USS Runner (SS-476) - World War II Service

World War II Service

After shakedown and preliminary training off the Atlantic coast, she departed New London 5 April 1945, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 21 May 1945, after intensive training at Key West, Florida, and Balboa, Panama. Her first war patrol was off the east coast of Honshū, Japan, where her primary mission was to scout for the presence of defensive minefields guarding the Japanese home islands. On 10 July while on patrol in the Sea of Japan, she intercepted two worthwhile targets, a tanker and a minesweeper. The tanker and her two escorts escaped the spread of torpedoes fired at them, but Japanese minesweeper W-27 was splintered by three of Runner's torpedoes. Before departing station, Runner received 16 downed aviators from Gabilan (SS-252) and Aspro (SS-309) for transfer to Guam, where she arrived on 24 July.

Her second patrol began a week prior to the Japanese capitulation and by the time Runner arrived on station off the east coast of Honshū, peace had come. Runner, with ten other US submarines entered Tokyo Bay on 31 August and represented the US submarine service at the formal surrender ceremonies. Runner and her sister submarines departed Japan on 3 September, arriving Pearl Harbor on 12 September. She continued east until reaching New London, Connecticut, on 6 October. A few weeks later, in company with other vessels of Submarine Squadron 6, Runner proceeded south arriving for duty at Balboa, Panama, on 14 February 1946. For the next three years, Runner was based at Panama and participated in annual fleet exercises in the Caribbean Sea.