USS Besugo, a 1526-ton Balao class submarine built at Groton, Connecticut, was commissioned in June 1944. She began her first war patrol in September, leaving Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as leader of a three submarine "wolf pack" assigned to watch the southern entrance of Japan's Inland Sea for naval forces that might try to disrupt the invasion of Leyte. While stationed there she torpedoed and damaged the big enemy destroyer Suzutzuki. Besugo's second patrol took her from Pearl Harbor to Fremantle, Australia. While en route, on 23 November 1944, she sank the landing ship T-151 west of Palawan Island.
Besugo's remaining three World War II patrols were made from Fremantle into East Indies waters and the South China Sea. During these she sank four more enemy ships, including the 10,020-ton oiler Nichei Maru on 6 January 1945, the escort ship Kaibokan # 53 on 7 February, the minesweeper W.12 on 6 April and the German submarine U-183 on 23 April. She left Fremantle in late August 1945, after Japan had agreed to surrender, and was subsequently overhauled in the U.S.
During the post-war era Besugo remained active for over a dozen years. Following operations in the Central Pacific in 1946 she was based at Pearl Harbor, deploying to the Far East in 1947 and in 1950-1951, during the Korean War. In 1954 Besugo's base shifted to San Diego, California, and she served off the West Coast from then until decommissioned at the end of March 1958. In December 1962, while in reserve, she was reclassified as an auxiliary submarine, becoming AGSS-321.
Nearly three years later, in June 1965, Besugo recommissioned to train an Italian crew, in anticipation of transfer to that nation's navy. This action was formally carried out at the end of March 1966, when she was decommissioned by the U.S. Navy and became the Italian Navy submarine Francesco Morosini. After nearly one more decade of activity she was placed out of service and, in 1976, was sold for scrapping in Italy.
This page features all the views we have related to USS Besugo (SS-321).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Besugo (SS-321). The following list features some of these images:
The images listed below are NOT in
the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".
USS Besugo (SS-321) underway at sea, 31 March 1955. Port broadside low aerial view. The submarine does not appear to have any deck guns. USS Besugo (SS-321) at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, 19 November 1956. Closeup of the upper part of the sail, from off the forward port side, showing general antenna arrangement
USS Besugo (SS-321) underway off Point Loma, San Diego, California, 16 October 1957. Aerial view from off the submarine's bow, a little to starboard. She is making good speed, with considerable white wake. As 80-G-1033516, but taken from off Besugo's stern, a little to starboard. As 80-G-1033516, but taken from off Besugo's port side. As 80-G-1033516, but taken from off Besugo's port quarter.
Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions". |
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 17 February 2003
New images added 30 April 2003