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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Perch (SS-176)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Kilo- Kilo

Perch Class Submarine: Laid down, 25 February 1935, at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 9 March 1936; Commissioned, USS Perch (SS-176), 19 November 1936; Final Disposition, scuttled 3 March 1942, between Java and Borneo on second patrol after depth charging by Japanese destroyer attacks; Struck from the Naval Register, 24 June 1942. Perch earned one battle star for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,330 t., Submerged: 1,997 t.; Length 300' 7" ; Beam 21' 5"; Draft 13' 10"; Maximum Depth 250'; Speed, Surfaced 19.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 5 Officers, 45 Enlisted; Armament, six 21" torpedo tubes, 18 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal machine guns, four .30 cal machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric, Winton diesel engines, HP 4300, fuel capacity, 92,801 gal., GE electric motors, HP 2366, battery cells 240, twin propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
30k	Perch Perca fluviatilis.	Courtesy of freshwater-fishing-guide.com.
60k	Perch (SS-176), off Groton, Connecticut, at the time of her completion, circa Fall 1936.	Photographed by her builder, the Electric Boat Company, courtesy of USNHC, photo # NH 42491.
48k	Perch (SS-176), off Groton, Connecticut, at the time of her completion, circa Fall 1936.	Photographed by her builder, the Electric Boat Company.
34k	Perch (SS-176), probably taken during her sea trials, circa Fall 1936.	Hyperwar US Navy in WWII.
52k	Perch (SS-176), silhouetted by the Sun, circa 1936-1937.	US Navy photo # NH 42898, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
64k	Perch (SS-176), in a harbor, circa 1936-1937.	US Navy photo # NH 42897, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
29k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Perch's (SS-176) launching, 1937.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
27k	Perch (SS-176), Jan. 10, 1937, at Portsmouth N.H.	Courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
21k	Commemorative postal cover marking the boats of the P-class (SS-176/81) first Navy Day, 27 October 1937; Perch (SS-176), Pickerel (SS-177), Permit (SS-178), Plunger (SS-179), Pollack (SS-180) & Pompano (SS-181).	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
63k	Oil on canvas painting by the artist Jim Christley entitled "Off To War". Although mismanaged and crippled with defective torpedoes, the boats such as this one of the Perch-class (SS-176/81) headed out to do battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy.	Photo & text courtesy of subart.net.
171k	Bow view of the S-34 (SS-139) tied up to wharf, taken in the mid to late 30's, probably in Pearl Harbor. The sub is getting a new battery. The new cells are loaded on the railcars to the right. The photo was dated by looking at the sub moored behind it. It is a fleet boat, and probably a *Pike/Permit* class. It is painted black, so that puts it in the later 1930's. Also, the *S-34's* skeg has been cut away as part of a safety and maintenance mod, and that was done in April, 1932. The *S-34* was stationed almost exclusively in the P.I. and Pearl until 1941. The mountainous background looks a lot like Pearl (although it may be Subic or Cavite).	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. Photo i.d. courtesy of David Johnston (USNR), Darryl Baker & John Hummel. Text i.d. courtesy of David Johnston (USNR) & Darryl Baker.
129k	Handwritten on the back reads: "This is the series of "P" Boats built in '38-'39; Pike (SS-173), Porpoise (SS-172), Permit (SS-178), Shark (SS-174) ,& Tarpon (SS-175). Picture was taken in San Diego - The *Pike* & *Porpoise* are the only ones afloat today." From left to right: *Shark, Permit, Perch, Porpoise, Tarpon* & *Pike*. "This Picture has been Officially released by the Navy Department."	USN photo courtesy of m.flickr.com via Bill Gonyo. Photo added 12/28/08.
43k	Commemorative postal cover marking Snapper (SS-185), Stingray (SS-186), Skipjack (SS-184), Plunger (SS-179), Cachalot (SS-170), Salmon (SS-182), Perch (SS-176) & Pollack (SS-180) participating in Fleet Problem XX, 28 January 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
59k	Panoramic photograph of Holland (AS-3) moored at Buoy 19, San Diego, CA, 1940, with eleven submarines alongside. Submarines are (from left to right): Salmon (SS-182); Seal (SS-183); Stingray (SS-186); Perch (SS-176); Pollack (SS-180); Cachalot (SS-170); Cuttlefish (SS-171); Skipjack (SS-184); Sturgeon (SS-187); Snapper (SS-185) and Sargo (SS-188). SS-182 through SS-187 were members of Submarine Division 15, commanded by R.W. Christie. Richmond (CL-9), flagship of the Commander Submarine Force, Pacific, is in the right distance.	US Navy photo # NH 68481, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of US Naval Institute, James C Fahey Collection.
