1903 - PCU ADDER (later A-2) (SS-3) commissioned USS ADDER at the Holland Company, New Suffolk, Long Island, NY; Ens. Frank L. Pinney commanding.
1944 - USS POMPANO (SS-181) struck from the Naval Vessel Register. Pompano earned seven battle stars for World War II service.
1945 - USS SWORDFISH (SS-193), under Cmdr. K.E. Montross, left Pearl Harbor on December 22, 1944, to conduct her thirteenth patrol in the vicinity of Nansei Shoto. She topped off with fuel at Midway on December 26th and left that day for her area. In addition to her regular patrol, SWORDFISH was to conduct photographic reconnaissance of Okinawa in preparation for the Okinawa Campaign.
On January 2nd, SWORDFISH was ordered to delay carrying out her assigned tasks in order to keep her clear of the Nansei Shoto area until completion of carrier based air strikes which were scheduled. She was directed to patrol the general vicinity until further orders were received. In the last communication received from SWORDFISH, she acknowledged receipt of these orders on January 3rd.
On January 9, 1945, SWORDFISH was directed to proceed to the vicinity of Okinawa to carry out her special mission. It was estimated that the task would not take more than seven days after arrival on station, which she should have reached on January 11th. Upon completion of her mission, SWORDFISH was to proceed to Saipan or to Midway if she was unable to transmit by radio. Since neither place had seen her by 15 February and repeated attempts to raise her by radio had failed, she was reported as presumed lost on that date.
In the report of her loss, mention was made that USS KETE (SS-369), which at the time was patrolling the vicinity of Okinawa, reported that on the morning of January 12th she contacted a submarine by radar. It was believed that contact was with SWORDFISH. Four hours later KETE heard heavy depth charging from this area, and it was believed that this attack might have been the cause of SWORDFISH’s loss.
Japanese information on antisubmarine attacks does not mention the attack heard by KETE on January 12 and records no attacks in which SWORDFISH is likely to have been the victim. However, it is now known that there were many mines planted around Okinawa, since the Japanese were expecting al Allied invasion of that Island. The majority of the mines were planted close in. It is considered about equally likely that SWORDFISH was sunk by depth charge attack before she reached Okinawa for her special mission or that she was lost to a mine at that place.
SWORDFISH, in the twelve patrols before her fatal thirteenth, sank twenty-one ships, amounting to 113,100 tons, and damaged an additional eight, totaling 45,800 tons.
USS SWORDFISH (SS-193) earned eight battle stars for World War II service.
Eighty-nine men were lost with SWORDFISH that day.
She was the forty-fifth U.S. submarine loss of World War II.
1963 - USS PLUNGER (SSN-595) was underway and passing Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.
1963 - PCU JOHN ADAMS (SSBN-620) launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME; sponsored by Mrs. Abigail Adams Manny, great, great, great granddaughter of John Quincy Adams.
1963 - PCU NATHAN HALE (SSBN-623) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corporation, Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. George W. Anderson, Jr.
1971 - Ex-POMFRET (SS-391) disposed of through the Security Assistance Program (SAP), sold to Turkey.
1974 - PCU RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN-687) launched at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, VA; sponsored by Mrs. Herman E. Talmadge, wife of Senator Herman E. Talmadge.
1985 - PCU ALASKA (SSBN-732) launched at the Electric Boat Division, General Dynamics Corporation, Groton, CT; sponsored by Mrs. Catherine Ann Stevens.
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