USS Trout (SS-202)

The USS Trout (SS-202) was a Tambor class World War II era submarine.

The namesake of the USS Trout is any of certain small, fresh-water fishes, highly esteemed by anglers for their gameness, their rich and finely flavored flesh, and their handsome (usually mottled or speckled) coloration.

The radio call sign of the USS Trout was: NAN - ABLE - XRAY - CHARLIE.

On February 8, 1944, the Trout, captained by Lieutenant Commander Albert H. Clark, left Pearl Harbor for her eleventh and final war patrol.  After fueling at Midway Island on the 16th, she headed for the East China Sea, and was never heard from again.  The Trout was expected to be back at Midway by about April 7, 1944.  By April 17th she had failed to appear and she was reported presumed lost.  The official announcement of the Trout's loss was made on July 22, 1944. 1

Navy Department Communiqué No. 532, July 22, 1944

1. The submarines USS Trout and USS Tullibee are overdue from patrol and must be presumed to be lost.

2. The next of kin of casualties of the Trout and Tullibee have been so notified.

Loss Possibilities

1.  The Trout probably met her end on February 29, 1944, at the geographic location 22°-40'N, 131°-45'E, which is southeast of Okinawa in the Philippine Sea.  Japanese records reviewed after the war revealed that one of their convoys was attacked by a submarine on that date near that position.  The submarine sank the 9,245-ton cargo vessel Sakito Maru, and damaged the passenger-cargo vessel Aki Maru and the transport Tozan Maru.  The IJN destroyer Asashimo detected the submarine and delivered a counterattack, dropping twenty depth charges.  The attack brought up a lot of oil to the surface and a loud underwater explosion was heard.  The Trout was the only American submarine operating in that area at that time. 2

A list of the personnel lost with the Trout is maintained at http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-trout-202.htm.

The Trout received eleven battle stars for her World War II service and the Presidential Unit Citation for her second, third, and fifth patrols.  Her Alden-McDonald score is eighteen vessels sunk for 42,709 tons and nine vessels damaged for 104,333 tons.  The SORG score for the Trout is sixteen vessels sunk for 97,000 tons and seven vessels damaged for 83,000 tons.  She was scored by JANAC for sinking 37,144 tons in twelve enemy vessels, including the Japanese submarine I-182.  However, according to Vernon J. Miller, "There is no question that Trout did encounter an enemy submarine, but no sinking was achieved.  The identification of the submarine remains unknown, but it definitely was not I-182, which, at the time of the attack, was operating off the New Hebrides." 3

Patrol Data and Captains for the USS Trout (SS-202)

Patrol No.	Patrol Area	Patrol Duration DD-MM-YY	Captain's Rank & Name	Sailed From
1	Off Midway Island	07-Dec-41 to 20-Dec-41	LCDR Frank W. Fenno, Jr.	Pearl
2	Transported ammo to Corregidor & embarked valuables to take to Pearl	12-Jan-42 to 03-Mar-42	Same	Same
3	Off Honshu	24-Mar-42 to 17-May-42	Same	Same
4	Off Midway	21-May-42 to 14-Jun-42	Same	Same
5	Off Truk in Caroline Islands; ended at Brisbane	27-Aug-42 to 13-Oct-42	LCDR Lawson P. Ramage	Pearl ⇒ Brisbane
6	Solomon Islands	26-Oct-42 to 23-Nov-42	Same	Brisbane
7	South China Sea; ended at Fremantle	29-Dec-42 to 23-Feb-43	Same	Brisbane ⇒ Fremantle
8	Laid mines off Borneo	22-Mar-43 to 03-May-43	Same	Fremantle
9	Spyron missions in Philippines	27-May-43 to 20-Jul-43	LCDR Albert H. Clark	Fremantle
10	Surigao & San Bernardino Straits; ended at Pearl for overhaul	12-Aug-43 to 04-Oct-43	Same	Fremantle ⇒ Pearl
11	East China Sea	08-Feb-44 to Lost	Same	Pearl

JANAC Score for the USS Trout (SS-202)

Patrol No.	Date DD-MM-YY	Vessel Name	Vessel Type	Tonnage Sunk	Location Sunk
2	10-Feb-42	Chuwa Maru	Cargo	2,719	25-30N, 122-38E
3	02-May-42	Uzan Maru	Cargo	5,014	33-26N, 135-52E
3	04-May-42	Kongosan Maru	Converted Gunboat	2,119	33-32N, 136-05E
5	21-Sep-42	Koei Maru	Converted Net Tender	863	6-54N, 151-51E
7	21-Jan-43	Unknown Maru	Cargo	2,984 e	11-25N, 109-22E
7	14-Feb-43	Hirotama Maru	Converted Gunboat	1,911	4-11S, 117-45E
9	15-Jun-43	Sanraku Maru	Tanker	3,000	5-09N, 119-38E
9	02-Jul-43	Isuzu Maru	Cargo	2,886	13-36N, 121-49E
10	09-Sep-43	I-182	Submarine	1,630	10-33N, 125-31E
10	23-Sep-43	Ryotoku Maru	Cargo	3,483	21-17N, 142-00E
10	23-Sep-43	Yamashiro Maru	Passenger- Cargo	3,429	21-17N, 143-00E
11	29-Feb-44	Sakito Maru	Passenger- Cargo	7,126	22-40N, 131-50E
TOTALS			12 vessels	37,144 tons	e = estimated

