USS Sculpin, a 1450-ton Sargo class submarine, was built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine. Commissioned in January 1939, she spent much of that year assisting in rescue and salvage efforts on her sister ship, USS Squalus (SS-192), which had accidently sunk on 23 May. In February 1940, Sculpin went to the Pacific. She transited to the Philippines in October 1941 and was there when the Pacific War began on 7 December (8 December local time). In that month and in January 1942, she conducted her first war patrol, making an attack that may have sunk a Japanese ship. From January 1942 to January 1943, Sculpin was based in Java and and Australia, making five more patrols into Japanese-held waters. She sank two enemy ships and inflicted damage on a destroyer, a light cruiser and other ships.
Beginning in May 1943, following an overhaul on the U.S. west coast, Sculpin operated out of Pearl Harbor. Her seventh and eighth war patrols took place in May-September 1943, resulting in damage to the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo and the sinking of a cargo ship. The submarine left Pearl Harbor on her ninth patrol in early November, as the prospective flagship for a wolf pack that was to be commanded by John P. Cromwell. On 18-19 November 1943, Sculpin attacked a Japanese convoy in the Central Pacific. In the ensuing action, she was damaged by depth charge attacks and forced to surface, then fought enemy escort ships in a gun battle that killed her commanding officer, Fred Connaway, and others of her crew. Fatally damaged, Sculpin was deliberately submerged after most of the surviving crewmen had escaped. Captain Cromwell chose to ride her down to prevent possible compromise of secret information he possessed, an action for which he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.
This page features all our views of USS Sculpin (SS-191).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 97309 USS Sculpin (SS-191) Off San Francisco, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 87KB; 740 x 615 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97302 USS Sculpin (SS-191) In San Francisco Bay, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 605 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97303 USS Sculpin (SS-191) In San Francisco Bay, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. The San Francisco Bay Bridge is in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 620 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97304 USS Sculpin (SS-191) At the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. This view of her midships area, port side, identifies changes recently made to the ship. Note outlined hull number ("191") on the side of her sail. Among the ships and craft in the background are the small tug Lucien (center, middle distance) and Navy barge YC-826 (right, middle distance). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 165KB; 740 x 610 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97305 USS Sculpin (SS-191) At the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. This view of the forward end of her sail identifies changes recently made to the ship. Note 20mm and 3"/50 guns; SD and SJ radar antennas. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 114KB; 595 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: NH 97306 USS Sculpin (SS-191) At the Bethlehem Steel Company shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 1 May 1943, following an overhaul. This view of the after end of her sail identifies changes recently made to the ship. Note 20mm gun; SD and SJ radar antennas. The Coast Guard lighthouse tender Balsam (WAGL-62) is in the floating drydock in the right background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 107KB; 595 x 765 pixels |
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Photo #: USN 1149028 Salvage of USS Squalus (SS-192), 1939 USS Falcon (ASR-2) moored over the sunken Squalus, during salvage operations off the New Hampshire coast in the Summer of 1939. USS Sculpin (SS-191) is in the right background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 145KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1149028. |
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Photo #: USN 1149030 Salvage of USS Squalus (SS-192), 1939 Men working on salvage pontoons over the sunken Squalus, during salvage operations off the New Hampshire coast in the Summer of 1939. USS Falcon (ASR-2) is at left and USS Sculpin (SS-191) is in the center background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 109KB; 740 x 600 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1149030. |
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Photo #: USN 1149031 Salvage of USS Squalus (SS-192), 1939 Men working on salvage pontoons, during the effort to raise Squalus from the sea bottom off the New Hampshire coast in the Summer of 1939. USS Falcon (ASR-2) is at left and USS Sculpin (SS-191) is in the center distance. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 116KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1149031. |
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If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
5 July 2000