Submarine Event Covers - USS Sculpin (SS-191)
Shakedown Cruise - October 27, 2025
With Navy Day Cancel - Newport, Rhode Island

The keel of  USS Sculpin (SS-191) was laid down by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth New Hampshire on September 7, 1937. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Joseph R. Defrees and launched on July 27, 1938. Sculpin was commissioned on January 16, 1939 with Lieutenant Warren D. Wilkin in command. (The ship was also known as S-10).

The Sculpin left Pearl Harbor under the command of Commander Fred Connaway enroute to Johnson Island on November 5, 1943. After topping off with fuel, she left Johnston Island on November 7 to conduct her ninth patrol in an area in the Caroline Islands. Her mission was to support the action of our surface forces in the Gilbert Islands by intercepting and attacking any enemy forces which might be proceeding from Truk toward the Marshall Islands. She was to leave her area on December14 and return to Pearl Harbor; stopping at Johnston for fuel if necessary. Sculpin was not heard from following her departure from Johnston Island on November 7.

During the patrol, Commander John P. Cromwell (promoted to Captain during the patrol) was aboard Sculpin. He was to take charge of a coordinated attack group consisting of Sculpin, USS Sea Raven (SS-196), and either USS Apogon (SS-308) or USS Spearfish (SS-190). On the night of November 29, the submarines were directed to form up and Apogon was named as the third member of the group. When no rendezvous orders were given by Captain Cromwell after 40 hours, new orders were sent by COMSUBPAC. Sculpin was to proceed immediately to Eniwetok, make a close observation, and report any enemy shipping. This was done in order to avoid confusion among the other submarines, and to determine whether Sculpin was all right. Although the new orders to Sculpin were sent repeatedly on December 1 and other orders a few days later; no answer came from her. On December 30 Sculpin was reported as presumed lost.

Meanwhile, long before tension mounted at the bases concerning her; Sculpin was meeting her test. The story related here is reconstructed from statements made by members of her crew recovered from Japanese prison camps at the close of the war.

On the night of November 18, Sculpin made a radar contact with a fast convoy and made an end-around at full power. Submerging on the enemy track for a dawn attack; Sculpin began what promised to be a successful approach. However, she was detected in the attack phase and the convoy zigged in her direction forcing her deep. There was no depth charge attack at this time. About an hour later the boat surfaced to begin another end-around, but immediately dove again, having surfaced 6000 yards from a destroyer which was lagging the convoy. Depth charging started as soon as she dove again.

Early in the ensuing attack a string of depth charges did minor damage to the boat. Lieutenant G. E. Brown, the only officer survivor, was relieved as diving officer to make an inspection and found her fundamentally sound. At this time the submarine had succeeded in shaking the enemy, but before Brown returned to the control room the ship broached when the diving officer tried to bring her to periscope depth and the depth gauge stuck at 125 feet. The depth charge attack was renewed at once.

About noon on November 19, a close string of 18 depth charges threw Sculpin, already at deep depth, badly out of control. The pressure hull was distorted, she was leaking, steering and diving plane gear were damaged, and she was badly out of trim. Commander Connaway decided to surface and to fight clear. The boat was surfaced and went to gun action. During the battle Commander Connaway and the Gunnery Officer were on the bridge, and the Executive Officer was in the conning tower. When the destroyer placed a shell through the main induction, and one or more through the conning tower, these officers and several men were killed. Lieutenant Brown then succeeded to command and decided to scuttle the boat; he gave the order, "All hands abandon ship." After giving the order to abandon ship, the boat was dived at emergency speed for the last time by opening all vents. About 12 men rode the boat down, including Captain Cromwell and one other officer, both of whom refused to leave it. Captain Cromwell, being familiar with plans for our operations in the Gilberts and other areas, stayed with the boat to insure that the enemy could not gain any of the information he possessed. For this act of heroism; COMSUBPAC recommended that he be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 42 men were taken prisoner by the Japanese destroyer, but one was thrown over the side almost immediately because he was severely wounded. Another man escaped being thrown overboard only by wrenching free of his captors and joining the other men.

The group of 38 enlisted men and 3 officers were taken to Truk where they were questioned for ten days. Then they were loaded on two carriers headed for Japan, (21 on one and 20 on the other). Enroute to its destination, the carrier Chuyo, carrying 21 Sculpin survivors, was torpedoed and sunk by USS Sailfish (SS-192) on December 31, 2025 and only one American escaped. This was a particularly coincidental and tragic event since Sculpin had stood by USS Squalus (SS192) when she sank off Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1939. After being raised, Squalus was decommissioned and recommissioned USS Sailfish (SS-192). At Ofuna, the 21 survivors were repeatedly questioned, and they learned they were in an unofficial Navy prison camp. They were released from the camp a few at a time when the enemy became convinced that they could get no information from them and were sent to work in the copper mines at Ashio. There they were allowed to register as prisoners of war, and received at least enough food to live on, although not enough to maintain health properly. They remained at Ashio until released by American forces on September 4, 1945.

The Sculpin on her first eight patrols sank nine ships for 42,200 tons and damaged ten, totaling 63,000 tons. Her first patrol off the east coast of the Philippine Islands resulted in one sinking, the 3,124 ton transport Kanko Maru on January 10, 1942. During her second patrol in the region east of Celebes, she sank a destroyer type vessel and did damage to a light cruiser. Her third patrol was conducted in the Molukka Sea and Sculpin damaged a freighter. On her fourth patrol conducted in the South China Sea; she is credited with having sunk a freighter, damaged another freighter and three tankers.

Sculpin went to the Solomons area for her fifth patrol and is credited with sinking two large tankers and a transport. She also damaged a freighter on this patrol. Going back to the Solomons for her sixth patrol, Sculpin damaged a tanker. Sculpin made her seventh patrol in May and June of 1943 in the Aleutians. There she sank two small patrol craft and damaged two freighters. On her eighth patrol in the East China Sea, Sculpin sank a freighter-transport.

The USS Sculpin (SS-191) rests on eternal patrol with 12 of her crew off the Caroline Islands. 51 Sculpin sailors died while prisoners of war. 21 members of the crew survived and were released at the end of the war.

Sources: 
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships  (1959-1991)
U.S. Navy Ship 20th Century Historical Database 

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