OUR CREED: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the of and its constitution.

UNITED STATES VETERANS INCORPORTATED PALMETTO BASE NEWSLETTER August 2011

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Inactivated at Mare Island on 3 January 1946.

Front row left to right: Sand Lance (SS 381) , next two could be Sealion (SS 315) and Seahorse (SS 304) , Searaven (SS 196) , Pampanito (SS 383) , Gurnard (SS 254) , Mingo (SS 261) , Guitarro (SS 363) , Bashaw (SS 241) .

Back row left to right: Unknown, Tunny (SS 282) , next three could be Sargo (SS 188) , Spearfish (SS 190) , and Saury (SS 189) , Macabi (SS 375) , Sunfish (SS 281) , Guavina (SS 362) , Lionfish (SS 298) ,Piranha (SS 389) .

The Scabbardfish (SS 397) is docked in ARD 11 on the other side of the causeway.

The mixture of boats from the Salmon/Sargo, Gato, and Balao classes illustrate the clear differences in the conning tower fairwaters and the periscope shears that can be used to identify boats. The high bridges with the uncovered support frames (the "covered wagon" look) of the Gatos and Salmon/Sargo's contrast with the low and sleek look of the Balao's . The fatter, more robust periscope shears of the Balao's are markedly different from the thinner shears with more supporting structure of the Gatos and Salmon/Sargo's .

The differences in the pattern of the superstructure limber holes can also be used for identification purposes. The single row of large semi circular holes indentify Electric Boat or Manitowoc boats. A dual row of smaller rectangular holes mark the government built boats. 2

Also note that the EB/Manitowoc boats have the mounted, T shaped JP head on the starboard side of the forward deck, while the government boats have it on the port side.

EB/Manitowoc boats had the anchor on the starboard side, the government boats on the port side. A close look will show that some of the boats have had the anchor removed and the hawsepipe plated over as part of the mothball process. Most of the boats have the late war radar outfit of the SJ surface search (small dish) and SV air search (large dish). The Balao's and some of the Gatos have the SS dish mounted on a separate large aft of the periscopes. The older Salmon/Sargo's and Gatos have a much smaller mast. Searaven appears to have had her radars already removed.

Searaven is actually sporting a late war SJ surface search antennae mounted to starboard of the periscopes. This is a rare installation. Most often it was mounted forward (early war) or aft (late war) of the 'scopes shears. Her air search set is a late war SD antennae mounted on a stub mast directly aft of the 'scopes. Searaven never received the much more capable SV air search set. Having been assigned to training duties after November, 1944 it was probably felt that the SV set was not necessary.

One strange thing: almost all of the boats appear to have the outer doors of the forward tubes open. Even though the boats have an interlock system that prevents the breech and outer doors from being opened at the same time, this is an unusual thing to do and a potential source of catastrophic flooding.

Reference: http://navsource.org/

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Palmetto Base Officers

Base Brian Steffen

Vice CDR : D. W. Eggleston Events Chair : Allen “Buzz” Danielson Jr. VCDR : Randy Browning Fundraising Chair : Jim Null Secretary : George “Scram” Kokolis Liaison : D. W. Eggleston Treasurer : J. P. Watson Committee Chair : Tom O’Brien Chaplain : Bob Miller Ship’s Photographer : Jim Null Chief of the Boat : Jim “Snake” Stark Bereavement Chair : Randy Browning Webmaster : Mark Basnight Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Chair : Don Van Borsch Storekeeper : Brian Steffen Newsletter Editor : Randy Browning

Members Milt Berkey Fernando Iglesias Larry Peay Steven Black John Jeffries Tommy Richardson David Castro Kenneth Johnson Ted R. Schneeberg James L. Charbonneau Charlie Kerr James P. Scott Tracy R. Charbonneau James N. Kirby Vince Seay Lonnie Franklin Arnold Kirk Leonard M. Snell Ronald Friend John J. Krause John Solis Julian Galloway Harold R. Lane L. E. Spradlin Joseph E. Gawronski William M. Lindler Jerry Stout Joseph L. Geiger Eddie McVicker Clarence Teseniar Glenn E. Harris Mark Morgan Thomas N. Thompson Stoney Hilton John Nesbitt Jeffro M. Wagner Michael House Tom Paige

Medal of Honor Recipient, Holland Club, Plankowner, Past District Commander, Past Base Commander, Past Vice Commander, Past Junior Vice Commander, Past Secretary, Past Treasurer, Past Chaplain, Palmetto Base Hall of Fame, Palmetto Silver Star Award Honorary Members Judy Cline Charlie MacKenzie Charles Murray

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July 19, 2011

Mark Basnight Mark Morgan Milt Berkey John Nesbitt Randy Browning Jim Null D. W. Eggleston Tom O’Brien Allen “Buzz” Danielson Larry Peay Julian Galloway John Solis Joseph E. Gawronski Jim “Snake” Stark Ada Griffin Jeffro M. Wagner George “Scram” Kokolis J. P. Watson Bob Miller

• Call to Order at 1900 hours by Vice Commander D. W. Eggleston. • Invocation was given by Chaplin Bob Miller. • Pledge of Allegiance was led by Vice Commander D. W. Eggleston. • The Tolling of the Boats was led by Junior Vice Commander Randy Browning with the COB tolling the bell. • Member Introduction – 18 members and 2 guests were present. John Nesbitt was added as a new members • Base Secretary’s Report – Motion to accept minutes as written was accepted. • Treasurer’s Report – $5,467.07 (Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS): $3,800.00, Float fund: $1,017.55, Operating Fund $649.52) was accepted.

• Events Chair reminded the membership about the Spirit of Lake Murray cruise ($40.00 per person) from 1900 – 2130 on Saturday, September 3rd. Must have a final headcount along with money by next meeting (August 16th). • Events Chair is going to e-mail the menu choices to the membership and needs responses my next meeting. 5

• Motion was made by the Webmaster for the same entertainment as last year and was approved. • COB, Vice Commander and Junior Vice Commander discussed the status of the float. Past Commander still has some of the pieces parts at his place and someone needs to talk with him so we can get them over to the COB’s place • Vice Commander showed the members the fundraising poster for the float along with flyers we can place at local businesses for support. • COB suggested having a fundraiser for the float at the upcoming gun show. Although its short notice, he is going to try and get approval from the guy that runs it. • Chaplin discussed having another scrap metal drive. Requested anyone that has scrap metal to contact him. Believe we can have a mid-week pickup and then a weekend pickup. • COB discussed the refurbishment of the float and the many repairs that needed to be made to get it in shape for the Lexington County Peach Festival. WELL DONE and BRAVO ZULU to the COB, Chaplain, Base Commander, Milt Milt Berkey and Ted Schneeberg. • Base Photographer discussed the last IA deployment.

• Base Photographer stated that he can get several cases of ice cream sandwiches for the next deployment, but needs someone with freezer space to store them. Larry Peay volunteered his freezer. • Events Chair, Base Chaplain and Junior Vice Commander discussed the security of the deployments (don’t post anything on any social media sites) and do not bring any pets as they distract the military dogs. Also volunteers should get refreshments from the vending machines so those deploying can have what is provided. • Junior Vice Commander told the membership about a tentative reservation he made at the Flight Deck for the Christmas party. Membership would like to either remain at Gilligans or find another location as the room at the Flight Deck is $200.00. • Recommendation was made to get in touch with the local newspaper or the Lexington Life magazine for an article about Robert Gibbs’ memorial. • Base Photographer made a motion to purchase the White Knoll JROTC as subscription to the Submariner magazine for $35.00, which was passed by the membership.

• Events Chair and Chaplain asked that we keep the following in our thoughts and prayers: - Mark Basnight - Julian Galloway - Bob Miller’s daughter - Tom O’Brien • Jeffro Wagner talked about mass e-mails with regards to Starbucks, Pepsi, Target, etc. Make sure you fact check it before you send it on.

Depth Charge $86.00 was won by Julian Galloway who donated his share back to the base.

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Commander : Brian Steffen (803) 897-2480 [email protected] Vice Commander : D.W. Eggleston (803) 932-9390 [email protected] Junior Vice Cdr.: Randy Browning (803) 808-7065 [email protected] Secretary : George Kokolis (803) 460-5882 [email protected] Treasurer : J. J. Watson (803) 361-4193 [email protected] COB : Jim Starke (803) 957-7153 [email protected] Chaplain : Bob Miller (803) 603-0538 [email protected] Holland Club : D.W. Eggleston (803) 932-9390 [email protected] Storekeeper : Brian Steffen (803) 897-2480 [email protected] Newsletter : Randy Browning (803) 808-7065 [email protected]

Julian Galloway – August 6th John Nesbitt Joseph E. Gawronski – August 16 th James N. Kirby – August 22nd Joseph L. Geiger – August 24th

Mark Basnight Julian Galloway Bob Miller’s daughter Tom O’Brien

"What it takes to do a job will not be learned from management courses. It is principally a matter of experience, the proper attitude, and common sense — none of which can be taught in a classroom... Human experience shows that people, not organizations or management systems, get things done. " Hyman G. Rickover

