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MANITOWOC
SUBMARINES
MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN
MANITOWOC
SUBMARINES
FORWARD
litrlo did the buildors of lhe fine Monilowoc Submorlnes teolbe 1ho1 1he
fruit of their lobor-s WO\lld brillQ su(:h enviable results. Monilowoc Shlpbulldlng
Compony ond the people of the Manitowoc area sent twenty e'9ht submorino•
slidin9 down the ways and out lo sea. Twenty five oJ lhese ships sow oc1lon
against tho Joponcso in World War II. The combine-cl efforts ol these rwenty
live sow 132 Joponcsc ships, with o total of 488,918 ions destroyed, plus many
lhousonds ot tons of much needed shipping damaged.
Of 288 s.ubmorines in 1he United Stoles fleo1, o Monitow0< built ship, tho U.S.S.
Rosher wos second in totol tonnc:igc sunk, 99,901 tons; and 9th in the number ol
Japanese $hip$ ( 18) scnl to the bottom, Another lo'\onilowoc submorit1e, U.S.S. Pogy
was 171h in the number al '"hips sunk (16) and 21s1in1otal 1on.s.
This i1 on envioble record ond the citi:tens of the Manitowoc oreo <on bo jvsdy
proud of the port they ployed in 'ondin9 thet10 fine shipi out to '°'o.
Four Monitowo( Svbmorlne• wore •uni< by lhe enemy, U.S.S. Robalo, U.S.S.
Go\et, U.S.S. Kote and U.S.S. logarlo. 337 brave officers ond men of the
Unilt:d S101es Siient Service 1>4rl5hed with these ships. A grateful oolion con
only soy, "God resl their brave soul•."
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COMMANDING OFFICERS MANITOWOC SUBMARINES
MANITOWOC SUBMARINE MANITOWOC SHIPYARDS
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Although !here wos some varlollon In 1he meosurement, weight ond speed of
eoch submarine built this vorlotlon wos very slight. Consequenlly, the set of
stollstlcs on this poge Is used to deKrlbe 1he flrsl ten submarines built 01 the
Manitowoc Shlpbulldlng Company.
length overoll. 311 feet, 9 inches Designed Speed:
E•treme Beom • 27 feet, 3 inchc• Surfoced • 20.25 knots
Standard Oisplocemenl • 1526 tons Submerged· 8.75 knols
Mean Droh • 1S feel, 3 inches
Submerged Diiplocemenl. 2424 ton• Designed Complement:
Designed Depth • 300 feet Officers· 8
fnlislod. 72
Torpedoes· 24
Armament·
Torpedo Tubes· tlO) 21 inch
Secondcuy • t I) 3 inch •.S O Caliber
t 2) .50 Caliber
l 2) .30 CoJ;bo•
U.S.S. Peto (SS 2651
Keel loid ·June 18, 1941
lounched. April 30, 1942
Commissioned· November 21, 1942
Sponsor. Mrs. E. A. Lofquisl. wife of Coploin E. A. Lofquist U.S.N.
The U.S.S. Peto was the first submarine built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding
Company ot Manitowoc, Wisconsin. She was olso. lhe first submarine ever to
be launched sideways.
lote in Doccmbor 1942, Peto deported Monltowoc, ultimate destination lhc
Pacific Theater of Wor.
Peto began het wor ogoinst 1he Japanese on April 2, 1943 when
she deported Brisbone, Austrolio for her first war patrol. Sy the lime hostll·
ilies ce-osed Peto hod completed 10 patrols.
During her seventh run on November 12, 1944 Peto sank a large $hip with
four torpedoes. Farly minutes loter two more ships went down with lhe help
of sb: more torpedoes. Stx doys loteronotherJopcnese ship went lo the bottom,
lhree hours later o cotgo ship which was deod In the woter wos dl1potched.
The U.S.S. Peto <1orncd 8 6attle Stars,
Seven ships were sunk by Peto wilh a total tonnage of 29,139 tons.
In Morch 1946 Peto WO$ pvt In re$erve and in 1960 was stricken from the
Naval Regl$ler.
