Shad II SS-235

Shad II

(SS-235: dp. 1 526 (surf.), 2,410 (subm.), 1. 311'8"b. 27'4"; dr. i5'3"; s. 20.25 k. (surf.), 9 k. (subm.),cpl. 80; a. 1 3, 10 21" tt.; cl. Gato)

The second Shad (SS-235) was laid down by the Portsmouth (N.H.) Navy Yard on 24 October 1941 launched on 15 April 1942; sponsored by Miss Priscilla Alden Dudley, and commissioned on 12 June 1942 Lt. Comdr. E. J. MacGregor III in command.

Following shakedown off the New England coast Shad departed on a special patrol as a unit of Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 50 to a point off the coast of Mehdiya, French Morocco, to conduct reconnaissance in preparation for Operation "Torch," the Allied occupation of North Africa. Upon completion, she sailed to Roseneath, Scotland, for repairs and further training.

Shad's second war patrol was conducted in the Bay of Biscay and Spanish coastal waters with other units of SubRon 50 under British command. Although the majority of the vessels she sighted were neutral Spanish ships, the submarine sank an enemy trawler, a barge, and severely damaged a destroyer escort before she returned to Roseneath for refit on 12 February 1943.

With refitting completed, Shad departed Scotland on 7 March heading for the Bay of Biscay on her third war patrol. During this mission, the submarine damaged the blockade runner Pietro Orseolo, before returning to Scotland on 12 April.

Shad's fourth patrol, conducted in Norwegian waters, and fifth war patrol, conducted en route back to the United States, were uneventful.

Following repairs in New London, Conn., the subn~arine was transferred to the Pacific front. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on 7 September, Shad underwent two weeks of voyage repairs and then departed, on 28 September, for her sixth war patrol, and her first against the Japanese.

Just before dawn on 22 October, Shad attacked a convoy of two cruisers and three escorts. After firing 10 torpedoes, she was forced to head for deeper water to evade the depth charging that followed. Although there was no Positive evidence of any sinkings, a two square mile oil slick confirmed the damage done by the submarine. Shortly after midnight on 27 October, Shad sighted another enemy convoy and moved in for the kill. Although she sank none of the enemy ships, the submarine damaged three transports and a freighter before she was forced to leave the vicinity by an Escorting destroyer. Shad then returned via Midway to Pearl Harbor where she terminated her sixth patrol before sailing for the west coast for overhaul at San Francisco.

After returning to Pearl Harbor on 11 May 1944 Shad underwent further repair work and training before departing on 12 August for her seventh war patrol
which she conducted in waters surrounding the Japanese home islands. While off EIonshu on 30 August, the submarine attacked a heavily-laden freighter escorted by two small patrol craft. Although there was evidence of one hit, exact results were unknown due to a severe counterattack that forced the submarine to leave the area and gave the freighter a chance to escape. On 16 September, Shud fired four torpedoes, damaging a large transport. Following this attack, the submarine endured two hours of steady depth charging.

On 19 September, Shad torpedoed and sank the frigate Ioshima, and, as expected, was forced to endure another lengthy depth charging. On 22 September, Shad narrowly escaped destruction by maneuvering around two torpedoes, probably fired by an enemy submarine. One passed just under her bow and the other about 20 yards ahead. Shad terminated her seventh patrol at Midway on 1 October, after a typhoon racked passage from the patrol area.

Shad spent her eighth war patrol as a unit of a coordinated attack group with Redfish (SS-395) and Thresher (SS-200), in the area off the northeast coast of Formosa and in the East China Sea. Other than a few inconsequential contacts with small enemy vessels the patrol was uneventful, and the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 January 1945.

Following repair work and recuperation for the crew Shad departed Pearl Harbor on 31 January for her ninth war patrol. She refueled at Saipan on 12 February and then departed with Peto (SS-265) and Thresher for Luzon Strait. During this patrol, the submarine attempted three attacks but all were thwarted. Twice the coming of dawn forced her to dive to evade enemy aircraft, and once patrolling escort ships forced her to leave the vicinity of an anticipated victim. On 5 March, Shad again was on the receiving end of an enemy torpedo attack, with three torpedoes passing just ahead of her bow. After this unproductive patrol, the submarine arrived at Apra Harbor. Guam, on 30 March.

On her tenth war patrol, Shad operated as part of a coordinated attack ground with Balao (SS-285), Dragonet (SS-293), and Spikefish (SS-404) in the Yellow and East China seas. On the night of 17 May, the submarine conected a large freighter and two escorts fired three torpedoes; and quickly got out of range. One torpedo hit forward on the freighter Chosan Maru blowing her bow completely off, and she settled quickly to the bottom. The escorts gave chase, but Shad escaped and resumed patrol.

On 7 June, Shad destroyed a small junk by gunfire and, later in the day, attacked and sank the 1,370-ton cargo ship, Azasa Maru. With her torpedo store depleted, the submarine returned to Midway.

On 11 July, Shad departed Midway on her 11th and final war patrol, consisting of lifeguard duty off Marcus Island. On 15 August, she received word of the cessation of hostilities and returned to Midway on 22 August. Upon completion of repairs, she returned to the United States, arriving at New Orleans, La., on 20 September.

Following the war, Shad was decommissioned and placed "in service, in reserve" and assigned to the 1st Naval District to train naval reservists. The submarine continued in that duty until she was struck from the Navy list on 1 April 1960 and sold for scrap to Luria Brothers, Inc., Kearney, N.J.

Shad earned six battle stars for World War II