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August 1 1801 - U.S. Enterprise captures Tripolitan ship Tripoli 1921 - Successful tests of gyroscopic high level bombsight (Norden Bombsight) at Torpedo Station, Yorktown, VA . Carl Norden developed the bombsight for the . 1946 - Office of Naval Research established 1950 - Control of transferred to Department of Interior 1958 - USS Nautilus (SSN-571) submerges under Arctic ice cap near Point Barrow August 2 1943 - PT-109 , under command of LTJG John F. Kennedy, cut in half by Japanese Amagiri 1943 - Naval task groups bombard Japanese on Kiska, 1950 - Amphibious ships land Marine First Provisional Brigade at Pusan, helping to save this last area of South Korea from capture. 1964 - Three North Vietnamese PT boats attack USS Maddox (DD-731) in international waters in Gulf of Tonkin. Maddox sinks one. August 3 1804 - American Squadron, including USS Constitution , attacks Tripoli 1812 - Essex capture British brig Brothers 1861 - Construction of USS authorized 1861 - First manned ascent in a balloon from a ship, gunboat USS Fanny , to observe Confederate artillery position at , VA 1942 - Mildred McAffee (Horton) becomes the first woman officer commissioned into Naval Reserve. 1950 - First Marine Corps aviation mission against by VMF-214, from USS Sicily 1950 - First helicopter evacuation in Korea by VMO-6 1958 - USS Nautilus (SSN-571) is first ship to reach the geographic North Pole submerged. 1970 - USS James Madison (SSBN-627) conducts first submerged launching of Poseidon nuclear missile off Cape Kennedy August 4 1846 - Sailors and Marines from USS Congress capture Santa Barbara 1858 - First trans-Atlantic cable completed by USS Niagara and British ship Agamemnon 1944 - Fifth Fleet carrier task forces begin air attack against Iwo Jima and the Bonin Islands 1947 - Birthdate of the Medical Service Corps 1964 - The Navy and national intelligence sources report a North Venamese PT boat attack on 8

USS Turner Joy and USS Maddox in the Tokin Gulf prompting Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution on 7 August 1964. The attack was later disproven. August 5 1832 - Frigate Potomac is first U.S. Navy ship to entertain royalty, King and Queen of Sandwich Islands, Honolulu 1864 - RADM David Farragut wins Battle of Mobile Bay, sealing off last Confederate port on Gulf Coast 1882 - Authorizing of first steel warships, beginning of the modern Navy. 1915 - First air spotting for shore batteries at , VA 1921 - Yangtze River Patrol Force established as command under Asiatic Fleet. 1953 - Exchange of prisoners of war of Korean Conflict (Operation Big Switch) begins 1967 - Operation Coronado III begins in Rung Sat Zone, Vietnam 1990 - Navy and Marine Task Force (USS , USS Ponce , and USS Sumter ) begin evacuation of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from during civil war. August 6 1862 - CSS Arkansas destroyed by her commanding officer to prevent capture by USS Essex. 1943 - Battle of Vella Gulf begins. US sink 3 of 4 Japanese destroyers. 1945 - Atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima, . Navy weaponeer, Captain W.S. Parsons, USN, armed the atomic bomb on the B-29 bomber, Enola Gay. 1990 - President George Bush orders Operation Desert Shield, largest overseas deployment since Vietnam, to protect Saudi Arabia after Iraqi's invasion of Kuwait. 1997 - Naval Forces on Guam help rescue and begin providing medical care to survivors of Korean Airlines Flight 801 that crashed on Guam. August 7 1782 - Badge of Military Merit (Purple Heart) established 1942 - Navy Amphibious Task Force lands Marines on Guadalcanal, in first U.S. land offensive of World War II 1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress August 8 1813- US Hamilton and Scourge founder in storm on Lake Ontario 1959 - Announcement of Project Teepee, electronic system to monitor 95 percent of earth's atmosphere for missile launchings or nuclear explosions. System developed by William Thaler, Office of Naval Research physicist. 1972 - Women authorized for sea duty as regular ship's company August 9 1815 - CAPT Stephen Decatur concludes treaty for U.S. with Tripoli 1842 - Signing of Webster-Ashburton Treaty under which U.S. and Great Britain agreed to cooperate in suppressing the slave trade. 1865 - Return of Naval Academy to Annapolis after 4 years at Newport, RI 1919 - Construction of rigid airship ZR-1 ( Shenandoah ) authorized 1941 - Atlantic Charter Conference is first meeting between President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill 1942 - Battle of Savo Island begins; First of many sea battles near Guadalcanal 1945 - Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Navy weaponeer arms the atomic bomb. 1949 - First use of pilot-ejection seat for emergency escape in U.S. made by LT Jack I. Fruin of VF-171 near Walterboro, SC 9

August 10 1916 - First Naval aircraft production contract, for N-9s 1921 - General Order establishes the Bureau of Aeronautics under RADM William Moffett 1944 - Guam secured by U.S. forces. 1964 - Signing of Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which is used as the starting point of the Vietnam Conflict August 11 1812 - USS Constitution captures and destroys brig Lady Warren 1877 - Professor Asaph Hall of Naval Observatory discovers first of two satellites of Mars. He found the second one within a week. 1921 - Carrier arresting gear first tested at Hampton Roads. 1960 - USNS Longview, using Navy helicopters and frogmen, recovers a Discover satellite capsule after 17 orbits. This is first recovery of U.S. satellite from orbit. August 12 1812 - USS Constitution captures and destroys brig Adeona 1918 - SECNAV approves acceptance of women as yeoman (F) in U.S. Navy 1942 - USS Cleveland (CL-55) demonstrates effectiveness of radio-proximity fuze (VT-fuze) against aircraft by successfully destroying 3 drones with proximity bursts fired by her five inch guns. 1944 - LT Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., USNR, the older brother of John F. Kennedy, was killed with his co-pilot in a mid-air explosion after taking off from England in a PB4Y from Special Attack Unit One (SAU-1). Following manual takeoff, they were supposed to parachute out over the English Channel while the radio-controlled explosive filled drone proceeded to attack a German V-2 missile-launching site. Possible causes include faulty wiring or FM signals from a nearby transmitter. 1957 - In first test of Automatic Carrier Landing System, LCDR Don Walker is landed on USS Antietam . 1958 - USS Nautilus (SSN-571) arrives Portland, England completing first submerged under ice cruise from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans. August 13 1777 - American explosive device made by David Bushnell explodes near British vessel off New London, CT. 1846 - Joint expedition led by CDR Robert Stockton seizes Los Angeles, CA 1870 - Armed tug Palos becomes first U.S. Navy ship to transit Suez Canal August 14 1813 - HMS Pelican captures USS Argus 1886 - SECNAV establishes Naval Gun Factory at Navy Yard 1945 - Japan agrees to surrender; last Japanese ships sunk during World War II (15 August in DC) August 15 1845 - U.S. Naval Academy established at Annapolis, MD on former site of Fort Severn. 1895 - Commissioning of Texas , the first American steel-hulled . Texas served off during the Spanish-American War and took part in the naval battle of Santiago. Under the name of San Marcos , she was sunk in weapon effects tests in in 1911. Her continued in use as a gunnery target through World War II. 1908 - First Navy post offices established in Navy ships 10

1944 - Operation Dragoon, Allied invasion of Southern 1953 - First naval officer appointed Chairman, Joints Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Radford. He served from 15 August 1953 until 15 August 1957. 1958 - USS Lexington (CVA-16) arrives in vicinity of August 16 1812 - USS Constitution recaptures American merchant brig Adeline 1954 - Beginning of Operation Passage to Freedom, transport of refugees from Haiphong to Saigon, Vietnam August 17 1812 - Frigate President captures British schooner L'Adeline in North Atlantic 1942 - Submarines USS Nautilus and USS Argonaut land 222 Marines on Makin Island, first amphibious attack made from submarines 1959 - ADM Arleigh Burke reappointed CNO for 3rd 2 year term, serving longest term as CNO 1962 - Navy's first hydrofoil patrol craft, USS High Point (PCH-1) launched at , WA August 18 1838 - Exploring Expedition under LT Charles Wilkes embarks on world cruise. 1911 - First Navy Nurse Corps superintendent, Esther Voorhees Hasson, appointed 1965 - First major amphibious assault in Vietnam, Operation Starlight captures 2,000 Viet Cong 1966 - First ship-to-shore satellite radio message sent from USS Annapolis in South Sea to Pacific Fleet Headquarters at 1974 - After flooding in , Navy helicopters begin 6 days of operations to rescue people and bring supplies (244 flights) August 19 1812 - USS Constitution captures HMS Guerriere. 1812- Devastating hurricane struck the Navy's station, delaying military preparations in the War of 1812 1818 - CAPT James Biddle takes possession of Oregon Territory for U.S. 1967 - Operation Coronado IV begins in Mekong Delta 1981 - 2 VF-41 aircraft from USS Nimitz shoot down 2 Libyan aircraft which fired on them over international waters August 20 1952 - In interservice air operation at Chang Pyong-ni, Korea, U.S. Navy, Marine and Air Force aircraft destroy 80 percent of assigned area. 1959 - USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6) completes 6-day humanitarian operation after floods in Taiwan. 1969 - Navy and sailors from Helicopter Training Squadron Eight (HT-8) evacuated 820 people from Pass Christian, MS after Hurricane Camille. August 21 1800 - U.S. Marine Corps Band gave its first concert in Washington, D.C. 1883 - Installation of the first electric lighting on a US Navy Ship completed on USS Trenton. 1920 - Radio station built by U.S. Navy and French Government transmits first wireless message heard around the world. At time it was the most powerful radio station in the world. 1951 - First contract for nuclear-powered submarine awarded. 1965 - Launch of Gemini 5, piloted by LCDR Charles Conrad Jr., USN, who completed 120 orbits in almost 8 days at an altitude of 349.8 km. Recovery was by helicopter from USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39). 1980 - USS Truxtun rescues 42 Vietnamese refugees and USS Merrill rescues 62 Vietnamese 11

