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| − | On the heels of these unsuccessful attempts, Barb's next opportunity to attack came during a heavy rain squall on 9 November when she picked up a radar contact on collision course with her. Barb changed course and found two cargo ships of a four ship, four escort convoy overlapping in her sights. She fired four torpedoes at the ships, scoring two hits on a large freighter and one on a medium sized vessel. The escorts illuminated Barb with searchlights; in her haste to submerge, the submarine shipped heavy seas and plummeted to 375 feet. Fortunately, she managed to stop her descent at that depth and, once there, easily escaped the depth charges dropped by the escorts. Barb returned to Midway on 24 November and was ordered on to Mare Island for overhaul. | + | On the heels of these unsuccessful attempts, Barb's next opportunity to attack came during a heavy rain squall on 9 November when she picked up a radar contact on collision course with her. Barb changed course and found two cargo ships of a four ship, four escort convoy overlapping in her sights. She fired four torpedoes at the ships, scoring two hits on a large freighter and one on a medium-sized vessel. The escorts illuminated Barb with searchlights; in her haste to submerge, the submarine shipped heavy seas and plummeted to 375 feet. Fortunately, she managed to stop her descent at that depth and, once there, easily escaped the depth charges dropped by the escorts. Barb returned to Midway on 24 November and was ordered on to Mare Island for overhaul. |
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| − | Following a month in the yard, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 February 1944 and conducted training exercises until early March. After loaded supplies, she embarked on her seventh war patrol which took her to the Guam Truk Saipan shipping lanes west of the Marianas and east of Formosa. Patrolling the area thoroughly, she made only one contact worthy of torpedoes, Fu<!-- spam filter -->kusei Maru, which the submarine observed on 28 March, while that Japanese cargo ship conducted an antisubmarine patrol off Rasa Island Okino Daito Shima. Following a four hour approach complicated by the target's erratic speed and course changes, Barb fired three torpedoes which broke the freighter in half and sank her within a minute. Barb believed her victim to be a Q ship, an innocent looking ship used to lure submarines into traps. In this case, Barb suspected the ship of trying to draw her into range of shore batteries. Later in the patrol, Barb joined Steelhead (SS 280) in a successful bombardment of a congested industrial area on Rasa Island. She scored a direct hit on the main installation of a secondary phosphate plant and made other hits which set off munitions and chemical explosions. The submarine moored at Midway on 25 April. | + | Following a month in the yard, the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 February 1944 and conducted training exercises until early March. After loaded supplies, she embarked on her seventh war patrol which took her to the Guam Truk Saipan shipping lanes west of the Marianas and east of Formosa. Patrolling the area thoroughly, she made only one contact worthy of torpedoes, Fu<!-- spam filter -->kusei Maru, which the submarine observed on 28 March, while that Japanese cargo ship conducted an antisubmarine patrol off Rasa Island Okino Daito Shima. Following a four-hour approach complicated by the target's erratic speed and course changes, Barb fired three torpedoes which broke the freighter in half and sank her within a minute. Barb believed her victim to be a Q ship, an innocent looking ship used to lure submarines into traps. In this case, Barb suspected the ship of trying to draw her into range of shore batteries. Later in the patrol, Barb joined Steelhead (SS 280) in a successful bombardment of a congested industrial area on Rasa Island. She scored a direct hit on the main installation of a secondary phosphate plant and made other hits which set off munitions and chemical explosions. The submarine moored at Midway on 25 April. |
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| − | Barb got underway eastward on 11 February and arrived at Pearl Harbor four days later. From there, she continued on to the Mare Island Navy Yard, where she began a major overhaul on 27 February. The repair work was completed on 16 May, and the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor. After training and the installation of a 5 inch rocket launcher on her deck, the submarine got underway on 8 June for Midway where she topped off for her 12th war patrol. Except for three days of lifeguard duty, this offensive patrol was conducted north of Hokkaido and east of Karafuto. She reached her assigned area on 21 June and immediately sank two luggers at close range with gunfire. Barb then sailed for the shore of Japan to turn her weapons on shore uttacks. During the early morning hours of 22 June, she took station 5,250 yards from the center of the town of Shari. From that point, she made history as the first submarine to employ rockets successfully against shore installations. She fired 12 rockets that exploded in the town center causing damage but no fires. The Japanese believed that an air raid was in progress and activated air search radar and turned search lights to the sky while Barb retired