USS ''Cod'' (SS/AGSS/IXSS-224) is a , the only vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the

cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

, an important and very popular food fish of the North Atlantic and North Pacific. ''Cod'' is now a National Historic Landmark, preserved as a memorial and

museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

permanently moored in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, and is open to visitors daily from 1 May to 30 September.

Construction and commissioning

''Cod''′s keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, Connecticut, on 21 July 1942. The submarine's five V16 diesel engines were built by

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Cleveland Diesel Plant on the west side of

. She was launched on 21 March 1943, sponsored by Mrs. G. M. Mahoney, and commissioned on 21 June 1943 with

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

James C. Dempsey James Charles Dempsey (August 30, 1908 – July 9, 1979), was a decorated submarine commander during World War II who reached the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. He died, aged 70, on July 9, 1979, of congestive heart and kidney fa ...

, USN; in command. Dempsey had already won fame by sinking the first Japanese

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

lost in World War II while in command of the submarine .

World War II

On 30 August 1943, the American Type C1-B

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

opened gunfire on ''Cod'' in the Caribbean Sea at , about north-northwest of

Baranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, and east of the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. Less than three hours later, ''Alcoa Patriot'' again sighted ''Cod'' and fired on her at , about northwest of Baranquilla and east of the northern entrance to the Panama Canal. ''Cod'' suffered no damage or casualties in either incident.

First patrols, 1943 October – 1944 January

''Cod'' arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on 2 October 1943 to prepare for her first

war patrol War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

. She sailed from there 20 days later. Penetrating the South China Sea, she contacted few targets, and launched an attack only once, on 29 November, with unobserved results. Returning to Fremantle, Australia, to refit from 16 December 1943 to 11 January 1944.

Second patrol, 1944 February – 1944 March

''Cod'' put to sea for her second war patrol in the South China Sea, off Java, and off

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. Hal ...

. On 16 February, she surfaced to sink a

sampan A sampan is a relatively flat-bottomed Chinese and Malay wooden boat. Some sampans include a small shelter on board and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. The design closely resembles Western hard chine boats like th ...

by gunfire, and on 23 February, torpedoed a Japanese

merchantman A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...

. She sent another to the bottom on 27 February, Taisoku Maru (2,473 tons) and two days later attacked a third, only to be forced deep by a concentrated depth charging delivered by a Japanese escort ship.

Third patrol, 1944 March – 1944 June

Refitting at

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

again from 13 March – 6 April 1944, ''Cod'' sailed to the

Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...

and the South China Sea off Luzon for her third war patrol. On 10 May, she attacked a heavily escorted convoy of 32 ships and sank the

''Karukaya'' and cargo merchantman Shohei Maru (7,256 tons) before the escorts drove her down with depth charges. Returning to

to replenish on 1 June 1944.

Fourth patrol, 1944 July – 1944 August

''Cod'' was put to sea again 3 July on her fourth war patrol, under the command of

James "Silver Leader" Adkins. She ranged from the coast of Luzon to Java. She sank the converted net tender, Seiko Maru (708 tons) on 3 August, and a landing craft, ''LSV-129'', on 14 August, and, once more successful, returned to

25 August.

Fifth patrol, 1944 September – 1944 November

''Cod'' put to sea on her fifth war patrol 18 September 1944, bound for Philippine waters. She made her first contact, a cargo ship, Tatsushiro Maru (6,886 tons) on 5 October, and sank it. Two days later, she inflicted heavy damage on a tanker. Contacting a large convoy on 25 October, ''Cod'' launched several attacks without success. With all her torpedoes expended, she continued to shadow the convoy for another day to report its position. In November she took up a lifeguard station off Luzon, ready to rescue carrier pilots carrying out the series of air strikes on Japanese bases which paved the way for the

invasion of Leyte An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

later that month. ''Cod'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 20 November 1944, and sailed on to a stateside overhaul at

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

, returning to Pearl Harbor on 7 March 1945.

