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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Trigger (SS-237)
Keel Laying - Commissioning

Radio Call Sign: November - Charlie - Charlie - Foxtrot

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Active Service - Loss
Post War

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is left to right
Presidential Unit Citation (3) - American Campaign Mdeal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (11)

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 February 1941, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Launched, 22 October 1941; Commissioned USS Trigger (SS-237), 30 January 1942; Lost to enemy action 28 March 1945, sunk by Japanese in East China Sea, all hands lost; Struck from the Naval Register, 11 July 1945. Trigger was awarded 3 Presidential Unit Citations and received 11 battle stars for her service in World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,410 t.; Length 311' 10"; Beam 27' 4"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 6 Officers 54 Enlisted; Maximum Operating Depth, 300 ft; Submerged Endurance, 48 hrs at 2 kts; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 dual purpose deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel- electric, four Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, HP 5400, fuel capacity 116,000 gal., four General Electric Co. electric motors, HP 2740, two 126 cell main storage batteries, twin screws.

Size	Image Description	Source
463k	Keel laying of the Trigger (SS-237), 1 February 1941, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
677k	Bow view showing the progress of the Silversides (SS-236) & the Trigger (SS-237) under construction at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 1 July 1941.	USN photo # 1381-41, courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
235k	The Silversides (SS-236) is half way down the ways during her launching at Mare Island Navy Yard on 26 Aug 1941. The Trigger (SS-237) can be seen on the building ways on the right.	U.S. Navy photo contributed by Darryl Baker.
175k	The Trigger (SS-237) is ready to be launched at Mare Island Navy Yard on 22 Oct 1941.	US Navy / Mare Island Navy Yard photo 2790-41, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
551k	The Trigger (SS-237) slides down the launching ways on 22 October 1941, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. The Sunfish (SS-281) is under construction to her port side and would be launched 2 May 1942. The ship under construction to *Sunfish's* port side is the Submarine Tender Sperry (AS-12), she would be launched on 17 December 1941.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945. Photo i.d. courtesy of Fred Tannenbaum & Darryl L. Baker.
266k	The Trigger (SS-237) all ablaze with bunting following her launching, 22 October 1941, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.	USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
182k	Postal cover marking the launching of the Trigger (SS-237) on 22 Oct 1941 at Mare Island.	Courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
28k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of Trigger's (SS-237) commissioning at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 31 January 1942.	USN photo # 1381-41, courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole, K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.
28k	First day postal service aboard the Trigger (SS-237), 2 Feb 1942.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
72k	Trigger (SS-237) underway of Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 6 April 1942.	US Navy photo (Mare Island Navy Yard photo 1748-42), courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
42k	Original bridge design for early fleet-type boats is shown in this 6 April 1942 view of Trigger (SS-237) underway of Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA. Original 3"/50 deck gun proved too light for surface targets.	Courtesy of Leeward Publications Ships Data #4, USS Bowfin, submitted by Aryeh (Lee) Wetherhorn.