The "Silent Service" lost 52 submarines during World War II. Out of 16,000submariners,375 officers and 3131 enlisted men were killed. Before the war, 10 submarines were lost, dating back to the Alligator in he Civil War (a search is being held now to locate it somewhere in the waters off North Carolina's Outer Banks/Cape Hatteras). Four submarines have been lost since 1945.
The Submarine Veterans of World War II have suggested that every state adopt one of the lost submarines, with New York and California getting two.
ILLINOIS GETS the S-44
The S-44 was the third class (S-Class) of US submarines. Launched in 1923 and commissioned in 1925. She was defending the Panama Canal early in the war, but later carried out four war patrols.
On September 26, 1943, the S-44 arrived at Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. On patrol October 7th, radar contact was made with what was thought to be a small merchant ship and the S-44 closed for surface attack. The ship turned out to be the Shimushu-class escort Ishigaki which hit the S-44 twice. A crash dive was ordered, but there was too much damage so the Americans surrendered, but the Ishigaki continued firing.
The S-44 sank with the loss of all crew members (57) but two. The Ishigaki was sunk herself on May 31, 1944, by the submarine USS Herring, S-233, which was later sunk herself.
During her war aptrols, the S-44 sank two Japanese merchant ships, the heavy cruiser Kaku, and either sank or damaged a destroyer.
A Salute to the Crew of the S-44 and All Other WW II Submarines Who Are Still Out on War Patrol. A Salute to All Our Veterans.
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