Sixth patrol, 1945 March – 1945 May

On 24 March she sailed from Pearl Harbor for the

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

on her sixth war patrol. Assigned primarily to lifeguard duty, she used her deck gun to sink a

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

and its tow on 17 April, rescuing three survivors, and on 24 April launched an attack on a convoy which resulted in the most severe depth charging of her career. The next day, she sent the minesweeper ''W-41'' to the bottom. On 26 April ''Cod'' was threatened by a fire in the aft torpedo room, but the ship's crew brought the fire under control and manually launched a torpedo already in its tube before the fire could detonate it. QM2c L.E. Foley and S1c A.G. Johnson were washed overboard while freeing the torpedo room hatch. Foley was recovered the next morning, but Johnson was drowned during the night, the ''Cod'''s only fatality during the war.

Seventh patrol, 1945 May – 1946 June

After refitting at Guam between 29 May and 26 June 1945, ''Cod'' put out for the

Gulf of Siam The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in le ...

and the coast of Indo-China on her seventh war patrol under the command of Lieutenant commander Edwin M. Westbrook, Jr. On 9 and 10 July she went to the rescue of a grounded Dutch submarine, ''O-19'', taking its crew on board and destroying the Dutch boat when it could not be gotten off the reef. This was the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history. After returning the Dutch sailors to Subic Bay, between 21 July and 1 August ''Cod'' made 20 gunfire attacks on the junks, motor sampans, and barges which were all that remained to supply the Japanese at Singapore. After inspecting each contact to rescue civilian crew, ''Cod'' sank it by gunfire and torpedoes, sending to the bottom a total of 23. On 1 August, an enemy plane strafed ''Cod'', forcing her to dive, leaving one of her boarding parties behind. The men were rescued two days later by the . When ''Cod'' returned to

13 August 1945, the crew of ''O-19'' was waiting to throw a party for their rescuers. During that celebration, the two crews learned of the Japanese surrender. To symbolize that moment, another symbol was added to ''Cod''s battle flag: the name ''O-19'' under a martini glass. ''Cod'' sailed for home on 31 August. Arriving in New London, Connecticut, on 3 November after a visit to Miami, Florida, ''Cod'' sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for overhaul, returning to New London where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 22 June 1946.

Post-War service 1946 June – 1954 June

''Cod'' was

mothballed Mothballing may refer to: * Aircraft boneyard * Mothball Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae (especially clothe ...

in 1946, ''Cod'' was recommissioned in 1951 to participate in NATO anti-submarine training exercises under the command of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Francis E. Rich, USN. During the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, ''Cod'' traveled to

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

, as well as Cuba and South America.

Great Lakes training vessel, 1954 June – 1971 December

''Cod'' was decommissioned on 21 June 1954 and placed in reserve. In 1959 she was towed through the

St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...

and was used as a training vessel. The ''Cod'' served as a training platform during the reservists' weekend drills. The ''Cod'' was reclassified first as an Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-224) on 1 December 1962, and later as a Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine (IXSS-224) on 30 June 1971. The ''Cod'' was in commission, but classed as "in commission in reserve". On 15 December 1971, the ''Cod'' was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register.

Awards and decorations

''Cod'' is credited with sinking more than 12 enemy vessels totaling more than 37,000 tons, and damaging another 36,000 tons of enemy shipping. All seven of her war patrols were considered successful and ''Cod'' was awarded seven battle stars for her service in World War II, ''Cods battleflag and conning tower both carry a cocktail glass above the name ''O-19'' to commemorate the rescue and the party.

Museum ship and National Historic Landmark

General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engine

A group of Cleveland residents formed the Cleveland Coordinating Committee to Save ''Cod'', Inc., with the goal of preserving the ship as a memorial. In 1976 January, the United States Navy gave guardianship of the submarine to the group. ''Cod'' opened for public tours as a floating memorial on 1 May 1976. In 1986, the

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

designated ''Cod'' a National Historic Landmark. The memorial is open daily between 1 May and 30 September of each year from 1000 to 1700 hours. Today, ''Cod'' is one of the finest restored submarines on display and is the only U.S. submarine that has not had stairways and doors cut into her pressure hull for public access. ''Cod'' is the only World War II Fleet submarine that is still intact and in her wartime configuration. Visitors to the ship use the same vertical ladders and hatches that were used by her crew. She also has unique attractions such as the 5-inch deck gun that still can be rotated by visitors and mock-fired by ''Cod''s volunteer crew. The ''Cod''s Mark IV Torpedo Data Computer is also fully restored, as well as other various parts on the submarine. Cleveland can claim partial credit as ''Cod''s birthplace, since the submarine's five

diesel engines The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-calle ...