refugees, over 200 miles southeast of Saigon August 22 1912 - Birthday of Dental Corps 1945 - First surrender of Japanese garrison at end of World War II; USS Levy receives surrender of Mille Atoll in 1980 - USS Passumpsic rescues 28 Vietnamese refugees August 23 1864 - RADM David Farragut's squadron captures Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay winning control of Mobile Bay 1958 - Massive of Pacific Fleet in Quemoy-Matsu area prevents invasion of islands by China. 1958 - In Taiwan Straits Crisis, Units of 7th Fleet move into Taiwan area to support Taiwan against Chinese Communists. 1963 - The first satellite communications ship, USNS Kingsport (T-AG-164) in Lagos, Nigeria, connected President John F. Kennedy with Nigerian Prime Minister Balewa who was aboard for the first satellite (Syncom II) relayed telephone conversation between heads of state. August 24 1814 - British invasion of Maryland and Washington, D.C.; and ships burned to prevent capture by the British 1912 - Launching of USS Jupiter , first electrically propelled Navy ship 1942 - U.S. carrier aircraft begin 2-day Battle of Eastern Solomons where Japanese task force defeated and one Japanese carrier sunk. Japanese recall expedition to recapture Guadalcanal. 1960 - USS Bexar (APA-237) deploys to Pangahan Province in response to emergency request for aid from the Province's governor. August 25 1843 - Steam frigate Missouri arrives at Gibralter completing first Trans-Atlantic crossing by U.S. steam powered ship. 1942 - Five Navy nurses who became POWs on Guam repatriated . 1951 - 23 fighters from USS Essex (CV-9) escort Air Force heavy bombers attacking Najin, Korea since target was beyond range of land-based fighters. August 26 1775 - Rhode Island Resolve: Rhode Island delegates to Continental Congress press for creation of to protect the colonies 1839 - Brig Washington seizes Spanish slaver, Amistad near Montauk Point, NY 1861 - Union amphibious force lands near Hatteras, NC 1865 - Civil War ends with Naval strength over 58,500 men and 600 ships August 27 1917 - Squadron of departs U.S. for service off France 1944 - USS Stingray (SS-186) lands men and supplies on , Philippines to support guerilla operations against the Japanese. 1945 - Pacific Fleet ships enter Sagami Bay, near Tokyo, Japan. 1959 - Off Cape Canaveral, FL, USS Observation Island (EAG-154) makes first shipboard launching of a Polaris missile. August 28 12

1867 - Captain William Reynolds of Lackawanna raises U.S. flag over Midway Island and took formal possession of these islands for the U.S. 1942 - 120 women, commissioned directly as ENS or LTJG, reported to "USS Northampton," Smith College for training. 1952 - Units on USS Boxer (CV-21) launch explosive-filled drone which explodes against railroad near Hungnam, Korea. First guided missile launched from ship during Korean Conflict. 1965 - CDR and 9 enter SeaLab II, 205 ft. below Southern 's waters to conduct underwater living and working tests 1991 - A helicopter from USS America (CV-66) rescues 3 civilian sailors who spent 10 days in a lifeboat 80 miles off Capt May, NJ after their sailboat capsized. 1992 - Navy and Marine forces begin providing disaster relief after Typhoon Omar hit Guam 1992 - Marines and Army forces begin providing disaster relief in after Hurricane Andrew. August 29 1861 - U.S. squadron captures forts at Hatteras Inlet, NC 1862 - Union gunboat Pittsburgh support Army troops in landing at Eunice, Arkansas 1915 - Navy salvage divers raise F-4, first U.S. submarine sunk in accident 1916 - Congress passes act for expansion of Navy but most ships not completed until after World War I. 1964 - USS Boxer and 2 LSDs arrive off coast of Hispaniola to give medical aid to Haiti and Dominican Republic which were badly damaged by Hurricane Cleo. August 30 1913 - Navy tests Sperry gyroscopic stabilizer (automatic pilot) 1929 - Near New London, CT, 26 officers and men test Momsen lung to exit submerged USS S-4 1961 - Two Cuban fire on a Naval Reserve aircraft on a training mission over international waters August 31 1842 - Congress replaces the Board of Navy Commissioners, a group of senior officers who oversaw naval technical affairs, with the five technical Bureaus, ancestors of the Systems Commands. One of the 1842 Bureau, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, continues to serve under its original name. 1943 - Commissioning of USS Harmon (DE-678), first Navy ship named for an African American Sailor. 1944 - Carrier task group begins 3-day attack on Iwo Jima and Bonin Islands 1962 - Last flight of Navy airship made at NAS Lakehurst, NJ

Reference: http://www.history.navy.mil/wars/dates.htm

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August 1 1918 - PCU O-16 (SS-77) commissioned USS O-16 at California Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, CA; Lt. W. M. Quigley commanding. 1919 - PCU R-22 (SS-99) commissioned USS R-22 at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT; Lt. Comdr. Walter S. Hass commanding. 1941 - PCU MARLIN (SS-205) commissioned USS MARLIN (SS-205) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Lt. George A. Sharp commanding. 1942 - PCU SKATE (SS-305) laid as SKATE at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 1943 - PCU GOLET (SS-361) launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. 1952 - USS RAZORBACK (SS-394) decommissioned to undergo GUPPY IIA modifications. 1953 - USS HARDER (SS-568) was towed across the Atlantic to New London, CT, by USS Tringa (ASR-16) after breaking down off the east coast of Ireland. PCU ALBACORE (SS-569) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH. 1957 - USS ARCHERFISH (SS-311) second commissioning. 1970 - USS SEGUNDO (SS-398) decommissioned. USS MEDREGAL (SS-480) decommissioned and struck from the . USS POMODON (SS-486) decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register. 1973 - Ex-ENTEMEDOR (SS-340) struck from the Naval Vessel Register and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP); sold to the Republic of and the title transferred. Ex-MAPIRO (SS-376) struck from the Naval Vessel Register and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), sold to the Republic of Turkey. Ex-MERO (SS-378) struck from the Naval Vessel Register and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), sold to the Republic of Turkey. Hizir Reis (S-344) 14

served until about 1980. 1974 - Ex-RASHER (IXSS-269) sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping. 1975 - Ex-SPOT (SS-413) struck from the Naval Vessel Register and disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), sold to Chile. She had already been renamed Simpson (SS-21) while on loan to the Chileans. 1979 - PCU NORFOLK (SSN-714) keel laid as NORFOLK at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. 1992 - USS LEWIS AND CLARK (SSBN-644) decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register. 1992 - PCU COLUMBUS (SSN-762) launched at the Electric Boat Division, Corp., Groton, CT. 1994 - USS STURGEON (SSN-637) decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register. August 2 1913 - USS B-2 (ex-CUTTLEFISH) (SS-11) second commissioning at Cavite Navy Yard, P.I. and assigned to the Torpedo Flotilla, Asiatic Fleet. 1916 - PCU L-10 (SS-50) commissioned USS L-10 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; Lt. (j.g.) J. C. Van de Carr commanding. 1927 - USS S-49 (SS-160) decommissioned at Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA; berthed with other reserve ships, League Island, PA. August 3 1905 - PCU OCTOPUS (later C-1) (SS-9) keel laid as OCTOPUS at Fore River Shipbuilding, Quincy, MA. 1944 - PCU SPOT (SS-413) commissioned USS SPOT (SS-413) at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. PCU SPRINGER (SS-414) launched at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 1954 - USS BARB (SS-220) second commissioning after conversion to a GUPPY submarine. 1958 - USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) was the first ship to pass beneath the North Pole on a four day, 1,830 mile voyage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Her famous radio message was "Nautilus, Ninety North". 1961 - PCU THRESHER (SSN-593) commissioned USS THRESHER (SSN-593) at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Kittery, ME; she was the first unit of what came to be a class of 14 submarines. This was the first new design submarine for which Electric Boat Company was not the lead yard. 1973 - PCU GROTON (SSN-694) keel laid as GROTON at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1979 - Ex-BOWFIN (IXSS-287) donated as a Museum and Memorial to Pacific Memorial Association, Inc., Honolulu, HI. August 4 1916 - PCU L-9 (SS-49) commissioned USS L-9 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; Lt. (j.g.) P. T. Wright commanding. 1919 - USS C-1 (ex-OCTOPUS) (SS-9) decommissioned at , C.Z.; she had served in Panamanian waters in training and later on patrol during World War I. 1921 - PCU S-12 (SS-117) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. Gordon Woodbury. 1962 - PCU JAMES MONROE (SSBN-622) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and 15

