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Basic Timeline of the USS Bergall, SS 320
| 05-13-1943 | Bergall Keel laid (THE 13th) |
| 02-16-1944 | Bergall Launched (Sponsored by Mrs. J. A. Elkins) |
| 06-12-1944 | Bergall
Commissioned, Lieutenant Commander John Milton Hyde assumes command. (13 months after the keel was laid.) |
| 08-13-1944 | Arrives at
Pearl Harbor (Home Port). (THE 13th) |
| 09-08-1944 | Working out
of Fremantle, Australia (COMSUBSWPAC) Starts first of 5 war patrols in the South China Sea, Java Sea, Lombok Straight and north of the Malay Barrier. |
| 10-09-1944 | First Military victory (sinks 700 ton AK). |
| 10-13-1944 | Bergall
sinks 4,182 ton medium cargo ship, Shinshu Maru (bottom of Camrahn Bay).
First credited sinking. (THE 13th) |
| 10-27-1944 | Bergall
10,528-ton Japanese tanker, Nippo Maru. (7d, 9'N/116d,6'E). Second credited sinking. |
| 12-13-1944 | Bergall
damaged the Heavy Cruiser IJN Myoko on it's way from Singapore to Camranh
Bay. USS Bergall was damaged from an 5" enemy shell from Destroyer
IJN Ushio that goes through her forward torpedo loading hatch and pierced
her pressure hull. The Bergall limped home on the surface. (THE 13th) |
| 01-27-1945 | Bergall
sinks Japanese Minesweeper # 102 in the Java Sea (8d,37'S/115d39'E). Third credited sinking. |
| 02-07-1945 | Bergall sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel # 53 in the South China Sea (12d4'N/109d22'E) Fourth credited sinking. |
| 02-13-1945 | Chases
Japanese task force, fires six torpedoes, unknown results. Japanese
destroyer delivers 85 depth charges as she hugs the bottom. (THE 13th) |
| 06-13-1945 | Bergall hits
a mine. "It was close aboard and knocked our after tubes out of
alignment and messed up the screws. We made a lot of noise. We were on the
surface in the Gulf of Siam in shallow water looking for anything and it
was probably a mine controlled from the shore. Was copying "FOX"
at the time and when the mine went off, my chair jumped about six inches
off the deck, the TBL went on and all I could think of was that I missed
some of a msg. We got back to Subic and Gunner Han, the COB, he was GM1,
came back from a mail run with 5 gals. of "gilley" and when the
sun went down we had a party onboard." (Carl Weber) (THE 13th) |
| 06-17-1945 | Bergall returns to Subic Bay, Luzon for emergency repairs |
| 08-04-1945 | Bergall arrives at Portsmouth Navy Yard for permanent repairs |
| 08-14-1945 | V-J DAY Japan surrenders !!! |
| 12-01-1945 | Bergall rejoined Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor (COMSUBPAC) |
| 12-04-1948 | Bergall departs for Australia and Sasebo, Japan for a bottom mapping excersize. |
| 02-28-1949 | Bergall returns from the Far East. |
| ??-??-1949 | Periscope #1 bent over into a "U", SV Radar mast sheared and Conning tower flooded after rising to periscope depth in Naval restricted area off Barbers Point (near Pearl) by coming up under a Van Camp tuna Boat. Van Camp fined $250,000.00, 'Slick' Johnson as skipper (married to Admiral Radford's daughter) received no reprimand. (Bob Peterson, USS Bergall, 1950-1951) |
| 6-10-1950 | Bergall
departs Pearl Harbor, heading for the Atlantic "The trip from Pearl
to Panama took us 19 days, as some scientists from out Eastwere taking
measurements of the Earths gravity.....We had to dive every 400 miles and
hold her steady for a half hour .....This may have had something to do
with the later development of inertial guidance systems. We had come back
to the states for a snorkel conversion, and in 1950 went to Guantanamo Bay
Cuba for ASW exercises.....We got to Havana, Haiti, and a few other
places.. " (Bob Peterson, USS Bergall, 1950-1951) |
| 6-25-1950 | Korean War starts. |
| 6-27-1950 | Bergall arrives at the Panama Canal two days earlier than expected! "The Canal Defense Forces scrambled all available defense forces until we could get through loud and clear with the IFF. Somebody determined that , since the Korean War started on the 25th that some unknown submarine had thoughts of damaging the canal. The Bergall was not expected that early! We took one Phd from UC Berkley with us and dove every 50 miles for the purpose of development of inertial navigation. I recall that he was my favorite kind of person --- a lousy poker player and a good loser. We remained in Panama until the 3rd or 4th of July. It took a full day to transit the canal due to the Pacific bound ships headed for Korea!Then we went directly to New London from Panama after the powers that be decided that they had adequate submarine coverage in Korea since the North Korean Navy consisted of tugs and small patrol boats unworthy of a torpedo." (George Gambel) |
| 7-??-1950 | Arrives New London, Conn. Operated with the Atlantic Fleet "I think we came back to the States because Captain John Hyde wanted us under his command. He had put the Bergall in commission and was our DIVCOM when we got to New London." (George Gambel) |
| Spring 1951 | "We went to Guantanamo for ASW exercises . The ASW forces used Hedgehogs (an ahead thrown weapon which they hit us with regularity) We visited Santiago, Cuba, Port-au-Prince, Haiti and stopped at Havana on our way home." (George Gambel) |
| 11-01-1951 | Bergall undergoing overhaul and conversion to snorkel in Philadelphia, Pa.. |
| 04-12-1952 | Left the Navy Yard and returned to New London. After a short time the Bergall left to test out our snorkel and snorkeled for 7 days and nights. We ended up with a weekend stay at Nassau in the Bahamas. (George Gambel) |
