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

Patch by Mike Smolinski

Swordfish (SS-193)

Radio Call Sign: November - Uniform - Delta - Golf

Sargo Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 October 1937, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Launched, 1 April 1939; Commissioned, USS Swordfish (SS-193), 22 July 1939; Final Disposition, sunk on 13th patrol off Okinawa in January 1945, victim of unknown causes, all hands lost; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown). Swordfish earned eight battle stars for World War II service.

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
70k	Commemorative postal cover marking the keel laying of Swordfish (SS-193), 27 October 1937.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
53k	The Program of Special Events to mark Navy Day, 27 October 1937, at Mare Island which included the laying of the keel of the submarine Swordfish (SS-193).	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
238k	Photo caption reads: Keel laying ceremonies. After remarks by Adm. C. J. Kempff, Mr. John T. Morrey (left - white arrow) & Mr. Henry J. Mitchell proceed to weld first section of keel of Swordfish (SS-193). Both men are in white coveralls. Mr. Morrey was Master Shipfitter and Mr. Mitchell was Master Outside Machine Shop, 27 Oct 1937.	USN photo # 1324-37,courtesy of Darryl Baker.
73k	Commemorative postal cover marking the keel laying of Swordfish (SS-193), 27 October 1937, launching 1 April 1939 and first day of postal service in commission, 25 July 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
80k	Swordfish (SS-193), sliding down the ways at her launching ceremony 1 April 1939, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.	Courtesy of the U.S. Navy.
163k	Swordfish (SS-193), ready for launching, at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 1 April 1939. This is the earliest known color Official Navy Photograph that can be precisely dated.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-K-13791, now in the collections of the National Archives.
283k	The Swordfish (SS-193) is seen going down the ways at Mare Island Navy Yard on 1 Apr 1939.	USN photo # 426-39, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
76k	Swordfish (SS-193), afloat immediately after launching, off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, on 1 April 1939. Note the tug assisting from alongside her port bow	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # 80-G-K-13792, now in the collections of the National Archives.
131k	Postal cover marking the launching of the Swordfish (SS-193) at Mare Island on 1 Apr 1939. Post mark from Pollack (SS-180).	Courtesy of Darryl Baker.
70k	Commemorative postal cover marking the commissioning of the Swordfish (SS-193), 22 July 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
175k	The official party aboard Swordfish's (SS-193) commissioning ceremony at Mare Island on 22 July 1939. From left to right are: Radm D. W. Bagley, Commandant Mare Island; unidentified woman; Lt Chester C. Smith, Commanding Officer; Miss Louise Shaw Hepburn, Sponsor; Miss Betty Lou Kaffman, Maid of Honor; unidentifed officer, and Capt. J. L. Kauffman, Captain of the Yard.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
88k	Clipping from the 22 July 1994 issue of Mare Island's newspaper the Grapevine showing the commissioning ceremony of the Swordfish (SS-193) at Mare Island on 22 July 1939. Brant (AM-24) is in the background).	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
64k	Commemorative postal cover marking the first deep dive of Swordfish (SS-193), 29 Sept 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
21k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the submarines Sargo (SS-188), Saury (SS-189), Spearfish (SS-190), Sculpin (SS-191), Squalus (SS-192) & Swordfish (SS-193) honoring Navy Day, 27 October 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
15k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Swordfish's (SS-193) shakedown cruise and ports of call, 23 Dec. 1939.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
10k	Swordfish (SS-193), underway, circa Dec. 1939.	US Navy photo courtesy of Hyperwar US Navy in WWII.
18k	Commemorative postal cover marking the Swordfish's (SS-193) shakedown cruise to Portland Oregon, 7 Jan. 1940.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
