At the end of 1972, an old-fashioned submarine of the Italian Navy, "Enrico I. The Tazzoli (S-511) was sold to the shipbreaker for less than $100,000 and re-recycled as scrap metal.
What most people don't know, however, is that the submarine is actually a world war veteran full of merit and legend. It was the third-largest U.S. submarine to sink enemy ships in tonnage during World War II, and the first submarine to be equipped with a rocket launcher. It once sank warships, shelled ports, and even blew up a Japanese train full of supplies!
The Italian vest of the "Catfish" "Enrico Tazzoli (S-511)
Together with captain Eugene Vladimir, it became a World War II legend, and it was the 9th American Shark-class submarine, the "Catfish", hull number SS-220. (For translation reasons, it is also called "totoaba", "fish", or directly transliterated as "babu".) ）
The Gato class was one of the most widely used submarines in the Pacific theater of World War II, with a built number of up to 77. Together with the subsequent Whitefish class and Ding Seabream class, it became the main force of the submarine force.
It is 95 meters long, 8.2 meters wide, with a water displacement of 1525 tons, an underwater displacement of 2424 tons, a surface speed of 21 knots, and an underwater speed of 9 knots. There were 10 533 mm torpedo tubes (bow 6 stern 4), carrying 24 torpedoes, 1 76 mm deck gun, 2 20 mm machine guns.
The 9th catfish of the Shark Class
Although the performance is not too advanced, it is mature and reliable for high-volume construction. Together with its comrades, it sank 1,113 Japanese warships and transport ships, with a total tonnage of 5.32 million tons. The sinking efficiency was higher than that of the world-famous German U-boats, which dealt a heavy blow to Japan's sea lines of communication and made a significant contribution to the victory of World War II.
Unfortunately, under the light of the unprecedented aircraft carrier war, many of their deeds have been sealed in history and are unknown, and the "Catfish" is one of them.
Built in a shipyard
Launched in April 1942 at the Connecticut Electric Shipyard, usa, she joined the Navy in July of the same year and immediately went to the battlefield, carrying out 12 combat patrols.
During its first five patrols, it gathered intelligence for allied Operation Torch in North African waters, blocked Axis maritime traffic in the Gulf of Biscay, the North Atlantic and Norwegian waters, and completed its mission brilliantly, but without sinking.
The first five times I played here
It was not until July 1943, when it was transferred to the Pacific Theater, that it ushered in its own highlight moment. During patrols 6 and 7, it sank 3 Japanese transport ships in the western Pacific and shelled coastal facilities.
In January 1944, the Catfish met Zhiyin, a strong, wise, heroic and warlike captain, Major Eugene Vladimir, nicknamed "Lucky Fraser". He led the sailors to one creative battle after another, creating a brilliant record.
Major General Eugene Vladimir
During the 8th patrol in May 1944, they sank 5 warships in the northern Part of the Sea of Japan, destroying and wounding about 20 smaller ships.
During its 9th patrol in August, it sank 3 enemy ships off the coast of the Philippines along with two other submarines. Including the escort aircraft carrier "Cloud Eagle" with a displacement of nearly 18,000 tons, it also rescued 14 Allied prisoners of war. During the 10th patrol, two more enemy ships were sunk, bringing them to the top of the leaderboard.
Rescue British and Australian soldiers in the water
The wonderful 11th patrol began in December 1944, on the southeast coast of China and near the Taiwan Strait, where many Japanese enemy ships were active.
On 8 January, the Catfish sank a large transport ship and searched for targets along the coastline. On the 20th, the "Catfish" met a Japanese escort fleet, but unfortunately the other side sailed into a shallow bay in southern Zhejiang before the submarine attacked.
Captain Vladimir was not willing to return empty-handed, quietly approached the reconnaissance, and was pleasantly surprised to find a "great treasure" - more than 30 Japanese ships were moored here. However, the shallow water depth of the port is only about 10 meters, which is not conducive to the hiding of submarine activities, and the Japanese army has also laid a large number of mines outside the port, and it is very dangerous to have no detailed navigation guidance.
Vladimir asked the superior intelligence service for minefield intelligence, but the other party's reply was "no known minefield", but what is the difference between this and not saying?
There are tigers in the mountains and demons in the rivers, how is it good?
