Squalus anniversary

Arlo · 05-23-21, 08:19 AM

I'm sure most every member of SUBSIM knows the following (either in great detail or at least superficially) but it is the anniversary and as I learn more about the subject, I am amazed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 23 1939 - Was an amazing day in our Navy!! The Submarine USS SQUALUS (commissioned less than two months earlier) and her crew of 59 sunk in the Gulf of Maine. At a depth of only 60 feet something went terribly wrong in the engine room. Frantic voices from back aft came in over the battle phones "Take her up, Take her up NOW!!!" The main air induction valve had either opened or failed to close. Chief Electrician’s Mate Lawrence Gainor realized seawater was flowing into the aft battery room. Steam poured off the six-foot-high batteries and boiling acid rattled their caps. Gainor quickly grasped that the batteries were shorting out and would soon either ignite or explode. He crawled through a narrow opening to the switches and turned the first battery switch off, setting off a miniature lightning storm. Half blinded and sure he’d be electrocuted, he shut the other switch off just in time and entire sub blacked out.

Meanwhile in the operating compartment the CO ordered the closing of the water tight hatch between ops and the battery compartment an EM2 ignored that order and held the door open allowing eight men to get to safety before closing the hatch dooming those on the other side.

Elsewhere in the world at the Washington Navy Yard, LCDR Momsen's phone rang. Mr Momsen was a submarine rescue expert and head of the Experimental Diving Unit, one of his divers was just emerging from a pressure tank. It was the final test of a 10-year-series of tests using a mixture of helium and oxygen (Heliox) to avoid decompression sickness, or the bends.

LCDR Momsen scrambled his team together and headed North. The tender Falcon immediately got underway from Connecticut to transport the Momsen-McCann diving chamber (never before used in a rescue) to Maine.

Back on the SQUALUS in the dark and cold the crew took a quick count accounted for 33 of the ships crew. Ordered release of the rescue phone/buoy, sent oil out, as well as smoke. Another submarine near by saw the signals reached the buoy and briefly established coms with the sunken sub via the rescue phone before the cable was snapped. But the Navy now knew their were survivors 243 feet below the surface.

Over the next 39 hours four daring Navy Divers (William Badders, Orson L. Crandall, James H. McDonald, and John Mihalowski) took the experimental chamber down four times rescuing all 33 survivors. All four Drivers would later receive the Medal of Honor for their actions in saving the crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Squalus was eventually raised and the lost crew laid to rest. The boat was formally decommissioned on 15 November, renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940, and recommissioned on 15 May 1940*.

(via US Naval History Buffs on FB)

*(via Naval History and Heritage Command

Arlo · 05-23-21, 08:33 AM

Here is an even more detailed account from the same sources (posted on US Naval History Buffs by Paul T Garrett):

May 23, 1939 –. USS Squalus (SS-192), a US Sargo-class submarine, later renamed Sailfish began a series of test dives off Portsmouth, New Hampshire following a yard overhaul. After completing 18 dives, she went down again off the Isles of Shoals on the morning of 23 May at 42°53′N 70°37′W. Failure of the main induction valve (the means of letting in fresh air when on the surface) caused the flooding of the aft torpedo room, both engine rooms, and the crew's quarters, drowning 26 men immediately. Quick action by the crew prevented the other compartments from flooding. Squalus bottomed in 243 ft of water.

Squalus was initially located by her sister ship, Sculpin. The two submarines were able to communicate using a telephone marker buoy until the cable parted. Divers from the submarine rescue ship Falcon began rescue operations under the direction of the salvage and rescue expert Lieutenant Commander Charles B. "Swede" Momsen, using the new McCann Rescue Chamber. The Senior Medical Officer for the operations was Dr. Charles Wesley Shilling. Overseen by researcher Albert R. Behnke, the divers used recently developed heliox diving schedules and successfully avoided the cognitive impairment symptoms associated with such deep dives, thereby confirming Behnke's theory of nitrogen narcosis. The divers were able to rescue all 33 survivors on board (32 crew members and a civilian) the sunken submarine. Four enlisted divers, Chief Machinist's Mate William Badders, Chief Boatswain's Mate Orson L. Crandall, Chief Metalsmith James H. McDonald, and Chief Torpedoman John Mihalowski, were awarded the Medal of Honor for their work during the rescue and subsequent salvage. The successful rescue of the Squalus survivors is in marked contrast to the loss of Thetis in Liverpool Bay just a week later.

