This War Machine Rescued 73 POWs & Helped Win World War II — Meet Her in San Francisco

The Mighty USS Pampanito

At San Francisco’s Pier 45, a true World War II veteran holds court. The USS Pampanito sailed dangerous waters, survived brutal battles, and changed the lives of 73 prisoners she pulled from the sea.

Now she tells her tales to anyone who visits, complete with original equipment and real war stories.

Here’s the incredible journey of this Pacific Fleet submarine.

Maine-Built War Machine Specs

Workers in Kittery, Maine laid Pampanito’s backbone on March 15, 1943.

Just four months later on July 12, she slid into the water with Mrs. Violet Wolfenden breaking the ceremonial bottle. Building her cost around $6 million in 1943 money.

From bow to stern, she stretches 311 feet with a width of 27 feet. Pampanito belongs to the Balao-class submarines, which got significant upgrades compared to earlier models.

Her tougher pressure hull used 7/8-inch high tensile steel instead of the thinner 5/8-inch mild steel in older subs, letting her dive deeper than 400 feet without crushing.

Life Inside a Floating Steel Tube

Pampanito normally carried 10 officers and between 70-80 enlisted guys during combat operations. Living space was extremely tight with sailors sharing bunks in shifts.

Crews worked rotating watches throughout their patrols, which usually went on for 60 days. Men aboard earned special “dolphins” pins after proving they knew every system on the sub, showing they could save everyone if trouble hit.

Men Who Guided Her Success

Lieutenant Commander Charles B. Jackson Jr. first commanded Pampanito during her early sea trials. Leadership later passed to Lieutenant Commander P.E. Summers, who guided her through most of her combat missions.

Captain Frank W. Fenno Jr. took over for her fourth patrol. These officers made life-or-death choices during battles that determined whether the submarine succeeded.

Their skill helped Pampanito survive brutal depth charge attacks while successfully hitting enemy ships with torpedoes, setting up her next mission into dangerous waters.

Baptism By Depth Charges

Pampanito left Pearl Harbor on March 15, 1944 for her first taste of war, heading toward the Mariana Islands.

This first mission tested both the boat and her inexperienced crew. Japanese forces spotted her on April 7, 1944, and hammered her position with depth charges.

Despite taking serious damage, she stayed operational thanks to her crew’s quick thinking and determination.

This tough lesson taught valuable skills about hiding from enemies and fixing battle damage that would save lives on later patrols, preparing everyone for her coming hunting expeditions.

First Blood in Japanese Waters

Between June and July 1944, Pampanito prowled Japanese home waters off Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu on her second patrol.

During this time, she scored her first confirmed kills against enemy vessels. She damaged a Japanese gunboat on July 6, 1944.

A close call came on June 23 when a Japanese submarine fired two torpedoes that barely missed hitting Pampanito.

After proving herself as a lethal hunter, she returned to Midway on July 23, 1944, ready for more aggressive wolf pack tactics.

Hunting With Other Submarines

For her third patrol, Pampanito joined a team of submarines called “Blair’s Blasters.” This hunting group included USS Growler and USS Sealion operating together in the South China Sea from August to September 1944.

Submarines stayed in contact to set up coordinated attacks on Japanese convoys. Working together allowed multiple submarines to strike from different angles, overwhelming Japanese escort ships.

This team approach worked extremely well at disrupting Japanese supply lines, setting up one of Pampanito’s most significant wartime events.

Accidental Attack on Allied Prisoners

During her third patrol on September 12, 1944, Pampanito torpedoed and sank two ships in the South China Sea – the 9,419-ton SS Rakuyō Maru and the 5,135-ton tanker Zuihō Maru.

No one aboard Pampanito knew that Rakuyō Maru carried 1,350 British and Australian prisoners of war.

Hundreds of POWs ended up floating in oil-covered water after the attack. A few days later, Pampanito came back to the area and found survivors still clinging to makeshift rafts and yelling in English.

This unexpected tragedy became one of the most important moments in Pampanito’s service, leading her crew to attempt a desperate rescue.

Heroes Saving Fellow Soldiers

When Pampanito’s sailors discovered Allied prisoners in the water on September 15, 1944, they immediately started pulling men aboard.

Careful maneuvering around floating debris and survivors challenged the submarine crew.

They managed to save 73 British and Australian prisoners who had suffered building the Burma-Thailand railroad.

Pampanito called three other submarines—USS Sealion, USS Barb, and USS Queenfish—to help with the rescue effort.

Rescued men got medical care aboard the submarines before heading to safety at Saipan, while Pampanito prepared to face more battles and damage in future missions.

Taking Hits But Staying Afloat

From October to December 1944, Pampanito’s fourth patrol took her near Formosa and along southeastern China. She worked alongside submarines Sea Cat, Pipefish, and Searaven during this mission.

She sank the 1,200-ton cargo ship Shinko Maru Number One on November 19. Japanese anti-submarine ships launched depth charges that damaged Pampanito during the fighting.

Her crew fixed what they could while still at sea, showing how tough submarine sailors could be under pressure, a skill that would serve them well in their special rescue duties.

Saving Downed Pilots From Capture

During parts of her war service, Pampanito performed special “lifeguard duty” missions to save Allied pilots shot down over enemy territory.

These operations required unique training and special equipment.

Submarine crews coordinated with Army Air Forces bombing runs over Japanese-held areas. When planes got shot down, submarines like Pampanito would surface near crash sites to pick up survivors before Japanese forces could capture them.

This dangerous work forced the submarine to stay on the surface in enemy waters, making her an easy target for air attacks, adding more risk to her final mission of the war.

Her Final Battle

After repairs at Subic Bay, Pampanito headed to the Gulf of Siam for her sixth and final war patrol, working with submarines Caiman, Sealion, and Mingo. By this time, Japanese anti-submarine defenses had grown much stronger.

She carried special equipment to detect mines when operating near Japanese islands. With Japan’s surrender coming soon, Pampanito only spotted one potential target before heading to Pearl Harbor and then San Francisco for maintenance on August 1, 1945.

When World War II ended, she received orders to return to San Francisco, bringing her fighting days to a close.

Hidden Power Behind Her Success

Pampanito runs on four massive Fairbanks Morse 38D engines with 10 cylinders each, starting with compressed air. Each engine puts out 1,600 horsepower to drive the submarine through the water.

A fifth smaller diesel provides electricity for all the submarine’s systems. She can hold 110,000 gallons of fuel, cleaned through a filtering system before use.

Advanced sonar and radar systems gave her big advantages during combat, while her diesel-electric system allowed silent running when submerged, powered by huge batteries.

From Warrior to Museum Star

After the war ended, Pampanito went out of active service on December 15, 1945, but later worked as a Naval Reserve Training vessel from 1960 to 1971. Officials gave her a new designation, AGSS-383, in November 1962.

In 1975, she became a memorial and museum ship in San Francisco, officially handed over to the Maritime Park Association on May 20, 1976.

Today, she teaches visitors about submarine warfare with several systems still working, including a torpedo tube, periscope, engines, and even the galley’s ice-cream maker.

Movie fans might recognize her as the submarine in the 1996 comedy film “Down Periscope” with Kelsey Grammer.

Visiting the USS Pampanito

You’ll find USS Pampanito docked at Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco.

When open, you get headsets with recorded information about the submarine. Self-guided tours let you explore everything from tight sleeping quarters to torpedo rooms and control areas.

Audio tours cost an extra $3 per person, with the museum typically open daily starting at 10:00 am.

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