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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive


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Sturgeon (SS-187)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Romeo - Quebec
Salmon Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 October 1936, launched on 15 March 1938; sponsored by Mrs. Charles S. Freeman; Commissioned, USS Sturgeon (SS-187), 25 June 1938; Decommissioned, 15 November 1945, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 30 March 1948; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 June 1948, to Interstate Metals Corp., New York, NY. Sturgeon earned ten battle stars for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,449 t., Submerged: 2,198 t.; Length 308' ; Beam 26' 1"; Draft 14' 2"; Speed, Surfaced 21 kts, Submerged 9 kts; Complement 5 Officers 50 Enlisted; Armament, eight 21" torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 caliber machine guns, two .30 caliber machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric, four Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co. diesel engines, (replaced in 1943-1944 with four General Motors 278A diesel engines), 5,500 hp, Fuel Capacity, 96,025 gals. four Elliot Motor Co. electric motors, 3,300 hp, Battery Cells 252, twin propellers.
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Sturgeon1.7kGeneral view of the launching arrangements, bow view of the Sturgeon (SS-187) at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 March 1938.USN photo # 254-38 courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Photo added 05/27/11.
Sturgeon1.5kThe launching ways clock says it is 13:45 as the Sturgeon (SS-187) begins her slide down into the waters at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 March 1938.
Note the chains piled up wayside. 		Text i.d. courtesy of John Hart.
USN photo # 243-38 courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Photo added 05/27/11.
Sturgeon79k Sturgeon (SS-187), sliding down the launching ways at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 March 1938. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Sturgeon1.7kSturgeon (SS-187) in the Mare Island channel after her launching on 15 March 1938.USN photo # 274-38 courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Photo added 05/27/11.
Sturgeon89kPostal cover of her launching.Photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Photo added 05/27/11.
Sturgeon37k Commemorative postal cover marking Sturgeon's (SS-187) commissioning, 25 June 1938.Courtesy of of Jack Treutle.
Sturgeon37k Commemorative postal cover marking Sturgeon's (SS-187) launching, 8 November 1938.Courtesy of of Jack Treutle.
Sturgeon29k Sturgeon (SS-187), at Mare Island, California, 22 August 1938.Courtesy of John Hummel.
Sturgeon167k Commissioning postal cover for the Sturgeon (SS-187), 25 June 1938.Courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sturgeon21k Commemorative postal cover marking Sturgeon's (SS-187) shakedown cruise, 8 November 1938.Courtesy of of Jack Treutle.
Seal 60k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of Navy Day 1938 honoring the six Salmon-class (SS-182-187) submarines:
Salmon (SS-182)
Seal (SS-183),
Skipjack (SS-184)
Snapper (SS-185)
Stingray (SS-186) &
Sturgeon (SS-187). 		US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
186, 183,182 & 187110k Stingray (SS-186) foreground operating in formation with other submarines, during Battle Force exercises, circa 1939. The other three submarines are (from left to right): Seal (SS-183); Salmon (SS-182) and Sturgeon (SS-187).U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 77086. Collection of Vice Admiral George C. Dyer, USN (Retired).
186, 183,182 & 187110k Stingray (SS-186) submerging in formation with other submarines, during Battle Force exercises, circa 1939.Sturgeon (SS-187) is immediately beyond Stingray (SS-186), with the wakes further in the distance probably belonging to Seal (SS-183) and Salmon (SS-182). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 77089. Collection of Vice Admiral George C. Dyer, USN (Retired).
186, 183,182 & 187107k Stingray (SS-186) submerging in formation with other submarines, during Battle Force exercises, circa 1939. The other three submarines are (from left to right): Seal (SS-183); Salmon (SS-182) and Sturgeon (SS-187). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 98985. Collection of Vice Admiral George C. Dyer, USN (Retired).
Sturgeon137k Postal cover marking the 1st birthday of the Sturgeon (SS-187), 25 June 1939.Courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
AS 3 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.
