194

Seadragon making 19.5 knots while on her sea trials off Provincetown, MA., summer of 1939. Seadragon and the next four boat reverted back to all-electric drive, with this engineering move being entirely successful, setting the stage for all fleet submarines to come. The composite drive of the previous Salmon/Sargo-class boats, while successful, was cramped and hard to maintain so there was a desire to go back to the more versatile all-electric drive.

Photo 19-N-20950 courtesy of NHHC.

This view, taken at nearly the same angle as the one above, shows Seadragon in her final wartime configuration on May 24, 1945 off Hunter's Point in San Francisco Bay. This illustrates the extent of the wartime modifications when compared to the first photo. Although the war was still very much ongoing in the Pacific. Seadragon had fought hard over the course of 12 war patrols in enemy waters, but had been returned to the states for training duty, where she served for the remainder of the war. Only six years had passed since her commissioning, but the march of technology had rendered her obsolescent when compared to the brand-new Tench-class boats then rolling off the ways.

Photo NH 102920 courtesy of NHHC.

Seadragon and two of her crew showing off her war record at the end of the war, summer of 1945. O.V. Johnson is on the right, with an unidentified shipmate on the left. Seadragon claimed 28 kills over 12 war patrols here, but post-war analysis reduced that to a still impressive 12 vessels sunk. Submarines operating out of stateside ports for training duty had their hull numbers painted on the side of the fairwater to aid in identification, and post-war all submarines went back to that practice.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Johnson, O.V. Johnson's daughter.

O.V. Johnson (rear) and friend on the Seadragon's 4"/50 caliber deck gun, 1945. USS Permit (SS-178) is in the background with another unidentified Balao-class submarine and other ships.

Photo courtesy of Barbara Johnson, O.V. Johnson's daughter.

Return to the Salmon/Sargo class page | Return to the Submarine Classes page

Page created by:
Ric Hedman & David Johnston
1999 - 2023 - PigBoats.COM^©
Mountlake Terrace, WA, Norfolk, VA
webmaster at pigboats dot com