In Reply to: Ring-a-Ding posted by Patrick on March 16, 2012 at 14:10:36:

SQUALUS = SAILFISH---BELL!

In 1939 the newly commissioned US Navy submarine the USS Squalus sunk off New Hampshire . A little more than 2 dozen officers and enlisted men became trapped in the aft compartment and immediately perished. The remainder of the crew was trapped in inside the submarine in 200 feet of water.

The US Navy immediately began the deepest salvage operation ever attempted up to that time . The remaining crew members were rescued and the Squalus was salvaged, decommissioned, repaired and recommission in May 1940 as the USS Sailfish . It served through out WW 11 and was eventually scrapped in 1948.

There are several accounts of the sinking and salvaging of the Squalus/Sailfish. Four books that come to mind are;

" Men under the Sea;" Edward Elsberg 1939 Dodd Mead Co, NYC
,
"Man explores the sea" by James Dugan,1960, Pelican books, #A-463 -Soft cover & Hard Cover

"They dared the deep" Robert F Marx 1967, The world publishing co,Ohio

It is recognized that few have access to 73, 52, or even 46 year old books.....however there is a modern book on the Squalus published just a little over a decade ago. It is;

"The Terrible hours;" Peter Maas, Harper Collins 1999, ISBN 0-0-06-019480-4 is a newer book and also documents the salvage of the Squalus . This was a popular book and it can possibly be found on the used book market at a reasonable price.

The bell of the original Squalus was probably melted down during WW 11, however the bell of the USS Sailfish recently discovered and was ready to be scrapped but was saved and is is now on display at the "Estrella War Bird Museum" located in Atascadero on the central coast. of California.

Yes there is more to the Central Coast than mud hole diving........

• Re: SQUALUS = SAILFISH---BELL! Max Bottomtime 08:09:30 03/17/12 (1)
  • Re: Re: SQUALUS = SAILFISH---BELL! SDM 04:38:52 03/18/12 (0)