Alden-McDonald Score for the USS Trout (SS-202)

Patrol No.	Date DD-MM-YY	Vessel Name	Vessel Type	Tonnage Sunk	Tonnage Damaged
2	10-Feb-42	Chuwa Maru	Converted Gunboat	2,719
2	10-Feb-42	Kurama Maru	Cargo	6,788
3	10-Apr-42	Nisshin Maru	Tanker		16,801 4
3	24-Apr-42	Tachibana Maru	Tanker		6,521
3	02-May-42	Uzan Maru	Cargo	5,014
3	04-May-42	Kongosan Maru	Converted Gunboat	2,119
5	21-Sep-42	Koei Maru	Netlayer	863
5	28-Sep-42	Taiyo	Escort Aircraft Carrier		17,830
7	11-Jan-43	Kyokuyo Maru	Converted Tanker		17,549
7	18-Jan-43	Unknown	Schooner		Unknown
7	18-Jan-43	Unknown	Schooner	100
7	21-Jan-43	Eifuku Maru	Converted Gunboat		3,520
7	07-Feb-43	Nisshin Maru	Tanker		16,801 4
7	14-Feb-43	Hirotama Maru	Converted Gunboat	1,911
8	23-Apr-43	Shinshin Maru	Cargo	113
8	23-Apr-43	Taisho Maru #7	Cargo	145
8	26-May-43	Palembang Maru	Tanker		5,236 MN 5
9	15-Jun-43	Sanraku Maru	Converted Tanker	2,691
9	26-Jun-43	Unknown	Cargo	600
9	26-Jun-43	Unknown	Trawler	400
9	26-Jun-43	Unknown	Trawler	200
9	02-Jul-43	Isuzu Maru	Cargo	2,866
10	25-Aug-43	Shojiro Maru	Motor Sail Boat	25
10	23-Sep-43	Ryotoku Maru	Cargo	3,483
10	23-Sep-43	Yamashiro Maru	Passenger- Cargo	3,427
11	29-Feb-44	Sakito Maru	Cargo	9,245
11	29-Feb-44	Aki Maru	Passenger- Cargo		11,409
11	29-Feb-44	Tozan Maru	Transport		8,666
	TOTALS	18 vessels sunk 9 vessels damaged	MN = damaged by mine laid by Trout	Tons sunk 42,709	Tons damaged 104,333

SORG Score for the USS Trout (SS-202)

SORG totals for Trout
16 vessels sunk for 97,000 tons
7 vessels damaged for 83,000 tons

Updated Thursday, 19-Jan-2012 14:03:19 EST

1.  United States Submarine Losses World War II, p. 83-84.

2.  Nevitt, Allyn D., IJN Asashimo: Tabular Record of Movement, published online at http://www.combinedfleet.com/asashm_t.htm (accessed on January 19, 2012); Miller, Vernon J., "U. S. Submarine Losses," issue 44, p. 58; United States Submarine Losses World War II, p. 83-84.

3.  Alden, John D., and Craig R. McDonald, United States and Allied Submarine Successes in the Pacific and Far East During World War II, Fourth Edition, see USS Trout (SS-202), Attack Nos. 61, 62, 70, 121, 127, 128, 133, 138, 139, 330, 339, 531, 552, 553, 562, 602, 611, 727, 767, 768, 868, 888, 918, 919, 920, 940, 1057, 1097, 1145, 1146, 1708, 1709, 1710, and 4764; Submarine war patrol reports on CD, USS Trout (SS-202), data collected by the Submarine Operations Research Group (SORG) in the report "Results of U. S. Submarine War Patrols Listed Alphabetically by Name of Submarine"; Japanese Naval And Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II By All Causes, Joint Army-Navy Assessment Committee, USS Trout (SS-202), published online at http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/Japan/IJN/JANAC-Losses/JANAC-Losses-6.html#trout (accessed January 17, 2012); Miller, Vernon J., Japanese Submarine Losses to Allied Submarines in World War II, p. 27.

4.  The Nisshin Maru and the Trout crossed paths twice, and the tanker was damaged by the submarine both times.  The first attack occurred on April 10, 1942, during the Trout's third patrol.  The second attack happened during the Trout's seventh war patrol.

5.  During her eighth war patrol, on April 7, 1943, the Trout laid twenty-three Mark 12 mines off Borneo in the South China Sea.  On May 26, 1943, the Japanese-controlled oil tanker Palembang Maru hit one of the mines at 02°-02'N, 109°-13'E, was damaged and towed to Singapore, where she was under repair until November 1944.