From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, Vol. III, 1968, Navy 

Department, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Naval History 

Division, Washington, D.C.



HERRING (SS-233)



dp. 1,526;

l. 311' 8";

b. 27' 4";

dr. 15' 3";

s. 20 k.;

cpl. 60;

a. 10 21" tt., 1 3";

cl. DRUM



HERRING (SS-233) was launched 15 January 1942 by the Portsmouth Naval 

Shipyard, Portsmouth, N.H.; sponsored by Mrs. Ray Spear, wife of Rear 

Admiral Ray Spear, Chief of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts; and 

commissioned 4 May 1942, Lt. Comdr. Raymond W. Johnson in command.



After shakedown, the new submarine was one of five sent to the 

Mediterranean to take station off the North African coast prior to 

Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. Reaching her position off 

Casablanca 5 November, HERRING remained there spotting but not attacking 

several targets. On the morning of 8 November as the invasion was 

launched, the patient sub had her chance, sinking the 5,700 ton cargo 

ship VILLE DU HAVRE. HERRING returned to Roseneath, Scotland, 25 

November and departed for her second war patrol 16 December on which 

targets were scarce. On her third patrol HERRING attacked and sank a 

marauding Nazi submarine, U-163 21 March 1943. The fourth war patrol, an 

antisubmarine sweep in Icelandic waters, and fifth patrol, which took 

her back to the States 26 July 1943, netted HERRING no more kills.



HERRING departed New London for the rich hunting grounds of the Pacific 

9 August 1943. After intensive training at Pearl Harbor, she sailed 15 

November 1943 on her sixth war patrol to join the ranks of the American 

submarines systematically decimating Japanese shipping and destroying 

the Japanee economy. She scored two kills, the 3,948-ton HAKOZAKI MARU 

on 14 December and the 6,072-ton NAGOYA MARU to celebrate New Year's Day 

1944. HERRING's next patrol was a frustrating one as 24 March 1944 she 

stalked a large aircraft carrier but was detected and driven deep before 

she could attack.



HERRING's eighth war patrol was to be both her most successful and her 

last. Topping off at Midway 21 May 1944, HERRING headed for the Kurile 

Islands patrol area. Ten days later she rendezvoused with BARB, and was 

never heard from or seen again. However, Japanese records prove that she 

sank two ships, ISHIGAKI and HOKUYO MARU, the night of 30-31 May. 

HERRING's exact manner of loss can be determined from these records 

also. Two more merchant ships, HIBURI MARU and IWAKI MARU, were sunk 

while at anchor in Matsuwa Island, Kuriles, the morning of 1 June 1944. 

In a counter-attack, enemy shore batteries scored two direct hits on the 

submarine's conning tower and "bubbles covered an area about 5 meters 

wide, and heavy oil covered an area of approximately 15 miles." On her 

last patrol, HERRING had sunk four Japanese ships for a total of 13,202 

tons. In all she had sunk six marus totalling 19,959 tons, an Axis cargo 

ship, and a German U-boat.



HERRING received five battle stars for her service in World War II.