Co., Newport News, VA. 1964 - Ex-SPIKEFISH (SS-404) sunk as a target off Long Island, NY. 1969 - PCU WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN-680) keel laid as WILLIAM H. BATES at Ingalls Nuclear Shipbuilding Division, Litton Industries, Pascagoula, MS. 1984 - PCU PROVIDENCE (SSN-719) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. August 5 1912 - PCU F-3 (ex-PICKEREL) (SS-22) commissioned USS F-3 at Moran Bros. Co., Seattle, WA; Ensign K. Heron commanding. 1918 - PCU R-16 (SS-93) commissioned USS R-16 at Union Iron Works, , CA; Lt. Comdr. Cecil Y. Johnston commanding. August 6 1943 - PCU CORVINA (SS-226) commissioned USS CORVINA (SS-226) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; Commander R. S. Rooney commanding. 1944 - PCU BUMPER (SS-333) launched at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1945 - USS BULLHEAD (SS-332) departed Fremantle for her third war patrol led by LCDR E.R. Holt, Jr. and started for her area of responsibility on July 31, 1945. She was to patrol in the Sea at dark on September 5 and head for Subic Bay, Philippines. CAPITAINE and PUFFER were also to patrol in the area, as were the British submarines TACITURN and THOROUGH. BULLHEAD arrived in her area on August 6 but CAPITAINE did not arrive until August 13. On August 12, CAPITAINE ordered BULLHEAD to take position the following day in a scouting line with CAPITAINE and PUFFER. There was no reply and on August 15, CAPITAINE reported, "Have been unable to contact BULLHEAD by any means since arriving in area." Since those submarines named above were in the same general area as BULLHEAD, and COD and CHUB passed through in transit at various times, it is difficult to point to one Japanese anti-submarine attack as the one which sank BULLHEAD. However, the most likely one occurred on August 6, 1945, when an enemy army plane attacked with depth charges. It claimed two direct hits, and for ten minutes thereafter, there was a great amount of gushing oil and air bubbles rising in the water. Since the position given is very near the Bali coast, it is presumed that the proximity of mountain peaks shortened BULLHEAD's radar range and prevented her receiving a warning of the plane's approach. BULLHEAD sank four enemy ships totaling 1800 tons and damaged three ships for 1300 tons in her first two patrols. Her first patrol was made in the from the latter part of March to the end of April 1945. No enemy contacts were made, but on March 31 and again on April 24 BULLHEAD bombarded Pratas Island with her five inch gun. She also rescued three airmen from a downed B-29 following an air strike on the China coast. In May and June 1945 BULLHEAD patrolled the Gulf of Siam and the South China Sea during her second patrol. Here she sank two small freighters, a schooner and a sub chaser, and damaged two more sub chasers and another small freighter, all in gun actions. Eighty-four men perished with her that day. She was the fifty-second and last U.S. submarine loss of World War II. 1968 - PCU DOLPHIN (SS-555) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1979 - Ex-CLAMAGORE (SS-343) donated as a Museum and Memorial to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mount Pleasant, SC. 1988 - PCU SAN JUAN (SSN-751) commissioned USS SAN JUAN (SSN-751) at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. She was the first improved 688 submarine 16

(688I). Improvements included a strengthening of the sail and relocation of the fairwater planes to the bow. This gave the class an Arctic operations capability. August 7 1897 - the steam-powered submarine Plunger was launched but failed to pass acceptance tests. 1943 - PCU HAWKBILL (SS-366) keel laid as HAWKBILL at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. 1944 - PCU SEA ROBIN (SS-407) commissioned USS SEA ROBIN (SS-407) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1946 - USS HOE (SS-258) decommissioned at New London, CT; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London. USS CABRILLA (SS-288) decommissioned at the Naval Submarine Base, New London, CT; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London Group. 1946 - USS RONCADOR (SS-301) decommissioned at San Francisco, CA; laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. 1954 - USS GUITARRO (SS-363) third and final decommisssioning at Mare Island, CA; transferred (on loan) to Republic of Turkey and commissioned the same day as TGC Preveze (S-22). 1957 - USS COBBLER (SS-344) and USS TUSK (SS-426) were slightly damaged after an underwater collision during maneuvers off New Jersey. August 8 1942 - USS NAUTILUS (SS-168) and USS ARGONAUT (SS 166) left Pearl Harbor for the "Carlson Raiders" operation. They landed on the 16th and were taken off the following night. The two submarines embarked troops of Companies A and B, 2nd Raider Battalion, and got underway for Makin. Conditions during the transit were unpleasant, and most of the Marines became seasick. The arrived off Makin on 16 August; at 0330 the next day, the Marines began landing. 1943 - PCU BLUEGILL (SS-242) launched at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. W. Sterling Cole, wife of Congressman Cole of . 1945 - PCU COBBLER (SS-344) commissioned USS COBBLER (SS-344) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1961 - PCU ETHAN ALLEN (SSBN-608) commissioned USS ETHAN ALLEN (SSBN-608) at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1970 - Ex-SEGUNDO (SS-398) struck from the Naval Vessel Register and sunk as a target by USS SALMON (SS-572). 1983 - PCU NEVADA (SSBN-733) keel laid as NEVADA at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. August 9 1944 - PCU TIRANTE (SS-420) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1968 - USS VON STEUBEN (SSBN-632) collided with the towed commercial tanker Sealady about 40 miles off the southern Spanish coast. VON STEUBEN was submerged when she struck or was struck by a submerged tow cable connecting a tug and the Sealady . The submarine surfaced immediately and then collided with the towed ship. The submarine sustained minor external damage to the superstructure and main deck. 1969 - PCU PUFFER (SSN-652) commissioned USS PUFFER (SSN-652) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp, Pascagoula, MS. August 10 1934 - USS R-3 (SS-80) decommissioned at Philadelphia, PA; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve 17

Fleet. 1942 - USS S-24 (SS-129) decommissioned at New London, CT. Transferred to the United Kingdom and commissioned into the as HMS P 555. She was returned to U.S. Naval custody in the United Kingdom at the end of World War II. 1944 - PCU BLOWER (SS-325) commissioned USS BLOWER (SS-325) at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1957 - USS LAPON (SS-260) second decommissioning. 1963 - PCU STURGEON (SSN-637) keel laid as STURGEON at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA. 1991 - PCU MARYLAND (SSBN-738) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. August 11 1944 - PCU DIABLO (SS-479) keel laid as DIABLO at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1948 - Ex-SKIPJACK (SS-184) sunk as a target in 700 fathoms of water off the coast of California by aircraft rockets after participation in nuclear weapon test BAKER at Bikini Atoll. Skipjack earned seven battle stars for World War II service. 1960 - USS MACABI (SS-375) decommissioned and transferred (loaned) under the Military Assistance Program to Argentina; renamed Santiago del Estero (S-12). 1978 - PCU BOSTON (SSN-703) keel laid as BOSTON at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1979 - PCU LA JOLLA (SSN-701) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1984 - USS NATHANAEL GREENE (SSBN-636) reportedly lost her propeller in the Irish Sea. The submarine proceeded back to Holy Loch, Scotland using her Secondary Propulsion Motor. Facilities at the U.S. base were unavailable, so the submarine was towed to the nearby British submarine base at Faslane, Scotland. 1990 - PCU KENTUCKY (SSBN-737) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. August 12 1943 - PCU BOARFISH (SS-327) keel laid as BOARFISH at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1945 - PCU TURBOT (SS-427) was to be a Balao-class submarine built by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. The contract for her construction was cancelled this day. PCU ULUA (SS-428) was to be a Tench-class submarine built by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. The contract for her construction was cancelled this day. PCU POMPANO (SS-491) construction cancelled. PCU GRAYLING(SS-492) construction cancelled. PCU NEEDLEFISH (SS-493) construction cancelled. PCU SCULPIN (SS-494) construction cancelled. 1972 - PCU PHILADELPHIA (SSN-690) keel laid as PHILADELPHIA at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1991 - USS LAFAYETTE (SSBN-616) decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register. 1994 - Ex-HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN/SSN-655) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. 1994 - Ex-WILL ROGERS (SSN-659) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. 18

August 13 1942 - USS S-39 (SS-144) lost when she ran aground and broke up over August 13-14, 1942, off Rossel Island southeast of New Guinea in the Louisiade Archipelago. At that time she was commanded by LT F. E. Brown. All her crew was rescued and taken off the island by HMAS Katoomba. The hulk of S-39 is still visible from the air. She was the eighth U.S. submarine loss of World War II. S-39 earned two battle stars for her World War II service. 1944 - USS FLIER (SS-250) commanded by Cmdr. J.D. Crowley, left Fremantle, Western on August 2, 1944 to conduct her second war patrol. Her area was east of Saigon, French Indo-China, and she was to pass through , Strait, the , and the in proceeding to her station. By evening of August 13th she had come through the Sulu Sea and was transiting , south of , P.I. when, at 2200, disaster struck. Suddenly a terrific explosion, estimated to have been forward on the starboard side, shook the ship. Several of the men on the bridge were injured, and the Commanding Officer was thrown to the after part of the bridge, where he regained his senses a moment later. Oil, water and debris deluged the bridge. There was a strong smell of fuel, a terrific venting of air through the conning tower hatch, and the sounds of flooding and of screaming men below. Lt. Liddell, the Executive Officer, had stepped below the hatch to speak to Cmdr. Crowley; he was blown through it, and men poured out behind him. Within 20 or 30 seconds FLIER sank while still making 15 knots through the water. The Commanding Officer’s opinion was that the explosion was caused by contact with a mine. Those men who survived have stated that a few men were seen in the water after the ship went down. The word was passed for all survivors to gather together, however not all presumed survivors reappeared. The first impulse was to swim to Comiran Island, but when the question was weighed, and the possibility of falling into Japanese hands was considered, Crowley decided to strike out for the coral reefs to the north-westward. Meanwhile Lt. Knapp became separated from the group and was not seen or heard again. The sky was overcast, and it was difficult to swim toward the objective at all times; an occasional flash of lightning helped to keep the swimmers oriented. After moonrise, at 0300 on August 14th, maintaining proper direction was easier. All this time Lt. Casey had been unable to see, having been partially blinded by oil. At about 0400 he became exhausted and the others were forced to leave him. Commander Crowley realized that the only hope for anyone lay in swimming at best speed, and all hands were told to do the best they could toward land, which was now in sight. Madeo now began to fall behind, and was not seen after 0500. At 1330 five of the group, Cmdr. Crowley, Lt. Liddell, Ens. Jacobson, Howell and Baumgart reached a floating palm tree and used this to aid themselves in remaining afloat and pushing toward land. This group came ashore on Mantangule Island at 1530 and were met there by Russo, who had swum the entire distance. At 1700 Tremaine was found on the eastern end of the island by Lt. Liddell. A lean-to was constructed and the night was spent on the beach. In the days following, plans were laid to obtain food and water and to make contact with friendly natives. A raft was made of drifted bamboo lashed together, and the party began working from island to island, with Palawan the ultimate objective. On 19 August they contacted natives who led them to an U.S. Army Coast Watcher Unit on Palawan. This unit made its communication facilities available to the group, and arrangements were made for evacuation by submarine. On the night of August 30 the survivors from FLIER embarked in two small boats, and, having made their way safely around a Japanese 19

