After shakedown training, Flier departed New London, Connecticut, in early December 1943 bound for the Panama Canal. While she was on the surface in the Caribbean Sea nearing the approaches to the canal, an Aliedmerchant ship mistook her for a German U-boat and opened gunfire on her, firing 13 rounds, but she escaped into a rain squall without suffering damage or casualties.[8] After transiting the Panama Cana;, she reached Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 20 December 1943 and prepared for her first war patrol.
On 21 May 1944, Flier again departed for her first war patrol, heading for a patrol area in the South China Sea west of Luzon in the Philippines. She made her first contact on 4 June 1944, attacking a well-escorted Japanese convoy of five merchant ships.[7] Firing three torpedoes at each of two ships, she sent the 10,380-gross register tontransportHakusan Maru to the bottom and scored a hit on another ship before clearing the area to evade counterattack.[7][9]
On 13 June 1944, Flier attacked a Japanese convoy of 11 ships — cargo ships and tankers — guarded by at least six escorts. The alert behavior of the escorts during the attack resulted in a severe counterattack on Flier before she could observe what damage she had done to the convoy. On 22 June 1944, she began a long chase after another large convoy, scoring four hits for six torpedoes fired at two cargo ships that day, and three hits for four torpedoes launched against another cargo ship of the same convoy the next day.[7]Flier put into Fremantle submarine base at Fremantle, Western Australia, on 5 July 1944 and began a refit.
Second war patrol
with her refit complete, Flier departed Fremantle on 2 August 1944 on her second war patrol, bound for a patrol area in the South China Sea off the coast of Japanese-occupied French Indochina via the Lombok Strait, Macassar Strait, and Balabac Strait. At about 22:00 on 12 August, while transiting the Balabac Strait on the surface, she struck a naval mine. She sank in about a minute, but 15 officers and men were able to clamber out. Eight of them reached the beach of Byan Island after 17 hours in the water. Philippine guerrillas guided them to a coastwatcher, who arranged for them to be picked up by submarine, and on the night of 30–31 August 1944 they were taken aboard the submarine USS Redfin(SS-272).[7][10]
^ abcdefgBauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 271–273. ISBN0-313-26202-0.
^ ab"USS Flier (SS-250), 1943-1944". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
^Moore, Stephen (2016). As Good As Dead: The Daring Escape of American POWs From A Japanese Death Camp. New York: Caliber. pp. 126–128. ISBN9780399583551.
^"Dive Detectives" National Geographic Program "Submarine Graveyard"
^"Navy Confirms Sunken Sub in Balabac Strait is USS Flier". United States Navy. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019. ISBN978-0-359-76906-3.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Flier (SS-250).
The USS Flier: Death and Survival On a World War II Submarine
On Eternal Patrol: USS Flier
March 11, 2023
flier, confused, with, usns, flyer, gato, class, submarine, only, ship, united, states, navy, named, flier, mare, island, navy, yard, california, april, 1944, historyunited, statesnamenamesakeflierbuilderelectric, boat, company, groton, connecticut, laid, down. Not to be confused with USNS Flyer USS Flier SS 250 was a Gato class submarine was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flier 7 USS Flier SS 250 off the Mare Island Navy Yard in California on 20 April 1944 HistoryUnited StatesNameUSS Flier SS 250 NamesakeFlierBuilderElectric Boat Company Groton Connecticut 1 Laid down30 October 1942 1 Launched11 July 1943 1 Sponsored byMrs A S PierceCommissioned18 October 1943 1 FateMined in the Balabac Strait 13 August 1944 2 General characteristicsClass and typeGato class diesel electric submarine 2 Displacement1 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 Propulsion4 General Motors Model 16 248 V16 Diesel engines driving electric generators 4 5 2 126 cell Sargo batteries 6 4 high speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears 4 two propellers 4 5 400 shp 4 0 MW surfaced 4 2 740 shp 2 0 MW submerged 4 Speed21 kn 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 Endurance48 hours at 2 kn 4 km h submerged 3 75 days on patrolTest depth300 ft 90 m 3 Complement6 officers 54 enlisted 3 Armament10 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes 6 forward 4 aft 24 torpedoes 6 1 3 inch 76 mm 50 caliber deck gun 6 Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Contents 1 Construction and commissioning 2 October 1943 May 1944 3 First war patrol 4 Second war patrol 5 Honors and awards 6 Wreck 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Citations 8 2 Bibliography 9 External linksConstruction and commissioning EditFlier s keel was laid down 30 October 1942 by Electric Boat Company of Groton Connecticut She was launched on 11 July 1943 sponsored by Mrs A S Pierce and commissioned on 18 October 1943 7 October 1943 May 1944 EditAfter shakedown training Flier departed New London Connecticut in early December 1943 bound for the Panama Canal While she was on the surface in the Caribbean Sea nearing the approaches to the canal an Alied merchant ship mistook her for a German U boat and opened gunfire on her firing 13 rounds but she escaped into a rain squall without suffering damage or