>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.435.





MORAY





		Moray:  A species of savagely voracious and 

brightly colored eels found in crevices of coral reefs 

between Pensacola and Rio de Janeiro.





SS-300



Displacement:

	Surfaced:  1,526 t.

	Submerged:  2,424 t.

Length:  311’8”

Beam:  27’3”

Draft:  15’3” (mean)

Speed:

	Surfaced:  20.25 k.

	Submerged:  8.75 k.

Complement:  66

Armament:  1 5”; 1 40mm; 2 .50 cal. MG; 10 21” torpedo tubes

Class:  BALAO



	MORAY (SS-300) was laid down 21 April 1943 at Cramp 

Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; launched 14 May 1944; 

sponsored by Mrs. Styles Bridges, wife of the New Hampshire 

Senator; and commissioned 26 January 1945, Comdr. Frank L. 

Barrows in command.



	She departed Philadelphia 31 January 1945, arriving New 

London, Conn., 1 February.  After shakedown training there 

and off Newport, R.I., MORAY left New London with sister 

ship CARP (SS-338) and destroyer escort GILLETTE (DE-681) 14 

April for Balboa, Panama, C.Z., arriving 25 April.  Underway 

5 May, MORAY arrived Pearl Harbor 21 May for final training, 

after which she sailed for the Marianas 7 June, arriving 

Saipan 20 June.



	The submarine cleared Saipan 27 June for her first war 

patrol as the senior unit of a coordinated attack group 

including submarines CARP, SEA POACHER (SS-406), ANGLER 

(SS-240), CERO (SS-225), and LAPON (SS-260).  Comdr. Barrows 

in MORAY assigned stations when the group reached its patrol 

area off Tokyo 1 July.  The first phase of this patrol 

centered on lifeguard duty.  From 7 to 9 July, MORAY’s 

special mission was service as picketboat southeast of 

Honshu in preparation for 3d Fleet bombardment.  Then she 

continued lifeguard operations.



	By June 1945, brilliantly successful American submarine 

operations had made enemy targets almost nonexistent, and 

lifeguard duty became a vital mission for American 

submarines.  However, MORAY did get a chance at some action, 

when she and submarine KINGFISH (SS-234) attacked a convoy 

off Kinkazan, Honshu, 10 July.  Allowing KINGFISH to attack 

first, MORAY then moved in to fire six torpedoes, then 

pulled out to rearm and permit KINGFISH a second stab.  A 

few moments later one of MORAY’s torpedoes hit a whaler.



	No other shipping was sighted; on 16 July the patrol 

was shifted to the Kurile Islands.  MORAY completed her 

patrol at Midway 6 August.  On 1 September, the submarine 

sailed for the west coast, arriving San Francisco, Calif., 

11 September.  She then went into deactivation overhaul at 

Mare Island Navy Yard.  She decommissioned 12 April 1946 and 

entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet in January 1947.  She was 

redesignated auxiliary submarine AGSS-300 on 1 December 1962 

and was struck from the Navy list 1 April 1967 for sinking 

as a target.



	MORAY received one battle star for World War II 

service.



	[MORAY was sunk as a target off Southern California on 

18 June 1970.



K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of 

the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.275]





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com