>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1969) Vol. 4, p.335. MERO Mero: Any of several large groupers or jewfishes found in warm ocean waters. SS-378 Displacement: Surfaced: 1,526 t. Submerged: 2,424 t. Length: 311’9” Beam: 27’3” Draft: 15’3” Speed: Surfaced: 20 k. Submerged: 9 k. Complement: 66 Armament: 1 5”; 1 40mm; 1 20mm; 10 21” torpedo tubes Class: BALAO MERO (SS-378) was laid down by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis., 22 July 1944; launched 17 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Henry G. Taylor; and commissioned at Manitowoc 17 August 1945, Comdr. John H. Turner in command. As the last submarine built at Manitowoc, MERO got underway for shakedown in Lake Michigan 25 August; thence, between 6 September and 17 November, she cruised the Great Lakes and visited several ports including Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago. Placed in floating drydock 22 November, she reached New Orleans via the Mississippi River the 29th; on 6 December sailed for the Canal Zone, trained there a month, then sailed for Pearl Harbor 19 January 1946. MERO reached Pearl 5 February and operated out of there until sailing for the west coast 22 February. Arriving San Francisco Bay 1 March, after preinactivation overhaul, she steamed to Mare Island 14 March to join the 19th Fleet, and decommissioned there 15 June 1946. Assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, she remained berthed at Mare Island until loaned to Turkey 20 April 1960. She serves the Turkish Navy as HIZIR REIS (S-344). [Purchased outright in August 1973, HIZIR REIS was discarded in 1977 and used for spare parts. Former MERO was stricken from the US Navy Register on 1 August 1973. “Conway’s All The World’s Fighting Ships, 1947-1995,” p.472. K. Jack Bauer and Stephen S. Roberts, “Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy, 1775-1990,” p.277] Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com