START OF REEL OPERATOR — Ws we [us DATE = THIS Peoraery Is THE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES "GOVERNMENT MiQROFILMED BY al DISTRICT WASHINGTONOfflee of Noval Records and Hietory Ships’ Hatories Seotion, Navy Department STORY OF USS SATLPISH (85 192), (ex-SQUALUS) the eel of the 21-feted SQUALUS (ator renamed SAILFISH), was jaid on 18 Ootober 1937 at the U, 3, Navy Yard, Portseou Shire. he Submarine e244 down the vara eleven onthe 1a: September 1930, sponscred by Mrs. Thomas C. Hart, wife of dept, UGA. Spo ves commissioned USS SqUALUS So-ig2 on 1 March ith’ Lieutenant Oliver #. Nequin, USM, ae firet conunding officer SQUALUS ves completely fitted out vy 12 May, and then commenced nor testing period. off Portamouth, After having’ made eientesn sue- cetsfel dives in the previous tests, valle operating off the rele of Shoals, the sub made & trial dive st O740 on 25 May, from viten she never fesovored. Dug to a mechanéeal failure, unsh caused the fod {ng of tha after section of the snip, SqUALUS vent to. the betton dettiing 240 feet beneath tho surfaes, end then commonced sending up suoke bonbe to the surface, signaling her distress jer sister ahtp, the avbmarine SCULPM, which nd becu alerted to, look for the missing sud in that ares, spotted ole of the vonbe at eM ane aarked the apot with @ graprel #ith a buoy attached Quickly, the whole nation waa alerted. Divers, salvage and sub- marine experts were Lmiediately dispstehed to the scene ef cho dia aster, Preliminary observations and Freparstions were made by a Navy Giver. At 1130 the folloving the day the newly developec rescue Ghaster yas lovared over the aide of the Uss FALCG! and at 1247 co {act was establiahed vith the entrapped crev. Ih four trips, the last one attended by great danger vecause of weakening of thevwines attached to the rescie chamber, a1 25 en 1h Uke‘Sup tne lived efter the ship mde her fateful dive, vere rescued. The fate of the remaining 26 submarinere vas determined by the fifth ang last trip of the ehatber to the bottom. The ‘diving bell” thts fine was avtached to the after section of the sub, vnien vas found tc be flooded, leaving no doubt that the wemalning 26 men, had Tertshes vith their’ ship: Rescue operations were secured at 2107 on 25 Nay 1939, and then eo suivege experte bagan the difficult and arduous task of Paising SQUALUS from euch yreat depth. The method used tn the salvage operations Involved the use of 01 sheatiied steel eylindricél pontoons vatch were to be attached to oablc pessed beneath the hull of the sub. Ghose pontoons vere submerged th iown out® thug furniehing SQUALUS with tho ad@ttiona: buoyancy necensary to raise her from the bottomss SAILPISH (55 192) ‘The salvage operations vere dogged with misfortune and new 4irti- culties sroae every day. On 12 August the subsarine veo raised 80 fect from the bottom, towed tvo miles, and then she struck an wicharte Pinnacle and grounded. Finelly on 13’septenor, SaUAllS rose from the agein piimgea. into the murky dapths. “'iovevex, tine very saae day the Geterained salvage crey agtin raised the sub ald thie tie they met. with success, that night, after laying on the ocean's floor fer 113 Saye, SOUALUS vas toves hone into tha Fortemouth Navy Yare, thus elf Baking the grueling salvage task seldom (if ever) paPalleled in the Havy's history. As the Black clouds of war had just thon burst over durops, the Navy heeded every shipyso 2t "wae decided to reaondition SullLUS. The Bub ves decomnisaioned on 15 Novenber 1939, ana aftor et ontne of extensive overiaul, she vas recommiseioned on 15 tay 1910, 22 SAULPIsH ($8192) ‘1th Lieutenant Commander H.C. Minna, irsy comsarding off teer Her refitting complete, SAILPISH held trial runs off Provencetoxn yavaachusetta, for theee Jase (17 to 20 September 1580) and or 16 January 19H] gho sailed to join the Pacific Fleet SAULPISH transitted the Panama Canal and following a refueling step on tho Weat Coast, proceeded to Foarl Harbor. Zhe aub. thon aailc to flanile, Philippine islands, were she operated vith Stmarines, Asiatic Ficet, until the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor At the outbreak of tue var (7 Decoaber 1941) SATIPISH vas at Mantia, and on the folloving say she steamed out of Msalia, en route to her First War Patrol along the vest coast of Luzon That night ene made her first con moay cargo ship, and the following night tvo more ships of azo type were consacted, Dut not_attaeked. At 0230 on 13 Deceaber contact waa made vith thres Nip destroyers, ang SAILPISH divea and. coumonced tracking.” At 0250, fining position attained, she fired a braze of torpedoes ae one of the enemy ehtpa, and scored & nit. Imediately diving deep, she rigaed for depth charge attack, vnieh was quickly forthcoming.” However, note 02 the" 20 charges drepped were close enough to cause serious cameo vany breaking-up noises vere heard, ivdicating that her target vas sinking, and then the sub clearea the area Four dsya later on 17 Decesber she returned to Manila, thus com- pleting her initial var patrel, having sunk one of tho fisst eneny Weranipe to be accounted for by the U. 8. Navy. Her refit completed, SAILPISH got underway from Mantla on 23 Decenber on Second Har Petrol. on the Zend after ploking her sy through the Bine fields, she aad contact vith = large Jap sub off Sabre Toland.” “However, the eneny quickly disappeared thte the depthe