merchant ship anchored near the rendezvous point, were picked up by REDFIN early in the morning of 31 August. FLIER’s first patrol was conducted west of Luzon in June 1944. She sank four freighters, and damaged a fifth freighter and a tanker for 19,500 tons and 13,500 tons damaged. Seventy-eight men perished with her that day. Thirteen men managed to exit the boat. Eight managed to swim ashore on Mantangule Island. She was the thirty-fifth U.S. submarine loss of World War II. Flier received 1 battle star for World War II service. PCU LOGGERHEAD (SS-374) launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. 1945 - PCU USS SIRAGO (SS-485) commissioned USS SIRAGO (SS-485) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH. 1952 - USS MENHADEN (SS-377) second decommissioning at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA, for GUPPY IIA conversion. 1956 - Ex- (SS-172) placed out of service and simultaneously struck from the Naval Vessel Register. 1966 - PCU SEAHORSE (SSN-669) keel laid as SEAHORSE at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1971 - USS MENHADEN (SS-377) third and final decommisssioning. August 14 1945 - the last torpedo sinking of WWII by a U.S. submarine was fired by USS TORSK (SS-423). Coast Defense Vessel #47 was the last ship sunk by U.S. submarines in the war. 1963 - Ex-QUEENFISH (SS-393) sunk as target by USS SWORDFISH (SSN-579). 1964 - PCU CASIMIR PULASKI (SSBN-633) commissioned USS CASIMIR PULASKI (SSBN-633) at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1965 - PCU GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (SSBN-656) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. 1968 - Ex-DEVILFISH (SS-292) sunk as a target by USS WAHOO (SS-565) off San Francisco, CA, in 2000 fathoms of water at 37°05'N, 124°8'W during a MK16 Mod8 torpedo service test. 1969 - PCU SPADEFISH (SSN-668) commissioned USS SPADEFISH (SSN-668) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA. 1970- PCU TREPANG (SSN-674) commissioned USS TREPANG (SSN-674) at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 2003 - PCU (SSN-778) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. PCU NEW MEXICO (SSN-779) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA. PCU NO NAME (SSN-780) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. PCU NO NAME (SSN-781) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA. PCU NO NAME (SSN-782) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. PCU NO NAME (SSN-783) authorized for U.S. Navy construction and awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, Co., Newport News, VA. August 15 1912 - PCU G-4 (ex-THRASHER) (SS-26) launched at William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, PA. 1916 - PCU L-11 (SS-51) commissioned USS L-11 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; Lt. 20

(j.g.) W. R. Carter commanding. 1918 - PCU S-18 (SS-123) keel laid as S-18 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA. PCU S-19 (SS-124) keel laid as S-19 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA. PCU S-20 (SS-125) keel laid as S-20 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA. 1919 - PCU R-12 (SS-89) launched at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; sponsored by Miss Helen Mack. USS C-4 (ex-BONITA) (SS-15) decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register at Coco Solo, C.Z. 1935 - PCU PORPOISE (SS-172) commissioned USS PORPOISE (SS-172) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Lt. Comdr. S. S. Murray commanding. 1939 - PCU SEAWOLF (SS-197) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. Edward C. Kalbfus. 1940 - PCU TRITON (SS-201) commissioned USS TRITON (SS-201) at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME; Lt. Comdr. Willis A. Lent commanding. 1942 - PCU POMPON (SS-267) launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, WI. PCU SNOOK (SS-279) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. PCU HACKLEBACK (SS-295) keel laid as HACKLEBACK at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. 1943 - PCU LANCETFISH (SS-296) launched at Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. PCU LING (SS-297) launched at Cramp Ship building Corp., Philadelphia, PA. 1955 - MINGO (SS-261) second decommissioning. 1959 - the U.S. Navy disclosed that a ruptured water pipe aboard USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) partly flooded a compartment while the ship was submerged off Newfoundland four months prior. No injuries resulted. 1961 - PCU GREENLING (SSN-614) keel laid as GREENLING at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1972 - Ex-LIONFISH (IXSS-298) donated as a Museum and Memorial to USS Massachusetts Memorial, Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA. 1973 - USS ATULE (SS-403) struck from the Naval Vessel Register. Ex-MARLIN (SST-2) donated as a Museum and Memorial to Freedom Park, Omaha, NE. 1991 - PCU TUCSON (SSN-770) keel laid as TUCSON at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. 1992 - PCU NEBRASKA (SSBN-739) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. Ex-TINOSA (SSN-606) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. August 16 1958 - PCU SEADRAGON (SSN-584) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. Robert L. Dennison. 1969 - PCU PINTADO (SSN-672) launched at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. 1980 - PCU ATLANTA (SSN-712) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA; sponsored by Mrs. Sam Nunn. 1975 - PCU RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN-687) commissioned USS RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN-687) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. 1986 - PCU NEVADA (SSBN-733) commissioned USS NEVADA (SSBN-733) at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 21

August 17 1909 - PCU PICKEREL (later F-3) (SS-22) keel laid as PICKEREL at Seattle Construction & Drydock Co., Seattle, WA. 1918 - PCU O-10 (SS-71) commissioned USS O-10 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; Lt. Sherwood Picking commanding. PCU R-17 (SS-94) commissioned USS R-17 at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA; Lt. Comdr. William R. Munroe commanding. 1922 - PCU S-35 (SS-140) commissioned USS S-35 (SS-140) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., San Francisco, CA, Lt. T. E. Short in command. 1942 - USS BASS (SS-164) suffered a fire in the after battery room that quickly spread to the after torpedo room and starboard main motor while she was at sea. Twenty-five enlisted men died by asphyxiation. The following day Antaeus (AS-21) arrived to assist BASS and escorted her into the Gulf of Dulce, Costa Rica; both vessels then proceeded to Balboa. 1943 - PCU TANG (SS-306) launched at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 1945 - PCU MERO (SS-378) commissioned USS MERO (SS-378) at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. 1957 - USS SEA DEVIL (SS-400) second commissioning. 1968 - PCU DOLPHIN (AGSS-555), a small diesel powered research and development submarine capable of operating at depths in excess of any other known submarine, was commissioned USS DOLPHIN (AGSS-555) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. PCU TAUTOG (SSN-639) commissioned USS TAUTOG (SSN-639) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Co., Pascagoula, MS. 1978 - PCU ATLANTA (SSN-712) keel laid as ATLANTA at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. 1987 - Ex-TANG (SS-563) disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred (sold) to a foreign country (Turkey). Ex-GUDGEON (SSAG-567) disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), transferred (sold) to a foreign country (Turkey). 1989 - Ex-BONEFISH (SS-582) sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping. 1990 - PCU JEFFERSON CITY (SSN-759) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. August 18 1918 - USS N-6 (SS-58) struck by USS N-5 (SS 57) while maneuvering off Block Island. 1920 - PCU S-21 (SS-126) launched at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Baxter. 1942 - PCU CABRILLA (SS-288) keel laid as CABRILLA at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1944 - PCU TRUTTA (SS-421) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1962 - PCU HADDO (SSN-604) launched at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, NJ. PCU DACE (SSN-607) launched at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp, Pascagoula, MS. PCU ALEXANDER HAMILTON (SSBN-617) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. PCU ULYSSES S. GRANT (SSBN-631) keel laid as ULYSSES S. GRANT at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1972 - USS THREADFIN (SS-410) decommissioned and transferred (sold) to Turkey. USS VOLADOR (SS-490) decommissioned and transferred (loaned) to . 22

USS PICKEREL (SS-524) decommissioned and transferred (loaned) to Italy. August 19 1936 - USS R-8 (SS-85) sunk as a target vessel for an aerial bombing test. Four near misses with 100 lb. bombs sank her 71 miles off Cape Henry, VA. 1942 - PCU HARDER (SS-257) launched at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; sponsored by Miss Helen M. Shaforth. 1952 - PCU HARDER (SS-568) commissioned USS HARDER (SS-568) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1955 - USS CREVALLE (SS-291) second decommissioning. 1956 - the experimental sodium-cooled nuclear reactor of USS SEAWOLF (SSN-575) sufferred a failure in the steam plant during a full power test run while the new ship was at Groton, CT. A leak of sodium-potassium alloy being used as the third fluid in the steam generator aggravateed stress corrosion in the system, causing two cracks in steam piping and a leak in a superheater. Makeshift repairs permited SEAWOLF to complete her initial sea trials on reduced power in February, 1957. Due to the difficulties of running a sodium-cooled reactor, the Navy decided to replace SEAWOLF's sodium-cooled reactor with a water- cooled reactor and to use only water-cooled designs in the future. 1958 - PCU TRITON (SSRN-586) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. August 20 1901 - PCU MOCCASIN (later A-4) (SS-5) launched at Crescent Shipyard, Elizabethport, NJ; sponsored by a Mrs. Rice. 1919 - PCU R-10 (SS-87) commissioned USS R-10 at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA; Lt. Comdr. John A. Brownell commanding. 1921 - USS K-4 (SS-35) was rammed by the schooner CON RIEN. The schooner's bow was crushed and it sank; the crew was taken off by K-4. PCU S-51 (SS-162) launched at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT; sponsored by Mrs. R. J. Mills. 1923 - USS R-8 (SS-85) collided with USS R-11 (SS-88). 1927 - USS S-50 (SS-161) decommissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, League Island, PA, until the 1930s. 1938 - PCU SAURY (SS-189) launched at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. James Paul Casbarian, who headed the Navy's Ships Names and Sponsors Office. 1942 - PCU GUNNEL (SS-253) commissioned USS GUNNEL (SS-253) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; Lt. Comdr. J. S. McCain, Jr., commanding. 1946 - USS BALAO (SS-285) decommissioned at the Naval Submarine Base, New London, CT; laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London Group. 1949 - USS COCHINO (SS-345) and USS TUSK (SS-426) were in the Barents Sea. Splitting up, TUSK proceeded to conduct sonar tests; COCHINO navigated to a point near the northern tip of to begin the first formal spying mission of the Cold War. But COCHINO would soon have serious operational problems. 1958 - PCU SCORPION (SSN-589) keel laid as SCORPION at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT; this was her second keel laying/ construction, since her first was reassigned to PCU GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN-598); GEORGE WASHINGTON's authentication plate bore the SCORPION name. 1966 - PCU HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN-655) commissioned USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN-655) at 23