| 10-31-1954 | During exercises in the Atlantic, the Bergall narrowly escapes sinking the destroyer USS NORRIS (DDE 859). Her periscopes and radar masts where sliced thorough by the destroyer's bow. The destroyer was damaged much worse and both boats are ordered to repair yards. The USS ANGLER escorts the Bergall back to port (just as she did for the second war patrol.). |
| 11-09-1955 | Bergall departs on first Mediterranean cruise. |
| 01-28-1956 | Bergall returns from Med. |
| 08-31-1957 | Bergall departs on second Mediterranean cruise. |
| 12-06-1957 | Bergall returns from Med. |
| 07-14-1958 | Bergall assigned to Key West Florida for preparations for sale/loan to Turkey. |
| 09-26-1958 | Bergall departs for Izmar Turkey. |
| 10-15-1958 | Bergall arrives in Turkey. |
| 10-17-1958 | Bergall decommissioned from U. S. Navy and delivered to Turkish Navy, renamed Turgutreis (S-342). |
| 03-22-1965 | Name canceled from U. S. Navy roster to permit assignment of name to a new nuclear-powered, fast attack submarine (SSN 667). Ed Gibbons (Bergall's last COB) would become the nuke's first COB! |
| 02-01-1973 | Stricken from Navy inventory. |
| 02-15-1973 | Returned to USN (end of lease) and sold the same day (paperwork transfer of title) to Turkish Navy. |
| 04-05-1983 | Decommissioned
from active submarine service and served as a charging boat in Golcuk
Naval Shipyard under the name " TCG CERYAN BOTU-6". She took the place of the former USS Bumper (who was headed for scrap) and began to charge the batteries of German 209 class submarines as well as Guppy Classes in overhaul in Golcuk Navy Shipyard. Some of her parts were uninstalled to keep other Guppy boats active and in so doing she was giving her blood to keep her sisters alive. |
| June, 1999 | TCG CERYAN
BOTU-6 remained in the charge-boat duty until 1996. "In
1996, the tired Bergall was relieved of this boring duty and joined the
waiting-to-be-scrapped list. Last year during my visit to the
naval base she was still there waiting to be scrapped. As far as we know,
TCG TURGUTREIS participated in Cyprus war in 1974 and many other
activities in the Turkish Navy. When I was main engine officer
in TCG ATILAY (S 347) (209 class) during her overhaul at the shipyard, we
used to stay for the nights onboard ex-Turgutreis with all the deputy crew
of ATILAY. We did this because shore facilities were not so good and
living inside submarine was always better than living in concrete
buildings . At that time of course, Turgutreis did not look like an active
submarine; but nevertheless bunks, kitchen, coffee , shower and unlimited
source of electricity was available. When we get there with the crew, I
used to sleep in the XO's cabin. In the officer's mess there
was a huge aquarium, maybe 12 ft. long or more. The crew of
Turgutreis consisted of one C.O. (but with rank MCPO), 3 electricians
technicians (CPO), 3 motor technicians (CPO) and 5-6 enlisted men. This
small crew took very good care of her along with the aquarium they
themselves built." (Zafer Preveze, 2000,
e-mail...preveze@preveze.com)
(Cyprus War of Independence 1955 - August 16, 1960)... The Greek majority population of the British Crown Colony of Cyprus demanded independence and union with Greece. Their terrorist organization EOKA waged a campaign against the British and Turkish minority. Cyprus became a republic with the rights of the Turks to be respected in August 1960. The British forces suffered 99 killed during the EOKA campaign. Cypriot War December 1963 - August 1964 Fighting between Greek Cypriot National Guard and the minority Turkish Community was resolved by a UN ceasefire. Cypriot War (Turkish Invasion), July 20 1974, Following civil war in which the well armed majority Greek Cypriot population had driven out Turkish population the forces of mainland Turkey launched a sea borne and airborne attack on Cyprus. In 24 hours 30,000 Turkish soldiers had landed and supported by 40 tanks and aircraft pushed the Greeks southwards. A UN sponsored ceasefire left Turkey in control of the northern third of the island.) |
| April, 2000 | The hull was sold to MYS Steel Company in Turkey for scrapping. She served this world and her crew very well! The name TCG Turgutreis has been passed on to the new Turkish Destroyer (D241). |
The Bergall (SS 320) received four battle stars and other awards for the operations listed below. Her first, second, third and fifth patrols were designated successful for the award of the Submarine Combat Insignia.
| 1 Star | First War Patrol | Pacific | 8 Sept. '44 to 8 Nov. '44 | |
| 1 Star | Second War Patrol | Pacific | 2 Dec. '44 to 23 Dec., '44 | |
| 1 Star | Third War Patrol | Pacific | 19 Jan., '45 to 17 Feb., '45 | |
| Fourth War Patrol | Pacific | 4 March, '45 to 17 April., '45 | ||
| 1 Star | Fifth War Patrol | Pacific | 12 May, '45 to 17 June, '45 |
The Navy Unit Commendation (From her 2nd War Patrol) Navy Occupation Service Medal (Asian Clasp): 21 Jan., '49 to 6 Feb., '49 and 10 Feb., '49 to 14 Feb., '49 China Service Medal: 7 Feb. to 9 Feb, '49 The Presidential Unit Citation For his efforts on the first patrol, Lt. Cmdr Kimmel was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V". For his efforts on the second patrol, Commander Hyde received the Navy Cross and three other officers received the Silver Star.
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