The navy authorities felt it important to raise her as she incorporated a succession of new design features. With a thorough investigation of why she sank, more confidence could be placed in the new construction, or alteration of existing designs could be undertaken when cheapest and most efficient to do so. Furthermore, given similar previous accidents in Sturgeon and Snapper (indeed, in S-5, as far back as 1920), it was necessary to determine a cause.

The salvage of Squalus was commanded by Rear Admiral Cyrus W. Cole, Commander of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, who supervised salvage officer Lieutenant Floyd A. Tusler from the Construction Corps. Tusler planned to lift the submarine in three stages to prevent it from rising too quickly, out of control, with one end up, in which case there would be a high likelihood of it sinking again. For 50 days, divers worked to pass cables underneath the submarine and attach pontoons for buoyancy. On 13 July 1939, the stern was raised successfully, but when the men attempted to free the bow from the hard blue clay, the vessel began to rise far too quickly, slipping its cables. Ascending vertically, the submarine broke the surface, and 30 feet (10 m) of the bow reached into the air for not more than ten seconds before she sank once again to the bottom. Momsen said of the mishap, "pontoons were smashed, hoses cut and I might add, hearts were broken." After 20 more days of preparation, with a radically redesigned pontoon and cable arrangement, the next lift was successful, as were two further operations. Squalus was towed into Portsmouth on 13 September and decommissioned on 15 November 1939. A total of 628 dives had been made in rescue and salvage operations.

The operational history of Sailfish

Renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940, she began reconditioning, repair, and overhaul. She was recommissioned on 15 May 1940 with a refit completed in mid-September. Sailfish departed Portsmouth on 16 January 1941 and headed for the Pacific. Transiting the Panama Canal, she arrived at Pearl Harbor in early March, after refueling at San Diego. The submarine then sailed west to Manila where she joined the Asiatic Fleet until the attack on Pearl Harbor.

During the Pacific War, the captain of the renamed ship issued standing orders if any man on the boat said the word "Squalus", he was to be marooned at the next port of call. This led to crew members referring to their ship as "Squailfish". That went over almost as well; a court-martial was threatened for anyone heard using it.

During 12 patrols in the Pacific, USS Sailfish earned the Presidential Unit Citation (for her 10th patrol), American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine battle stars, and World War II Victory Medal
After being decommissioned on 27 October 1945, efforts by the city of Portsmouth and area residents to have the submarine kept intact as a memorial were not successful. An agreement was reached to have her conning tower saved, which was dedicated in November 1946 on Armistice Day, by John L. Sullivan, then Under Secretary of the Navy. The remainder of the submarine was initially scheduled to be a target ship in the atomic bomb tests or sunk by conventional ordnance. However, she was placed on sale in March 1948 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1948. The hulk was sold for scrap to Luria Brothers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 18 June 1948. Her conning tower still stands at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery as a memorial to her lost crewmen (43°04′55.4″N 70°44′18.7″W).

Post Sources: Naval History and Heritage Command, Navsource, and Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sailfish_(SS-192)
Image:
(Original Caption) New York: Rescue Sketch. Artist's Conception Of Submarine Rescue.
Here is how an Artist sees the attempt to rescue the 59 men trapped aboard the U.S. submarine Squalus (SS-192) on the bottom of the sea 12 miles off Portsmouth, N.H. (A), the Falcon (ASR-2) submarine tender anchored above the sunken craft (😎, the telephone buoy with which the Squalus established contact with a sister ship. However, the communication line was severed before much information could be given. (C) a diver is shown descending on a platform in an attempt to close the faulty induction valve that caused the accident. If all other means fail crew members will leave their stricken craft and come to the surface, aided by Momsen's lung. A respirator-like device that enables them to breathe during the 240-foot ascent.