safely seaward. Early the next morning, she encountered a large wooden trawler and sank it with gunfire, taking on board one prisoner. | + | Barb got underway eastward on 11 February and arrived at Pearl Harbor four days later. From there, she continued on to the Mare Island Navy Yard, where she began a major overhaul on 27 February. The repair work was completed on 16 May, and the submarine returned to Pearl Harbor. After training and the installation of a 5-inch rocket launcher on her deck, the submarine got underway on 8 June for Midway where she topped off for her 12th war patrol. Except for three days of lifeguard duty, this offensive patrol was conducted north of Hokkaido and east of Karafuto. She reached her assigned area on 21 June and immediately sank two luggers at close range with gunfire. Barb then sailed for the shore of Japan to turn her weapons on shore uttacks. During the early morning hours of 22 June, she took station 5,250 yards from the center of the town of Shari. From that point, she made history as the first submarine to employ rockets successfully against shore installations. She fired 12 rockets that exploded in the town center causing damage but no fires. The Japanese believed that an air raid was in progress and activated air search radar and turned search lights to the sky while Barb retired safely seaward. Early the next morning, she encountered a large wooden trawler and sank it with gunfire, taking on board one prisoner. |
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| − | On 19 July, while patrolling in Patience Bay near Otasamu on the east coast of Karafuto, he observed a railroad running close to the coastline. He watched the tracks for the next three days, to establish train schedules and to plan a raid. On the night of 22 and 23 July, eight crewmen went ashore in pitch darkness. Compass problems and navigational errors put the force on the beach about 50 yards from a house and in a thicket of waist high bulrushes which crackled with every move. The leader of the party fell headfirst into a four foot ditch at the side of a road; then, after safely running across the road, he fell into a similar ditch on the other side. Another 1,000 yards brought the inexperienced saboteurs to the tracks. | + | On 19 July, while patrolling in Patience Bay near Otasamu on the east coast of Karafuto, he observed a railroad running close to the coastline. He watched the tracks for the next three days, to establish train schedules and to plan a raid. On the night of 22 and 23 July, eight crewmen went ashore in pitch darkness. Compass problems and navigational errors put the force on the beach about 50 yards from a house and in a thicket of waist high bulrushes which crackled with every move. The leader of the party fell headfirst into a four-foot ditch at the side of a road; then, after safely running across the road, he fell into a similar ditch on the other side. Another 1,000 yards brought the inexperienced saboteurs to the tracks. |
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| − | Released from these duties on 16 January 1954, Barb steamed to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a "Guppy" modernization. She was decommissioned there on 5 February; and, after alterations including topside streamlining and the addition of a snorkel, Barb was recommissioned on 3 August 1954, Coammander George E. Everly in command, but only for a brief period. After sea trials and snorkel training off New London in November and early December, the submarine was decommissioned again on 13 December and and turned over to the Italian government on loan under the terms of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She was immediately commissioned in the Italian Navy as Enrico Tazzoli. Her name was was struck from the Navy list on 28 April 1959 in order that it be assigned to a new submarine, SSN 596. Her hull number, on the other hand, continued on the list. She remained in service with the Italian Navy until 1972, when her age and condition necessitated decommissioning. SS 220 was struck from the Navy list on 15 October, and she was sold to an Italian scrapping company, Tattanelli and D'Alesio of Livorno in April 1975. | + | Released from these duties on 16 January 1954, Barb steamed to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for a "Guppy" modernization. She was decommissioned there on 5 February; and, after alterations including topside streamlining and the addition of a snorkel, Barb was recommissioned on 3 August 1954, Coammander George E. Everly in command, but only for a brief period. After sea trials and snorkel training off New London in November and early December, the submarine was decommissioned again on 13 December and turned over to the Italian government on loan under the terms of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She was immediately commissioned in the Italian Navy as Enrico Tazzoli. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 April 1959 in order that it be assigned to a new submarine, SSN 596. Her hull number, on the other hand, continued on the list. She remained in service with the Italian Navy until 1972, when her age and condition necessitated decommissioning. SS 220 was struck from the Navy list on 15 October, and she was sold to an Italian scrapping company, Tattanelli and D'Alesio of Livorno in April 1975. |
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