| Noteable events involving Blackfin include: 14 Aug, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) departs New London bound for the Pacific. 29 Aug, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) transits the Panama Canal. 11 Sep, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) arrives at Pearl Harbour. 30 Sep, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) departs Pearl Harbour for her 1st war patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Philippines. 10 Oct, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) toppes off with fuel at Saipan. 1 Nov, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese trooptransport Unkai Maru No. 12 (2745 GRT) and the Japanese auxiliary vessel Caroline Maru (320 GRT) west off Mindoro in position 12º54'N, 118º41'E. (see map) 4 Dec, 1944 USS Blackfin (Lt.Cdr. G.H. Laird, Jr.) ends her 1st war patrol at Fremantle, Australia. 2 Jan, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Fremantle for her 2nd war patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the South China Sea. 24 Jan, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese destroyer Shigure (1712 tons, offsite link) some 120 miles east of Khota Bharu, Malaya in position 06º00'N, 103º48'E. (see map) 15 Feb, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) ends her 2nd war patrol at Subic Bay, Philippines. 6 Mar, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Subic Bay for her 3rd war patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the South China Sea. 28 Mar, 1945 While on patrol off the south-east coast of French Indochina and in persuit of a Japanese convoy, USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) is damaged by depth charges. As a result of this she is forced to terminate her patrol. 9 Apr, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) ends her 3rd war patrol at Fremantle. 7 May, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. She is ordered to patrol off Singapore. 6 Jun, 1945 Due to defects encountered while on patrol USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) ends her rather short 4th war patrol at Pearl Harbour. 17 Jul, 1945 With the defects corrected, USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Pearl Harbour bound for Midway. 21 Jul, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) arrives at Midway. 29 Jul, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Midway bound for Saipan. 7 Aug, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) arrives at Saipan. 11 Aug, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) departs Saipan for her 5th war patrol. She is ordered to patrol in the Yellow Sea. 5 Sep, 1945 USS Blackfin (Cdr. W.L. Kitch) ends her 5th war patrol at Guam. |