USS NAUTILUS was Government design and her specifications are the same as USS NARWHAL. See KTB # 141.

Built by: Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Keel laid: 2 August 1927
Launched: 15 March 1930
Sponsor: Miss J. Keesling
Commissioned: I July 1930
First Skipper: LCDR T. T Doyle, Jr.
Final fate: Decommissioned 30 June 1945, Stricken 25 July 1945 and sold for scrap to American Smelting on 16 November 1945 for just $10,400

War Patrols of USS NAUTILUS (SS168)
WP# DATES	From Area	To	Duration	Remarks
1 24/5/42 - 11/7/42	PH Midway	PH	48 days	Sank the 1,980 ton Japanese destroyer YAMAKAZE
2 8/8/42 - 25/8/42	PH Makin Island	PH	17 days	Special mission (a)
3 15/9/42 - 5/11/42	PH Empire	PH	51 days	Sank T1MON MARU #6, Sank TOSEI MARU Sank KENUN MARU
4 13/12/42 - 4/2/43	PH Solomons	BA	53 days	Sank the 1,430 ton YOSMINOGAWA MARU
5 1/5/43 - 6/6/43	DH Attu	??	36 days	Special mission (b)
6 16/9/43 - 17/10/43	PH Gilberts	PH	31 days	Special mission (c)
7 ??/11/43 - 4/12/43	PH Tarawa	PH	?? days	Special mission (d)
8 27/l/44 - 21/3/44	PH Palau	BA	53 days	Sank AMERICA MARU
9 29/5/44 - 11/6/44	BA Philippines	BA	13 days	Special mission (e)
10 12/6/44 - 27/6/44	BA Philippines	BA	15 days	Special mission (e)
11 30/6/44 - 27/7/44	BA Philippines	BA	27 days	Special mission (e)
12 unknown	BA Philippines	BA	19 days	Special mission (e)
13 unknown	BA Philippines	BA	41 days	Special mission (e)
14 2/l/45 - 30/l/45	BA Philippines	BA	28 days	Special mission (e)

Special mission (a) was landing an assault force of US Marines on Makin Island; Special mission (b) was a reconnaissance and scouting mission; Special mission (c) was another reconnaissance and scouting mission; Special mission (d) was landing an assault force of US Marines for the capture of Abemama Island; Special missions (e) were cargo/supply missions to various parts of the Philippine Islands.

Skippers of USS NAUTLIUS were: W. H. Brockman (patrols #1 through #5); W. D. Irvin (patrols #6, 7 and 8); G. A. Sharp (patrols #9 through #13); and W. D. Michael (patrol #14). These were the combat Skippers, but one that bears mention is a pre-war Skipper named Tliew. He was the guy who designed the Twin Dolphins worn so proudly by the US Navy submarine sailors and if the dolphins look a bit oriental, that's because he took the design from the dolphins on a robe his wife wore when they were in the Far East. In addition, he and (then) Captain Lockwood scoured the Australian coasts to find good sites to locate American submarine bases. He was also the father of Captain BOB THEW (333-+-1987) and grandfather of GREG THEW (1661-1990). The THEW family is well represented here.

USS NAUTILUS was awarded a PRESIDENT1AL UNIT CITATION and 14 BATTLE STARS.