192
Notes
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H.
Further along in the construction, another section has been added to Squalus. View is looking aft, early 1938.
National Archives photo.
Construction on Squalus has reached the torpedo room area. A much narrower section has been added, and the four holes where the torpedo tubes will be added can be seen. The section above the tube holes is the bow buoyancy tank.
National Archives photo.
Several weeks later even more progress has been made. More of the superstructure aft of the buoyancy tank has been built out, and the conning tower has been installed amidships along with some of the fairwater support structure. Two yard workers are preparing to install the torpedo tubes.
National Archives photo.
This photo of the Squalus construction is looking forward from the area of the aft torpedo room. Below where the worker is standing is Main Ballast Tank #4. Above on top of the hull is the aft torpedo room access hatch. There is one more section of hull to add to complete the pressure hull buildout. The double hull section of the boat has merged into the pressure hull at this point, so from here aft the boat is of single hull construction. Overall, the boat is considered to be a "partial double hull" design.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H.
This is the same view as the one above, only after the last section of the hull has been installed, with the four aft torpedo tubes. The aft superstructure has been built out to the aft torpedo room hatch, there is still a little more to go.
National Archives photo.
Squalus pre-Launching photo September 14, 1938. The two signs read: "Launching Stand" and "USS Squalus, Submarine (SS-192), Keel Laid Oct. 18, 1937, Launched Sept. 14, 1938"
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H.
Squalus pre-launching photo, Sept. 14, 1938. View up the starboard side.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H.
A shot from further back showing the whole stern. Both of the starboard aft torpedo tube shutter doors are visible, as are the rudder, stern diving planes, and propellers.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H.
Squalus hitting the water for the first time at 3:45 pm DST on September 14, 1938. Squalus was the last submarine launched with the class identifiers on the hull and fairwater. In early 1939 before she started sea trials, these would be replaced with her hull number, as would all USN fleet submarines.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H. Colorization by Ric Hedman.
Squalus afloat for the first time and in the process of having tugs push her to the fitting out pier. There was still five and a half months of work left before she would be commissioned.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H. Colorization by Ric Hedman.
Squalus alongside the fitting out pier at Portsmouth Navy Yard, fall of 1938. The flat metal frame in the foreground is a propeller guard. It prevents a tug boat or a mine cable from fouling on the propeller blades directly below.
National Archives photo.
Another view of Squalus at the Portsmouth fitting out pier, fall of 1938. The work platform erected near her bow is to allow work on the retractable mine cutter arms that are normally hidden inside the superstructure. The boat is still sitting very high in the water in part because her batteries have not yet been installed. The batteries will add several tons of weight to the boat.
Milne Special Collections, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, N.H. Colorization by Ric Hedman.
A photo of Squalus heading out on sea trials in late April of 1939. She would return to port only once more before her tragic sinking on May 23, 1939. This view is in the Piscataqua River with New Castle Island, New Hampshire in the background.
U.S. Navy photo.
The same photo as above but signed by the survivors of the Squalus' sinking on May 23, 1939. LT Oliver F. Naquin's signature is just below the bow. He was the Commanding Officer and provided outstanding leadership.
There are two other signatures on this photo that are interesting. In the first column on the left, the third name down the list signed is Alfred G. Prien. He was the man operating the ballast tank vents and main induction that day.
The second name that is significant is that of Allen Carl Bryson. Second name from the bottom of the center list. He was the phone talker in control that received the first reports of water flooding into the submarine and reported this to the Captain and officers. The third reason this name is significant is that Carl Bryson became the last surviving member of the rescued crew. He passed on 1 Dec 2008 at age 91 and is buried in New London, CT.
Photo courtesy of Wendy Gulley of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
A cribbage board manufactured by what is probably a parts supplier with the USS Squalus name imprinted on it. This was probably one of a number given to ship's company, probably upon commissioning. We can find no information about the Rotary Machine Co., it has no doubt gone out of business or been absorbed into another company.
Photo of the cribbage board in the private collection of Mike Kaup.
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