Permit

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS Permit was commissioned into service in 1937. She was transferred from the east coast to the west coast of the United States later that year, arriving in San Diego, California, United States to join Submarine Squadron 6 of the US Navy. In Oct 1939, she joined the US Asiatic Fleet in the Philippine Islands, where she would be located when the US entered the war, now under the command of Lieutenant Commander Adrian Hurst. Her first four war patrols took place in the Philippine Islands, during which he brought in supplies for the ground troops and evacuated Admiral Thomas Hart's staff in late Dec 1941 and 36 US Navy cryptanalysts in Mar 1942. In mid-1943, she made a very successful patrol penetrating into the Sea of Japan; the sinkings were not significant in terms of tonnage, but it was helpful in terms of lifting morale, especially after her lack of sinkings until this time. She would go on to conduct a total of 14 war patrols during the Pacific War. She was decommissioned in late 1945 and was sold for scrap in 1958.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Oct 2013

Submarine Permit (SS-178) Interactive Map

Permit Operational Timeline

6 Jun 1935 The keel of submarine Permit was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, United States.

5 Oct 1936 Submarine Permit was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by the wife of Harold G. Bowen.

17 Mar 1937 USS Permit was commissioned into service with Lieutenant Charles O. Humphreys in command.

29 Nov 1937 USS Permit departed Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States.

10 Dec 1937 USS Permit transited the Panama Canal.

18 Dec 1937 USS Permit arrived at San Diego, California, United States and joined Submarine Squadron 6 of the US Navy.

11 Dec 1941 USS Permit began her first war patrol in Philippine waters.

20 Dec 1941 USS Permit completed her first war patrol in Philippine waters.

22 Dec 1941 USS Permit began her second war patrol in Philippine waters.

23 Dec 1941 USS Permit fired two torpedoes at a Japanese destroyer in the South China Sea; both torpedoes missed.

27 Dec 1941 USS Permit completed her second war patrol in Philippine waters.

28 Dec 1941 USS Permit embarked Admiral Thomas Hart's staff at Mariveles Harbor at the southern tip of the Bataan Peninsula, Philippine Islands for evacuation.

6 Feb 1942 USS Permit disembarked Admiral Thomas Hart's staff at Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies, ending her third war patrol.

22 Feb 1942 USS Permit departed Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies, starting her fourth war patrol.

28 Feb 1942 US submarine Permit delivered ammunition to Corregidor, Philippine Islands. Upon departure, the submarine evacuated 31 US Navy personnel.

1 Mar 1942 USS Permit fired three torpedoes at a Japanese destroyer in the Java Sea; all three torpedoes missed.

13 Mar 1942 USS Permit sank the scuttled PT-32 of US Navy Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 in Philippine waters.

16 Mar 1942 USS Permit arrived at Corregidor in the Philippine Islands, delivering ammunition and evacuated 36 US Navy cryptanalysts.

17 Mar 1942 Three Japanese destroyers depth charged USS Permit in Tayabas Bay in southern Luzon, Philippine Islands, causing minor damage.

25 Mar 1942 USS Permit fired three torpedoes at a Japanese transport in the Dutch East Indies; all three torpedoes missed.

5 May 1942 USS Permit departed Fremantle, Australia, starting her fifth war patrol.

25 May 1942 USS Permit fired four torpedoes at a Japanese transport in the Makassar Strait; all four torpedoes missed.

29 May 1942 USS Permit fired two torpedoes at a Japanese transport in the Makassar Strait; both torpedoes missed.

11 Jun 1942 USS Permit completed her fifth war patrol.

12 Jul 1942 USS Permit began her sixth war patrol.

30 Aug 1942 USS Permit arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her sixth war patrol.

9 Sep 1942 USS Permit began a scheduled overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California, United States.

5 Feb 1943 USS Permit began her seventh war patrol.

25 Feb 1943 USS Permit fired five torpedoes at a Japanese transport off Japan; all four torpedoes missed.

2 Mar 1943 USS Permit sank a Japanese transport off Iwate, Japan, hitting her with 3 of 4 torpedoes fired.

4 Mar 1943 USS Permit damaged Japanese transport Hokuto Maru just off of the coast of Iwate Prefecture, Japan, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.

