Allied Warships

Trigger (SS-237)

Submarine of the Gato class

USS Trigger as modified during the war.

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Submarine
Class	Gato
Pennant	237
Built by	Mare Island Navy Yard (Vallejo, California, U.S.A.)
Ordered	28 Jun 1940
Laid down	1 Feb 1941
Launched	22 Oct 1941
Commissioned	30 Jan 1942
Lost	28 Mar 1945
Loss position	32° 16'N, 132° 05'E

History	USS Trigger (Cdr. David Rickart Connole) was most likely sunk by Japanese aircraft, the Japanese frigate Mikura (offsite link) and the Japanese corvettes Kaibokan No.33 and Kaibokan No.59 east of Kyusyu, Japan in position 32º16'N, 132º05'E.

Commands listed for USS Trigger (237)

Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Jack Hayden Lewis, USN	30 Jan 1942	Aug/Sep 42
2	Lt.Cdr. Roy Stanley Benson, USN	Aug/Sep 42	28 Jul 1943
3	T/Lt.Cdr. Robert Edson Dornin, USN	28 Jul 1943	25 Feb 1944
4	T/Lt.Cdr. Frederick Joseph Harlfinger, 2nd, USN	25 Feb 1944	Feb 1945
5	T/Cdr. David Rickart Connole, USN	Feb 1945	28 Mar 1945 (+)

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Notable events involving Trigger include:

29 May 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. Jack Hayden Lewis) departed from Pearl Harbor to take part in the defence of Midway. She was to take station north-east of Midway.

12 Jun 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis) returns to Pearl Harbor.

26 Jun 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol of the Aleutians.

8 Aug 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis) arrived at Dutch Harbour.

15 Aug 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis) ended her 1st war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

23 Sep 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters.

5 Oct 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese damaged Japanese troop transport Shinkoku Maru (3991 GRT) south of Honshu, Japan in position 31°40'N, 142°06'E.

17 Oct 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ship Holland Maru (5870 GRT) near the mouth of Bungo Suido, Kyushu, Japan in position 32°21'N, 132°04'E.

24 Oct 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese oiler Nissho Maru (10526 GRT) in the Bungo Channel in position 32°06'N, 132°34'E.

8 Nov 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) ended her 2nd war patrol when she returns to base.

3 Dec 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) sets of for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters.

20 Dec 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) lays mines off Inubo Zaki, Honshu, Japan. One mine immediately sank the Japanese merchant cargo ship Mutsuki Maru (3893 GRT) south of Daiozaki, Japan in position 35°45'N, 140°55'E.

22 Dec 1942
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant cargo ship Yoshu Maru 5711 GRT) south of the entrance to Tokyo Bay, Japan in position 34°52'N, 139°49'E.

Also the Japanese merchant cargo ship Teifuku Maru (5198 GRT, former German merchant R.C. Rickmers) hits a mine laid by USS Trigger 2 days ago, and sank about 5 nautical miles north-east of Inubosaki, Japan in position 35°45'N, 140°55'E.

I've seen lots of different data on the ships sunk or damaged by USS Trigger in late December 1942 / early January 1943, if the data listed here is not correct in your opinion please submit a user submitted entry.

1 Jan 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese troop transport Shozan Maru (5859 GRT) south of Honshu, Japan in position 35°55'N, 140°55'E.

10 Jan 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and sank the Japanese destroyer Okikaze (offsite link) about 35 nautical miles south-east off Yokosuka, Japan in position 35°02'N, 140°12'E.

22 Jan 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) ended her 3rd war patrol at Midway.

13 Feb 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) departed from Midway for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Palau.

15 Mar 1943
While attacking a Japanese convoy about 150 nautical miles north-west of the Admiralty Islands USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese troop transport Florida Maru (5854 GRT) in position 00°00'N, 145°00'E and torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ship Momoha Maru (3103 GRT) in position 00°02'S, 145°05'E.

20 Mar 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damages, with a dud torpedo, the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Choan Maru No.2 (2613 GRT) north-west of the Admiralty Islands in position 03°44'N, 144°12'E.

