Allied Warships

Wahoo (SS-238)

Submarine of the Gato class

USS Wahoo on 14 July 1943 off Mare Island Navy Yard Vallejo, California after being modified

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Submarine
Class	Gato
Pennant	238
Built by	Mare Island Navy Yard (Vallejo, California, U.S.A.)
Ordered	28 Jun 1940
Laid down	28 Jun 1941
Launched	14 Feb 1942
Commissioned	15 May 1942
Lost	11 Oct 1943
Loss position	45° 13'N, 141° 56'E

History	USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) is sunk by Japanese naval aircraft and the Japanese submarine chasers Ch-15 and Ch-43 (offsite links), and the Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa-18, in La Perouse Strait in position 45º13'N, 141º56'E. For more information on USS Wahoo check out this website (offsite link).

Commands listed for USS Wahoo (238)

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	T/Lt.Cdr. Marvin Granville Kennedy, USN	15 May 1942	31 Dec 1942
2	T/Cdr. Dudley Walker Morton, USN	31 Dec 1942	11 Oct 1943 (+)

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Notable events involving Wahoo include:

12 Aug 1942
With her trials and initial training completed USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) departed from San Francisco for Pearl Harbor.

18 Aug 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

23 Aug 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Caroline Islands area.

17 Oct 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) ended her 1st war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

8 Nov 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Solomon Islands area.

10 Dec 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) torpedoed and sank the Japanese collier Kamoi Maru (5355 GRT) off Buin, Bougainville in position 04°06'S, 154°58'E.

26 Dec 1942
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. M.G. Kennedy) ended her 2nd war patrol at Brisbane, Australia.

16 Jan 1943
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from Brisbane for her 3rd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Palau.

24 Jan 1943
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese destroyer Harusame (offsite link) about 11 nautical miles west of Wewak, New Guinea in position 03°23'S, 143°34'E.

26 Jan 1943
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Morton) attacked a Japanese convoy about 270 nautical miles north of New Guinea and torpedoed and sank the Japanese army cargo ships Buyo Maru (5447 GRT) and Fukuei Maru No.2 (1901 GRT) in position 02°00'N, 139°14'E. Wahoo then pursues and torpedoed and damaged the Japanese tanker Pacific Maru (5872 GRT) in position 02°30'N, 139°44'E.

7 Feb 1943
USS Wahoo (Lt.Cdr. D.W. Morton) ended her 3rd war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

23 Feb 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Yellow Sea.

27 Feb 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) topped up with fuel at Midway.

19 Mar 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ship Zogen Maru (1428 GRT) east of Dairen, Kwantung Peninsula, Manchukuo in position 38°29'N, 122°19'E, and torpedoed and damaged the Japanese merchant cargo ship Kowa Maru (3217 GRT) in position 38°27'N, 122°18'E.

21 Mar 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ships Hozan Maru (2260 GRT) in the Yellow Sea in position 38°11'N, 124°33'E and Nittsu Maru (2183 GRT) in position 38°05'N, 124°33'E.

23 Mar 1943
While operating in the Yellow Sea USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank the Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Teisho Maru (9849 GRT) with one torpedo at position 39°01'N, 122°25'E, the Japanese army cargo ship Takaosan Maru (2076 GRT) with a torpedo and gunfire at position 38°13'N, 123°24'E and the Japanese army cargo ship Satsuki Maru (830 GRT) with gunfire in position 38°10'N, 123°26'E.

29 Mar 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary cable ship Yamabato Maru (2256 GRT) south of Kyushu, Japan in position 30°26'N, 129°41'E.

6 Apr 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) ended her 4th war patrol at Midway.

25 Apr 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from Midway for her 5th war patrol. She was initially ordered to patrol off the Kuril Islands.

7 May 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Tamon Maru No.5 (5260 GRT) off Benten Zaki, Honshu, Japan in position 40°05'N, 141°53'E.

9 May 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant cargo ships Takao Maru (3204 GRT) and Jimmu Maru (1912 GRT) off Kone Zaki, north-eastern Honshu, Japan in position 38°57'N, 141°49'E.

21 May 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) ended her 5th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She was now ordered to proceed to the Mare Island Navy Yard for a major overhaul.

21 Jul 1943
With her refit completed USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from the Mare Island Navy Yard bound for Pearl Harbor.

27 Jul 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

2 Aug 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Sea of Japan.

6 Aug 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) topped up with fuel at Midway.

29 Aug 1943
After shooting al it's torpedoes to no avail due to malfunctions USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) ended her 6th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

9 Sep 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 7th war patrol. Once again she was to patrol in the sea of Japan.

13 Sep 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) topped up with fuel at Midway.

21 Sep 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank the Japanese merchant fishing vessel Hokusei Maru (1394 GRT) west of the Kuril Islands in position 45°45'N, 145°46'E.

25 Sep 1943
It was most likely USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) that torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Taiko Maru (2958 GRT) west of the Tsugaru Strait in the Sea of Japan in approximate position 41°30'N, 139°00'E.

The Taiko Maru was raised and returned to service and finally sunk on 14 July 1944 by USS Sand Lance.

29 Sep 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank Japanese merchant cargo ship Masaki Maru No.2 (1238 GRT) in the Sea of Japan 125 nautical miles east of Hungnam, Korea in position 40°00'N, 130°00'E.

5 Oct 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank Japanese sank army transport Konron Maru (7908 GRT) in Tsushima Straits in position 34°00'N, 129°00'E.

6 Oct 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank the Japanese army cargo ship Kanko Maru (1283 GRT) in the Sea of Japan, east of Korea in position 37°18'N, 129°33'E.

9 Oct 1943
USS Wahoo (Cdr. D.W. Morton) sank the Japanese army cargo ship Hankow Maru (2995 GRT) off the Oga Peninsula, Japan in position 37°18'N, 129°33'E.