the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1968 - PCU DRUM (SSN-677) keel laid as DRUM at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. August 21 1909 - PCU SKATE (later F-4) (SS-23) keel laid as SKATE at Seattle Construction & Drydock Co., Seattle, WA. 1918 - PCU R-24 (SS-101) launched at Lake Torpedo Boat Co., Bridgeport, CT; sponsored by Mrs. Edmund R. Norton. 1941 - PCU GATO (SS-212) launched at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. Royal E. Ingersoll. 1943 - a wolf pack consisting of USS HADDO (SS-255), USS HARDER (SS-257) , USS GUITARRO (SS-363), USS RATON (SS-270) , and USS RAY (SS-271) took on a Japanese convoy of at least 18 ships and escorts. The pack sank four cargo ships and one tanker in an all night battle. PCU BATFISH (SS-310) commissioned USS BATFISH (SS-310) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, OKittery, ME. 1944 - PCU MEDREGAL (SS-480) keel laid as MEDREGAL at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1951 - PCU TROUT (SS-566) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1960 - USS LAMPREY (SS-372) second decommissioning. 1964 - USS DANIEL BOONE (SSBN-629) was the first fleet ballistic missile submarine permanently assigned to the Pacific. 1995 - Ex-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (SSBN-640) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. August 22 1914 - PCU K-5 (SS-36) commissioned USS K-5 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; Lt. (j.g.) H. Gibson commanding. 1943 - PCU FLOUNDER (SS-251 launched at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. Astrid H. McClellan. 1946- USS TUNA (SS-203) departed for Kwajalein en route to Pearl Harbor and the U.S. west coast after the nuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll. 1955 - USS HALFBEAK (SS-352) collided with HMCS Micmc at New York. 1964 - PCU SIMON BOLIVAR (SSBN-641) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. August 23 1909 - PCU CARP (later F-1) (SS-20) keel laid as CARP at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA. PCU BARRACUDA (later F-2) (SS-21) keel laid as BARRACUDA at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA. 1943 - PCU TRUMPETFISH (SS-425) keel laid as TRUMPETFISH at William Cramp and Co. Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, PA. PCU TUSK (SS-426) keel laid as TUSK at William Cramp and Co. Shipbuilding Co,, Philadelphia, PA. 1944 - PCU PIPER (SS-409) commissioned USS PIPER (SS-409) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. PCU TORO (SS-422) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1989 - USS HONOLULU (SSN-718) equipment operation failure. 1991- PCU MONTPELIER (SSN-765) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., 24

Newport News, VA. August 24 1918 - PCU R-1 (SS-78) launched at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; sponsored by Mrs. George W. Dashiell. 1923 - PCU S-24 (SS-129) commissioned USS S-24 (SS-129) at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy, MA; Lt. Comdr. Louis E. Denfeld commanding. 1937 - PCU SNAPPER (SS-185) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH ;sponsored by Mrs. Harold R. Stark, wife of Rear Admiral Stark, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. 1942 - PCU CERO (SS-225) keel laid as CERO at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1943 - PCU SPOT (SS-413) keel laid as SPOT at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. 1944 - USS HARDER (SS-257) was sunk by depth charging in a battle with Japanese forces on her sixth war patrol in Bay, west coast of Luzon Island, P.I. Seventy-eight men including Commander Sam Dealy were lost with her. Comdr. Dealey was posthumously awarded the . She received the Presidential Unit Citation, and in accordance with Navy custom it was presented to the second HARDER upon commissioning. She was the thirty-sixth U.S. submarine loss of World War II. HARDER received 6 battle stars for World War II service. PCU REQUIN (SS-481) keel laid as REQUIN at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH. 1945 - PCU SARDA (SS-488) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1963 - PCU BARB (SSN-596) commissioned USS BARB (SSN-596) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp, Pascagoula, MS. 1963 - PCU GEORGE BANCROFT (SSBN-643) keel laid as GEORGE BANCROFT at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 1964 - PCU GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER (SSBN-656) keel laid as GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. August 25 1941 - PCU FINBACK (SS-230) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. A. E Watson. 1945 - PCU COCHINO (SS-345) commissioned USS COCHINO (SS-345) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1949 - a series of casualties, not the least of which was fire in the after battery, caused the eventual demise of PCU COCHINO (SS-345). 1956 - PCU SALMON (SSR-573) commissioned USS SALMON (SSR-573) at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME. 1958 - PCU ROBERT E. LEE (SSBN-601) keel laid as ROBERT E. LEE at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. 1960 - USS SEADRAGON (SSN-584) charted the Northwest Passage and surfaced at the North Pole where the crew played baseball. 1976 - USS POLLACK (SSN-603) snagged the nets of Japanese fishing boats in the eastern channel of the the Tsushima Strait. Two boats cut away and abandoned their nets. POLLACK suffered no major damage and there was no known damage to the fishing boats. August 26 1918 - PCU H-6 (SS-149) launched at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA. 1941 - PCU SILVERSIDES (SS-236) launched at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA; sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth H. Hogan. 25

1942 - PCU SAWFISH (SS-276) commissioned USS SAWFISH (SS-276) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Lt. Comdr. Eugene T. Sands commanding. 1949- USS COCHINO (SS-345) exploded and sank in Arctic seas, six Navy rescuers and a COCHINO technician. She took an up bubble from all the flooding aft and slipped beneath the surface by her stern into 950 feet of water about 100 nautical miles from the coast of Norway. COCHINO has been called the first U.S. submarine loss of the Cold War. 1949 - USS TUSK (SS-426) crew members were washed overboard while rescuing the crew of fire damaged USS COCHINO (SS-345) in the Norwegian Sea, six died. 1957 - Ex-TARPON (SS-175) sold for scrapping but she foundered while under tow off , NC. 1964 - PCU STONEWALL JACKSON (SSBN-634) commissioned USS STONEWALL JACKSON (SSBN- 634) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. 1980 - PCU SALT LAKE CITY (SSN-716) keel laid as SALT LAKE CITY at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. August 27 1918 - PCU O-15 (SS-76) commissioned USS O-15 at California Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, CA; Lt. C. K. Martin, in command. 1919 - PCU R-13 (SS-90) launched at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA; sponsored by Miss Fanny B. Chandler. PCU S-4 (SS-109) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; sponsored by Mrs. Herbert S. Howard. 1940 - PCU THRESHER (SS-200) commissioned USS THRESHER (SS-200) at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; Lt. Comdr. William L. Anderson in command. 1942 - PCU DORADO (SS-248) keel laid as DORADO at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 1944 - PCU CABEZON (SS-334) launched at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT. 1957 - PCU SWORDFISH (SSN-579) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME. 1959 - USS Observation Island (EAG–154) steamed for her new homeport, Port Canaveral, FL, and made preparations for the first at-sea launch of a Polaris missile in June; designated UGM–27, the missile was successfully launched from Observation Island this day. 1963 - USS GRAYBACK (SSG-574) suffered a serious fire in the after crew's berthing as a result of a casualty to the main propulsion circuit breaker while operating in the northern Pacific Ocean. One man was killed, five others were injured. 1969 - USS CHOPPER (SS-342) decommissioned. 1981 - PCU ALABAMA (SSBN-731) keel laid as ALABAMA at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. USS DALLAS (SSN-700) damaged the lower portion of her when she ran aground while approaching the Atlantic Underwater Test and Evaluation Center site at Andros Island, Bahamas. The submarine worked herself free after several hours and returned to New London, CT, on the surface for repairs. 1983 - PCU HYMAN G. RICKOVER (SSN-709) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT. 2001 - USS GREENEVILLE (SSN-772) grounded in the channel leading into Saipan Harbor. CDR David Bogdan, who assumed command of GREENEVILLE after Scott Waddle, was taken before an Admiral's Mast, along with several of his officers. Bogdan was then relieved of command of GREENEVILLE. His executive officer, LCDR Gerald Pfeifer, received a letter of 26

