After graduating, Street served three years in USS Gar, from her commissioning on April 14, 1941 until February 27, 1944. Street served in this fleet submarine, first as Gunnery and Torpedo Officer, then as First Lieutenant and Torpedo Data Computer Operator and finally as Executive Officer and Navigator. While serving in Gar, he made nine war patrols. Street received Silver Stars for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" on Gar's first and tenth patrols.
On July 6, 1944, LCDR Street reported to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to fit out the USS Tirante, his first command. Commissioning the ship in November, the captain took his new boat for shakedown training in Long Island Sound and further training in waters off Panama and Hawaii. The ship's first war patrol, commencing March 3, 1945 was southwest of Kykshk, Japan's southernmost island. By that point in the war, most of Japan's merchant fleet had already been sunk, but Street went into shallow water close to shore and found several ships.
On April 14, following a report from Naval Intelligence, Street took Tirante into Cheju harbor on the surface, to avoid shoals and minefields. Using all six of his remaining torpedoes, he sank a freighter and two of its escorts. For this action, Tirante was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (US), Street was awarded the Medal of Honor, and his executive officer, LT Edward L. Beach, Jr., received the Navy Cross.
On May 20, Tirante began her second war patrol as command ship of a nine-boat wolf pack dubbed "Street's Sweepers". Street again managed to find, and sink, several enemy ships. On June 11, he crept into Ha Shima harbor, some seven miles from Nagasaki and picked out the 2200-ton Hakuju Maru moored alongside a colliery. For this patrol, LCDR Street was awarded the Navy Cross. That citation reads in part "...For extraordinary heroism ...Tracking his targets relentlessly ...(he) launched his smashing torpedo and gunfire attacks against hostile freighters, junks and picket boats, sinking over 7000 tons of shipping vital to Japanese supply..."
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the USS Tirante during the first war patrol of that vessel against enemy Japanese surface forces in the harbor of Quelpart Island, off the coast of Korea, on 14 April 1945. With the crew at surface battle stations, Cmdr. (then Lt.Cmdr) Street approached the hostile anchorage from the south within 1,200 yards of the coast to complete a reconnoitering circuit of the island. Leaving the ten fathom curve behind, he penetrated the mined and shoal obstructed waters of the restricted harbor despite numerous patrolling vessels and in defiance of five shore based radar stations and menacing aircraft. Prepared to fight it out on the surface if attacked, Cmdr. Street went into action sending two torpedoes with deadly accuracy into a large Japanese ammunition ship and exploding the target in a mountainous and blinding glare of white flames. With the Tirante instantly spotted by the enemy as she stood out plainly in the flare of light, he ordered the torpedo data computer set up while retiring and fired his last two torpedoes to disintegrate in quick succession the leading frigate and a similar flanking vessel. Clearing the gutted harbor at emergency full speed ahead, he slipped undetected along the shoreline, diving deep as a pursuing patrol dropped depth charges at the point of submergence. His illustrious record of combat achievement during the first war patrol of the Tirante characterizes Cmdr. Street as a daring and skilled leader and reflects the highest credit upon himself, his valiant command and the U.S. Naval Service.
Other Navy Awards given to George Street