7 Mar 1943 USS Permit sank a Japanese sampan off Hakkaido, Japan with her deck gun.

8 Mar 1943 USS Permit attacked a Japanese convoy between Honshu island and Hokkaido island consisted of nine merchant ships and two escort vessels, sinking merchant ship Hisashima Maru, hitting her with 2 of 3 torpedoes fired.

16 Mar 1943 USS Permit completed her seventh war patrol.

6 Apr 1943 USS Permit departed Midway Atoll, starting her eighth war patrol.

5 May 1943 USS Permit damaged a Japanese transport in the Mariana Islands, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.

11 May 1943 USS Permit attacked a Japanese convoy east of the Mariana Islands, sinking two transports with 4 torpedo hits and damaging a third with 1 hit; a total of 6 torpedoes was expended.

25 May 1943 USS Permit arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her eighth war patrol.

6 Jul 1943 USS Permit sank a Japanese transport off Hokkaido, Japan, hitting her with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired.

7 Jul 1943 USS Permit sank Banshu Maru No. 33 off Hokkaido, Japan, hitting her with 1 of 2 torpedoes fired; another transport was damaged with 2 of 2 torpdoes fired.

8 Jul 1943 USS Permit sank Japanese merchant ship Showa Maru and Soviet oceanographic vessel No. 20 off Hokkaido, Japan, hitting them with 3 of 10 torpedoes fired.

20 Jul 1943 USS Permit entered the Sea of Japan.

27 Jul 1943 USS Permit arrived at Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska, ending her ninth war patrol.

23 Aug 1943 USS Permit began her tenth war patrol.

3 Sep 1943 Japanese aircraft spotted USS Permit and attacked with bombs off Kwajalein, Marshall Islands; USS Permit escaped unscathed.

9 Sep 1943 USS Permit damaged a Japanese transport between Kwajalein Atoll and Wotje Atoll, Marshall Islands, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired. A Japanese aircraft spotted USS Permit and attacked with depth charges; USS Permit escaped unscathed.

12 Sep 1943 USS Permit attacked a Japanese convoy west of the Marshall Islands, sinking 2 transports and damaging an oiler; 10 torpedoes were expended during the attack. The pursuit would continue into the next day.

13 Sep 1943 USS Permit continued to attack the Japanese convoy she had been attacking since the previous date west of the Marshall Islands, damaging a light cruiser and sinking an oiler; 5 torpedoes were expended during the attack.

24 Sep 1943 USS Permit arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her tenth war patrol.

10 Feb 1944 USS Permit damaged a Japanese cruiser in the Pacific Ocean, hitting her with 1 of 4 torpedoes fired.

11 Feb 1944 USS Permit fired 4 torpedoes at a Japanese carrier in the Pacific Ocean; all torpedoes missed.

7 May 1944 USS Permit began lifeguard duty in the Caroline Islands.

23 May 1944 USS Permit damaged a Japanese ship in the Pacific Ocean with her deck gun.

26 May 1944 USS Permit claimed the sinking of a Japanese submarine off Truk, Carolin Islands, hitting her with 1 of 6 torpedoes fired.

29 May 1944 USS Permit damaged a Japanese transport between Caroline Islands and Mariana Islands, hitting her with 1 of 8 torpedoes fired.

1 Jun 1944 USS Permit completed lifeguard duty in the Caroline Islands.

30 Jun 1944 USS Permit departed Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, starting her thirteenth war patrol.

24 Jul 1944 USS Permit sank a Japanese transport off Yap, Caroline Islands, hitting her with 1 of 3 torpedoes fired.

13 Aug 1944 USS Permit arrived at Brisbane, Australia, ending her thirteenth war patrol.

21 Sep 1944 USS Permit departed Brisbane, Australia, starting her fourtheenth war patrol.

13 Oct 1944 USS Permit sank a Japanese patrol craft off Truk, Caroline Islands, hitting her with 1 of torpedoes fired.

22 Oct 1944 USS Permit fired 2 torpdoes at a Japanese patrol craft at Truk, Caroline Islands; both torpedoes missed.

11 Nov 1944 USS Permit arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, ending her fourtheenth war patrol.

29 Jan 1945 USS Permit departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.

23 Feb 1945 USS Permit arrived at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, United States.

30 Oct 1945 USS Permit completed her duty as a training submarine at Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, United States.

15 Nov 1945 USS Permit was decommissioned from service at Boston Naval Shipyard.

26 Jul 1956 Submarine Permit was struck from the US Naval Register.