Arlo · 05-23-21, 02:34 PM

Here's a youtube link to movie "Submerged" - there's no cost and no requirement to download anything (I hate those).

(Yes, they seem to be portraying it as an S boat [at least externally] ... dunno why.)

Bubblehead1980 · 05-23-21, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arlo

Here's a youtube link to movie "Submerged" - there's no cost and no requirement to download anything (I hate those).

(Yes, they seem to be portraying it as an S boat [at least externally] ... dunno why.)

Interesting you posted this, I am watching it already lol. Like it thus far, even though as using a U boat and the interior is a U boat set as well but oh well. Actually, looked it up, it is a mock up of a S boat converted to appear as a U Boat, was used in the movie U -571.

propbeanie · 05-23-21, 08:11 PM

Yes, and bad acting and all, but what a story, eh? They embellished it a bit, but not much, and didn't really have to, from what I have read of it over the years. Thanks for the link Arlo!

Description: Secretary of the Navy Charles Edison presents Medals of Honor to four men for heroism during rescue and salvage operations following the accidental sinking of Squalus on 23 May 1939. The ceremonies took place at the Navy Department on 19 January 1940. The men are (from left to right): Chief Machinist's Mate William Badders; Chief Torpedoman John Mihalowski; Chief Boatswain's Mate Orson L. Crandall; and Chief Metalsmith James Harper McDonald. All were qualified as Divers. The Diver's distinguishing mark is visible on the Mihalowski's and Crandall's jacket sleeves. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Those are the divers that were awarded MOH for what they did - more could have been shown of their part in the rescue.

https://www.history.navy.mil/researc...d-salvage.html

Arlo · 05-23-21, 08:47 PM

Well, T.V. movie. But it held my interest in spite of U-571 (resembled an S to me).

propbeanie · 05-24-21, 09:53 AM

Held my interest also. Riveting story. I just noticed that my picture link above did not bring in the caption with the divers' names, and I just went back to find the page and post them, and the page can't be found... lol - took a bit to find the proper location on that site...

Arlo · 05-24-21, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Held my interest also. Riveting story. I just noticed that my picture link above did not bring in the caption with the divers' names, and I just went back to find the page and post them, and the page can't be found... lol - took a bit to find the proper location on that site...

The caption with names shows for me.

Mad Mardigan · 05-24-21, 02:22 PM

Know that this is about the Squalus... but, another movie that came to mind sitting here reading all the comments.. was Grey lady down, I believe it was called. A bit more... modern, but what I remember of it, it was a pretty decent movie. Which did cover recovery efforts of a sub that was unable to surface.

The whole, stuffing yourself into a.. sardine can that could also very well serve as your coffin & final resting place.. have to say, I got a lot of respect for those that have & still continue to do so.

It takes a lot of guts to do that, knowing any time you go out, may be the last time you do.. & that it could happen with or without warning.

With being on a surface ship, you have a fighting chance... down below... not so much.. so to those members who have served (flat out to all service members, actually... when it comes down to it.

) aboard subs.. a hearty nod to you &

Thank you for your service.

M. M.

donna52522 · 05-29-21, 09:47 AM

The USS Sculpin, who stood by the Squalus when she was down and throughout the rescue was sunk in WW2. Half her crew survived and was picked up by the Japanese. Those survivors were split into two groups and placed aboard two Japanese escort carriers for transport back to Japan from Truk.

The Sculpin survivors on the escort carrier Unyo were killed when the carrier was sunk by torpedoes from the USS Sailfish (ex-Squalus). A bit of an ironic twist. I am not sure if that was in the video posted as I have not watched it.

