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USS Bonefish (SS-223)
The USS Bonefish (SS-223) was a Gato class submarine that was built by Electric Boat in Connecticut for World War II. She was commissioned on May 31, 1943.
On June 19, 1945 while on patrol in the bay of Toyama Wan she was sunk after sinking the 5,488 ton cargo ship Konzan Maru. All hands were lost.
The Bonefish was credited with sinking 61,345 tons in 12 enemy vessels. Less than two months after the sinking of the Bonefish most hostilities had ceased. On August 15,1945, Emperor Hirohito announced to the Japanese people that Japan had surrendered.
The Commanding Officer, Commander Lawrence L. Edge had requested permission to enter the Bay for daytime attacks. This mission was not ordered, it was his choice to make. This was a common attitude amongst all of our soldiers during World War II. Is it any wonder why they are called the Greatest Generation?
 
The following are the names of those on eternal patrol in the Bonefish;
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Lockwood, T. G. PhoM3 |
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Adams, T. B., Jr. Y3 |
Lynch, J. F. TM2 |
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Adams, W. S. BKR3 |
Maghan, A. G. F1 |
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Amburgey, L. M. LTJG |
Markle, J. E. EM2 |
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Anderson, G. I., Jr. MoMM3 |
McBride, R. J. MoMM2 |
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Aureli, S. J. S1 |
Miles, H. V., Jr. MoMM1 |
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Beck, M. L. GM2 |
Nester, S. A. EM3 |
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Brown, R. W. FC1 |
Newberry, J. R. F1 |
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Browning, J. A. EM1 |
Olson, D. H. MoMM2 |
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Burdick, C. A. MoMM2 |
O'Toole, W. P. EM3 |
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Canfield, K. T. MoMM2 |
Parton, J. F. EM3 |
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Coleman, J. A. RM3 |
Paskin, T. RT2 |
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Cooley, Q. L. STM2 |
Pauley, G. W. RM3 |
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Danielson, O. C. SC2 |
Phenicie, J. E. MoMM3 |
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Dunn, D. H., Jr. LTJG |
Primavera, L. J. MoMM1 |
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Edge, L. L. CDR |
Prunier, G. A. EM3 |
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Enos, E. R. FC1 |
Quenett, C. F. TM2 |
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Epps, W. H., Jr. STM2 |
Raley, C. H. F1 |
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Feld, P. E. FC1 |
Ray, R. C., Jr. SM1 |
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Fox, D. C. RM2 |
Raynes, J. A. EM1 |
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Frank, R. E. CMoMM |
Reid, J. A. F1 |
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Fugett, M. A. QM2 |
Rhanor, C. J. S1 |
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Fuller, G. M. CMoMM |
Rice, R. M. S1 |
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Hackstaff, H. J. RM2 |
Rose, R. A., Jr. LTJG |
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Harman, G. P. TM1 |
Schiller, R. G. F1 |
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Hasiak, J. J. TM3 |
Schmidling, C. J. FCS1 |
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Hess, R. D. S1 |
Schweyer, R. G. RT2 |
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Houghton, W. S. TM1 |
Slater, R. E. LTJG |
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Jenkins, R. W. EM1 |
Smith, L. C., Jr. LTJG |
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Johnson, J. C. RT1 |
Snodgrass, R. L. Y1 |
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Johnson, S. E., Jr. CQM |
Stamm, R. S. SC1 |
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Johnston, R. M. LTJG |
Surber, R. M. EM2 |
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Kalinoff, M. W. F1 |
Tierney, D. R. MoMM1 |
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Karr, W. G. RM2 |
Velie, R. C. TME2 |
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Keefer, R. T. S1 |
Vincent, T. F., Jr. S1 |
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Kern, F. B. ENS |
Whitright, W. TM2 |
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King, E. W. EM2 |
Williams, J. J. MoMM2 |
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Kissane, J. E. S2 |
Williams, J. R., Jr. FC3 |
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Knight, F. S. LCDR |
Williams, T. F. F1 |
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Lamothe, J. N. COX |
Wilson, J. R. F1 |
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Laracy, J. J., Jr. EM3 |
Winegar, C. D. TM3 |
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Lewis, M. A. CGM |
Wolfe, L. E. TM3 |
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Wright, G. "W", Jr. PhM1 |
 USS Bonefish (SS-582)
The second Boat to bear the name Bonefish was the third and last of the Barbel class submarines. She was built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. She was the last of the tear drop hull diesel attack boats built for the Navy. She was commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1988 following a fire.
The second Bonefish had a varied career. When she was commissioned she was stationed at San Diego. In 1963 her home port was moved to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She made several deployments to the Western Pacific and in late 1977 she was transferred back to San Diego. She once again conducted numerous operations including a UNITAS deployment. In mid 1982, Bonefish's home port was again changed. This time she was transferred to the East Coast to Charleston, South Carolina. During her time on the East Coast she conducted normal operations, including a reconnaissance mission to document Soviet vessels entering and leaving Cuban ports.
On 24 April 1988 while operating approximately 250 nautical miles off the Florida coast, a fire erupted in the berthing spaces. Seawater leaking from a valve had poured onto the battery buss ties located in the port side of the battery well. This caused arching and the hull insulation ignited. The crew attempted to reach the fire to no avail. Due to the complexity of getting to the fire, the fact that the hydraulic system was ruptured at the fire location, and the ships emergency air breathing (EAB) system being disabled due to the fire, the Captain ordered the crew topside to leave the ship.
Many of the crew were burned or otherwise injured while attempting to extinguish the fire. Many others had smoke inhalation due to the EAB system being compromised by the fire and subsequently breathing the toxic smoke into their lungs.
Three crew members perished in this fire. Lieutenant (SS) Ray Everts, RM1 (SS) Robert (Bob) Bordelon, and YN3 (SS) Marshall Todd Lindgren. All three were new on board the Bonefish at the time. These sailors were all good men and were an integral part of the Bonefish crew. They knew their duties and they did them well. The crew did everything possible to save their shipmates and were profoundly affected by their loss. Several crew members sustained life long injuries in their attempts to save their shipmates.
It is a bit of irony that both ships of the same name would end their service to our country in such a tragic way. The year and a half prior to the fire had been rough times for the Bone (Boner-Maru). The Captain during those months had allowed her to go into extreme disrepair and had placed the crew in grave danger on several occasions. Even through those times, the crew remained faithful to the old girl.
This Page is dedicated to those who served on Bonefish (SS-223) & (SS-582) and those still on eternal patrol.
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