Source: Department of the Navy-- Naval Historical Center

USS Plunger 1330-ton Perch class submarine built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, was commissioned in November 1936. During the spring of 1937 she made a shakedown cruise through the Panama Canal to visit Ecuador and later in that year relocated to the U.S. West Coast, where she was based at San Diego, California. During the next four years she made cruises to Alaska, Panama and Hawaii, and had her base shifted to Pearl Harbor at the end of November 1941, about a week before the Japanese attack there opened the Pacific War.

In mid-December 1941 Plunger began her first war patrol, operating off the Japanese home islands. She sank one cargo ship there and another two during her second combat cruise, which started with supporting participation in the Battle of Midway in early June 1942 and then took her to the waters off China. The submarine's next two patrols, in October-December, were made in the Solomon Islands, where she helped interdict Japanese forces during the ongoing fight for Guadalanal. Patrol numbers five and six, into the central Pacific, cost the enemy three more ships, one in March and two in May 1943. During June-September Plunger made two penetrations of the Sea of Japan, sinking four merchantmen in an area that offered both good hunting and great risks for U.S. submarines.

Plunger operated in the Marshall Islands in November 1943, providing aircraft lifeguard services as Pacific Fleet carriers struck there in support of the Gilbert Islands invasion. She rescued one downed pilot, but suffered six men wounded when she was strafed by a Japanese plane. Returning to Japanese home waters for her tenth war patrol, Plunger sank two ships, then got another when she joined the much-newer submarine Snook (SS-279) in attacking a convoy bound from Japan to the Marianas. She operated in the Bonins in May and June 1944, providing cover for the invasion of the Marianas further to the south, and made a final patrol, her twelfth, into the central Pacific during the summer.

Following an overhaul, in February 1945 the now-aging Plunger was sent to New London, Connecticut, for training duty. She was decommissioned in mid-November, three months after the Japanese decided to surrender. However, she continued to provide important service for another decade as a non-operational Naval Reserve training submarine at Brooklyn, New York, and Jacksonville, Florida. USS Plunger was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in July 1956 and sold for scrapping in April 1957.

Source: USS Plunger SS-179 Tribute

The second ship to bear the name "Plunger" was the SS-179 , launched on 8 July, 1936 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard and commissioned on 19 November of the same year. The Plunger was on her shake down cruise and pulled into Charleston, SC, and this photo was taken of her with the Cooper River Bridge in background probably in the winter of 1936 or early 1937. Following sea trials and initial outfitting the "Plunger" transited the Panama Canal to report to her homeport in San Diego, California in November, 1937, her first few years to be spent in routine patrols and exercises.

On December 7, 1941, while in the shadow of Diamond Head, the "Plunger" was making preparations to enter Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. Entering port the next day, she provisioned and set off in the company of the Gudgeon and the Pollack as the first three US submarines to go on war patrol in World War Two.

In the following four years the Plunger repeatedly went in harm's way as she sank a total of 16 Japanese ships and damaged 7 others, sending a total of 102,107 tons to the bottom. Her impressive accomplishments during the war included the first wartime penetration of the Sea of Japan, the first (and, until the very end of the war, the only) submarine to return to the Sea of Japan, rescue of a naval aviator, and the dubious distinction of being the first US submarine to be depth-charged by the Japanese during the war.

Following her twelfth war patrol, the "Plunger" was sent to Pearl harbor for a much needed overhaul and, in the winter of 1945, was sent to the east coast where she was finally decommissioned in the Philadelphia Navy yard on 15 November, 1945.

Source: Wikipedia: USS Plunger (SS-179)

USS Plunger (SS-179), a Porpoise-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Plunger: a diver, a daring gambler.

The second Plunger was laid down 17 July 1935 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine; launched 8 July 1936 (sponsored by Miss Edith E. Greenlee); commissioned 19 November 1936, Lt. George L. Russell (later commander of Submarine Squadron 10) in command.

Plunger departed Gravesend Bay, N.Y. 15 April 1937 for a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, the Canal Zone, and Guayaquil, Ecuador. In November, following post-shakedown alterations at Portsmouth, she steamed to San Diego to join SubDiv 14, SubRon 6 (Submarine Division 14, Submarine Squadron 6). Continuing operations in the San Diego area for the next several years, Plunger joined Holland (AS–3) and five Porpoise-class boats 15 March 1938 for a cruise to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Training cruises to waters off Panama and Hawaii occupied the next several years. On 30 November 1941 she reported to Pearl Harbor and was off Diamond Head when Japanese planes attacked 7 December.

First Patrol

Plunger, commanded by David C. White (Class of 1927) set out on her first patrol less than a week after the Pearl Harbor attack, but had to turn back due to a pressure hull leak[11]. Repaired, she set out again on 14 December.

Along with Gudgeon (SS-211) and Pollack (SS-180), Plunger was part of the first US Navy offensive operation of World War II. Her orders sent her to Kii Suido, a principal entrance into the Inland Sea and an important funnel to industrial bases in the area. The three boats took two important technological devices into enemy waters: the Mark VI magnetic exploder for their Mark 14 torpedoes, and the primitive SD radar set.

