying troops, sinking her. She also claimed the sinking of one of the escorts, but this sinking was not confirmed. Next, she patrolled the Yellow Sea between Jeju Island off southern Korea and the mouth of the Yangtze River; on 14 Apr, she attacked a convoy sailing out of Jeju Island and sank the 4,000-ton Juzan Maru and both of her escort vessels. En route to Midway, she picked up two Japanese airmen from the water. On 26 Apr, she ended her first war patrol. The successful first war patrol earned Lieutenant Commander Street the Medal of Honor award, the executive officer Lieutenant Edward Beach the Navy Cross, and the entire crew the Presidential Unit Citation.

ww2dbaseUSS Tirante departed Midway on 20 May 1945 for her second war patrol. As the command ship of a nine-ship wolfpack, she patrolled the Yellow Sea and waters off of Japan. On 11 Jun, she attacked a small freighter, claiming a kill, but it was not confirmed. On 12 Jun, she sank the 2,200-ton cargo ship Hakuju Maru in Hashima harbor with three torpedoes (only two hit) and then escaped surface gunfire. Until 19 Jul, when she arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands to end her second war patrol, she destroyed several junks and picket boats. She departed Guam for her third war patrol, but it was cut short when Japan surrendered, ending the Pacific War. She arrived at Midway on 23 Aug.

ww2dbaseAfter the war, Tirante visited Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, United States briefly for Lieutenant Commander Street's Medal of Honor ceremony, then arrived at Staten Island, New York and then New London, Connecticut in the United States. After training operations at New London, she was decommissioned on 6 Jul 1946. After receiving new machinery, she was recommissioned on 26 Nov 1952 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States. After shakedown cruise to Bermuda, she operated as a part of the Sixth Fleet and served six deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and several exercises and training missions. She was decommissioned from service for the second and final time on 1 Oct 1973 at Key West, Florida, United States. She was sold for scrapping in 1974.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) Interactive Map

Photographs

Tirante Operational Timeline