World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseUSS Caiman was commissioned into service in mid-1944 with Commander J. B. Azer in command. Upon joining the US Navy Pacific Fleet, she departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States on 13 Nov 1944 for her first war patrol. During the trip, Commander Azer became severely ill, thus she stopped by Saipan, Mariana Islands, disembarking the skipper so he could receive proper medical attention; Commander W. L. Fey, Jr. was embarked as Azer's replacement. Sailing on into the South China Sea, she performed air-sea rescue operations for downed American airmen. Her second war patrol began on 18 Feb 1945; she made no contacts in the South China Sea and off the Gulf of Siam, returning to Fremantle, Australia empty handed in early Apr. During her third war patrol, however, she sank two small schooners. Her fourth war patrol, which began in Jul 1945, took her to southern South China Sea north of Borneo and in the Dutch East Indies; she delivered and picked up agents at Java and sank a schooner during this patrol. In 1946 and 1947, she successively operated out of San Diego, California, United States; Guam, Mariana Islands; Pearl Harbor; and Seattle, Washington, United States. In 1947, she made an Arctic familiarization cruise. Upon completion of her mission as a reserve training ship in 1951, she underwent a GUPPY modernization at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California. In the 1950s, she operated out of San Diego, Pearl Harbor, and various ports in Asia. In 1957, she visited Brisbane, Australia.

ww2dbaseUpon decommissioning on 30 Jun 1972, USS Caiman was transferred to Turkey under terms of the Security Assistance Program, arriving at Gölcük, Turkey on 23 Aug 1942. Renamed Dumlupinar, she collided with Soviet freighter Szik Vovilov in the Dardanelles strait. To prevent sinking, her crew grounded her on a nearby bank. She was repaired and remained in service until 1983. She was then renamed Ceryan Botu and served as a charging ship at Gölcük Navy Yard until she was scrapped in 1986.

Submarine Caiman (SS-323) Interactive Map

Photographs

Caiman Operational Timeline