USS Cavalla (SS-244) facts for kids
Cavalla, possibly making her way to the International Naval Review in Norfolk, Va., 1957. She is in hunter-killer submarine (SSK) configuration, with a streamlined sail and large bow sonar housing for the BQR-4 sonar system.
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Name | Cavalla |
| Namesake | Cavalla |
| Builder | Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut |
| Laid down | 4 March 1943 |
| Launched | 14 November 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. M. Comstock |
| Commissioned | 29 February 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 16 March 1946 |
| Recommissioned | 10 April 1951 |
| Decommissioned | 3 September 1952 |
| Recommissioned | 15 July 1953 |
| Decommissioned | 3 June 1968 |
| Reclassified |
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| Stricken | 30 December 1969 |
| Status | Museum ship at Galveston, Texas as of 21 January 1971 |
| Notes | Sank the Japanese carrier Shōkaku |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Gato-class diesel-electric submarine |
| Displacement |
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| Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft (5.2 m) maximum |
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| Speed |
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| Range | 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 kn (19 km/h) |
| Endurance |
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| Test depth | 300 ft (90 m) |
| Complement | 6 officers, 54 enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Cavalla (submarine)
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 USS Cavalla
Location in Texas
USS Cavalla
Location in the United States
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| Location | E. end of Seawolf Park, Galveston, Texas |
| Area | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 08000477 |
| Added to NRHP | 27 May 2008 |
The USS Cavalla (SS-244) was a famous submarine of the United States Navy. It was a Gato-diesel-electric class submarine, named after a type of saltwater fish. The Cavalla is best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku during World War II.
The Cavalla was built by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut. Its construction started on March 4, 1943. The submarine was officially launched into the water on November 14, 1943. It was then put into service, or commissioned, on February 29, 1944. Lieutenant Commander Herman J. Kossler was its first commanding officer.
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Cavalla's War Missions
The Cavalla left New London on April 11, 1944. It arrived at Pearl Harbor on May 9 to get ready for its first mission. On May 31, 1944, the submarine began its first active patrol.
First Patrol: Sinking the Shōkaku
During its very first patrol, the Cavalla was heading towards the Philippines. On June 17, it found a large group of Japanese warships. The Cavalla followed these ships for several hours. It sent important information back to the United States Navy. This information helped the U.S. win the Battle of the Philippine Sea on June 19–20, 1944. This battle is also known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot."
On June 19, the Cavalla spotted the Japanese carrier Shōkaku while it was recovering planes. The submarine quickly fired five torpedoes, and four of them hit the carrier. The Shōkaku sank at 11°50′N 137°57′E / 11.833°N 137.950°E. After this, three Japanese destroyers attacked the Cavalla with depth charges. The Cavalla managed to escape with only minor damage. This amazing achievement earned the submarine a special award called the Presidential Unit Citation.
Second Patrol: Supporting the Invasion
The Cavalla's second patrol took it back to the Philippine Sea. This time, it was part of a group of submarines called a wolfpack. They were working together to support the invasion of Peleliu on September 15, 1944.
Third Patrol: Destroyer and Convoy Attacks
On November 25, 1944, during its third patrol, the Cavalla found two Japanese destroyers. It attacked one of them from the surface and sank the Shimotsuki at 02°21′N 107°20′E / 2.350°N 107.333°E. The other destroyer then started dropping depth charges, but the Cavalla escaped while still on the surface.
Later in the same patrol, on January 5, 1945, the Cavalla attacked an enemy convoy at night. It sank two ships that were used for laying nets, called Kanko Maru and Shunsen Maru, at 05°00′S 112°20′E / 5.000°S 112.333°E.
Fourth and Fifth Patrols: Helping an Ally
The Cavalla patrolled the South China and Java Seas during its fourth and fifth war missions. There were not many enemy ships to find. However, on May 21, 1945, the Cavalla helped a friendly submarine. This was the British submarine HMS Terrapin, which had been damaged by enemy depth charges. It could not go underwater or move at full speed. The Cavalla stayed with the damaged submarine and escorted it safely to Fremantle, arriving on May 27, 1945.
Sixth Patrol: End of the War
The Cavalla received the order to stop fighting on August 15, 1945. At that time, it was on its sixth patrol, acting as a lifeguard submarine off Japan. A few minutes later, a Japanese plane bombed it. The plane likely had not heard the news that the war was over.
The Cavalla joined other ships entering Tokyo Bay on August 31. It stayed there for the signing of the surrender on September 2, which officially ended World War II. The next day, it left for New London, arriving on October 6, 1945. The submarine was taken out of active service on March 16, 1946.
Cavalla's Life After World War II
The Cavalla was put back into service on April 10, 1951. It joined Submarine Squadron 8 and took part in different training exercises in the Caribbean and off Nova Scotia. It was taken out of service again on September 3, 1952. Then, it went to the Electric Boat Company yard to be changed into a hunter-killer submarine. Its classification changed to SSK-244 on February 18, 1953.
As part of this change, the Cavalla's front part was rebuilt. A new curved section was added to hold a special sonar system called BQR-4. Two torpedo tubes were removed from the front, and its original command tower and bridge were reshaped into the streamlined "sail" you can see today.
The Cavalla was put back into service for a third time on July 15, 1953. It was assigned to Submarine Squadron 10. Its new sonar system made the Cavalla very useful for testing new weapons and equipment. On January 1, 1954, it was moved to Submarine Development Group 2. It also traveled to Europe several times to participate in NATO exercises. In 1957, it visited Norfolk, Va., for the International Naval Review. On August 15, 1959, its classification changed back to SS-244.
In November 1961, the Cavalla was sent to Puerto Rico. It provided electrical power to another submarine, USS Thresher (SSN-593). The Thresher had a problem with its diesel generator while its nuclear reactor was turned off. The Cavalla successfully helped the Thresher restart its reactor. Sadly, the Thresher was lost during sea trials on April 10, 1963.
Cavalla Becomes a Museum
In July 1963, the Cavalla was reclassified as an "auxiliary submarine," AGSS-244. The Cavalla was officially taken out of service and removed from the Navy's list on December 30, 1969.
On January 21, 1971, the Cavalla was given to the Texas Submarine Veterans of World War II group. Today, the Cavalla is a museum ship at the Galveston Naval Museum. This museum is located in Seawolf Park on Pelican Island, just north of Galveston, Texas.
The Cavalla has gone through a lot of repair and restoration work. Visitors can now take self-guided tours inside the submarine to see what life was like for its crew.
Images for kids
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The mess of the restored USS Cavalla (SS-244)
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The cramped officer quarters of Cavalla
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Damage in Seawolf Park following Hurricane Ike
See Also