casualties 8 After transiting the Panama Cana she reached Pearl Harbor Hawaii on 20 December 1943 and prepared for her first war patrol Flier departed Pearl Harbor for her first war patrol on 12 January 1944 7 but ran aground near Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands on 16 January 1944 USS Macaw ASR 11 a Chanticleer class submarine rescue ship attempted to pull Flier free but ran aground herself and sank Flier eventually was saved by the submarine rescue ship USS Florikan ASR 9 and towed to first Pearl Harbor and then the Mare Island Navy Yard at Mare Island California for repairs 9 First war patrol EditOn 21 May 1944 Flier again departed for her first war patrol heading for a patrol area in the South China Sea west of Luzon in the Philippines She made her first contact on 4 June 1944 attacking a well escorted Japanese convoy of five merchant ships 7 Firing three torpedoes at each of two ships she sent the 10 380 gross register ton transport Hakusan Maru to the bottom and scored a hit on another ship before clearing the area to evade counterattack 7 9 On 13 June 1944 Flier attacked a Japanese convoy of 11 ships cargo ships and tankers guarded by at least six escorts The alert behavior of the escorts during the attack resulted in a severe counterattack on Flier before she could observe what damage she had done to the convoy On 22 June 1944 she began a long chase after another large convoy scoring four hits for six torpedoes fired at two cargo ships that day and three hits for four torpedoes launched against another cargo ship of the same convoy the next day 7 Flier put into Fremantle submarine base at Fremantle Western Australia on 5 July 1944 and began a refit Second war patrol Editwith her refit complete Flier departed Fremantle on 2 August 1944 on her second war patrol bound for a patrol area in the South China Sea off the coast of Japanese occupied French Indochina via the Lombok Strait Macassar Strait and Balabac Strait At about 22 00 on 12 August while transiting the Balabac Strait on the surface she struck a naval mine She sank in about a minute but 15 officers and men were able to clamber out Eight of them reached the beach of Byan Island after 17 hours in the water Philippine guerrillas guided them to a coastwatcher who arranged for them to be picked up by submarine and on the night of 30 31 August 1944 they were taken aboard the submarine USS Redfin SS 272 7 10 Honors and awards Edit Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with one battle star for World War II serviceFlier s single completed war patrol was designated successful She is credited with having sunk 10 380 gross register tons of Japanese shipping 7 Wreck EditOn 1 February 2009 the U S Navy announced the discovery of Flier near the Balabac Strait in the Philippines at 7 58 43 21 N 117 15 23 79 E 7 9786694 N 117 2566083 E 7 9786694 117 2566083 Coordinates 7 58 43 21 N 117 15 23 79 E 7 9786694 N 117 2566083 E 7 9786694 117 2566083 11 The discovery of a Gato class submarine was made during an expedition by YAP Films based in part on information provided by a survivor of the sinking of Flier Further research by the Naval History and Heritage Command revealed that no other submarine American or Japanese had been reported lost in that general vicinity In addition footage of the wreck showed a gun mount and radar antenna both of which were similar to the same equipment seen in contemporary photographs of Flier The ship rests in 330 ft 100 m of water 12 See also EditList of U S Navy losses in World War IIReferences EditCitations Edit a b c d Friedman Norman 1995 U S Submarines Through 1945 An Illustrated Design History Annapolis Maryland United States Naval Institute pp 285 304 ISBN 1 55750 263 3 a b c d e f g Bauer K Jack Roberts Stephen S 1991 Register of Ships of the U S Navy 1775 1990 Major Combatants Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 271 273 ISBN 0 313 26202 0 a b c d e f U S Submarines Through 1945 pp 305 311 a b c d e Bauer K Jack Roberts Stephen S 1991 Register of Ships of the U S Navy 1775 1990 Major Combatants Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 270 280 ISBN 978 0 313 26202 9 OCLC 24010356 U S Submarines Through 1945 p 261 a b c U S Submarines Through 1945 pp 305 311 a b c d e f g h Flier Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Navy Department Naval History and Heritage Command Retrieved 5 February 2009 Hinman amp Campbell pp 47 48 a b USS Flier SS 250 1943 1944 Naval History and Heritage Command Retrieved 5 February 2009 Moore Stephen 2016 As Good As Dead The Daring Escape of American POWs From A Japanese Death Camp New York Caliber pp 126 128 ISBN 9780399583551 Dive Detectives National Geographic Program Submarine Graveyard Navy Confirms Sunken Sub in Balabac Strait is USS Flier United States Navy 2 February 2010 Retrieved 5 February 2010 This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entry can be found here Bibliography Edit Hinman Charles R and Douglas E Campbell The Submarine Has No Friends Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U S Submarines During World War II Syneca Research Group Inc 2019 ISBN 978 0 359 76906 3 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Flier SS 250 The USS Flier Death and Survival On a World War II Submarine On Eternal Patrol USS Flier Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Flier SS 250 amp oldid 1139048386, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