05-23-21, 08:19 AM	#1
Arlo The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,304 Downloads: 214 Uploads: 0	Squalus anniversary I'm sure most every member of SUBSIM knows the following (either in great detail or at least superficially) but it is the anniversary and as I learn more about the subject, I am amazed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May 23 1939 - Was an amazing day in our Navy!! The Submarine USS SQUALUS (commissioned less than two months earlier) and her crew of 59 sunk in the Gulf of Maine. At a depth of only 60 feet something went terribly wrong in the engine room. Frantic voices from back aft came in over the battle phones "Take her up, Take her up NOW!!!" The main air induction valve had either opened or failed to close. Chief Electrician’s Mate Lawrence Gainor realized seawater was flowing into the aft battery room. Steam poured off the six-foot-high batteries and boiling acid rattled their caps. Gainor quickly grasped that the batteries were shorting out and would soon either ignite or explode. He crawled through a narrow opening to the switches and turned the first battery switch off, setting off a miniature lightning storm. Half blinded and sure he’d be electrocuted, he shut the other switch off just in time and entire sub blacked out. Meanwhile in the operating compartment the CO ordered the closing of the water tight hatch between ops and the battery compartment an EM2 ignored that order and held the door open allowing eight men to get to safety before closing the hatch dooming those on the other side. Elsewhere in the world at the Washington Navy Yard, LCDR Momsen's phone rang. Mr Momsen was a submarine rescue expert and head of the Experimental Diving Unit, one of his divers was just emerging from a pressure tank. It was the final test of a 10-year-series of tests using a mixture of helium and oxygen (Heliox) to avoid decompression sickness, or the bends. LCDR Momsen scrambled his team together and headed North. The tender Falcon immediately got underway from Connecticut to transport the Momsen-McCann diving chamber (never before used in a rescue) to Maine. Back on the SQUALUS in the dark and cold the crew took a quick count accounted for 33 of the ships crew. Ordered release of the rescue phone/buoy, sent oil out, as well as smoke. Another submarine near by saw the signals reached the buoy and briefly established coms with the sunken sub via the rescue phone before the cable was snapped. But the Navy now knew their were survivors 243 feet below the surface. Over the next 39 hours four daring Navy Divers (William Badders, Orson L. Crandall, James H. McDonald, and John Mihalowski) took the experimental chamber down four times rescuing all 33 survivors. All four Drivers would later receive the Medal of Honor for their actions in saving the crew. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Squalus was eventually raised and the lost crew laid to rest. The boat was formally decommissioned on 15 November, renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940, and recommissioned on 15 May 1940. (via US Naval History Buffs on FB) (via Naval History and Heritage Command __________________ -Arlo

