The Rescue and Recovery of the USS Squalus

User Collection Public

126 Items

Last Updated: 2025-01-08

USS Squalus (SS-192), a diesel-electric submarine built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and commissioned there on 1 March 1939, suffered a catastrophic valve failure during a test dive off the Isle of Shoals at 0740 on 23 May. Partially flooded, the submarine sank to the bottom and came to rest keel down in 40 fathoms (240 feet) of water. Navy divers and salvage ships responded quickly, and the following day began operations to rescue the surviving 32 crew members and one civilian from the forward sections of the boat. At 1130 on 24 May, USS Falcon (ASR-2) lowered the newly developed McCann rescue chamber--a revised version of a diving bell invented by Commander Charles B. Momsen--and, over the next 13 hours, all 33 survivors were rescued from the stricken submarine. On 13 September, after long and difficult salvage operations, Squalus was raised and towed into the Portsmouth Navy Yard. The boat was formally decommissioned on 15 November, renamed Sailfish on 9 February 1940, and recommissioned on 15 May 1940. [Retrieved from USS Squalus (SS-192): The Sinking, Rescue of Survivors, and Subsequent Salvage, 1939 on November 1, 2010.]

Subcollections (2)

Recovery Photographs

Articles and Writings

Total Works (124)

List of items in this collection
	Title	Date Created
	We Rescue The Men From The U. S. S. Squalus First person narrative of the rescue the seamen from the USS Squalus, May 1939 This work also belongs to: Articles and Writings	["May 1939"]
	Picture of the Week Article describing the rescue of the seamen trapped onboard the USS Squalus after is sank in May 1939 This work also belongs to: Articles and Writings	["1939"]
	The Raising of the Squalus Article describing the rescue of seamen trapped in the USS Squalus and the proposed recovery of the submarine. This work also belongs to: Articles and Writings	["1939"]
	Lt. Cmdre Tulser testing main blow manifold Image take during the recovery efforts from July-September 1939 to raise the USS Squalus and return her to the Portsmouth Naval Yard. This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	Shilling Presentation Photos, #10 Unidentified image used by Charles W. Shilling during his presentations on the recovery of the USS Squalus This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	Pontoon being submerged Image take during the recovery efforts from July-September 1939 to raise the USS Squalus and return her to the Portsmouth Naval Yard. This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	Securing flood valves Image take during the recovery efforts from July-September 1939 to raise the USS Squalus and return her to the Portsmouth Naval Yard. This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	New Hat "Buck Jones" Image take during the recovery efforts from July-September 1939 to raise the USS Squalus and return her to the Portsmouth Naval Yard. This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	Diver's bubbles Image take during the recovery efforts from July-September 1939 to raise the USS Squalus and return her to the Portsmouth Naval Yard. This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]
	Shilling Presentation Photos, #2 Unidentified image used by Charles W. Shilling during his presentations on the recovery of the USS Squalus This work also belongs to: Recovery Photographs	["July-September 1939"]

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