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)
Loss & Rescue

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Delta - Zulu

To Additional Pages

Construction - Launching
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.

Size	Image Description	Source
125k	The Squalus (SS-192) hits the bottom of the ocean stern first off the coast of Portsmouth New Hampshire to rest in 240 feet of water. Thirty-three of the 59 crew members survived in the forward chambers of the submarine. This picture depicts the control room of the submarine and crew members desperately closing off water leaks.	US Naval Historical Center / "Moment of Impact" John Groth #1, Watercolor & ink, 1966 88-161-QS.
101k	Squalus (SS-192) crewmembers huddle around a lamp in the forward torpedo room awaiting rescue in cold conditions which resulted in some survivors suffering from exposure. However, no permanent adverse health effects were noted in survivors after the rescue.	US Naval Historical Center / "Sweating It Out" (Torpedo Room) John Groth #2, Watercolor & ink, 1966 88-161-QT.
85k	The rescue divers were indispensable in the rescue and subsequent salvage operation of the Squalus (SS-192), making a total of 648 deep-water tethered dives. They dived first to the wreck, where they anchored guide wires for the rescue bell to the escape hatch on the submarine. When the rescue bell became fouled on the 4th rescue trip, they attempted to unfoul the lines and get it to the surface. Each dive entailed considerable risk for the divers due to risk from the bends and "narcosis of the deep," a hallucinatory condition.	US Naval Historical Center / USS Squalus and Diver John Groth #4, Watercolor & ink, 1966 88-161-QV.
80k	On the 4th rescue dive of the McCann diving bell, the steel wire used to raise the bell to the surface became fouled. The bell was lowered to the ocean floor and divers sent down in an unsuccessful attempt to unfoul the wire. The bell was subsequently raised through the manipulation of bouyancy in the ballast tanks, and manual hauling to the surface.	US Naval Historical Center / USS Squalus and Diving Bell John Groth #7, Watercolor & ink, 1966 88-161-QY.
112k	1939 vintage photograph, which was widely used to represent Squalus (SS-192) at the time of her sinking in May of that year. This is actually a photo of Salmon (SS-182), retouched to change *Salmon's* side number (SS-1) to that of *Squalus* (SS-11). See Photo # NH 63417 for the original, unretouched image.	Photograph # NH 57510 from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
77k	Squalus (SS-192) Rescue Operations, May 1939. Wandank (AT-26), at left, and Falcon (ASR-2) moored over the sunken *Squalus* during rescue operations, circa 24 May 1939. The McCann Rescue Chamber, which brought 33 of the submarine's crewmen to safety, is visible on Falcon's (ASR-2) after deck.	Photograph # NH 57508 from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
118k	Squalus's (SS-192) Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Oliver F. Naquin (center, hatless, wearing khaki pants), with other survivors on board the Coast Guard Cutter *Harriet Lane*, bound for the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, following their rescue, 25 May 1939.	Photograph # NH 85832 from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
94k	Squalus (SS-192) Salvage pontoons near Falcon (ASR-2), during salvage operations on the sunken submarine, off the New Hampshire coast in the Summer of 1939.	Photograph # USN 1149032 from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
137k	McCann Rescue Chamber in the water alongside Falcon (ASR-2) during the rescue of 33 men still alive and trapped in the sunken submarine Squalus (SS-192), off the New Hampshire coast, circa 24-25 May 1939. The submarine sank when the main induction valve in the engine room stuck in the open position, flooding her after compartments when she submerged.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 97292, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
159k	McCann Rescue Chamber cutaway drawing of the device used to rescue 33 crewmen from the sunken submarine Squalus' (SS-192) in May 1939.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 97291, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
87k	U.S. Coast Guard Cutter *Harriet Lane* landing the first nine Squalus (SS-192) survivors at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, on 24 May 1939. Some of the surviors are visible in center, wrapped in blankets. They had been recovered from the sunken submarine by a McCann Rescue Chamber deployed from Falcon (ASR-2). *Squalus* had sunk in the Atlantic, off Portsmouth, on the previous day.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57505, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
68k	Scene on the after deck of Falcon (ASR-2) during the early stages of the salvage operations, 30 May 1939, showing congested conditions. View looks to port, with men assisting a diver toward the left. Officer behind them, in center, appears to be Commander Allan R. McCann. Photographed by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57501, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center & submitted by Bill Gonyo. Photo added 05/07/08.
115k	A salvage pontoon surfaces during an attempt to lift Squalus (SS-192) from the sea bottom off the New Hampshire coast, in the Summer of 1939. The bow of Falcon (ASR-2) is at the extreme left. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the pontoon visible here is probably the upper pontoon of the lifting lines attached to the sunken submarine's bow.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # USN 1149024, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