05-23-21, 08:33 AM	#2
Arlo The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,304 Downloads: 214 Uploads: 0	Here is an even more detailed account from the same sources (posted on US Naval History Buffs by Paul T Garrett): May 23, 1939 –. USS Squalus (SS-192), a US Sargo-class submarine, later renamed Sailfish began a series of test dives off Portsmouth, New Hampshire following a yard overhaul. After completing 18 dives, she went down again off the Isles of Shoals on the morning of 23 May at 42°53′N 70°37′W. Failure of the main induction valve (the means of letting in fresh air when on the surface) caused the flooding of the aft torpedo room, both engine rooms, and the crew's quarters, drowning 26 men immediately. Quick action by the crew prevented the other compartments from flooding. Squalus bottomed in 243 ft of water. Squalus was initially located by her sister ship, Sculpin. The two submarines were able to communicate using a telephone marker buoy until the cable parted. Divers from the submarine rescue ship Falcon began rescue operations under the direction of the salvage and rescue expert Lieutenant Commander Charles B. "Swede" Momsen, using the new McCann Rescue Chamber. The Senior Medical Officer for the operations was Dr. Charles Wesley Shilling. Overseen by researcher Albert R. Behnke, the divers used recently developed heliox diving schedules and successfully avoided the cognitive impairment symptoms associated with such deep dives, thereby confirming Behnke's theory of nitrogen narcosis. The divers were able to rescue all 33 survivors on board (32 crew members and a civilian) the sunken submarine. Four enlisted divers, Chief Machinist's Mate William Badders, Chief Boatswain's Mate Orson L. Crandall, Chief Metalsmith James H. McDonald, and Chief Torpedoman John Mihalowski, were awarded the Medal of Honor for their work during the rescue and subsequent salvage. The successful rescue of the Squalus survivors is in marked contrast to the loss of Thetis in Liverpool Bay just a week later. The navy authorities felt it important to raise her as she incorporated a succession of new design features. With a thorough investigation of why she sank, more confidence could be placed in the new construction, or alteration of existing designs could be undertaken when cheapest and most efficient to do so. Furthermore, given similar previous accidents in Sturgeon and Snapper (indeed, in S-5, as far back as 1920), it was necessary to determine a cause. The salvage of Squalus was commanded by Rear Admiral Cyrus W. Cole, Commander of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, who supervised salvage officer Lieutenant Floyd A. Tusler from the Construction Corps. Tusler planned to lift the submarine in three stages to prevent it from rising too quickly, out of control, with one end up, in which case there would be a high likelihood of it sinking again. For 50 days, divers worked to pass cables underneath the submarine and attach pontoons for buoyancy. On 13 July 1939, the stern was raised successfully, but when the men attempted to free the bow from the hard blue clay, the vessel began to rise far too quickly, slipping its cables. Ascending vertically, the submarine broke the surface, and 30 feet (10 m) of the bow reached into the air for not more than ten seconds before she sank once again to the bottom. Momsen said of the mishap, "pontoons were smashed, hoses cut and I might add, hearts were broken." After 20 more days of preparation, with a radically redesigned pontoon and cable arrangement, the next lift was successful, as were two further operations. Squalus was towed into Portsmouth on 13 September and decommissioned on 15 November 1939. A total of 628 dives had been made in rescue and salvage operations. The operational history of Sailfish Renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940, she began reconditioning, repair, and overhaul. She was recommissioned on 15 May 1940 with a refit completed in mid-September. Sailfish departed Portsmouth on 16 January 1941 and headed for the Pacific. Transiting the Panama Canal, she arrived at Pearl Harbor in early March, after refueling at San Diego. The submarine then sailed west to Manila where she joined the Asiatic Fleet until the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the Pacific War, the captain of the renamed ship issued standing orders if any man on the boat said the word "Squalus", he was to be marooned at the next port of call. This led to crew members referring to their ship as "Squailfish". That went over almost as well; a court-martial was threatened for anyone heard using it. During 12 patrols in the Pacific, USS Sailfish earned the Presidential Unit Citation (for her 10th patrol), American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine battle stars, and World War II Victory Medal After being decommissioned on 27 October 1945, efforts by the city of Portsmouth and area residents to have the submarine kept intact as a memorial were not successful. An agreement was reached to have her conning tower saved, which was dedicated in November 1946 on Armistice Day, by John L. Sullivan, then Under Secretary of the Navy. The remainder of the submarine was initially scheduled to be a target ship in the atomic bomb tests or sunk by conventional ordnance. However, she was placed on sale in March 1948 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1948. The hulk was sold for scrap to Luria Brothers of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 18 June 1948. Her conning tower still stands at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery as a memorial to her lost crewmen (43°04′55.4″N 70°44′18.7″W). Post Sources: Naval History and Heritage Command, Navsource, and Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sailfish_(SS-192) Image: (Original Caption) New York: Rescue Sketch. Artist's Conception Of Submarine Rescue. Here is how an Artist sees the attempt to rescue the 59 men trapped aboard the U.S. submarine Squalus (SS-192) on the bottom of the sea 12 miles off Portsmouth, N.H. (A), the Falcon (ASR-2) submarine tender anchored above the sunken craft (😎, the telephone buoy with which the Squalus established contact with a sister ship. However, the communication line was severed before much information could be given. (C) a diver is shown descending on a platform in an attempt to close the faulty induction valve that caused the accident. If all other means fail crew members will leave their stricken craft and come to the surface, aided by Momsen's lung. A respirator-like device that enables them to breathe during the 240-foot ascent. __________________ -Arlo

