USS Bonefish (SS-582)

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Career
Awarded:	29 June 1956
Laid down:	3 June 1957
Launched:	22 November 1958
Commissioned:	9 July 1959
Fate:	Wrecked by fire, sold for scrapping
Stricken:	28 February 1989
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2145 tons surfaced, 2639 tons submerged
Length:	219 feet
Beam:	29 feet
Draft:
Speed:	14 knots surfaced, 18.5 knots submerged
Depth:	700 feet
Complement:	8 officers, 69 men
Armament:	six 21-inch torpedo tubes forward

USS Bonefish (SS-582), a Barbel-class submarine, was the second submarine of the United States Navy to be named for the bonefish, which is a name for the ladyfish, dogfish, and sturgeon. The contract to build her was awarded on 29 June 1956 to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey and her keel was laid down on 3 June 1957. She was launched on 22 November 1958 sponsored by Mrs. Lawrence L. Edge, widow of Commander Edge, and commissioned on 9 July 1959 with Lieutenant Commander Elmer H. Kiehl in command.

29 years of operational history needed.

On 24 April 1988, Bonefish was submerged 160 miles off the coast of Florida, exercising with the guided missile frigate USS Carr (FFG-52). Seawater began leaking directly onto cables and bussing in a battery supply cableway. Arching between cables in the battery spaces caused an explosion which flashed into a general fire within minutes. Temperatures in the battery spaces reached 1,200 degrees with heat so intense, it melted the soles of the shoes on crewmembers located in the spaces above.

Bonefish was surfaced and the order to "abandon ship" given. During the course of fighting the fire, three crewmembers were lost.

Eighty-nine crewmembers were safely rescued by whaleboat and helicopter crews from Carr and helicopter crews from USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). Bonefish was towed into Charleston, South Carolina, where it was determined the damage was too extensive to warrant repair, resulting in her deactivation and decommissioning on 28 September 1988.

Bonefish was struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on 28 February 1989.

See USS Bonefish for other ships of the same name.

References

This article includes information collected from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.