US Submarines in World War II: June 1

1941

USS R-2 (SS-79) – Assigned to Submarine Division 12 on 1 June 1941. R-2 left New London on 16 June for Key West, Florida (her new homeport) to conduct training and patrol duties.
USS R-11 (SS-88) – Transferred to Key West on 1 June 1941. She continued duty as a training ship at Key West for the rest of World War II.

1942

On 1 June 1942, two new Gato-class submarines were commissioned and two others were launched or laid down. USS Whale (SS-239) was commissioned at Mare Island, Calif. that day, and USS Albacore (SS-218) was commissioned at Groton, Conn.. Also on 1 June 1942 the keel was laid for the Balao-class USS Steelhead (SS-280) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, and USS Gurnard (SS-254) was launched at Electric Boat in Groton. These events reflect a burst of U.S. submarine production and deployment on that date.

1943

USS Lapon (SS-260) – Arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 June 1943 after transiting the Panama Canal from New London. This arrival marked Lapon’s entry into the Pacific theater, where she prepared for her first war patrol later that month.

1944

On 1 June 1944, combat and movement of U.S. submarines continued in the Pacific. USS Herring (SS-233) attacked Japanese shipping at Matsuwa (Paramushir) in the Kurile Islands, torpedoing and sinking the Hiburi Maru and Iwaki Maru. In the ensuing counterattack, Herring was fatally damaged (she and all hands were lost that day). Meanwhile, USS Guardfish (SS-217) arrived at Pearl Harbor from San Francisco on 1 June 1944, and the newly commissioned USS Hawkbill (SS-366) departed Manitowoc, Wisconsin, via inland waterways (Illinois and Mississippi Rivers) on 1 June 1944 to begin her transit to New Orleans. Together these entries show both combat action (Herring) and logistical movements (Guardfish and Hawkbill) of U.S. submarines on that date.

*Hawkbill* (SS-366), armed with one 5″ gun, (127mm), one 40mm anti-aircraft gun on the forward bridge sponson and one 20mm on the after sponson. She wears the light gray finish adopted in 1943. She is possibly sailing down the Mississippi River on her way to the war in the Pacific, circa Spring 1944. (NAVSOURCE)

*Courtesy of Erminio Bagnasco book, “Submarines of WW II”, submitted by Aryeh Wetherhorn.*

1945

USS Skipjack (SS-184) – Departed Pearl Harbor for New London on 1 June 1945 to serve as a training submarine. By mid‑1945 many older U.S. subs were shifting from combat to training or refit, and Skipjack’s redeployment reflects this transition as World War II approached its end.

Sources: Official U.S. Navy historical records and photographs, including NHHC ship histories and archives. (Images via NHHC photo archives.)