6 Apr 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) ended her 4th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

30 Apr 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters.

28 May 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant tanker Koshin Maru (975 GRT) south of Irosaki, Honshu, Japan in position 34°33'N, 138°50'E.

1 Jun 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant collier Noborikawa Maru (2182 GRT) south-east of Kamogawa, Honshu, Japan in position 35°02'N, 140°14'E.

10 Jun 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo (offsite link) about 18 nautical miles north-east of Miyake Jima, Japan in position 34°13'N, 139°50'E.

21 Jun 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.S. Benson) ended her 5th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She now underwent a major overhaul.

1 Sep 1943
With her overhaul completed USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea, off the China coast, north of Formosa.

18 Sep 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ship Yowa Maru (6435 GRT) east of Okinawa in position 27°20'N, 126°53'E.

21 Sep 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) torpedoed and sank the Japanese fleet oilers Shiriya (14050 GRT) and Shoyo Maru (7498 GRT) and the Japanese merchant cargo ship Argun Maru (6661 GRT), and torpedoed and damaged the fleet oiler Gyoku Maru (6854 GRT) north of Keelung, Formosa in position 26°27'N, 122°40'E.

30 Sep 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) ended her 6th war patrol at Midway.

22 Oct 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) departed from Midway for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

2 Nov 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Delagoa Maru (7148 GRT) south of Honshu, Japan in position 28°30'N, 135°35'E.

13 Nov 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) torpedoed and sank the Japanese troop transport Nachizan Maru (4433 GRT) in the East China Sea in position 32°55'N, 124°57'E.

21 Nov 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ship Eizan Maru (1681 GRT) in the Yellow Sea in position 36°40'N, 125°31'E.

8 Dec 1943
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) ended her 7th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

1 Jan 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Mariana / Caroline Islands area.

31 Jan 1944
USS Trigger torpedoed and damaged the Japanese destroyer Michishio (offsite link) north-west of Truk in position 09°48'N, 147°20'E.

USS Trigger later torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary submarine depot ship Yasukuni Maru (11933 GRT, offsite link) north-west of Truk in position 09°21'N, 147°02'E.

23 Feb 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. R.E. Dornin) ended her 8th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

23 Mar 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. Frederick J. Harlfinger II) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 9th war patrol, and was ordered to patrol off Palau.

8 Apr 1944
During an attack on a Japanese convoy west of the Marianas in position 19°06'N, 142°36'E, USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. Frederick J. Harlfinger II) is damaged by depth charges, however despite being damaged she remained on patrol.

9 Apr 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) was again damaged by depth charges, position 19°03'N, 142°31'E.

12 Apr 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) sank a Japanese sampan with gunfire north of Palau in position 10°26'N, 134°29'E.

27 Apr 1944
During an attack on A Japanese convoy about 90 nautical miles north of Palau, USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ship Miike Maru (11738 GRT) in position 08°34'N, 134°53'E, and torpedoed and damaged the frigate Kasado (870 tons, offsite link) and the Japanese army cargo ship Asosan Maru (8811 GRT) in position 08°32'N, 134°42'E.

20 May 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) ended her 9th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She is sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard for a major overhaul.

11 Sep 1944
With her overhaul completed USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

24 Sep 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 10th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol east of Formosa.

30 Oct 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant tanker Takane Maru (10021 GRT) south-west of Toizaki, Kyushu, Japan in position 30°13'N, 132°49'E. The damaged tanker is later damaged by USS Salmon and finally finished off by USS Sterlet.

17 Nov 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) was ordered to discontinue her patrol and return to base at Guam.

28 Dec 1944
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) departed from Guam for her 11th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Bungo Strait.

3 Feb 1945
USS Trigger (Lt.Cdr. F.J. Harlfinger II) ended her 11th war patrol at Guam.

11 Mar 1945
USS Trigger (Cdr. D.R. Connole) departed from Guam for her 12th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off the Ryukyu Islands.

18 Mar 1945
USS Trigger (Cdr. D.R. Connole) torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ship Tsukushi Maru No.3 (1012 GRT) north-west of Okinawa in position 28°05'N, 126°44'E.