05-23-21, 02:34 PM	#3
Arlo The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,304 Downloads: 214 Uploads: 0	Here's a youtube link to movie "Submerged" - there's no cost and no requirement to download anything (I hate those). (Yes, they seem to be portraying it as an S boat [at least externally] ... dunno why.) __________________ -Arlo

05-23-21, 08:11 PM	#5
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,743 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	Yes, and bad acting and all, but what a story, eh? They embellished it a bit, but not much, and didn't really have to, from what I have read of it over the years. Thanks for the link Arlo! Description: Secretary of the Navy Charles Edison presents Medals of Honor to four men for heroism during rescue and salvage operations following the accidental sinking of Squalus on 23 May 1939. The ceremonies took place at the Navy Department on 19 January 1940. The men are (from left to right): Chief Machinist's Mate William Badders; Chief Torpedoman John Mihalowski; Chief Boatswain's Mate Orson L. Crandall; and Chief Metalsmith James Harper McDonald. All were qualified as Divers. The Diver's distinguishing mark is visible on the Mihalowski's and Crandall's jacket sleeves. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command. Those are the divers that were awarded MOH for what they did - more could have been shown of their part in the rescue. https://www.history.navy.mil/researc...d-salvage.html __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna Last edited by propbeanie; 05-24-21 at 09:53 AM. Reason: Foto Caption

05-23-21, 08:47 PM	#6
Arlo The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,304 Downloads: 214 Uploads: 0	Well, T.V. movie. But it held my interest in spite of U-571 (resembled an S to me). __________________ -Arlo

05-24-21, 09:53 AM	#7
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,743 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	Held my interest also. Riveting story. I just noticed that my picture link above did not bring in the caption with the divers' names, and I just went back to find the page and post them, and the page can't be found... lol - took a bit to find the proper location on that site... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

05-24-21, 02:22 PM	#9
Mad Mardigan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Grand Rapids, Mi. Posts: 2,327 Downloads: 491 Uploads: 0	Re: Squalus... Know that this is about the Squalus... but, another movie that came to mind sitting here reading all the comments.. was Grey lady down, I believe it was called. A bit more... modern, but what I remember of it, it was a pretty decent movie. Which did cover recovery efforts of a sub that was unable to surface. The whole, stuffing yourself into a.. sardine can that could also very well serve as your coffin & final resting place.. have to say, I got a lot of respect for those that have & still continue to do so. It takes a lot of guts to do that, knowing any time you go out, may be the last time you do.. & that it could happen with or without warning. With being on a surface ship, you have a fighting chance... down below... not so much.. so to those members who have served (flat out to all service members, actually... when it comes down to it. ) aboard subs.. a hearty nod to you & Thank you for your service. M. M. __________________

05-29-21, 09:47 AM	#10
donna52522 Lady Mariner Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 544 Downloads: 225 Uploads: 0	The USS Sculpin, who stood by the Squalus when she was down and throughout the rescue was sunk in WW2. Half her crew survived and was picked up by the Japanese. Those survivors were split into two groups and placed aboard two Japanese escort carriers for transport back to Japan from Truk. The Sculpin survivors on the escort carrier Unyo were killed when the carrier was sunk by torpedoes from the USS Sailfish (ex-Squalus). A bit of an ironic twist. I am not sure if that was in the video posted as I have not watched it. __________________