Allied Warships

Seal (SS-183)

Submarine of the Salmon class


USS Seal as completed

NavyThe US Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassSalmon 
Pennant183 
Built byElectric Boat Co. (Groton, Connecticut, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down25 May 1936 
Launched25 Apr 1937 
Commissioned30 Apr 1937 
End service1 May 1956 
Loss position
 
History

Decommissioned 15 November 1945.
Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Placed In service 19 June 1947 as a Naval Reserve Training Ship.
Placed Out of service and stricken 1 May 1956.
Sold 7 May 1956 to be broken up for scrap.

 

Commands listed for USS Seal (183)

Please note that we're still working on this section.

CommanderFromTo
1Lt. Karl G. Hensel, USN30 Apr 1937???

2Lt.Cdr. Kenneth Charles Hurd, USNDec 1941> Nov 42

3Harry Benjamin Dodge, USN< Apr 43> Mar 44

4Lt.Cdr. John Henderson Turner, USNAug 44 ?Nov 1944

You can help improve our commands section
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this vessel.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve this ships page.

Noteable events involving Seal include:


13 Dec 1941
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. Kenneth C. Hurd) leaves Manila for her first war patrol.

23 Dec 1941
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) torpedoes ans sinks the Japanese transport ship Soryu Maru (856 GRT) off Vigan, Luzon, Philippines in position 17º35'N, 120º12'E. (see map)

5 Feb 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) ended her first war patrol at Surabaya, Java, Netherlands East Indies.

11 Feb 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) leaves Surabaya for Tjilatjap.

14 Feb 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) arrives at Tjilatjap.

19 Feb 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) left Tjilatjap for her second war patrol.

9 Apr 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) ended her second war patrol at Fremantle, Asutralia.

12 May 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) depatrs Fremantle for her third war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the south China Sea off the coast of French Indo-China.

28 May 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) torpedoes and damages the Japanese transport ship Tatsufuku Maru (1946 GRT) at the western entrance to Balabac Strait in position 07º27'N, 116º17'E. The damaged Japanese ship is sunk on the next day by USS Swordfish in position 07º33'N, 116º18'E. (see map)

4 Jul 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) ended her third war patrol at Fremantle.

10 Aug 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) left Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. Once again she was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.

3 Sep 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) torpedoes and damages the Japanese passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru (1688 GRT) south-east of Cape Padaran, French Indochina in position 11º00'N, 109º00'E. (see map)

5 Sep 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) sinks the Japanese passenger-cargo ship Kanju Maru (1680 GRT) southeast of Cape Padaran, French Indochina in position 11º00'N, 109º32'E. Kanju Maru was already damaged by USS Seal two days previously. (see map)

2 Oct 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle.

24 Oct 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) left Fremantle for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Palau.

16 Nov 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Boston Maru (5477 GRT) off Palau in position 06º18'N, 135º20'E. Just after firing her torpedoes at the Boston Maru, Seal is rammed and heavily damaged by another Japanese ship. She is forced to terminate her patrol. (see map)

30 Nov 1942
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. K.C. Hurd) ends her 5th war patrol at Pearl Harbour and after repairs she is ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul.

14 Apr 1943
With her overhaul completed USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. Harry Benjamin Dodge) left Pearl Harbour for her 6th war patrol. She is ordered to patrol off Palau.

4 May 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese tanker San Clemente Maru (7354 GRT) about 50 nautical miles south-east of Palau in position 06º30'N, 130º30'E. (see map)

3 Jun 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) ends her 6th war patrol at Midway.

24 Jun 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) left Midway for her 7th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters off Honshu.

8 Jul 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) is badly damaged by bombs and depth charges off northern Honshu in position 39º53'N, 142º10'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol. (see map)

24 Jul 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) ends her 7th war patrol at Pearl Harbour.

16 Aug 1943
After repairs USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) leaves pearl Harbour for her 8th war patrol. She is ordered to patrol of the Kuril Islands.

4 Oct 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) ends her 8th war patrol at Pearl Harbour.

7 Nov 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) left Pearl Harbour for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Kwajalein.

19 Dec 1943
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) ended her 9th war patrol at Pearl Harbour.

17 Jan 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) left Pearl Harbour for her 10th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Ponape.

6 Mar 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. H.B. Dodge) ended her 10th war patrol at Pearl Harbour. she eas ordered to the Mare Island Navy Yard for an overhaul.

8 Aug 1944
USS Seal (Lt Cmdr John Henderson Turner) leaves Pearl Harbour for her 11th war patrol,and is ordered to patrol off northern Hokkaido.

24 Aug 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese merchant Tosei Maru (531 GRT) off the southeast coast of Hokkaido in position 42º30'N, 144º05'E. (see map)

8 Sep 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) torpedoes and damages the Japanese destroyer Namikaze (offsite link) off Hokkaido in position 47º28'N, 148º20'E. (see map)

9 Sep 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Shonan Maru (5859 GRT) in the Sea of Okhotsk, north of Etorofu, Kuril Islands in position 47º57'N, 148º15'E. (see map)

17 Sep 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) ends her 11th war patrol at Midway.

10 Oct 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) leaves Midway for her 12th and last war patrol. She is ordered to patrol of the Kuril Islands.

25 Oct 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese transport ship Hakuyo Maru (5742 GRT) north of Urup, Kuril Islands in position 50º18'N, 150º50'E. (see map)

29 Nov 1944
USS Seal (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Turner) ends her 12th and final war patrol at Pearl Harbour. She was now assigned to training duties.



tale of two subs, A

Jonathan J. McCullough

Books dealing with this subject include:

A tale of two subs, Jonathan J. McCullough, 2009
Will Not We Fear, Warren, C.E.T. and Benson, James, 1961 (transl.)


Return to the Allied Warships section