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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Sealion (SS-315) (SSP-315) (ASSP-315) (APSS-315) (LPSS-315)

Radio Call Sign: November - Zulu - India - Mike

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons

Presidential Unit Citation

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 25 February 1943, at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 31 October 1943; Commissioned USS Sealion (SS-315), 8 March 1944; Decommissioned, 2 February 1946, San Francisco, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Converted to a Submarine Transport, at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA.; Recommissioned USS Sealion (SSP-315), 2 November 1948; Redesignated Transport Submarine (ASSP-315), 31 January 1950; Redesignated Submarine Transport (APSS-315), 24 October 1956; Decommissioned, 30 June 1960, at Portsmouth, NH; Recommissioned, 20 October 1961, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.; Reclassified Amphibious Transport Submarine, (LPSS-315) in January 1969; Decommissioned 20 February 1970, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, 15 March 1977; Final Disposition, sunk as a target off Newport, R.I., 8 July 1978. Sealion earned the Presidential Unit Citation and received five battle stars for her World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,242 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2kts; Operating Depth, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers, 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one 40mm gun, one 20mm gun, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four main generator engines, General Motors diesel engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity 118,000, four General Electric motors, HP 2,740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
53k	Launching of the Sealion (SS-315), at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., 31 October 1943.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
16k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the commissioning of the Sealion (SS-315), 8 March 1944.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
664k	Saved! British and Austrailian survivors of Japanese prison ship *Rakuyo Maru* , torpoded by Sealion (SS-315). Rescue was by *Sealion, Growler* (SS-215), Queenfish (SS-393), & Barb (SS-220).	Text courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI. Photo from NARA FILE #: 080-G-281718, Photo # HD-SN-99-02609, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center.
27k	British survivor of Japanese prison ship *Rakuyo Maru, torpoded by Sealion* (SS-315), is landed by submariners at Saipan. Brutalized P.O.W.'s cheered sinking.	Courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
39k	Survivors of Japanese prison ship *Rakuyo Maru, torpoded by Sealion* (SS-315), are treated for shock and exhaustion aboard one of the subs. Men were emaciated from overwork and starvation diet while in captivity. Four subs picked up 159-seven died en route home.	Courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
85k	By the end of WW II, conning towers were badly crowded. This drawing shows that of the Sealion (SS-315) in 1945. The two large open circles on the right are the hatches, up from the pressure hull (above) and up to the open bridge (below). Wartime additions included the third mast (for SD) passing through the conning tower to the left, and the radar scopes to the right of the torpedo data computer. The shaded circles indicate the location of the crew in the conning tower.	Drawing & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
53k	Sealion (SS-315), starboard side view, circa 1945.	USN Archive photo # USN-233598. Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
50k	Sealion (SS-315), starboard view underway, circa 1944-45.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
154k	Probable late war photo of the Sealion (SS-315) with Japanese ship kill flags flying from her mast.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
137k	Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. This photo is a Berthing list identifying the ships in the picture.	Photo commerating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
453k	Photo of the Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. Whether coincidental or on purpose, the number of boats in the photo is the same as that which were lost in WW II. From back to front and left to right, first group of 12 boats: Sandlance (SS-381) Tunny (SS-282) Aspro (SS-309) Lionfish (SS-298) Guvania (SS-362) Sunfish (SS-281) Macabi (SS-375) Gurnard (SS-254) Pampanito (SS-383) Mingo (SS-261) Guitarro (SS-363) Bashaw (SS-241) From back to front and left to right, second group of 12 boats: Sealion (SS-315) Hammerhead (SS-364) Bream (SS-243) Seahorse (SS-304) Tinosa (SS-283) Pintado (SS-387) Mapiro (SS-376) Pipefish (SS-388) Moray (SS-300) Batfish (SS-310) Hackleback (SS-295) Bluegill (SS-242) From back to front and left to right, third group of 12 boats: Hawkbill (SS-366) Menhaden (SS-377) Perch (SS-313) Loggerhead (SS-374) Barbero (SS-317) Baya (SS-318) Hardhead (SS-365) Spadefish (SS-411) Springer (SS-414) Devilfish (SS-292) Kraken (SS-370) Dragonet (SS-293) From back to front and left to right, fourth group of 12 boats: Lamprey (SS-372) Piranha (SS-389) Manta (SS-299) Pargo (SS-264) Rancador (SS-301) Archerfish (SS-311) Mero (SS-378) Sawfish (SS-276) Spot (SS-413) Lizardfish (SS-373) Jallao (SS-368) Icefish (SS-367) From back to front and left to right, last group of 4 boats: Steelhead (SS-280) Puffer (SS-268) Stickleback (SS-415) Trepang (SS-412) From back to front, Submarine Tenders group of 4 ships: Pelias (AS-14) Aegir (AS-23) Euryale (AS-22) Griffin (AS-13)	Photo commerating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
