206
Under Construction 1939-1940
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
The keel laying of the Gar at the Electric Boat Company in Groton CT., December 27, 1939.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar in frame work at Electric Boat, April 1, 1940. This view is looking aft from about the area of the forward engine room. The remainder of the aft hull has not been assembled. These partial double hull boats had most of the structural frames on the exterior of the pressure hull. The flared out portion will make up the outer hull with the spaces between being the fuel and ballast tanks.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar frame work starboard side looking forward from about the area of the forward engine room. the two humps are part of the air induction piping for the engine room.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
In a view taken three months later on June 27, 1940, construction of Gar has moved along nicely. This view is on the starboard side looking aft from about the area of the control room. The hull is essentially complete, and plating for the outer hull has been installed. The brackets in the right foreground will support the main air induction valve once installed.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
In this view of Gar on September 26, 1940 the superstructure above the pressure hull has been largely completed, and in the background the horizontal cylinder of the conning tower has been installed with the fairwater support beams erected above it. This view of from the area of the aft engine room looking forward on the starboard side.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
This view of Gar's construction taken two days later on September 28, 1940 is on the forward deck looking aft. The forward torpedo room access trunk in visible in the foreground, with the conning tower and fairwater support structure in the background.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Launch Day
A view of Gar's stern on her launch day of November 7, 1940 at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT. This shows excellent details of the aft torpedo tube shutter doors, the three bladed propeller, the rudder, stern diving planes, and the propeller guards at the top. A temporary wooden brace has been emplaced to prevent the stern planes from moving unintentionally during launch. Hull sections of another boat can be seen to the right, they could be for Greenling (SS-213) or Grouper (SS-214).
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar's bow being prepped for launch with patriotic bunting on November 7, 1940. The viewing stand for the ship's sponsor and other dignitaries has been erected below the bow.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
A view of the underside of Gar's forward hull, underneath the forward torpedo tubes. This shows details of the launch cradle that Gar would ride down the ways and into the water. The small holes drilled into the outer hull are flood ports for the poppet valve drain tank.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar sliding down the ways on November 7, 1940 with portions of her crew and some yard workers topside.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar is now completely afloat and free of her launch cradle, November 7, 1940 in the Thames River, CT. Two tugs will push her to the fitting out pier for completion of the construction work. Six months of intensive work remained before commissioning.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Fitting Out, 1940-1941
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Gar still sitting high in the water at the Electric Boat fitting out pier, January 3, 1941. Note the faired in towing fairlead (bullnose) at the tip of the bow. The Government design for this class still used the older, above deck ring style bullnose. Mackerel (SS-204) is to the right, finishing up her fitting out. She would be commissioned two months later.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
A view from Gar's starboard quarter looking forward, March 30, 1941. By this time Gar has been through sea trials and is just two week away from commissioning. Grampus (SS-207) is seen on the left.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Mare Island Overhaul, Fall of 1943
Gar nearing the end of a major war time overhaul and modernization at Mare Island, November 20, 1943. She has received all of the typical mid war modifications, with her conning tower fairwater configured in the equivalent of a Gato-class Mod 3.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
A closeup of the photo above, showing details of the changes to Gar's fairwater. The new gun deck built after cutting down the pilothouse have received the light weight Mk 10 mounts for the 20 mm cannon. She also has a non-watertight door cut into the bridge fairwater to allow easy access to the gun deck.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
A view from aft of the Gar at Mare Island. The date is November 20, 1943. Warped deck plating damaged during a depth charge attack on either side of the engine room hatch has not yet been replaced. The aft rescue/marker buoy has been removed over fears of it coming loose under a depth charge attack. The housing for it on the port side remains, just the buoy and cable have been removed.
Photo in the private collection of Ric Hedman.
Later War Operations
Gar recovering downed U.S. pilots while on her 11th war patrol off Palau.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
The official mascot of the USS Gar, a mut dog named "Garbo".
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
Garbo's puppies being held by CMoMM James Ellis.
Excerpt from the American Heritage article Sea Dogs by William Galvani:
Garbo was the perfect submarine mascot. A mongrel puppy so small she could be concealed in a sailor's white hat, she came aboard the USS Gar (SS-206) in Hawaii about the time of the boat's tenth war patrol. She and the crew took an immediate liking to each other, and she remained on board for the rest of the Gar's fifteen war patrols. The puppy made her home in the forward torpedo room. Whenever the sub got under way, Garbo stationed herself all the way forward on the bullnose and barked.
Once each patrol she toured the Gar from stem to stern; as she arrived in each compartment, the crew there would come to attention. "She owned the boat and knew it," recalled Motor Machinist Mate Second Class Jim Bunn.
Garbo earned the combat submarine insignia that she wore on her collar, along with a star for each successful patrol she made on the Gar. Under the heaviest depth charge attacks, when the gauges were leaking, light bulbs breaking, and fires breaking out, Garbo remained as playful as ever. Bunn said, "She should have gotten a medal for keeping our spirits and morale up when we needed it most." Anyone was welcome to pet her, but only the skipper, LCDR George Lautrup, Jr., and the cook, Red Balthorp, could pick her up. The skipper would put her on his shoulder and carry her up the ladder to the bridge at night for fresh air.
One night while the Gar was running on the surface during a war patrol in the Palau Islands, Garbo stepped off the cigarette deck and vanished into the darkness. The C.O. Immediately began a dog overboard search. With the boat making frantic circles in enemy waters, a lookout finally spotted the mascot below the bridge, safe on the main deck.
Between patrols, Garbo stayed with the crew at their hotel in Pearl Harbor. She joined in the ship's parties, and like some of her two-legged shipmates, she didn't know her limit. After lapping up too much beer, she tended to blunder into furniture.
Garbo gave birth to two pups while the sub was enroute to Ulithi; the father belonged to the USS Tambor (SS-198). The Gar's crew traded the pups to other submarines for cases of beer. At the end of the war, when the Gar returned to the States, Chief Motor Machinist Mate Jim Ellis took Garbo home with him.
Photo courtesy of the Submarine Force Library & Museum.
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