Built by: Electric Boat
Design: EB 212C
Keel laid: 12 May 1937
Launched: 6 June 1938
Sponsor: Mrs. Chester W. Nimitz
Commissioned: 7 February 1939
First Skipper: Lt. Elmer Yeomans

“From Commander Asiatic Fleet To Asiatic Fleet – URGENT Japan has commenced hostilities Govern yourselves accordingly”

With this message coming on the heels of December 7th, USS SARGO took up her position at the mouth of the Gulf of Siam, on the coast of Cochin China. The war had begun and it didn’t take SARGO long to get into the fight.

On 14 December, just one week after the bombs fell on Hawaii, USS SARGO made a daytime submerged attack on a fat steamer, but the lone torpedo missed and the ship went on her way.

The bad luck continued for SARGO as ten days later, they sighted a Japanese convoy – Commander Tyrrell Jacobs moved into a firing position – fired five torpedoes at three ships – all missed.

More bad luck three days later; they fired at two Japanese freighters and a tanker – and missed again. The bad luck continued, but the crew and the Skipper still had plenty of fight in them even though eight attacks and thirteen torpedoes resulted in no hits. Jacobs’ fitness report credited him with great aggressiveness.

SARGO found a niche on both 5 February and also 22 February when she spirited more than one million rounds of .30 caliber ammunition to the Philippine forces that were trying to hold off the Japanese advance, and SARGO brought out 24 Americans as well. This was not the combat assignment that Jacobs looked for, but the missions were completed successfully.

In late February, SARGO departed the Philippine area and headed for Fremantle on the western Australian coast. On 4 March, they spotted a twin-engine land based aircraft and, just to be on the safe side, Jacobs pulled the plug and sent SARGO into the depths. It was a fortunate decision.

The aircraft was hunting a Japanese submarine reported to be in the waters by the destroyer WHIPPLE and even though the Submarine Command had informed RAF Air Wing Headquarters that SARGO was in the area, the message had not gotten passed on to the pilot of this plane – any submarine was his target. The pilot spotted SARGO, and went in for the attack.

SARGO had been bucking a heavy sea and so her tanks were all blown dry, making submerging a bit slow. Jacobs’ report reads:

“At about 1341 heard one bomb explode on port quarter, no damage to ship. Stern planesman allowed down angle to get away from him. Stopped motors, blew bow buoyancy and forward group, checked descent at 170 feet. Vented tanks a fraction of a second too late and broached. Believe ship was at 50 feet when a second bomb exploded over the conning tower. This was a terrific explosion, glass rained down, power and lighting lost, depth gauges were put out of order, various other casualties.”

The over-eager pilot had come very close to sinking SARGO. The after end of the conning tower and there were so many leaks that SARGO could not go below 80 feet without water pouring in the boat. They reached the safety of port the following day.

It was the torpedo failures noted by SARGO in middle December 1941 that prompted Admiral Lockwood and his staff to start to look into the possibility that the torpedoes were malfunctioning. Later, similar experiences written up from USS SALMON and USS SKIPJACK also helped fuel this inquiry. The tests were run at Albany, Australia, begun on 20 June 1042. The Mark 14 torpedo was found to have serious defects, all of which contributed to the torpedo failure so prominent in the submarine fleet.

Commanding officers were:
T. D. Jacobs (patrols #1 and 2)
R. V. Gregory (patrols #3, 4 and 5)
E. S. Carmick (patrols #6, 7 and 8)
P. W. Garnett (patrols #9, 10, 11 and 12)

USS SARGO was awarded eight Battle Stars and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation in World War II.

War Patrols of USS SARGO
WP #	FROM	TO	DURATION	SINKINGS
1	CJ S. China Sea	SJ	47 days	None
2	SJ Mindanao	SJ	25 days	see note A
3	SJ Transit	FA	8 days	None
4	FA Gulf Siam	FA	55 days	None
5	FA S China Sea	FA	59 days	see note B
6	BA Transit	PH	53 days	None
7	PH Marianas	MI	40 days	see note C
8	MI Marianas	PH	45 days	None
9	PH E China Sea	PH	55 days	see note D
10	PH PALAU	PH	45 days	see note E
11	PH Empire	PH	49 days	see note F
12	PH Ryukus	MJ	55 days	None

A – was on supply mission
B – on 5th patrol, sank the 4,472 ton steamer TEIBO MARU
C – on 7th patrol, sank the 5,226 ton transport KONAN MARU
D – on 9th patrol, sank the 2,868 ton steamer TAGA MARU and the 3,551 ton transport KOSEI MARU
E – on 10th patrol, sank the 6,534 ton transport NICHIRO MARU and the 5,275 ton steamer UCHIDE MARU and the 4,851 ton WAZAN MARU

Total of 32,777 tons of shipping

USS SARGO was decommissioned 22 June 1946, stricken from the Navy List on 19 July 1946 and sold for $21,793 to Learner in Oakland on 19 May 1947 to be broken up for scrap.

US Navy Reports: Attacks

Here is the official US Navy report on the 1st attack on SARGO on 4 March 1942 off Western Australia – two bombs.

“Received two bombs from RAAF two-engined bomber. First bomb was received shortly after diving, causing no damage but forcing ship to assume large down angle. Descent was checked at 170 foot depth by stopping motors and blowing bow buoyancy and forward group of main ballast tanks. Ship then broached and received second bomb close aboard conning tower while at about 50 foot depth. Main propulsion power was temporarily lost for reasons not stated. Both periscope exit windows and prisms were shattered and both periscope tubes flooded. After bulkhead of conning tower was slightly deformed, causing after bulkhead door to leak seriously at depths beyond 80 feet. Electrical panels and engine order telegraphs in conning tower were grounded by flooding. Three porcelain water closet bowls fractured. High pressure air system developed two leaks. Lighting power was lost and numerous bulbs were broken. Many gauges, meters and instruments were deranged or broken and other minor damage occurred. Ship was already enroute to base but otherwise would have had to terminate her patrol due to periscope damage.”

On 14 June 1943, while on her 7th war patrol, USS SARGO was attacked again, this time with 4 depth charges. The report reads:

“Depth charged by Japanese SC while submerged (depth not reported). No. 1 deck torpedo tube was put out of commission for remainder of patrol due to rupture of forward roller drain. No. 1 low pressure blower reduction gear crankcase fractured, placing blower out of commission. External flanges on forward torpedo tube impulse air system developed leaks to sea and Nos. 2, 3 and 5 high pressure air bank piping also developed leaks. MBT No. 1 vent valve gasket was dislodged. Key in bow plane tilting linkage in forward torpedo room was jarred out but was immediately replaced. Several gauges were deranged and numerous valves backed off. Ship remained on patrol.”

Specifications for submarines SS-182 through SS 187:

Length: 308 feet
Beam: 26 feet 1 inch
Draft: 14 feet 2 inches
Displacement: 1,449/2,198 tons
Power (diesel) 5,500 hp
Made by Hoover, Owens & Rentschler on SS 182 thru SS 184
Made by General Motors on SS 185 through SS 187
(electric) 3,300 hp 252 cells
Made by Elliott Motor Company
Speed (diesel) 21 knots
Speed (electric) 9 knots
Tubes (fwd) four 21 inch
Tubes (aft) four 21 inch
Deck guns: single 3” .50 cal
AA guns: two .50 cal and two .30 cal machine guns
Depth of dive: 250 feet
Crew: 5 officers and 50 men