reprimand; he was second in command when GREENEVILLE collided with the Ehime Maru Feb. 9, 2001. August 28 1939 - PCU TROUT (SS-202) keel laid as TROUT at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME. 1943 - PCU DORADO (SS-248) commissioned USS DORADO (SS-248) at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT; Lieutenant Commander E. C. Schneider commanding. 1944 - PCU BLUEBACK (SS-326) commissioned USS BLUEBACK (SS-326) at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT. 1946 - USS SKIPJACK (SS-184) decommissioned. 1993 - PCU TOLEDO (SSN-769) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. August 29 1916 - the revolutionary and hotly contested Appropriations Act of 1916 created the Council of National Defense to take stock of domestic industrial capability to wage war. The Navy began building ships and submarines in much larger numbers; Congress specifically included a provision in the bill to construct thirty new submarines. Ex-A-1 (ex-PLUNGER) (SS-2) authorized as an experimental target, designated "Target E" but later sold for scrapping. 1921 - USS G-1 (ex-SEAL) (SS-19½) struck from the Naval Vessel Register. 1941 - PCU KINGFISH (SS-234) keel laid as KINGFISH at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH. 1943 - USS POMPANO (SS-181) was never heard from again after leaving Midway on 20 August 1943 to start her seventh war patrol. Her orders were to patrol off the east coast of Honshu from about 29 August to sunset of 27 September 1943, and then to return to Pearl Harbor for refit, stopping at Midway en route for fuel. When no transmission was received from her, especially just prior to her expected arrival at Midway on 5 October, word was sent from Pearl to keep a sharp lookout for her. By 15 October, all hope was abandoned, and POMPANO was reported as presumed lost in enemy waters. Japanese information available now shows no attack which could conceivably have been directed towards POMPANO. On 6 September POMPANO was informed by dispatch that the area to the north of her own was open. Since that area was considered more productive for sinkings than the one she was in, it is quite possible that she moved into it. Both the area between Honshu and Hokkaido, and the one east of northern Honshu are known to have been heavily mined by the enemy, with the greatest concentration of mines in the northern area. In view of the evidence given, it is considered probable that POMPANO met her end by an unreported attack. Seventy-seven men perished with her that day. She was the seventeenth U.S. submarine loss of World War II. POMPANO received seven battle stars for service in World War II. PCU GUAVINA (SS-362) launched at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. 1945 - USS S-48 (SS-159) third and final decommisssioning at Philadelphia, PA. 1946 - USS PILOTFISH (SS-386) decommissioned. August 30 1905 - PCU CUTTLEFISH (later B-2) (SS-11) keel laid as CUTTLEFISH at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA. 1917 - PCU L-8 (SS-48) commissioned USS L-8 at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Lt. J. Parker, Jr., commanding. 1943 - PCU BANG (SS-385) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. 27

R. W. Neblett. PCU PILOTFISH (SS-386) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. 1944 - PCU THREADFIN (SS-410) commissioned USS THREADFIN (SS-410) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Comdr. John J. Foote commanding. 1958 - PCU GROWLER (SSG-577) commissioned USS GROWLER (SSG-577) at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME. 1990 - Ex-DANIEL WEBSTER (SSBN-626) stricken; to be disposed of, retain as a submarine Moored Training Ship. 1999 - Ex-ANDREW JACKSON (SSBN-619) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. August 31 1916 - PCU L-6 (SS-45) launched at Craig Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, CA; sponsored by Mrs. William R. Monroe. 1943 - PCU REDFIN (SS-272) commissioned USS REDFIN (SS-272) at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, WI; Lt. Comdr. R. D. King comanding. 1967 - USS SIMON BOLIVAR (SSBN-641), armed with Polaris missiles, collided with the USS Betelgeuse (T-AK-260) when practicing a torpedo attack 70 miles southeast of Charleston, SC. No one was hurt but SIMON BOLIVAR suffered about $1 million damage to her periscope and communications antennae. Betelgeuse suffered a hole in her hull. The Navy told a press conference that the missiles aboard SIMON BOLIVAR were not armed and there was no danger of explosion or nuclear radiation. The missiles were undamaged the Navy emphasized. SIMON BOLIVAR surfaced and the crew cut away a 4 foot high, 15 foot long section of the conning tower so the submarine could proceed to port. 1997 - Ex-PATRICK HENRY (SSBN/SSN-599) disposition complete by Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (NPSSRP) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.

Reference: http://www.esryle.com/coblinks/tdish/index.htm

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Commodore

The Dutch invented the rank about 1652 during one of their naval wars with England. They found they needed officers to command squadrons but did not want to create more , perhaps to avoid paying Admirals' salaries. A Commodore's pay was only about half that of an Admiral. The word comes from comendador , which means "having command over others" and might be of French or Spanish origin. The Dutch leader William of Orange introduced the rank to the British navy after he became King William III of England in 1689. Sometime later the British merchant marine began calling the senior officer of a merchant fleet Commodore. The Dutch also used the broad command pennant, a wide swallow-tailed pennant, that has become identified with Commodores in many navies, merchant fleets and yacht clubs.

Our Navy used Commodore as an honorary title from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War for Captains commanding two or more ships operating together or had other significant additional responsibilities.

In 1862 Commodore became an official rank and the Navy promoted 18 Captains. They wore the single star on their epaulettes. In 1866 they began wearing the two-inch stripe on their sleeve cuffs. The broad stripe was inspired by the Commodore's broad pennant and, in effect, transferred it from his ship's masthead to his sleeve, a practice also adopted by many other navies and yacht clubs.

Commodore was a command rank in our Navy from 1862 to 1899. After that it was a rank to which Captains who had served in the Civil War were retired. The rank was reestablished on 9 April 1943 for World War II service, and 147 officers held it as a temporary rank. After the war the flag rank structure reverted to its prewar form. By 1 January 1950, no commodores remained on active duty.

When the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) became law in 1982, O-7 officers were designated commodore admirals. The Navy selected 38 Captains to wear the broad stripe and single star. In 1983 the Defense Authorization bill changed the title to commodore. With President Reagan's signature on the Fiscal year 1986 Defense Authorization bill, O-7 officer were again called rear admiral (lower half).

Reference: http://www.history.navy.mil/trivia/trivia04.htm 29

Randy Browning , Allen “Buzz” Danielson , D. W. Eggleston , Julian Galloway , George “Scram” Kokolis, Bob Miller, Mark Morgan, Jim Null , Tom O’Brien , Tom Paige , Ted R. Schneeberg, Jim “Snake” Stark , Brian Steffen and Thomas N. Thompson participated in the Lexington County Peach Festival in Gilbert

Was good to see Mark Basnight up and about at the parade as well!!!

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by Bob 'Dex' Armstrong

Someday, the submarine force will find a leader who will have the insight to recognize the wisdom of returning a lot of the lighthearted tradition and give back some of the little things that meant so much to the old tattered foul weather jacket and raggedy dungaree force. A good beginning would be to return the tradition of never pinning Dolphins on a dry shirt. It was a good tradition…Oh yes, I know the arguments against the tradition… Safety… Unecessary risk. In the world of grown men… Adult, red-blooded bluejackets, that rationale is pure bullshit. The foundation of all military service is risk… The acceptance of risk in selfless service to one's nation. Tossing a lad into the ocean he lives in, involves minimal risk. Hell, strap a lifejacket on the lad. The honor of this baptismal ritual and the effect it had on a man's personal pride and his entry to ship's company and the fellowship of proven submariners, far outweighs the risk. If you want boatsailors to reenlist… To remain for career service… You must give them back the cocky pride that once was ingrained in the men who wore cloth Dolphins just above the cuff of their right sleeve.

That can be done… It would take one hell of a force commander but it could be done. First, de-emphasize all the personal benefits of specialized training as enticements to retain boatsailors and instead emphasize the brotherhood of undersea service. Riding heavy steel under the sea is the common denominator… Being taken in to that brotherhood used to be all that mattered. Wearing 'twin fish' over your pocket meant that you measured up… They marked you as a man apart… An accepted part of a very elite Naval Force… They made you special.

In the old days before the wholesale proliferation of all the meaningless bullshit pocket hardware that the Department of Defense uses as bribes to make kids appear to be warriors… The golden calf icons of mediocrity that get handed out like Crackerjack prizes that mean nothing… The lads of today know in their hearts that they risked nothing, dared nothing and sacrificed nothing for 90% of the meaningless chest jewelry they wear. Quit treating men like children and handing out toy horsecrap. All that the men of yesterday required was the privilege of serving in submarines.

There is something wrong with a military force where peacetime junior enlisted personnel wear more ribbons than a field grade officer who fought from North Africa to the Rhine. It is a silent insult devised and perpetuated by small-bore command leadership to diminish the deeds of the giants of what Tom Brokaw has termed 'The Greatest Generation'. The desk bound public relation hacks have missed the mark. By inflating awards and turning American decorations to ticket punch milestones, everyone got shortchanged and brave men whose valor was rewarded with the decorations that have become travel souvenirs, got their pockets picked by the feather-merchants who piss on the tradition of hard men who rode armed ships in defense of what they believe in.

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Let sailors go back to crushing wings in their goddam white hats. Who in God's name came up with that toilet bowl roll white hat crap? They ought to find them and hang all of them up by their heels.

I see ships returning from overseas deployment and the bluejackets lining the rail looking like the navy has parked bidets on everyone's head… Give the lads back that seagoing cocky crushed white hat… The one worn by men that threw heavy ordinance, went in harms' way and won wars.

The world once witnessed proud American sailors rolling down streets in foreign ports with white hats rakishly cocked over one eye with a set of characteristic wings… His wallet clamshelled in his waistband and his pack of Luckies tucked in his sock. The brass will puff themselves up like a mating barn owl and say, "The United States Naval uniform is not meant to be a vehicle for personal expression and individual affectation."

Horseshit.

It used to be. It set us apart from the chickenshit regulation of the other robot handpuppet forces. Sailors never took a pee by the numbers or spent a whole helluva lot of time memorizing Rockettes routines. It was a force of extremely proud, highly competent individuals who took pride in buying tailormades and looking like a damn sailor was supposed to look.