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U.S.S. Pogy !SS 266)
Keel Lold · Septemb•r 15, 1941
lounched · June 23, 1942
Comml$sloned · Jonuory 10, 1943
Sponsor. Mr$, Juliu$ A. Furer. wlfo of Roor Admirol Julius A. Furor
Office of Secretory Novy Deportment,
The U.S.S. Pogy deporled Monltowoc on Fobr1,1ory '· 1943, bound for New
Orleons, Ponomo, Poort Horbor (lnd tho PQci-lic Thcoter ol Wor. April 15 sow
Pogy on her woy to her first wor potrol olong the costcrn coost of Honshu.
On her •econd polrol the Pogy ~overcd tho Empire-Truk moin communicolion
ond Supply lines.
The Po9y did on outstonding job on her fourlh wor polrol by sinking o 6,081
ton submarine tender. Then o freighter. Six doys later the Pogy 1onk o S,000
ton transport loaded wilh troops. The 27 depth charges dropped co used domoge
ncccssitoting termination of tho potrol ofter only 28 doys.
The ten polrols of the Pogy cost rhe Joponese 16 $hip$ with o total of 62,633
tons sunk ond 33, 184 tons domoged.
Pogy earned 8 Bottle Stars and wos owordcd the Novy Ut1il Commendoliot1.
The U,S.S. Pogy (SS 266} wo$ 'tticken from the Naval Register in 1958.
U.S.S. Pompon tSS267)
Keel told · November 26, 1941
launched· Augusl IS, 1942
Commissioned· Morch 17, 1943
Spons.or · Miss Kolhedne Mory Wolle•on ·doughier of Coptoin E. A. Wolle•on
U.S.N.
The U.S.S. Pompon completed nine war pollol• with hord luck. hor componion,
The Pompon •leomcd from 8risbonc, Au•lralio on July 10, 1943 lo conducl
hor firsl war potrol in tho Truk.or~. Only o lew days out, a Japanese subma·
rino fired two lorpodocs ol hcr, both passing oh~d. On July 25 she torpedoed
the S,871 ton transport Thomes Mon,.1. In thc some ac-lion two more attacks
domogod o socond transport and obo o smaller tronsport. Numerous patrol
boots ond onothetr onomy submarine wero ovodod, and the Pompol\ returned
to 8rhbone on August 22, 1943.
On July 19 lhe Pompon deported on her sixth ond m<.ost succo•slvl potrol.
Operoling from the eostem coast ol Honshu to the Seo ol Okhotsk area, she
sank o 300 loft armed trawler wilh gunfire. Oft Augusl 12 o Joponeso convoy
wos contacted off lhe coos! of Russian Sakhalin. In the wild nigh! surfo-ce action
which followed on 8,000 ton tanker was badly damaged by two torpedoes,
the 2718 ton ltonsporl Mikoge Moru No. 20 was sunk, ond a hll was possibly
obtained on one ol two hotly pursuing escort vessels. During lhis melee lhe
Pompon was olmost sunk by one of her own torped~s. While suffaced, wilh
th• •nemy beorin9 down, one of her own "fish" p.crversely circled and just
miss•d lhe slern. She wos driven down by gunfire and then depth charged,
bvt monog•d to eKope without domogo.
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On Jonuory 29, 1945, while moking o morl'ling trim dive, the tonning lower
hatch lolled to release. Be-lore the dive tould be halted lhe- ship hod reoche-d
o depth of 44 feet, portiolly flooding the conning tower ond conlrol room, ond
completely floodlng the pump room. The Pompon crept homeword. While
limplng olong In this condition, she blundered into o.n enemy convoy ond·wos
sighted. The escorts forced her lo dive despile her dangerous condition, bul
she mlroculously e«oped. lhe Pogy found her one doy out ol Midway ond
led her Jn on Februory 11, 1945.
The U.S.S. Pompon corned 4 Bottle Stors while slnkl~ three ships for o 1010\
tonnoge of 13,470 ton5,
In 1960 the U.S.S. Pompon wo.s 'tricken from the Novol R'-gislcr.
U.S.S. Puffe• !SS 26$)
Keel loid • fCtbruory 16, 1942
launched· November 22, 1942
Commissioned· April 27, 1943
Sponsor· Mrs. Ruth 8. lyons · Grondoughter ol Christ Jacobson, Sr.
