View source for USS Lionfish

{{Use American English|date=August 2025}}{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{more citations needed |date=October 2012}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
|+USS ''Lionfish'' (SS-298)
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[Image:USS Lionfish (SS-298).jpg|300px|USS Lionfish]]
|Ship caption='''USS ''Lionfish'''''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United States]]
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1953}}
|Ship name=''Lionfish''
|Ship namesake=[[Lionfish]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=*[[Cramp Shipbuilding Co.]], [[Philadelphia]]
*[[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]], [[Kittery, Maine]]<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates">
 {{cite book
 |last=Friedman
 |first=Norman
 |title=U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History
 |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]]
 |year=1995
 |location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]]
 |pages=285–304
 |isbn=1-55750-263-3
 }}</ref>
|Ship yard number=553
|Ship laid down=15 December 1942<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship launched=7 November 1943<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. Harold C. Train
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=1 November 1944<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship decommissioned=16 January 1946<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship recommissioned=31 January 1951<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship decommissioned=15 December 1953<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=20 December 1971<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-dates"/>
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship status=[[Museum ship]] at [[Battleship Cove]], [[Fall River, Massachusetts]] since 30 August 1972<ref name="Register">
 {{cite book
 |last=Bauer
 |first=K. Jack
 |author-link=K. Jack Bauer
 |last2=Roberts
 |first2=Stephen S.
 |title=Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants
 |publisher=Greenwood Press
 |year=1991
 |location=[[Westport, Connecticut]]
 |pages=275–280
 |isbn=0-313-26202-0
 }}</ref>
|Ship fate=
|Ship honours=
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Balao|submarine}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|1526|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} surfaced<ref name="Register"/>
*{{convert|2424|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} submerged<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship length={{convert|311|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|3|in|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship draft={{convert|16|ft|10|in|abbr=on}} maximum<ref name="Register"/>
|Ship propulsion={{Fleet-boat-propulsion-early-FM-4-GE}}
|Ship speed=*{{convert|20.25|kn}} surfaced<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs">''U.S. Submarines Through 1945'' pp. 305–311</ref>
*{{convert|8.75|kn}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship range={{convert|11000|nmi|abbr=on}} surfaced at {{convert|10|kn}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship endurance=*48 hours at {{convert|2|kn}} submerged<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
*75 days on patrol
|Ship test depth={{convert|400|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship complement=10 officers, 70–71 enlisted<ref name="FriedmanSubs1-specs"/>
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament={{Fleet-boat-armament-5-inch}}
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
|embed=yes
|name=USS Lionfish (SS-298)
|nrhp_type=nhl
|image=
|caption=
|location=[[Fall River, Massachusetts]]
|coordinates = {{coord|41|42|22|N|71|09|47|W|display=inline,title}}
|locmapin=Massachusetts
|map_width=300
|area=
|built=1943
|architect=
|architecture=
|added =30 September 1976
|designated_nrhp_type = 14 January 1986
|refnum=76002270<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref>
}}
|}

'''USS ''Lionfish'' (SS-298)''', a {{sclass|Balao|submarine}}, was the only ship of the [[United States Navy]] named for the [[lionfish]], a [[scorpionfish|scorpaenid]] fish native to the Pacific and an invasive species found around the Caribbean.  She was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986, and is now on display at [[Battleship Cove]] in [[Fall River, Massachusetts]].

==Construction and commissioning==
''Lionfish'' was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] on 15 December 1942; [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 7 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. May Philipps Train, wife of [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Harold C. Train]]; and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 1 November 1944. Her first [[commanding officer]] was [[Lieutenant Commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] Edward D. Spruance, son of [[World War II]] admiral [[Raymond Spruance]].

==World War II==
After completing her [[shakedown cruise]] off [[New England]], she began her first war patrol in [[Japan]]ese waters on 1 April 1945. Ten days later, she avoided two torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine. On 1 May, ''Lionfish'' destroyed a Japanese [[schooner]] with her deck guns. After a rendezvous with the submarine {{USS|Ray|SS-271}}, she transported [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29 Superfortress]] survivors to [[Saipan]] in the [[Mariana Islands]] and then made her way to [[Midway Atoll]] in the [[Northwestern Hawaiian Islands]] for replenishment.

On 2 June 1945 she started her second war patrol, and on 10 July 1945 fired torpedoes at a surfaced Japanese submarine {{ship|Japanese submarine|I-162||2}}, after which ''Lionfish''{{'}}s crew heard explosions and observed smoke through their periscope, although ''I-162'' was undamaged. She subsequently fired on two more Japanese submarines. ''Lionfish'' ended her second and last war patrol performing lifeguard duty (the rescue of downed fliers) off the coast of Japan. When World War II ended on 15 August 1945, she headed for [[San Francisco]], [[California]], and was decommissioned at [[Mare Island Navy Yard]] in [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], California, on 16 January 1946.

==Post World War II==
''Lionfish'' was recommissioned on 31 January 1951, and headed for the [[United States East Coast]] for training cruises. After participating in [[NATO]] exercises and a [[Mediterranean]] cruise, she returned to the East Coast and was decommissioned at the [[Boston Navy Yard]] on 15 December 1953.

In 1960, the submarine was placed in service, but not recommissioned, as a reserve training submarine at [[Providence, Rhode Island]].

==Museum ship==
[[File:USS Lionfish Fall River 07172019.jpg|thumb|right|300px|USS ''Lionfish'' as she appeared on 17 July 2019.]]

In 1971, she was stricken from the [[Navy Register]]. In 1973, she began permanent display as a memorial at [[Battleship Cove]] in [[Fall River, Massachusetts]], where she is one of the museum's most popular exhibits.

As ''Lionfish'' was never converted to a [[GUPPY]] configuration, she is one of the very few preserved American World War II-era submarines in her "as built" configuration. Because of this state of preservation, she was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1986.<ref name=NRHP>{{cite web|url=https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=flr.914|title=MACRIS inventory record and NRHP nomination for USS Lionfish|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2015-02-25}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The submarine is featured on the DVD case of the 2007 [[Ubisoft]] game ''[[Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific]]''.

The submarine was also featured in the 2015 movie drama ''[[Subconscious (film)|Subconscious]]''.

==Awards==
*[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] with one [[battle star]]
*[[World War II Victory Medal]]
*[[Navy Occupation Medal]] with "EUROPE" clasp
*[[National Defense Service Medal]]

==See also==
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

==References==

*{{cite web
|url={{NHLS url|id=76002270|photos=y}}
|title=National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form – Accompanying Photos
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|access-date=2012-10-05
}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|USS Lionfish (SS-298)}}
* [http://www.battleshipcove.org Battleship Cove]
* [http://www.williammaloney.com/Aviation/SubmarineLionfish/index.htm USS Lionfish] Photos on board the Submarine USS Lionfish SS-298&nbsp;in Fall River, MA
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2909932/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt Subconscious (2015)] - an independent film featuring the actual USS Lionfish as the on location filming set.
* {{HNSA|uss-lionfish-ss-298}}

{{Balao class submarine}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lionfish (Ss-298)}}
[[Category:Balao-class submarines]]
[[Category:World War II submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Fall River, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Museums in Bristol County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Fall River, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts]]