USS Bullhead

USS *Bullhead* (SS-332)
History
United States
Name	Bullhead
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down	21 October 1943
Launched	16 July 1944
Commissioned	4 December 1944
Fate	Sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Java Sea, 6 August 1945
Notes	One of the last vessels to be sunk in World War II
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 long tons (1,550 t) surfaced; 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged;
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators; 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries; 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears; 2 × propellers; 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced; 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged;
Speed	20.25 knots (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph) surfaced; 8.75 knots (16.21 km/h; 10.07 mph) submerged;
Range	11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged; 75 days on patrol;
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft; 24 torpedoes); As built; 1 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck gun; 1 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannon; 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon antiaircraft cannon; July 1945; 2 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck guns; 2 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannons;

USS Bullhead (SS-332), a Balao-class submarine, was the last US Navy ship sunk by enemy action during World War II, probably on the same day that an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bullhead (a name given to a number of large-headed bottom-dwelling fish, especially the catfish, miller's thumb, and sculpin).

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
^ Sheridan (1947) p.127

History

United States
Name	Bullhead
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut^[1]
Laid down	21 October 1943^[1]
Launched	16 July 1944^[1]
Commissioned	4 December 1944^[1]
Fate	Sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Java Sea, 6 August 1945^[2]
Notes	One of the last vessels to be sunk in World War II
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine^[2]
Displacement	1,526 long tons (1,550 t) surfaced^[2] 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged^[2]
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)^[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)^[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum^[2]
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears 2 × propellers 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed	20.25 knots (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph) surfaced^[3] 8.75 knots (16.21 km/h; 10.07 mph) submerged^[3]
Range	11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)^[3]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h; 2.3 mph) submerged^[3] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)^[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted^[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft; 24 torpedoes) As built^[3] 1 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck gun 1 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannon 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon antiaircraft cannon July 1945^[4] 2 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck guns 2 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannons