Shaping up the ‘Fish
How about this great piece of photo-realistic maritime art, depicting an event some 55 years ago today.
“Crew of Greenfish Shape-Up on Deck, December 16, 1970. As USS Halfbeak rests closest to the dock, the crew of USS Greenfish shape up on deck, in the lee and shadows of her black sail.”
Painting, Acrylic on Paper; by Dante H. Bertoni; 1971; Framed Dimensions 31H X 39W NHHC Accession #: 88-161-AQ
A 311-foot Balao-class fleet boat, USS Greenfish (SS-351), was completed too late for WWII– commissioned 21 December 1945.
Nonetheless, she had a chance to deep-six an enemy submarine, sinking U-234 off Cape Cod in 1947.
Former U-234 is torpedoed by USS Greenfish (SS-351), in a test, on 20 November 1947, 40 miles northeast of Cape Cod.
A GUPPY II conversion, Greenfish gave the Navy a solid 28 years of service before being transferred to Brazil as Amazonas (S-16) in 1973, only being decommissioned in 1992, one of the longest-lived WWII subs still in service.
U.S.S. Sub 351 Greenfish Oct. 29, 1964 Photograph by Walter E. Frost City of Vancouver Archives