62k	U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London, Groton, Connecticut: Members of the 4th Command Class at the Submarine Base, February 1942. Those present are, bottom row left to right: Lieutenant Commander Mannert L. Abele; first command would be the Grunion (SS-216). He would be K.I.A. while commmanding the *Grunion, 30 July 1942. Lieutenant Commander Thomas B. Klakring; first command would be the Guardfish* (SS-217), Commander Karl G. Hensel, Officer in Charge; Lieutenant Commander George W. Patterson, Jr., Senior Assistant; and Lieutenant Commander Jesse L. Hull; first command would be the Finback (SS-230). Top row, left to right: Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Gilmore; first command would be the Growler (SS-215). He was postumously awarded the Medal of Honor after he was K.I.A. on the bridge of the *Growler, 7 February 1943. Lieutenant Commander Philip H. Ross; first command would be the Halibut* (SS-232), Lieutenant Commander Arthur H. Taylor; first command would be the Haddock (SS-231), Lieutenant Commander Albert C. Burrows; first command would be the Swordfish (SS-193) and Lieutenant Commander Leonard S. Mewhinney; first command would be the Saury (SS-189).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-88577, now in the collections of the National Archives. Courtesy of the USNHC.
113k	Bow on photo of Swordfish (SS-193) off Mare Island on 13 June 1943.	USN photo # 4352-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
78k	Swordfish (SS-193), underway off San Francisco, California, 13 June 1943. Photographed by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California.	Photograph # 19-N-51811, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
95k	Swordfish (SS-193), off San Francisco, California, 13 June 1943. Photographed by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California.	Photograph # NH 98514, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
78k	Swordfish (SS-193), off San Francisco, California, 13 June 1943. Photographed by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California.	USN photo.
117k	Swordfish (SS-193), at San Francisco, California, 13 June 1943, at the conclusion of an overhaul. Photographed by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Circles mark recent alterations, including a 3"/50 deck gun, platform and mounting for a 20mm gun, radio direction finder loop, signal lamp, radar antenna, and spreaders for a radio antenna.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 98515, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
144k	Swordfish (SS-193), at San Francisco, California, 13 June 1943, at the conclusion of an overhaul. Photographed by the Mare Island Navy Yard, California. Circles mark recent alterations, among them a mounting for a 20mm gun, and spreaders for radio antennas. Note that the submarine's hull number is outlined on the side of her conning tower.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 98516, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
138k	Swordfish (SS-193), entering Pearl Harbor, date unknown.	US Navy photo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
161k	*Coastal Defenses Vessel No. 8,(indicative of the class of Coastal Defenses Vessel,) No. 4, which may have sunk the Swordfish* (SS-193), according to Submarines Lost Through Enemy Action.	Photo courtesy of A. J. Watts, "Japanese Warships of World War II", submitted by Aryeh Wetterhorn.
21k	Map showing the general area where the Swordfish (SS-193) was believed to be at the time of her loss, near Yaku Island off Kyushu.	Photo courtesy of sailwx.info.
71k	Google Earth satellite photo of the Southern Kyushu area of Japan, where Swordfish (SS-193) last approximate position based during post-war debriefings. This position is thought to be the final resting place of the *Swordfish* and her crew.	View courtesy of Google Earth. Photo added 04/24/08.
74k	In memory of the Swordfish (SS-193).	Photo courtesy of Tom Kermen.
10k	Keats Edmund Montross, Commander (Commanding Officer) of the Swordfish (SS-193) at the time of her loss.	USN photo courtesy of oneternalpatrol.com.
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.
142k	Memorial to Swordfish (SS-193) at St. Paul, Minnesota, January 1967. It features a torpedo and has plaques on either side, one in memory of *Swordfish* crewmen lost with their submarine off Okinawa in January 1945. The other plaque memorializes the fifty-one other U.S. Navy submarines lost during World War II. The memorial was financed and built by the City Council, Minnesota Building Tradesmen and the Minnesota Viking Squadron of the U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II. 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 / He brought me forth also into a large place: / he delivered me because he delighted in me./"	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 42077, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.