The USS Silversides (SS/AGSS-236) is a Gato-class submarine and the first ship in the United States Navy to be named after the silversides fish.

During World War II, Silversides was one of the most successful submarines in the Pacific Theater. It sank 23 enemy ships, totaling more than 90,000 long tons (91,444 metric tons) of shipping. The submarine earned a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions during four patrols and received twelve battle stars. Today, it is displayed as a museum ship in Muskegon, Michigan, and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

Construction

The ship's keel was placed on November 4, 1940, at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo, California. The ship was launched on August 26, 1941, with Mrs. Elizabeth H. Hogan as the sponsor. It was officially put into service on December 15, 1941, under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander Creed C. Burlingame.

Service in World War II

After completing training off the California coast, the submarine Silversides traveled to Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on April 4, 1942. On April 30, Silversides left Pearl Harbor and headed toward the Japanese home islands near Kii Suido for her first war patrol. On May 10, just after 8:00 local time, Silversides used her 3-inch (76 mm) gun to seriously damage the Japanese guard boat Ebisu Maru No. 5. During this 75-minute battle, an enemy machine-gun bullet killed one of Silversides’ deck gunners, Torpedoman’s Mate Third Class Mike Harbin of Oklahoma. Harbin was the only person lost in action aboard Silversides during World War II. He was buried at sea later that evening. On May 13, Silversides fired torpedoes at an enemy submarine; although explosions were heard, it was not confirmed if the submarine sank.

On May 17, while moving through an enemy fishing fleet and approaching her targets, Silversides’ periscope became caught in a fishnet marked with Japanese flags on bamboo poles. The submarine continued its approach, still attached to the fishnet, and fired three torpedoes at the first ship, a 4,000-ton cargo ship. Two hits tore the ship’s stern open. While that ship sank, the second cargo ship was also hit, but its fate could not be determined. Patrol boats were closing in as the submarine, likely the only American submarine to attack while flying the Japanese flag, quickly left the area. After damaging a freighter and tanker in the same area, Silversides ended her first war patrol at Pearl Harbor on June 21.

Silversides’ second war patrol took place near Kii Suido from July 15 to September 8. On July 28, she sank a 4,000-ton transport. On August 8, she sank the passenger/cargo ship Nikkei Maru. She damaged a large tanker on the night of August 14 and sank two enemy trawlers on August 31 before returning to Pearl Harbor.

Her third war patrol occurred in the Caroline Islands and did not result in any sinkings. However, she caused severe damage to a large cargo ship and observed two torpedo hits on a Japanese destroyer or light minelayer, though the damage was not fully determined. She ended her third patrol at Brisbane, Australia, on November 25.

Silversides left Brisbane on December 17, 1942, and headed to New Ireland for her fourth war patrol. On the night of December 22, while far out at sea, the submarine’s medical orderly, Pharmacist’s Mate First Class Thomas Moore, performed an emergency appendectomy on Fireman Second Class George Platter using ether as anesthesia and basic tools made from kitchen items. The operation ended at 3:00 on December 23. The submarine surfaced but was immediately forced to submerge again by a Japanese destroyer, which launched a severe depth charge attack. Thinking she was safe, Silversides surfaced again but found the destroyer still nearby. A Japanese airplane also arrived and dropped three bombs on the submarine, severely damaging her bow planes and causing them to lock in a full dive. Silversides managed to level off just before reaching crush depth and eventually escaped the enemy ship before surfacing to recharge batteries and make emergency repairs.

While near Truk on January 18, 1943, Silversides torpedoed and sank her largest target of the war, the 10,022-ton oil tanker Toei Maru. Two days later, Silversides had one of her most productive days, sinking three enemy ships—cargo ships Surabaya Maru, Somedono Maru, and Meiu Maru. After the attack, an armed torpedo was found stuck in a forward torpedo tube. Since it could not be disarmed, the commanding officer decided to attempt to refire it, a dangerous move. The submarine reversed at top speed and fired, and the torpedo safely left the tube, disappearing toward the horizon.

Later that night, a serious oil leak was discovered, and the submarine left the patrol area two days early, returning to Pearl Harbor on January 31 for major repairs.

Silversides’ fifth war patrol began on May 17 and took place in the Solomon Islands area. On May 28, one of the more unusual events of the war occurred, as noted in the fifth war patrol report. Her primary mission was to lay a minefield in Steffan Strait between New Hanover and New Ireland, but she also targeted enemy ships. On the night of June 10–11, she sank the 5,256-ton cargo ship Hide Maru. For this effort, Silversides endured a severe depth charge attack. She returned to Brisbane for repairs on July 16.

For her sixth war patrol, under newly assigned Lt. Commander John S. "Jack" Coye, Jr., from July 21 to September 4, Silversides patrolled between the Solomons and the Carolines. Due to malfunctioning torpedoes and a lack of targets, she returned to Brisbane without success.

Silversides departed on October 5 for her seventh war patrol, sinking four enemy ships in waters from the Solomon Islands to the coast of New Guinea. On October 18, she torpedoed and sank the cargo ship Tairin Maru. On October 24, she attacked and sank the cargo ships Tennan Maru and Kazan Maru, as well as the passenger/cargo ship Johore Maru. She returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs on November 8.