Sturgeon29kCommemorative postal cover photo of the Sturgeon (SS-187), 15 Jan. 1941.USN photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Sturgeon67kOn 1st July 1942, the Sturgeon (SS-187) (Lt. Cdr Wright) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport Montevideo Maru about 65 miles west of Cape Bojeador, Luzon, 18°37'N, 119°29'E.
Unbeknown to the submariners, Montevideo Maru was transporting 1,050 Allied POW's (845 PW and 208 civilians) who were embarked at Rabaul, New Britain) to Hainan Island. There were no survivors from the allied POW's, only a few of the Japanese crew survived. 		Text courtesy of Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in WWII by R. J. Cressman via wrecksite.eu.
Map image courtesy of Google Earth. Photo courtesy of wrecksite.eu.
Sturgeon382kCivillian workmen aboard the Sturgeon (SS-187) discuss the what's to be's during the boat's refit at Mare Island on 23 April 1943. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sturgeon506kOOD on the stern and a sailor near the 3"/50 deck gun are all the military that can be seen in this photo as civillian yardmen aboard the Sturgeon (SS-187) discuss the boat's refitting at Mare Island on 23 April 1943. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sturgeon213kFull length view of the Sturgeon (SS-187) dockside on 3 May 1943. USN photo # MI-3240-43 courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sturgeon53k Sturgeon (SS-187), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 3 May 1943.USN photo.
Sturgeon64k Sturgeon (SS-187), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 3 May 1943. Note the barrage balloon in the right background.
A platform has been built out forward of the old bridge fairwater to take a 20-mm cannon, and two gun access trunks have been built into it to serve the 3 in/50 mount moved forward. The top of the old enclosed bridge has been removed and a venturi added atop it to shield a new open bridge. The fairing around the periscope shears has been removed. 		Partial text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 99230, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Sturgeon66kPort side view of Sturgeon (SS-187), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 3 May 1943. Photograph # 19-N-46400, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
Sturgeon96kSturgeon (SS-187), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 3 May 1943. Ship in the left center distance is probably Bushnell (AS-15), which was then completing her post-commissioning outfitting. Photograph # NH 99231, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives / U.S. Naval Historical Center.
Sturgeon86k Stern view of the Sturgeon (SS-187), off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 3 May 1943.Photograph # NH 99232, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives / U.S. Naval Historical Center.
Sturgeon97k At the Hunters Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California, 23 April 1943, following overhaul. White outlines mark recent alterations, among them the relocation of Sturgeon's (SS-187), 3"/50 deck gun, installation of watertight ready service ammunition lockers in her sail, and fitting of 20mm machine guns. Note the large concrete weight on deck, indicating that Sturgeon was then undergoing an inclining experiment to check her stability. Photograph # 19-N-46405, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives / U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
Sturgeon131k At the Hunters Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California, 23 April 1943, following overhaul. White outlines mark recent alterations. Note the weights on Sturgeon's (SS-187) deck, indicating that she was then undergoing an inclining experiment to check her stability. Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 99233, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Sturgeon54kView of Sturgeon (SS-187), conning tower while at South Boston Navy Yard, circa 15 Nov 1945 to 4 Feb 1946. Photo by Vincent Grobbel, BM1, USCG, USS Davenport (PF-69), courtesy of Mike Grobbel.
Sturgeon100kClose up of Sturgeon (SS-187), conning tower kill flags, while at South Boston Navy Yard, circa 15 Nov 1945 to 4 Feb 1946. Notice the parachute markings which probably indicated successful downed pilot recovery's. Photo by Vincent Grobbel, BM1, USCG, USS Davenport (PF-69), courtesy of Mike Grobbel.
Sturgeon47kClose up of Sturgeon (SS-187), conning tower showing the "Virgin Sturgeon" artwork and the battle ribbons on the front of the conn, while at South Boston Navy Yard, circa 15 Nov 1945 to 4 Feb 1946. Photo by Vincent Grobbel, BM1, USCG, USS Davenport (PF-69), courtesy of Mike Grobbel.
View the Sturgeon (SS-187)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
PigBoats.COM TM, a Historic Look at Submarines
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