USS Barb (SS-220)

“The Submarine that sank the most tonnage by Japanese Records”
History
United States
Name:	USS Barb (SS-220)
Builder:	General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down:	7 June 1941
Launched:	2 April 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Charles A. Dunn
Commissioned:	8 July 1942
Decommissioned:	12 February 1947
Recommissioned:	3 December 1951
Decommissioned:	5 February 1954
Recommissioned:	3 August 1954
Decommissioned:	13 December 1954
Struck:	15 October 1972
Fate:	Transferred to Italy on 13 December 1954
History
Italy
Name:	Enrico Tazzoli (S-511)
Acquired:	13 December 1954
Fate:	Sold for scrap in 1972
General characteristics
Class and type:	Gato-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement:	1,525 long tons (1,549 t) surfaced, 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length:	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam:	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft:	17 ft (5.2 m) maximum
Propulsion:	4 × General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears two propellers 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed:	21 kn (39 km/h) surfaced, 9 kn (17 km/h) submerged
Range:	11,000 nmi (20,000 km) surfaced @ 10 kn (19 km/h)
Endurance:	48 hours @ 2 kn (3.7 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol
Test depth:	300 ft (91 m)
Complement:	6 officers, 54 enlisted
Armament:	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 3-inch (76 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

USS Barb (SS-220), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the barbus. The craft compiled one of the most outstanding US-submarine records of World War II. During the seven war patrols she conducted in the Pacific between March 1944-August 1945, Barb is officially credited with sinking 17 enemy vessels totaling 96,628 tons, including the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo. In recognition of one outstanding patrol, Commander Eugene Fluckey was awarded the Medal of Honor and Barb received the Presidential Unit Citation. On the sub's 12th and final patrol of the war, Barb landed a party of carefully selected crew members who blew up a railroad train. This is notable as the only ground combat operation that took place on the Japanese home islands.

The keel of the USS Barb was laid down on 7 June 1941 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 2 April 1942 (sponsored by Mrs. Charles A. Dunn, wife of Rear Admiral Dunn), and commissioned on 8 July 1942, Lieutenant Commander John R. Waterman in command.

Barb's war operations spanned the period from 20 October 1942 – 2 August 1945, during which time she completed 12 war patrols.

During her first patrol she carried out reconnaissance duties prior to, and during, the invasion of North Africa. Operating out of Rosneath, Scotland until July 1943, she conducted her next four patrols against the Axis blockade runners in European waters. Barb's fifth patrol terminated 1 July and she proceeded to the Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, arriving on 24 July.

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Wikipedia