were built at the

Cleveland Diesel Plant on Cleveland's west side. ''Cod'' acquired two

Model 248 V16 engines that had originally been used aboard another World War II submarine, '. The engines were used for parts for the restoration of ''Cod'' engines. Four out of the five main engines on the ''Cod'' are in running and working order, and are fired up on special events throughout the year. The ''Cod'' operates an

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

station, W8COD, and participates in various amateur radio contests and other events such as

Field Day Field day may refer to: * For the armed forces use and its derivatives, see wiktionary:field day * Field day (agriculture), a trade show * Field Day (amateur radio), an annual amateur radio exercise * Field Day (band), a Canadian pop-punk band ...

. Normally, United States Navy submarines are

dry-dock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

ed every five years while on active duty. If permanently moored in fresh water the maintenance interval can be extended to 25 years. On 30 September 2020 The ''USS Cod'' announced that they needed more donations so ''Cod'' can be sent to Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair in Erie, Pennsylvania for dry docking to repair and renew her underwater hull. The last time the ''Cod'' was in dry dock for repairs was in 1963 in

Lorain, Ohio Lorain () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 65 ...

. ''Cod'' was closed to tours for approximately 60 days for a dry dock maintenance program that started 13 June 2021. The goal of the $1.4 million project is to conserve and restore the underwater hull of this 78 year old submarine so that she will continue to be a well-preserved National Historic Landmark and memorial for

Naval A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

veterans. ''Cod'' spent 63 days in Erie at Donjon Shipping & Repair. ''Cod'' returned to Cleveland on 18 August 2021 to the 1201 North Marginal Road berth that she has occupied since her arrival in Cleveland in 1959. ''Cods next dry docking project should happen in about eight to ten years.https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/uss-cod-submarine-renovations/95-fdd0df39-f173-4457-95ee-abd6ebd5f457/ USS Cod undergoing $1.4 million renovations Cod return

Media Productions

''Cod'' was subject of the television series ''The Silent Service'' and was the main plot for an episode titled "The U.S.S. Cod's Lost Boarding Party" which aired on 30 May 1958 on NBC. ''Cod'' was used for exterior and interior scenes in the 2016 Smithsonian Channel war documentary '' Hell Below'' to depict the USS ''Tang'', and . Filming took place aboard the ''Cod'' in 2015. The series premiered Sunday 17 July 2016. ''Cod'' was the subject of a two-part documentary in the World of Warships YouTube channel named ''Naval Legends:'' USS ''Cod.'' The documentary published on 2 and 4 July 2019. ''Cod'' was used for exterior and interior scenes in the

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

war documentary ''WWII: Hell Under the Sea'' to depict World War II submarine action. ''Cod'' was used for exterior and interior scenes for the Dolph Lundgren motion picture ''Operation Seawolf'' to depict World War II German U-Boats. The motion picture released on 7 October 2022.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* ::
Hinman, Charles R., and Douglas E. Campbell. ''The Submarine Has No Friends: Friendly Fire Incidents Involving U.S. Submarines During World War II''. Syneca Research Group, Inc., 2019.
.

External links

''USS Cod'' Official Websitehazegray.org: USS ''Cod'' Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
* Historic Naval ships Association
Video of ''USS Cod'' sinking ''O-19''USS''Cod'' on Hell Below
Smithsonian Channel
Naval Legends: USS ''Cod'' part 1
World of Warships YouTube Documentary
Naval Legends: USS ''Cod'' part 2
World of Warships YouTube Documentary
The USS ''Cods Lost Boarding Party
The Silent Service USS ''Cod'' Lost Boarding Party
USS ''Cod'' on WWII: Hell Under the Sea
National Geographic
Operation Seawolf
IMDb
Operation Seawolf Official Trailer
YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Cod (SS-224) Gato-class submarines World War II submarines of the United States Cold War submarines of the United States Submarines of the United States Navy Naval museums in the United States Ships built in Groton, Connecticut 1943 ships Maritime incidents in August 1943 Friendly fire incidents of World War II National Historic Landmarks in Ohio Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Cleveland, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Military and war museums in Ohio Museum ships in Ohio Museums in Cleveland History of Cleveland Cleveland Downtown Cleveland Lake Erie