Not intimidated by the danger, Vladimir still decided to go for a hard break. On the night of the 22nd, he showed great courage and skill, led the submarine carefully into the anchorage, and then raised the butcher knife...
Anchorage Wars
One by one, the torpedo roared out, and the "Catfish" fired 8 all of them, sinking 4 ships, damaging 3, and then quickly slipped away. Because the shallow water is not convenient to dive, it can only drive at high speed on the surface of the water, crossing the dangerous waters of unknown mines and reefs, and running wildly for a full hour before returning to the deep sea.
After the victory and return to the DYNASTY, Flagene was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for outstanding performance, and the "Catfish" was also awarded the President's Collective Commendation.
Vladimir has already carried out 4 missions, which was supposed to be the last of the perfect curtain, and then handed the baton to the next captain. But Vladimir was reluctant to say goodbye to the battlefield, and he and his superiors were finally allowed to carry out another mission, the 12th combat patrol of the "Catfish".
The 12th cruise here
On this patrol they returned to the North Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. It was June 1945, and Japanese imperialism was already a grasshopper in the autumn, and the coastal defenses were loose and full of loopholes.
The "Catfish" is like a dragon entering the sea here, and no one can match it. Before the trip, it also underwent a modification at the base, replacing it with a larger caliber 127 mm deck gun and installing a 127 mm rocket launcher, which greatly increased its attack capability. It became the first submarine in the United States to be equipped with a rocket launcher and a pioneer of modern submarine-launched missiles.
On June 22, the "Catfish" came to the vicinity of Hokkaido, Japan, and used a rocket launcher to blast factories and warehouses along the coast. More than a dozen rockets were fired in a salvo, and the factory was on fire. The poor Japanese were still in the dark, and solemnly said in the report that they had been attacked by air raids.
After sweeping away Hokkaido, the Catfish continued toward Sakhalin Island. On the way, another trawler was killed and a crew member was captured.
Pursued by Japanese escorts
Of course, the Japanese also counterattacked. On the 29th, the "Catfish" encountered an escort fleet and was repeatedly attacked by escort ships and anti-submarine aircraft. Unfortunately, the sonar level of the Japanese army was too poor, and the depth bomb could not explode the submarine with continuous underwater maneuvering, so the "Catfish" escaped safely.
On July 2, the "Catfish" passed through Seal Island, and used a 127 mm deck gun to blow up the Japanese troops on the island on their backs, and they were fiercely angry. On the 5th, a transport ship and a coastal defense ship were sunk in the south of Da sakhalin Island, sending more than 150 Japanese troops to the sea to feed the fish. Unfortunately, a 3,500-ton "Soya Maru" railway ferry ran away.
Picture of a Sunken Japanese Coastal Defense Ship
While packing up the enemy forces, Vladimir discovered that there was a railway on sakhalin island busy transporting supplies and decided to destroy it. In the past, this kind of work was all for the army or air force, and it was not the turn of the submarine to intervene, but this time Vladimir wanted to steal the limelight and cross the border to fish.
He told the crew that it was not fun to blow up the railway, and it was best to blow up the train! But how to fry it?
Bill Hartfield, the electrician on board, came up with a good idea. He said he used to drive nuts on the railway as a child, putting them under sleepers, crushing the husks as the train passed. If you add a micro-switch to the bomb, the fuze triggered by the weight of the train can automatically detonate.
Very good! With this suggestion, Hartfield automatically became a core member of the blasting team.
The southeastern sakhalin railway line is close to the coast
Vladimir plans to send 8 men ashore, but everyone is enthusiastic and wants to participate, even the Japanese prisoner of war, and promises not to escape (funny). This forced Vladimir to set several criteria:
First, except for the core member Hartfield, the rest of the team members must be unmarried; second, the quota is divided equally between the departments, and the official sailors and reserve sailors will be equal; third, at least half of the members of the group have participated in the Boy Scouts and have basic medical rescue and jungle combat experience; and finally, the team will be led by Vladki himself.
Everyone has no opinion on the first three, except for the last one. They said: The commander belongs to the submarine. If Vladimir insisted on participating, the officers said they would complain to the Pacific Fleet Submarine Command. Vladimir had no choice but to hand over the captain's armband to Lieutenant William Walker.