97k	Six U.S. Navy submarines nested together, circa 1939-1941. Probably seen from Canopus (AS-9) in Manila Bay, Philippines. The inboard submarine is not identified. The others are (from left to right): Pike (SS-173); Tarpon (SS-175); Porpoise (SS-172); Perch (SS-176); and Permit (SS-178).	US Navy photo # NH 99672, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center. Collection of Jack L. Wheat, who served in *Canopus*.
58k	Color drawing of the *Fubuki* class Japanese destroyers *Ushio* and *Sazanami* which caused severe damage to the Perch (SS-176). Her crew later scuttled her to avoid boat's capture.	Courtesy of combinedfleet.com.
41k	In memory of the Perch (SS-176).	Courtesy of Tom Kermen.
27k	Map area showing the general area of Surabaya and the Island of Java, where the Perch (SS-176) was at the time of her loss.	Photo courtesy of sailwx.info.
22k	David Albert Hurt, Sr., Captain of the Perch (SS-176), at the time of her loss.	Courtesy of oneternalpatrol.com.
40k	View of the forward capstan of the Perch (SS-176), photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006 and his dive team of Vidar Skoglie, Dieter Kops, Mike Gadd, Craig Challen. The *Perch* was discovered and photographed in November 2006. A few photos can be seen on this page. For more pictures and a press release, please go to On Eternal Patrol	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
40k	View aft from the bow of the Perch (SS-176), photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
32k	RDF-Antenna of the Perch (SS-176), photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
56k	Perch's (SS-176) plaque photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
42k	Perch's (SS-176) Q-Gun-port photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
27k	Perch's (SS-176) Periscope-shears photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
32k	Aft-deck of the Perch (SS-176), photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
32k	Stern of the Perch (SS-176), photographed by Kevin Denlay, December 2006.	Courtesy of Charles R. Hinman, Director of Education & Outreach, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, & On Eternal Patrol.
117k	The wife of a World War II U.S. submarine veteran, tosses a flower into a reflecting pool to honor the memory of one of the 52 submarines lost during World War II at the National Submarine Memorial-West on board Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Calif. On this Veterans Day, the Submarine Veterans of World War II transferred ownership of the memorial to the U.S. Navy. The following text is from The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton., pg. 478. "Major Sullivan Bullen of Illinois was killed in the battle, and just before it he had written to his wife, Sarah, to tell her that he believed he was going to be killed and to express a tremulous faith that could see a gleam of light in the dark: "But O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and float unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you in the gladdest days and in the gloomiest nights, always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your chest it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait, for we shall meet again!"	U.S. Navy photo N-1159B-021 by Journalist 2nd Class Brian Brannon, courtesy of news.navy.mil.
141k	"Abandon Ship!" Perch (SS-176) in extremis. Mortally injured by depth charges, her hull maimed and leaking, her engines crippled, periscopes blinded, torpedo tubes paralayzed and deck gun frozen, she is trapped by approaching enemy. Her captain orders the crew overside and gives the word to scuttle. *Perch* is lost. In Memorium: In the Second Book of Shmuel (Samuel), 22nd chapter, 5th through the 20th verses, translated from the original in Hebrew and published by the Koren Publishers of Jerusalem, Israel, 1982, can perhaps aptly describe the fate of the crew and all other U.S. submariners who died defending their county: "When the waves of death compassed me / the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; / the bonds of She'ol encircled me; / the snares of death took me by surprise; / in my distress I called upon the Lord, / and cried to my G-D: / and he heard my voice out of his temple, / and my cry entered into his ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled; /the foundations of heaven moved / and shook because of his anger /...the heavy mass of waters, and thick clouds of the skies /... And the channels of the sea appeared, / the foundations of the world were laid bare, / at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast at the breath of his nostrils. / He sent from above, he took me; / he drew me out of many waters; / he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. / They surprised me in the day of my calamity: / but the Lord was my stay..."	Drawing by Lt. Cmdr. Fred Freemen, courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II",, published by USNI.