USS Sculpin (SS 191) - Seal Beach, CA - World War II Memorials / Monuments on Waymarking.com

The advancement of the submarine is a long and proud chapter in the history of the U.S. Navy. Through the efforts of the California Center for Military History and U.S. Submarine Veterans, a large memorial recognizes the name and crew of each submarine lost in World War II. The "World War II National Submarine Memorial - West" is located just outside the gate to the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach. Bronze plaques identify the officers and men that gave their lives during the war. The plaques surround a central display consisting of a torpedo, flag, and time capsule and a grass field. Groundbreaking for the memorial took place on January 13, 1977.

(The following is from the Naval Historical Center's Web site.)

USS Sculpin, a 1450-ton Sargo class submarine, was built at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine. Commissioned in January 1939, she spent much of that year assisting in rescue and salvage efforts on her sister ship, USS Squalus (SS-192), which had accidently sunk on 23 May. In February 1940, Sculpin went to the Pacific. She transited to the Philippines in October 1941 and was there when the Pacific War began on 7 December (8 December local time). In that month and in January 1942, she conducted her first war patrol, making an attack that may have sunk a Japanese ship. From January 1942 to January 1943, Sculpin was based in Java and and Australia, making five more patrols into Japanese-held waters. She sank two enemy ships and inflicted damage on a destroyer, a light cruiser and other ships.

Beginning in May 1943, following an overhaul on the U.S. west coast, Sculpin operated out of Pearl Harbor. Her seventh and eighth war patrols took place in May-September 1943, resulting in damage to the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyo and the sinking of a cargo ship. The submarine left Pearl Harbor on her ninth patrol in early November, as the prospective flagship for a wolf pack that was to be commanded by John P. Cromwell. On 18-19 November 1943, Sculpin attacked a Japanese convoy in the Central Pacific. In the ensuing action, she was damaged by depth charge attacks and forced to surface, then fought enemy escort ships in a gun battle that killed her commanding officer, Fred Connaway, and others of her crew. Fatally damaged, Sculpin was deliberately submerged after most of the surviving crewmen had escaped. Captain Cromwell chose to ride her down to prevent possible compromise of secret information he possessed, an action for which he was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.

Property Permission: Public Access instructions: Park in the lot just off the main entrance to the Naval Weapons Station Access times: From: 12:00 AM To: 11:59 PM Website for Waymark: [Web Link] Location of waymark: 800 Seal Beach Boulevard Seal Beach, CA USA 90740 Commemoration: USS Sculpin Date of Dedication: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/18/2010 senoritafish visited it