USS Bluegill (SS-242)

USS Bluegill (SS-242), a Gato-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bluegill, a freshwater sunfish of the Mississippi River basin and Great Lakes.

Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut on 17 December 1942. She was launched on 8 August 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. Cole, wife of Congressman W. Sterling Cole of New York), and commissioned on 11 November 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Eric L. Barr, Jr. (Class of 1934) in command, and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Bluegill’s war operations cover the period between 1 April 1944 and 21 June 1945, during which time she completed six war patrols in an area extending from New Guinea to Formosa and through the South China Sea and Java Sea. Bluegill sank ten Japanese vessels, totaling 46,212 tons, including the light cruiser Yubari (on 27 April 1944) and a submarine chaser.

During January 1945 Bluegill made reconnaissances in support of American liberation of the Philippines. On 28 May she conducted a reconnaissance and bombardment of Pratas Island. Twelve men were landed and discovered that the island had recently been evacuated by the Japanese naval garrison. In a fitting ceremony, on 29 May Bluegill raised the American flag on Pratas Island and proclaimed it to be "Bluegill Island."

Bluegill arrived at Pearl Harbor on 21 June 1945 from her last war patrol. She continued to serve with the Pacific Fleet until 1 March 1946 when she was placed out of commission in reserve at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Bluegill was recommissioned on 3 May 1951 and reported to the Pacific Fleet for training duty. On 7 July 1952 she was placed out of commission in reserve and redesignated a "hunter-killer" submarine (SSK-242 and recommissioned 2 May 1953.

Bluegill again saw wartime service during the Vietnam War. In 1965 she spent time in the Gulf of Tonkin, conducting reconnaissance and pilot rescue.

Bluegill was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 June 1969. In 1971 she was sunk and moored to the bottom as a salvage trainer about two kilometers off Lahaina in 40 m of water. For the next 13 years, her hull was used for underwater rescue training.

In November 1984, after a month of preparatory work, the twin Edenton-class salvage and rescue ships USS Beaufort (ATS-2) and USS Brunswick (ATS-3) raised ex-Bluegill and towed her to deep water where she was sunk with military honors.

Bluegill received the Navy Unit Commendation for her first war patrol during which she sank Yubari. In addition, she was awarded four battle stars for World War II service.