Shortly after White arrived on station, Plunger was seen by a Japanese destroyer which came on using powerful echo-ranging sonar—or pinging. Hearing the pinging was a jolt. The submarine force had not known for certain, until now, that the Japanese had such gear. The Japanese not only had it, they knew how to use it. The destroyer found Plunger and unleashed twenty-four close depth charges. It was a vicious, determined attack, the first for both the hunter and the hunted in Empire waters. It jarred the boat and crew severely. White was thankful that he had put back into Pearl Harbor to repair the weakness in the hull. Had he not, Plunger might not have survived.

She sank Japanese cargo ship Eizon Maru 18 January 1942.

Second Patrol

Plunger's second war patrol, 5 June to 15 July, took her off Shanghai. On this patrol, she sank the 4,700-ton cargo ship Ukai Maru No. 5 on 30 June and Unyo Maru No. 3 on 2 July before returning to Midway 15 June.

While on this patrol, White nearly sank a ship by accident that would have caused an international uproar. Through diplomatic channels, President Roosevelt had arranged an exchange of political prisoners trapped in the United States and Japan by the outbreak of war, including U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph C. Grew. They were put aboard the neutral vessels Asama Maru and S.S. Conte Verde for transfer from Japan to the United States. They were to sail with lights and other markings on a prearranged route, as would the vessels returning the Japanese.

On 5 June, [COMSUBPAC] English had sent instructions to his submarines, describing these ships, the routes, and the markings. Later, on 25 June, when the vessels actually got under way, English sent further messages, designed to assure immunity from submarine attack. Dave White failed to receive these messages. In the early morning hours of 30 June, he picked up Conte Verde and began an approach, somewhat astonished to find a ship all lighted up.

Back at Pearl Harbor, Turkey Neck Crawford was on duty that night in submarine headquarters. "The Communications Officer," Crawford remembered, "came in to see me and wanted to send the immunity message again. I checked through the files and discovered that we had sent it four nights in a row. I questioned the need to send it again. However, the Communications Officer thought it might be a good idea, so, somewhat reluctantly, I put it on the air."

On Plunger, White had Conte Verde fixed in his periscope hairs and the crew at battle stations when his communications officer, having picked up and just decoded this fifth immunity message, rushed up into the conning tower. White broke off the attack at the last minute, settling for a photograph taken through the periscope from a range of 800 yards.

Third and fourth war patrols, October 1942 – January 1943

In October, as U.S. forces pushed on to Matanikau and Cape Esperance, Plunger departed Pearl Harbor on 12 October to reconnoiter the area and to block the "Tokyo Express." However, Plunger hit an uncharted reef 2 November, destroying her sound gear and damaging her bottom.

After repairing at Brisbane, Plunger returned to the Guadalcanal area for her fourth war patrol and operated off Munda, where Japanese barges were coming in at night, unloading troops and supplies, and departing by daybreak. On the night of 16 – 17 December she slipped past four destroyers and attacked two others unloading at Munda Bar. After seeing two of her "fish" explode, she slipped away from a counterattack. After another attack with unknown results the next night, and a bomber attack while heading home 8 January 1943, she arrived Pearl Harbor 12 January.

1943

Plunger continued reconnaissance patrols throughout the spring and summer. She sank Taihosan Maru 12 March, and Tatsutake Maru and Kinai Maru 10 May. In June, she joined Lapon (SS-260) and Permit (SS-178) in the first U.S. penetration into the Sea of Japan, an area abounding with Japanese shipping. Crossing the southern end of the Sea of Okhotsk, the ships returned to Midway 26 July but departed again 6 August to return to the Sea of Okhotsk. Plunger sank 3,404-ton Seitai Maru there 20 August and 4,655-ton Ryokai Maru 22 August. Returning to Pearl Harbor 5 September, the ships were the only U.S. vessels to complete two patrols to this area until the final weeks of the war.

In October, Plunger reconnoitered in the Marshalls area. She added lifeguard duties to her resume as U.S. bombers hit the islands, picking up a downed aviator 15 November. During the rescue, a Zero strafed the boat, seriously wounding the executive officer and five bluejackets. Nevertheless, the submarine rescued Lt. (j.g.) Franklin G. Schramm.

1944–1945

Frequent depth charge attacks pursued Plunger in January 1944 as she patrolled off the Japanese main islands. The risk was profitable, however, as she sank Toyo Maru No. 5 and Toyo Maru No. 8 on 2 February and Kimishima Maru on 23 February. Returning to Pearl Harbor 8 March, Plunger departed again 8 May to patrol the Bonin Islands. In July, she patrolled in and around Truk.

On 19 September 1944 she reported to Pearl Harbor for overhaul. She departed 15 February 1945 for New London, to serve in a training capacity until 25 October, when she reported to New Haven for Navy Day celebrations. On 30 October she reported to the Boston Navy Yard, where she decommissioned 15 November 1945.

Post-war service

Retained in an inactive status, Plunger was fitted for service as a Naval Reserve Training vessel and reported to Brooklyn, N.Y. in May 1946, remaining there until 8 May 1952, when she departed for Jacksonville, Florida to support the Naval Reserve Training Program. Returning to New York 18 February 1954, she was declared inessential 5 July 1956. Stricken from the Navy Register 6 July 1956, she was sold to Bethlehem Steel Co., Bethlehem, Pa. 22 April 1957, and scrapped.

Plunger received 14 battle stars for World War II service.