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

(1970) Vol. 5, pp.206-207.





PAMPANITO



SS-383

Displacement:

	Surfaced:  1,526 t.

	Submerged:  2,391 t.

Length:  311’6”

Beam:  27’3”

Draft:  15’3”

Speed:

	Surfaced:  20 k.

	Submerged:  9 k.

Armament:  1 4”; 2 20mm; 10 21” torpedo tubes

Class:  BALAO



	PAMPANITO (SS-383) was laid down by the Navy Yard, 

Portsmouth, N.H., 15 March 1943; launched 12 July 1943; 

sponsored by Mrs. James Wolfender, and commissioned 6 

November 1943, Lt. Comdr. Charles B. Jackson, Jr. in 

command.



	After shakedown off New London, PAMPANITO transited the 

Panama Canal and arrived Pearl Harbor 14 February 1944.  Her 

1st war patrol (15 March to 2 May) was conducted in the 

southwest approaches to Saipan and Guam.  She served on 

lifeguard duty south of Yap, then scored two torpedo hits on 

a destroyer before sailing for Midway and Pearl Harbor for 

refit and repairs to a hull badly damaged by depth charges.



	PAMPANITO's 2nd war patrol (3 June-23 July) took place 

off Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu.  On 23 June, a submerged 

Japanese submarine fired two torpedoes, just missing 

PAMPANITO.  On 6 July, PAMPANITO damaged a Japanese gunboat, 

and 11 days later headed for Midway.



	PAMPANITO's 3rd war patrol (17 August-28 September), a 

"wolfpack" operation with submarines GROWLER (SS-215) and 

SEALION (SS-315), was conducted in the South China Sea.  On 

12 September, she sank 10,509-ton transport KACHIDOKI MARU 

and 5,135 ton tanker ZUIHO MARU and damaged a 3rd ship.  On 

15 September, with SEALION and later, BARB (SS-220) and 

QUEENFISH (SS-393), she helped rescue British and Australian 

survivors of a POW ship sunk while enroute from Singapore to 

Formosa.  She then set course for Saipan, disembarked the 

survivors, and steamed on to Pearl Harbor.



	PAMPANITO's 4th war patrol (28 October-30 December) 

took place off Formosa and the coast of southeastern China 

with SEA CAT (SS-399), PIPEFISH (SS-388), and SEARAVEN 

(SS-196).  Sinking 1,200-ton cargo ship SHINKO MARU NO. 1, 

19 November, she damaged a 2nd ship before putting in to 

Fremantle for refit.  Her 5th war patrol in the Gulf of Siam 

(23 January-12 February 1945), with GUAVINA (SS-362), was 

highlighted by two sinkings, 6,968-ton cargo ship ENGEN MARU 

6 February and 3,520-ton passenger-cargo ship EIFUKU MARU 8 

February.



	Refitted at Subic Bay, PAMPANITO returned to the Gulf 

of Siam for her 6th war patrol.  Operating with CAIMAN 

(SS-323), SEALION, and MINGO (SS-261), she sighted only 1 

target before sailing for Pearl Harbor.



	From Pearl Harbor the ship proceeded to San Francisco 

for overhaul, departing for Pearl Harbor again 1 August.  

With the end of the war, she was ordered to return to San 

Francisco.  She decommissioned at Mare Island 15 December 

1945.  She remained in reserve until April 1960 when she was 

assigned to Naval Reserve Training at Mare Island.  

Reclassified AGSS-383, 6 November 1962, she remains active 

as a Naval Reserve Training ship at Vallejo, Calif., into 

1970.



	PAMPANITO earned 6 battle stars for World War II 

service.



	[Stricken from the Navy Register on 20 December 1971, 

PAMPANITO was turned into a memorial at San Francisco on 21 

November 1975.]



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