USS Salmon (SS-182)
The lead ship of her class of six submarines, USS Salmon (SS-182) was commissioned on March 15, 1938, at Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut. Assigned to the Pacific, she was homeported on the west coast until transferred to the Philippines, where she was serving during the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Relocating to Australia, Salmon patrolled the East Indies, South China Sea, Indochina, and the Philippines, sinking three ships. Following an overhaul on the U.S. west coast, she patrolled off Japan, sinking an additional ship in the summer of 1943. Operating as part of a "wolf-pack" against Japanese shipping in September 1944, Salmon was damaged during a depth-charge attack. Despite her damage, she surfaced, engaged the enemy, and drove them off. This action earned the submarine a Presidential Unit Citation. Due her age and service, she transited back to the Atlantic in February 1945 and spent the rest of the war in overhaul and trained sailors. Decommissioned on September 24, 1945, Salmon was scrapped in April 1946.
A model of Salmon used to be on display at the In Harm's Way (Pacific Section) at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy., Bldg. 76, until 2022.
Image: NH 69872: USS Salmon (SS-182), running speed trials, early 1938. NHHC Photograph Collection.
