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Uss Billfish (Ss-286) | style="text-align: center" colspan="2"| | | lign ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Career | align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|USN Jack | | rdered: | | | aid down: | | | aunched: | 12 November 1942 | | ommissioned: | 20 April 1943 | | ecommissioned: | 1 November 1946 | | ate: | | | tricken: | | | olspan="2" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|General Characteristics | | isplacement: | 1526 tons | | ength: | 311 feet 8 inches | | eam: | 27 feet 3 inches | | raft: | 16 feet 10 inches | | ropulsion: | | | peed: | 20.3 knots | | ange: | | | omplement: | 66 officers and men | | rmament: | one five-inch gun, ten 21-inch torpedo tubes | USS Billfish (SS-286), a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy bear the generic name for any fish, such as gar or spearfish, with bill-shaped jaws. Her keel was laid down by Portsmouth Navy Yard. She was launched on 12 November 1942 sponsored by Mrs. Lewis Parks, wife of Lieutenant Commander Parks, and commissioned on 20 April 1943 with Lieutenant Commander F. C. Lucas, Jr., in command. Between 12 August 1943 and 27 August 1945 Billfish made eight war patrols out of Pearl Harbor. During these patrols she sank three freighters totaling 4074 tons and five smaller craft. Part of her seventh and eighth patrols were spent on plane guard duty off Japan. On 11 November 1943, in the Makassar Strait, a Japanese depth charge severely damaged the boat. Chief Electrician's Mate John D. Rendernick took action from his boattle station and led emergency repairs. For his actions, Rendernick was awarded the Navy Silver Star, posthumously. On 17 August 2004 the Naval Submarine Training Center (NAVSUBTRACEN) Damage Control Wet Trainer at Pearl Harbor is named in his honor. Billfish arrived at Pearl Harbor 27 August 1945 from her last war patrol and was ordered to the Atlantic. She arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 19 September and spent the next nine months in maneuvers and training. Following inactivation at Portsmouth Navy Yard (June-October 1946) she was towed to New London, Connecticut, by ATR-64 and went out of commission in reserve there 1 November 1946. Billfish received seven battle stars for her World War II service. See USS Billfish for other ships of the same name. References Billfish 286
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