USS Brill (SS-330)


USS Brill , a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the brill, a European flat-fish.

Operational history

USS ''Brill''

Brill was launched 25 June 1944 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. Francis S. Low, wife of Rear Admiral Low, and commissioned 26 October 1944, Commander H. B. Dodge in command.
Brill departed New London 7 December 1944 and arrived at Pearl Harbor 8 January 1945. Her war operations extended from 28 January to 9 August 1945 during which time she completed three war patrols in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Siam. Brill made few contacts worthy of torpedo fire during her three patrols and consequently had to settle with the damaging of an unidentified ship of approximately 1000 tons as her only score.
On 31 August 1945 Brill departed Fremantle, Australia for Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, arriving 9 September 1945. She continued on to San Diego, via Pearl Harbor, arriving 12 February 1946. On 23 April 1946 she departed for Pearl Harbor where she commenced repairs on 1 May. Departing Pearl Harbor 12 September, she made a cruise to Midway; Adak and Kodiak, Alaska; and Indian Island, Puget Sound, Wash. She returned to Pearl Harbor 9 November 1946.
Brill continued training exercises around Hawaii with Submarine Squadron 5 until 4 September 1947 when she departed for San Diego. She commenced overhaul at San Francisco Naval Shipyard 29 September and departed 24 February 1948 for New London, Conn., where she arrived 16 March 1948. Brill was decommissioned 23 May 1948.
Brill received one battle star for her World War II service.

TCG ''Birinci İnönü'' (S330)

Brill was turned over to Turkey on 23 May 1948 and was recommissioned in the Turkish Navy the same day as TCG Birinci İnönü , the second submarine of that name. She was named in commemoration of the Turkish victory at the First Battle of İnönü in January 1921. In 1952–53 she was converted to a GUPPY Fleet Snorkel Submarine. The interior work was done at Turkey's Gölcük Naval Yard, then the conversion was completed in the United States.
Birinci İnönü was decommissioned in 1972.