Oldest Employee of Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company
On her fihh wor patrol the U.S.S. Puffer mode contoc1 with a Japanese sub·
marine tender screened by five escorts. After three frustrating days of 1iggin9
and togging plus going over shollow waler the tender was finally sunk, A
freighter loaded with ammunition wos sent to 1he bouom; nine torpedoes wen;
lc:ft.
Twenty lhree days loter the: Puffer mode contocl with ten lorge lreighlers
and looker' amply screened with e-sCorts, Fivo out ol nine torpedoes sank a
S,113 ton tanker, o large freighter ond domoged another large tanker whk.h
wos beached.
On her nine wor polrols the U.S.S. Puffer reduced lhe Jopon0$9 Novy by
eight ships with. a total tannoge of 36,392 Ions. She: earned 9 Bottle Stars for
her work in the Pocifk Thealer.
In Decombor 1946 the Puffer wos assigned os o U.S. Novol !raining vcs$c:I
with Sc:ottle, Wo$hington os her home po,t. In 1960 she was 'tridcn from th•
Novo! Regiiter.
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U.S.S. R. .h ., (SS 269)
Keel Laid. Moy 4, 1942
loune;hed · Oe¢ember 20, 1942
Comml•sloned · June 8, 1943
Sponsor· Mrs. G. C. Weover ·wife of Commander G. C. Weover U.S,N.
The U.S.S. Roa-her deported Manitowoc June 27, 1943 for New Orleans in
flootlng dry dock arriving New Orleans on July 3, 1943. Sy August 8, 1943
Rosher wos on her woy to 8rl1bone, Austrolio arriving there Seplember 11.
1943. During tho first live wor potrols Rot.her sonk moro tonnage of cnomy
shipping than ony oltler 1vbmorlne In the·history of the world, except U.S.S.
Flasher. The U.S.S. Ro1her wo1 credited with sinking 18 ships with o total
tonnage of 99,901 tons. An oddllionol 62,481 tons were domoged. Rosher
eotned lhe following decorolions: 4 Novy Crosses, 12 Silver Stars, 16 Bronze
Stars, I legion of M•rll, I Novy ond Moril\e Corps M•dol, 6 Commendations,
Presldentlol \Jnlt Cllotlon ond 1 Sottle Stors,
The volu• of oncmy <:or9a<1s ond combot looded troopships which lhe U.S.S.
Rosher pr9vented from reoching o d•slinolion is impossible lo eslimote. In
terms of Joponoso soldiors who never arrived to fight ond ammunition which
dldn'I orrlve to be fired ol U.S. troops ond enemy planes which never got In
the air, the V.S.S. Ra-1hcr's c;ontribution to lhe war effort was tremendous.
The Rosher served with th• Poc;iflc fl•et hosed ot Son Diego, Callfornio ond
was strlc,ken from Noval R•cords in 1971.
U.S.S. Raton !SS 270)
K•el Lold ·Moy 29, 19412
lounc;h•d Jonuory 24, 19-43
0
Commls1ioned · July 13, l943
Sponsor. Mrs. C. C. Wost. wife ol Mr. Chodes C. Wesl·Presldent ol
th• Manitowoc; Shipbuilding Company
Th• U.S.S. Roton hod a v•ry suc<:essful wor potrol which started In the South
Chino Seo. Ro1on monouvercid inlo tho center of o nine ship formolion. Firing
oil torpedo•s from both bow ond sl•rn tub•s, three ships were sunk ond one
damaged. Afl•r tho s•cond ottoc;k o dostroyor escortwos sunk with one torpedo.
The third atto<.:k l•lt on• more ship damogod. From here Roton headed for
Schoult•n lslond1 to r•lood with torpedoos ond fuel for o continuation
of the patrol.
A cruiser was damaged two weeks loter, and three more ships were sent to
the bottom.
On this sixth wor patrol the Roton 1onk 51,200 tons ond dom09ed 20,300
tons more.
The sev•n war patrols ol the U.S.S. Rolon produced the following r•sults:
3 M•n of War and 10 Merchant ships sunk with o lotol tol'linoge of .44,178 tons.
2 M•n of Wor and 5 M•rchont ships domoge for o lolol of 51,500 tol'lis.
20 Jopones• c;optured.
6 Bottle Stars were eorned.
Roton served on oc-tive dvty with the Pacific Fleet ond wos 5trkke11 from
Novol Records in 1969.
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