129k	A salvage pontoon surfaces during an attempt to lift Squalus (SS-192) from the sea bottom off the New Hampshire coast, in the Summer of 1939. The bow of Falcon (ASR-2) is at the extreme left. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the pontoon visible here is probably the upper pontoon of the lifting lines attached to the sunken submarine's bow.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # USN 1149027, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
125k	A salvage pontoon surfaces during an attempt to lift Squalus (SS-192) from the sea bottom off the New Hampshire coast, in the Summer of 1939. The bow of Falcon (ASR-2) is at the extreme left. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the pontoon visible here is probably the upper pontoon of the lifting lines attached to the sunken submarine's bow.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # USN 1149025, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
128k	Squalus' (SS-192) bow comes to the surface, during an attempt to lift her from the sea bottom off the New Hampshire coast, in the Summer of 1939. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the four salvage pontoons visible here are probably the two pontoons of the lifting lines attached to the submarine's bow, and the upper two pontoons of the stern lifting lines.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # USN 1149029, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
104k	Squalus' (SS-192) bow comes to the surface as personnel based on Falcon (ASR-2) struggle to refloat the sunken submarine, off the New Hampshire coast during the Summer of 1939. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the salvage pontoons nearby would include both bow line pontoons, plus the two upper pontoons on the stern lifting line. The ship's hull number ("192") is painted on her bow.	Photograph # USN 1149026, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives,courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
50k	Squalus' (SS-192) bow comes to the surface as personnel based on Falcon (ASR-2) struggle to refloat the sunken submarine, off the New Hampshire coast during the Summer of 1939. This appears to be the 13 July 1939 lift, in which *Squalus'* bow rose uncontrollably to the surface and then sank. If that is the case, the salvage pontoons nearby would include both bow line pontoons, plus the two upper pontoons on the stern lifting line. The ship's hull number ("192") is painted on her bow. The abortive surfacing wrecked 13,600 feet of air hoses running from the slavage ship to the pontoons to the ballast tanks of the submarine.	Photo & partial text from War Under The Pacific, by K.Wheeler, and submitted courtesy of Robert Hurst.
90k	Blowing of salvage pontoons to lift Squalus' (SS-192) off the sea bottom, 12 August 1939. Photographed by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine. Original photo is mis-identified as showing salvage of Sculpin (SS-191), which was present to support the operations, but was not the object of them.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 42382, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
68k	Air comes to the surface during blowing of salvage pontoons to lift Squalus (SS-192) off the sea bottom, 12 August 1939. There were separate groups of pontoons supporting the sunken submarine's bow and stern. Three pontoons were located at the top of the lift line in each location and surfaced during the 12 August lift. One more pontoon remained underwater on the bow line and three more on the stern line when this lift was completed. Photographed by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57898, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
59k	Salvage pontoons surfacing as they lift Squalus (SS-192) off the sea bottom, 12 August 1939. There were separate groups of pontoons supporting the sunken submarine's bow and stern. Three pontoons were located at the top of the lift line in each location and surfaced during the 12 August lift. One more pontoon remained underwater on the bow line and three more on the stern line when this lift was completed. Photographed by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57899, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
126k	Divers closing valves in salvage pontoons after Squalus (SS-192) had been lifted off the sea bottom, 12 August 1939. There were separate groups of pontoons supporting the sunken submarine's bow and stern. Three pontoons were located at the top of the lift line in each location, and came to the surface during the 12 August lift. One of these groups is seen here. After this lift, one more pontoon remained underwater on the bow line and three more on the stern line. Photographed by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57897, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.
90k	View taken from Falcon (ASR-2) on 12 August 1939, after Squalus (SS-192) had been lifted off the sea bottom and was being towed to shallower water, supported by salvage pontoons. Wandank (AT-26) and a smaller tug (probably Penacook YT-6) are towing, while *Falcon* acted as restraining ship. There are groups of three pontoons each visible on the surface at the submerged submarine's bow and stern. One more pontoon was underwater at the bow and three more at the stern.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 57509, courtesy of the US Naval Historical Center.