Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster.
Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patches courtesy of Don McGrogan BMCS, USN (ret.)

Squalus / Sailfish (SS-192)
Construction - Launching

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Delta - Zulu
To Additional Pages

Loss & Rescue
Re-commissioning and WW II Service

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons


Presidential Unit Citation
Sargo Class Submarine: Laid down, 18 October 1937, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 14 September 1938; Commissioned, USS Squalus (SS-192), 1 March 1939; Sunk by mechanical failure, 23 May 1939; Refloated, 13 September 1939; Decommission, 15 November 1939, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Recommissioned, USS Sailfish (SS-192), 15 May 1940; Decommissioned, 27 October 1945; Struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1948; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 June 1948, to Luria Brothers, Philadelphia, PA. Sailfish was awarded nine battle stars for service in the Pacific and received the Presidential Unit Citation.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,400 t., Submerged: 2,350 t.; Length 310' 6" ; Beam 27' 1"; Draft 13' 8"; Speed, Surfaced 20 kts, Submerged 7.75 kts; Complement 5 Officers, 50 Enlisted; Maximum Depth Limit, 250'; Armament, eight 21" torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal machine guns, two .30 cal machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric engines, GE diesel engines, HP 5500, Fuel Capacity, 190,000 gals., GE motors, HP 2740, 252 battery cells. twin screws.
Click On Image
For Full Size Image		Size Image Description Source
Squalus 52k Squalus acanthias, one of the spiny sharks (dogfish sharks) scientifically known as Squalidal. Courtesy of photolib.noaa.gov via wikipedia.org.
Squalus 22k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the keel laying of the Squalus (SS-192), 18 October 1937, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.
 Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Squalus 147k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 7 January 1938. View looks aft, showing typical cross section of pressure hull and side tanks. Frame 41 lower structure is in the foreground, with Frame 46 upper hull structure beyond.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109864, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 152k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 7 January 1938. View looks forward, showing typical cross section of pressure hull and side tanks. Frame 155 lower structure is in the foreground, with Frame 145 upper hull structure beyond and Bulkhead 134 visible within the hull.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109863, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 144k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 7 April 1938. View looks aft, with forward torpedo tube supporting structure in the foreground.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109861, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 154k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 7 April 1938. View looks aft, with forward torpedo tube supporting structure in the foreground.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109862, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 139k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 5 July 1938. View looks aft with forward torpedo tube supporting structure in the lower foreground.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109865, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 136k Squalus (SS-192), under construction on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 5 July 1938. View looks forward from over the stern. US National Archives photo # 19-N-109866, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus - Sailfish 432k General view of the Squalus (SS-192) looking forward, prior to launching on the building ways at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, on 14 September 1938. US Navy photo # 448-39, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Photo added 08/13/10.
Squalus - Sailfish 273k The launching of the Squalus (SS-192), at 3;15 PM on 14 September 1938.
Photo courtesy of onr.navy.mil (Office of Naval Research) & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Squalus - Sailfish 273k Before berth photo: Tugs maneuvering the Squalus (SS-192) for docking at berth # 1 after launch on 14 September 1938. US Navy photo # 326-39, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Photo added 08/13/10.
Squalus - Sailfish 257k Before berth photo: Tugs maneuvering the Squalus (SS-192) for docking at berth # 1 after launch on 14 September 1938. US Navy photo # 326-39, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Photo added 08/13/10.
Squalus 15k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the launching of the Squalus (SS-192), 14 September 1938.
Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Squalus 43k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the launching of the Squalus (SS-192), 14 September 1938.
Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Squalus 78k Squalus (SS-192), fitting out, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 5 October 1938. This view looks forward from off the starboard quarter, with propeller guard and stern torpedo tube doors at left. YO-13 is in the left background.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109859, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 190k Squalus (SS-192), fitting out, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 5 October 1938.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109858, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 216k Squalus (SS-192), fitting out, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 7 January 1939.
US National Archives photo # 19-N-109860, from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the collections of the US Naval Archives.
Squalus 15k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the commissioning of the Squalus (SS-192), 1 March 1939.
Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
View the Squalus / Sailfish (SS-192)
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
On Eternal Patrol
Through the Looking Glass - A Historic Look at Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Submarine Index
Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster
This page is created by Gary Priolo and maintained by Michael Mohl
© 2012, Michael Mohl © 2012, NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.