| Navy | The US Navy |
| Type | Submarine |
| Class | Sargo |
| Pennant | 193 |
| Built by | Mare Island Navy Yard (Vallejo, California, U.S.A.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 27 Oct 1937 |
| Launched | 1 Apr 1939 |
| Commissioned | 22 Jul 1939 |
| Lost | 12 Jan 1945 |
| Loss position | |
| History | On 2 January 1945 USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) was given orders to clear the area of Nansei Shoto until scheduled allied air attacks were over with. She confirmed understanding the order on the 3rd but was not heard from again. There is no explanation for its loss. There were no survivors. The date given is an aproximate one. |
Commands listed for USS Swordfish (193)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | Lt. Chester Carl Smith, USN | 22 Jul 1939 | Jul 42 ? | |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Jack Hayden Lewis, USN | Aug 42 ? | Feb 1943 | |
| 3 | Lt.Cdr. Frank M. Parker, USN | Jul 43 ? | Sep 43 ? | |
| 4 | Lt.Cdr. Karl G. Hensel, USN | Dec 43 ? | Feb 1944 | |
| 5 | Lt.Cdr. Keats Edmund Montrose, USN | Mar 1944 | 12 Jan 1945 (+) | |
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Noteable events involving Swordfish include:
8 Dec 1941
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) left Manila for her first war patrol. She was to patrol off Hainan, China.
14 Dec 1941
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant Nikkoku Mau (2728 GRT) off Hainan, China in position 18º08'N, 109º18'E. She also torpedoes and damages the Japanese army cargo ship Kashii Maru (8407 GRT) in position 18º08'N, 109º22'E.
(see map)
16 Dec 1941
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant Atsutasan Maru (8663 GRT) off the coast of Indo-China in position 18º06'N, 109º44'E. (see map)
27 Dec 1941
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) embarked the organizational staff of the Submarines Asiatic Command Staff at Manila and headed for Soerabaja, Java, Netherlands East Indies arriving there on 7 January 1942.
16 Jan 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) left Surabay, Java, Netherlands East Indies for her second war patrol. She was to patrol in the Celebes Sea and in the Philippines.
24 Jan 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Myoken Maru (4124 GRT) north of Kema, Celebes in position 01º26'N, 125º08'E. (see map)
20 Feb 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) took on board the President of the Philippines and his family. Swordfish departed through a minefield and arrived at San Jose, Panay, Philippine Islands on 22 February where the President and his party were transferred to a motor tender. Swordfish then returned to Manila Bay on the 24th and embarked 13 civilian evacuees, including Commissioner Francis Sayre and his staff, and 5 military personnel, 18 in total.
9 Mar 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) ends her 2nd war patrol at Fremantle, Australia.
1 Apr 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) left Fremantle, Australia for her third war patrol. She was ordered to deliver 40 tons of provisions to the besieged island of Corregidor, however Corriegidor fell before this mission could be carried through so Swordfish was ordered and the submarine was ordered to patrol in the vicinity of Ambon Island.
1 May 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) ended her third war patrol when she returned to Fremantle.
15 May 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) left Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. She was to patrol in the South China Sea.
29 May 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Tatsufuku Maru (1946 GRT) at the southwestern entrance to Balabac Strait in position 07º33'N, 116º18'E. (see map)
12 Jun 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Burma Maru (4585 GRT) northwest of Pulo Wai, in the Gulf of Siam in position 10º08'N, 102º34'E. (see map)
4 Jul 1942
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. C.C. Smith) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle, Australia.
19 Jan 1943
After two fruitless war patrols (5th and 6th), USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis), by now on her seventh war patrol, sank the Japanese transport ship Myoho Maru (4122 GRT) in the Solomons Islands chain in position 05º38'S, 156º20'E. (see map)
23 Feb 1943
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Lewis) ended her 7th war patrol at Pearl Harbour. She was ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul.
29 Jul 1943
With her overhaul and refresher training completed USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. F.M. Parker) left base for her eight war patrol. She was to patrol off Palau.
22 Aug 1943
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. F.M. Parker) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Nishiyama Maru (3016 GRT) off Palau in position 02º53'N, 136º21'E. (see map)
5 Sep 1943
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. F.M. Parker) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese troop transport Tenkai Maru (3203 GRT) north of New Guinea in position 01º35'N, 141º45'E. (see map)
20 Sep 1943
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. F.M. Parker) ended her eight war patrol when she returned to base at Brisbane, Australia.
26 Dec 1943
After her 9th war patrol had to be aborted due to mechanical problems, USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.G. Hensel) left Pearl Harbour for her 10th war patrol on 26 December 1943. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters of the main island Honshu.
14 Jan 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.G. Hensel) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese troop transport Yamakuni Maru (6925 GRT) off Hachijo Jima, south of Honshu in position 33º16'N, 139º30'E. (see map)
16 Jan 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.G. Hensel) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Delhi Maru (2205 GRT) off Miyake Jima, Honshu, Japan in position 34º04'N, 139º56'E. (see map)
27 Jan 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.G. Hensel) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese auxiliary gunboat Kasagi Maru (3140 GRT) about 130 nautical miles south of Tokyo Bay in position 33º31'N, 139º36'E. (see map)
7 Feb 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.G. Hensel) ends her 10th war patrol at Pearl Harbour.
13 Mar 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) left Pearl Harbour for her 11th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Mariana Islands area.
29 Apr 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) ends her 11th war patrol without scoring a "kill". She returns to base at Majure.
9 Jun 1944
While on her 12th war patrol USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese destroyer Matsukaze (offsite link) about 70 nautical miles south-east of Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands in position 26º59'N, 143º13'E. (see map)
15 Jun 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Kanseishi Maru (4804 GRT) about 150 nautical miles north-north-west of Chichi Jima in postion 29º30'N, 144º07'E. (see map)
30 Jun 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) ends her 12th war patrol at Pearl Harbour. Swordfish went into refit.
22 Dec 1944
USS Swordfish (Lt.Cdr. K.E. Montrose) left Pearl Harbour for her 13th war patrol. She was to patrol of Nansei Shoto. On 26 December 1944 she topped off with fuel at Midway. On 2 January 1945, she was ordered to patrol clear of the Nansei Shoto area until completion of scheduled air strikes. She acknowledged receipt of these orders on 3 January. No further communication was received from the submarine. On 15 February, after repeated attempts to contact her by radio had failed, she was reported as presumed lost, the victim of unknown causes.