Group members and battle flags, second from left: Billy Hartfield, first from right: Lieutenant William Walker
In the days that followed, the Catfish kept a low profile and did not attack the Japanese ships or shell the opposing shore. Everyone worked together to prepare the bombs, and the simulated training waited for the opportunity. Without the bomb, the 55 pounds of explosives used to sink the ship were modified; without tools, the engineers cut steel plates in the cabin and welded them into shovels. Until everything is ready, only a month of dark and windy nights are owed.
There are not many days to return, but a round of haoyue hangs in the night sky every day. Everyone was depressed, until the night of July 22, when dark clouds filled the sky, and the good opportunity finally came.
Vladimir let the submarine approach the shore until it was less than 500 meters from land and less than 2 meters from the reef. The boys were in high spirits and ready to go, and before leaving, Vladimir told him: If the operation fails, go north along the mountain range, 200 kilometers away is the Soviet-occupied area, good luck to you!
Command tower with deck guns
Then, at the sound of an order, everyone got on a dinghy and paddled toward Sakhalin Island. They landed smoothly, silently marched through the waist-deep grass, and came to the railway line a few hundred meters away.
They divided into three routes, guarding and planting bombs. One of the team members was about to climb a tall watchtower to look at the wind, but halfway through the climb they suddenly noticed that there was someone on the tower! It was a Japanese soldier standing guard, but in the dead of night, the sentry was sleeping soundly in the tower without alarm.
The team member was so frightened that he did not dare to breathe, and crept back to the same way, telling his teammates not to make a loud noise. They quietly dug under the noses of the enemy, and after ten minutes they finally buried the bomb, and then all the personnel withdrew, leaving only Hartfield to install the circuit.
Everyone looked at it from a distance, extremely nervous. The night was dark, and Hartfield, alone, could never go back. However, Hartfield was highly skilled, without the slightest delay, and quickly got the detonation circuit and ran over. And the wind talks about originality, and plagiarism is prohibited.
Everyone got into a dinghy and sped away, and just a few minutes after leaving, a beam of train lights came from afar. Vladimir, who was observing with a telescope on the boat, shouted: "Hurry, paddle like a devil!"
After 2 minutes, a loud noise came, the heavy train slammed down, and then the flames lit up the night sky. The front of the car was blown to pieces, and some parts were even thrown to a height of 5 or 60 meters, and then smashed down. The 16 carriages twisted and crashed together, scattered horizontally and vertically. Legend is born, the "Catfish" "sank" a train!
The group returned to the submarine, and Vladimir ordered a quick retreat, while smiling at the crew: In addition to the duty officers, those who want to see the fireworks can go to the deck. There was a cheer, and people scrambled to climb up the deck to enjoy the grand view...
In the last few days, the "Catfish" swept several coastal villages and towns with rockets, destroyed several factories and warehouses, and sank a trawler until the weapons were exhausted.
In early September, the Catfish returned to the United States and received a warm welcome. The crew proudly painted a train on the battle flag to show the results of the battle. At this time Japan had surrendered, and the world anti-fascist forces had defeated the aggressors and won a great victory.
Vladimir was awarded the Medal
The Catfish distinguished itself in 12 patrols, receiving a total of 8 Battle Stars, 1 Presidential Collective Commendation, 1 Naval Collective Commendation, 1 Asia-Pacific War Medal, 1 Ministry of Defense Service Medal and 1 World War II Victory Medal.
Captain Vladimir was also awarded the "Congressional Medal of Honor", the highest military honor. But he said that the most satisfying thing was not the medal, but that the "Catfish" did not have a single crew member killed or injured, and everyone survived safely to victory.
Soon after, Vladimir was appointed an aide to Secretary of the Navy James Forrest. In 1960, he was promoted to rear admiral and commanded the submarine force in the Pacific Theater. He later served as director of naval intelligence until his retirement in 1972.
The Catfish was also retired in February 1947 and recommissioned for training during the Cold War. In August 1954, the Catfish was remodeled and leased to Italy and renamed Enrico Tazzoli. Served in the Italian Navy until 1972, when it was finally scrapped for sale.
Veterans don't die, they just fade away
In fact, this legendary submarine is enough to enter the museum for posterity to admire, but there are too many shining stars in World War II, and the fate of the accident has not been achieved. But no matter what, the "Catfish" has left a strong mark in history, and whenever people think of it, they will admire and admire its legendary experience!
And wind man talk about the original text, welcome to pay attention. Images from the web, personal opinion, for reference only.