You've gotta ease up on the lads today… Give them back that means of self identification. The poor bastards look like some toy manufacturers idea of what a sailor should look like or what some fashion designers imagined our navy should be wearing. Navy leadership should remove anyone from influencing naval uniforms who never woke up in a stretched canvas rack six hundred plus nautical miles from the nearest deep water port. Any idiot who never wore snug-nut skivvies and thirteen-button bell bottoms shouldn't be allowed within ten miles of any decision on raghat uniforms.

Next, you must reconnect present-day submarine sailors with their heritage. I have talked with a number of lads riding today's technological marvels. Most of them feel no connection with any non-uranium powered .

We were fortunate. We shared mess tables with the boatsailors who rode boats under Lockwood, skippered by the meateaters that destroyed more enemy ships than any American sub sailors before… Or since. They handed us our heritage… Our birthright as submarine sailors. In those days heritage was passed from the barnacle encrusted bastards to the next generation in sea stories told over coffee.

That can't be done today…

The old 'Dead air and seven knot submerged' bastards are gone. There are no more pre E-8 and E-9 red hashmark Chiefs… No guys who listened to fifty pound TNT packages detonate and bust up crockery, gauge faces and hull packing. They are history… Rickover relegated the sonuvabitches to the pier dumpster for obsolete gear.

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I know that the lads who make up the crews of those two hundred yard, high speed automated undersea luxury liners look on smokeboat sailors as Neanderthal relics, but like it or not, they are links in the hundred year chain of submarine history.

Some submarine force commander is going to wake up one day and have the spiritual revelation required to give our submarine history to our fine sailors of today. You say, "How in hell could THAT be accomplished?"

Simple really… The History of the force exists in books… Film… Logs, records, diaries and in the graying heads of the men who lived it. The men whose deeds gave us our proud legacy. With minimal expenditure and use of limited manpower resources, the United States Submarine Force could prepare a series of underway lectures… After chow… Talks to be read by junior officers when the boat is underway. A gentleman by the name of Theodore Roscoe wrote a book about Submarine Operations of World War II . Simply reading from that book would connect today's submariners to a very important part… The most important era in our history. The book should be a part of every boat's library the day she's launched. They spend zillions on subs, so a fifty to sixty dollar book that can be obtained from The U.S. Naval Institute in Annapolis shouldn't knock a helluva dent in the developmental piggy bank… The return on investment would be measured in improved pride, elevated morale and warrior spirit. We diesel boat sailors had little or nothing in comparison to today's crew comforts taken for granted by today's submariners. But we had deep pride in what we were a part of. We didn't share our boats with follow-on crews. We were the boat. We owned our hull number… Every bolt, rivet and packing gland… And every rust stain that ran down our superstructure. Let us pray that some saltwater admiral turns up someday with a set of deep submergence cajones and sends the word to every boat in the force to the effect that all this Top Gun, Navy SEAL horseshit is about to take a backseat to the tough seagoing bastards that make up the community of undersea sharks. He is going to elevate the visibility of the U.S. Submariner to the point where eight-year old boys want to grow up and get on a bus to New London. Hey, I'm just an old worn-out E-3. Nobody in possession of his right mind would listen to an After Battery Rat… But if I was SUBPAC or SUBLANT,I would (a) find out what Art Smith, Ron "Warshot" Smith, Roy Ator and Capt. Slade Cutter eat for breakfast and serve it every morning and (b) I would buy Tommy Cox and Bobby Reeds's 'Brothers of The Dolphin' CD and play the damn thing every morning on every boat in the fleet until every lad knew the words by heart… And could sing it in any bar on the globe. And I would play that song at 0600 every morning at New London at a decibel level over outdoor speakers that would knock every sonuvabitch at the Coast Guard Academy out of his rack. Hell, I would have noise pollution guys from the E.P.A. skydiving on the base with tiger nets.

That is one of the many reasons that the people up forward rarely sought advice from idiots aft.

But seriously… The boatservice became a dysfunctional family when Rickover's boys started considering the gravel gut service to be 'The other side of the tracks". Officers never saw that, but we sure as hell did.

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We can change that… All we have to do is do what raghats do best. Look on each other as shipmates and take back our deeply meaningful history and tradition that link us in the tightest brotherhood ever created. If you wore Dolphins 'once upon a time', then join the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (click on the link) and show your support for the lads riding steel ships under the sea in selfless sacrifice in defense of this fine nation.

They are our legacy .

www.ussvi.org

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======NEWS-01: Convention Reservations. Submitted by: James A Fox on 7/27/2011 ------Shipmates,

It seems some of you have encountered a problem when trying to make online reservations with the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield who is the host hotel for our 2011 convention. This error with their website has been corrected, so please try again if you had a problem previously.

Look forward to seeing you in September. https://reservations.ihotelier.com/crs/g_reservation.cfm?groupID=510883&hotelID=17728

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September 2011 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 USS S-5 (SS-110) in Lonnie Franklin 1920

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 USS Grayling (SS-209) in 1943

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Bob Miller

Mark Morgan

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Base Meeting at Arnold Kirk O’Charley’s: 1800 Social 1900 Dinner

25 26 27 28 29 30 USS S-51 (SS-162) USS Cisco (SS-290) in 1925 in 1943

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USS Bullhead (SS-332)

Lost on: Lost on August 6, 1945 with the loss of 84 crew members in the Lombok Strait while on her 3rd war patrol when sunk by a dropped by 8/6/1945 a Japanese Army p lane. Bullhead was the last submarine lost during WWII.

NavSource.org

US Navy Official Photo

Class: SS 285 Commissioned: 12/4/1944 Launched: 7/16/1944 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 312 , : 27 #Officers: 10 , #Enlisted: 71 Fate: U. S. and British submarines operating in the vicinity were unable to

NavSource.org contact Bullhead and it was presumed that she was sunk during Japanese antisubmarine attacks. 84 men lost. Bullhead was the last boat lost in WWII.

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USS Flier (SS-250)

Lost on August 13, 1944, with the loss of 80 crew members while on her 2nd war patrol. Flier was transiting on the surface when she was rocked by Lost on: a massive explosion (probably a mine) and sank within less than a minute. 8/13/1944 13 survivors, some injured, made it into the water and swam to shore. 8 survived and 6 days later friendly natives guided them to a Coast Watcher and they were evacuated by the USS Redfin.

US Navy Official Photo

BC Patch Class: SS 212 Commissioned: 10/18/1943 Launched: 7/11/1943 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 307 , Beam: 27 #Officers: 6, #Enlisted: 54 Fate: Flier was sunk by a mine in the South China Sea 12 Aug 1944. 78 men lost. 8 men survived, swimming

to shore. Numerous others made it NavSource.org out of the boat, but drowned.

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USS S-39 (SS-144)

Lost on: Lost on August 14, 1942 after grounding on a south while on her 3rd war patrol. The entire crew was able to get off and rescued by the HMAS 8/14/1942 Katoomba.

US Navy Official Photo

NavSource.org

Class: SS S Commissioned: 9/14/1923 Launched: 7/2/1919 Builder: Bethlehem Steel Co Length: 219 , Beam: 27 #Officers: 4, #Enlisted: 34 Fate: S-39 grounded on submerged rocks off Rossel Island and took on a 35° list to

NavSource.org port. The crew was rescued. The S-39 was abandonded and left to "break up" on the rocks.

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USS Harder (SS-257)

Lost on August 24, 1944 with the loss of 84 crew members from a depth Lost on: charge attack by a near Bataan while on her 6th war patrol. Harder had won a Presidential Unit Citation for her first 5 war patrols and 8/24/1944 CDR Dealey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. Harder is tied for 9th in the number of enemy ships sunk.

US Navy Official Photo NavSource.org Class: SS 212 Commissioned: 12/2/1942 Launched: 8/19/1942 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 312 , Beam: 27 #Officers: 6, #Enlisted: 54 Fate: Sunk by Japanese destroyer 24 Aug 1944. 79 men lost. CDR. Dealey, "a submariner's submariner," was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

NavSource.org Harder received six battle stars for World War II service.

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USS Cochino (SS-345)

Lost on August 26, 1949 after being jolted by a violent polar gale off Norway caused an electrical fire and battery explosion that generated Lost on: hydrogen and chlorine gasses. In extremely bad weather, men of Cochino and Tusk (SS-426) fought to save the submarine for 14 hours. After a 2nd 8/26/1949 battery explosion, Abandon Ship was ordered and Cochino sank. Tusk's crew rescued all of Cochino's men except for one civilian engineer. Six sailors from Tusk were lost during the rescue.

US Navy Official Photo Mike Smolinski

Class: SS 285 Commissioned: 8/25/1945 Launched: 4/20/1945 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 312 , Beam: 27 #Officers: 10 , #Enlisted: 71 Fate: Men of Cochino and Tusk(SS-426) fought to save the submarine for 14 hours, performing acts of skillful Official Navy Photo seamanship and high courage. But a second battery explosion made "Abandon Ship" the only possible order, and Cochino sank at 71°35' N., 23°35' E.

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USS Pompano (SS-181)

Lost on August 29, 1943 (between Aug 8 and Sept 27) with the loss of 76 men while on her 7th war patrol. Before being lost, she sank two enemy Lost on: cargo ships. The exact cause of her loss remains unknown, but she probably 8/29/1943 fell victim to a mine. This boat's last known ship sunk happened on Sept 25th, so she probably hit that mine on or after that date but before Oct 5th, when she was scheduled back at Midway.

Navy Photo / NavSource.com

BC Patch

Class: SS 172 Commissioned: 6/12/1937 Launched: 3/11/1937 Builder: Mare Island Navy Yard Length: 298 , Beam: 25 #Officers: 5, #Enlisted: 45 Fate: Sunk, probably by Japanese mines in the Western Pacific, Sept. 1943. 76 men lost

NavSource.org

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