900k	Inactivated submarines at Mare Island on 3 January 1946. Front row left to right: Sand Lance (SS-381), next two could be Sealion (SS-315) and Seahorse (SS-304), Searaven (SS-196), Pampanito (SS-383), Gurnard (SS-254), Mingo (SS-261), Guitarro (SS-363), Bashaw (SS-241). Back row left to right: Unknown, Tunny (SS-282), next three could be Sargo (SS-188), Spearfish (SS-190), and Saury (SS-189), Macabi (SS-375), Sunfish (SS-281), Guavina (SS-362), Lionfish (SS-298),Piranha (SS-389). The Scabbardfish (SS-397) is docked in *ARD-11* on the other side of the causeway. The mixture of boats from the *Salmon/Sargo, Gato, and Balao classes* illustrate the clear differences in the conning tower fairwaters and the periscope shears that can be used to identify boats. The high bridges with the uncovered support frames (the "covered wagon" look) of the *Gatos* and *Salmon/Sargo's* contrast with the low and sleek look of the *Balao's. The fatter, more robust periscope shears of the Balao's* are markedly different from the thinner shears with more supporting structure of the *Gatos* and *Salmon/Sargo's. The differences in the pattern of the superstructure limber holes can also be used for identification purposes. The single row of large semi-circular holes indentify Electric Boat or Manitowoc boats. A dual row of smaller rectangular holes mark the government built boats. Also note that the EB/Manitowoc boats have the deck mounted, T-shaped JP sonar head on the starboard side of the forward deck, while the government boats have it on the port side. EB/Manitowoc boats had the anchor on the starboard side, the government boats on the port side. A close look will show that some of the boats have had the anchor removed and the hawsepipe plated over as part of the mothball process. Most of the boats have the late war radar outfit of the SJ surface search (small dish) and SV air search (large dish). The Balao's* and some of the *Gatos* have the SS dish mounted on a separate large mast aft of the periscopes. The older *Salmon/Sargo's* and *Gatos* have a much smaller mast. *Searaven* appears to have had her radars already removed. *Searaven* is actually sporting a late war SJ surface search antennae mounted to starboard of the periscopes. This is a rare installation. Most often it was mounted forward (early war) or aft (late war) of the 'scopes shears. Her air search set is a late war SD antennae mounted on a stub mast directly aft of the 'scopes. *Searaven* never received the much more capable SV air search set. Having been assigned to training duties after November, 1944 it was probably felt that the SV set was not necessary. One strange thing: almost all of the boats appear to have the outer doors of the forward torpedo tubes open. Even though the boats have an interlock system that prevents the breech and outer doors from being opened at the same time, this is an unusual thing to do and a potential source of catastrophic flooding.	U.S. Navy photo # 17-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Text courtesy of David Johnston, USNR.
197k	Sealion (APSS-315), portside view underway, circa post 1948.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
77k	Sealion (ASSP-315), circa 1950-56, place unknown with a "LVT hangar" abaft the conning tower.	Contributed by Tom Kermen, courtesy LCDR Calvin Raymond, USN Ret.
36k	Sealion (SS-315) starts to submerge to offload 3 rubber boat loads of marines for a recon mission.	USN photo courtesy of Stan Svec via April 1956 edition of All Hands Magazine.
36k	Submerged Sealion (SS-315) leaves combat equipped marines floating in rubber boats on surface.	USN photo courtesy of Stan Svec via April 1956 edition of All Hands Magazine.
103k	Submerged Sealion (SS-315) during exercises with Marine scouts of the 2nd Marine Division circa May 1956. Note the HRS/H-19 helicopter resting on the after deck; 5-inch/25 and 40mm guns are still carried. Shortly after this photo was taken the boat was reclassified *APSS-315*.	USN photo and text from The American Submarine by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst. Photo added 11/30/07.
77k	Sealion (APSS-315) off Little Creek, VA on 4 May 1956, with an *H-19 helicopter* on deck.	US Navy photo courtesy of Haze Gray and Underway.
68k	Sealion (APSS-315), underway, starboard side view, circa mid-late 50's.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
95k	Bow view of the Sealion (SS-315) at New London Ct. sometime before 1964.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
54k	Bow view of the Sealion (APSS-315), taken in floating drydock at sub base New London CT. in July 1978 before she was to be sunk as a target.	Courtesy of John Hummel. Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)
48k	Stern view of the Sealion (APSS-315), taken in floating drydock at sub base New London CT. in July 1978 before she was to be sunk as a target.	Courtesy of John Hummel. Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)