For her eighth war patrol, Silversides patrolled near the Palau Islands, where on December 29, 1943, she sank the cargo ships Tenposan Maru, Shichisei Maru, and Ryuto Maru. She ended her eighth patrol at Pearl Harbor on January 15, 1944.

For her ninth war patrol, Silversides left Pearl Harbor on February 15 and headed to waters west of the Marianas Islands. On March 16, she sank the cargo ship Kofuku Maru. The rest of the patrol had no significant targets, so she returned to Fremantle on April 8.

During her tenth war patrol, again near the Marianas Islands, Silversides destroyed six enemy vessels totaling over 14,000 tons. On May 10, she sank the cargo ship Okinawa Maru, followed by the passenger/cargo ship Mikage Maru and the converted gunboat Choan Maru Number Two. Ten days later, she sank another converted gunboat, the 998-ton Shosei Maru. On May 29, she torpedoed and sank the cargo ships Shoken Maru and Horaizan Maru before heading to Pearl Harbor, arriving on June 11. Two days later, she left for Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs, returning to Pearl Harbor on September 12.

Silversides departed Pearl Harbor on September 24 for her eleventh war patrol, conducted off Kyūshū, Japan. Although this patrol was unproductive

Post-war service: 1945–1969

Silversides traveled through the Panama Canal on September 15, 1945, and reached New York City on September 21. After moving to New London, Connecticut, the ship was taken out of active service on April 17, 1946, and stored until October 15, 1947. On that date, it was placed back into service as a training ship for Naval Reservists in Chicago, Illinois. After major repairs in 1949, it remained in Chicago to support Naval Reserve training as a stationary training vessel for the rest of its service.

The last time Silversides was dry-docked was in 1949, when the submarine was added to the reserve fleet and its solid brass propellers were removed.

On November 6, 1962, Silversides was reclassified as an auxiliary submarine with the hull classification symbol AGSS-236. On June 30, 1969, its name was removed from the Naval Vessel Register. The South Chicago Chamber of Commerce quickly requested the United States Department of the Navy to take custody of Silversides so it could be preserved as a memorial.

1973–present

Silversides became part of the Combined Great Lakes Navy Association in Chicago, Illinois, behind Chicago's Naval Armory on May 24, 1973. For many years, a small group of volunteers cared for the submarine. These volunteers were inspired by its important history and advanced features. They spent thousands of hours restoring the submarine, kept it in good condition at their own cost, and helped guide visitors. When volunteers first entered the submarine, they found it in poor condition. The inside and outside had peeling paint, a musty smell, and scattered items. The refrigeration compartment had thick growth that was several inches thick. Water damage was visible in the front sections, but the back part was in better condition. The top deck was worn in some areas, and parts of the superstructure were rusted and needed repair.

Volunteers quickly worked to stop the damage. Rotted lines were replaced, and the submarine was re-secured to the pier. The bilges were emptied of water, electric power and heat were added, and a leak in the No. 3 torpedo tube was fixed. The first major project was stripping, undercoating, and repainting the hull up to the waterline. This took several months, with a break during winter. Once completed, the Silversides looked nearly new. Inside, the boat was cleaned, and restoration began. Electrical wiring was updated to provide light throughout the submarine. Plumbers checked for leaks in pipes that had frozen before. A team examined the Fairbanks Morse 38D8 1/8 nine-cylinder, 1,535 hp (1,145 kW), opposed-piston engines. The seven-cylinder auxiliary engine was repaired in 1975.

In 1979, the submarine was moved to Navy Pier. That July, the main engine, No. 3, was started for the first time since 1946. The No. 4 engine was restored in time for the 1984 US Submarine Veterans of World War II convention. In 1987, the submarine was moved to Muskegon, Michigan, to become the centerpiece of the new Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum.

Normally, US Navy submarines are dry-docked every five years while active. If permanently moored in freshwater, maintenance can be done every 25 years. In 2004, 55 years after Silversides’ last dry-docking, the museum and two submarine veterans groups created a "Save the Silversides" fund. They asked for tax-deductible donations through veterans groups and military publications. Their plans were based on the dry-dock overhaul of USS Cobia (SS-245), a memorial in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, which cost $500,000 in 1996.

Film production

Silversides was used in the 2002 film Below to show the fictional USS Tiger Shark. She was pulled in Lake Michigan for filming.

Awards

Silversides earned twelve battle stars for its service during World War II and received one Presidential Unit Citation for combined actions over four patrols. It is officially credited with sinking 23 ships, the third-highest number among Allied World War II submarines, according to JANAC figures. The total weight of the ships sunk by Silversides was 90,080 tons, placing it among the top five American submarines for tonnage sunk during the war. According to the Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee (JANAC), Silversides holds the most successful combat record of any American submarine still in existence. Other sources report that Silversides sank 31 ships totaling 100,685 tons during World War II.

Museum ship

The museum was first opened as the Great Lakes Naval Memorial & Museum. It is now called the USS Silversides Submarine Museum and has a museum building.

The museum staff starts the USS Silversides' Fairbanks Morse engines up to six times each year to keep them in good working condition.