USS V-6 SC 2
V-5 class
Launched March 15, 1930
Upper: Commissioning cover, USS V-6 Type F (Fancy) cancel provided by North Bay Stamp Club.
Lower: V-6 Type P (Provisional) cancel, 25 known copies.
First of forty-four submarines built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Authorized February 11, 1925 but keel laying delayed until 1927. Launched March 15, 1930; the first shipyard launching in nine years. With length of 349′ and submerged displacement of 3,960 tons, the largest sub built at Mare Island until 1959. Armed with two 6″ inch guns, V-6 was known as a (SC) Cruiser Submarine.
USS Nautilus SS-168 (Ex V-6)
Narwhal (renamed) class
Renamed February 19, 1931 and designation changed to SS-168 July 1, 1933
Upper: USS Nautilus Type 5ks(C) postmark (Used until June 1931 after named changed to Nautilus)
Lower: Very early USS Nautilus Type 5hks cancel.
Made 14 war patrols during World War II in the Pacific, sinking 6 enemy ships. First mission during the Battle of Midway in June 1942 when credited with helping sink damaged Japanese carrier Soryu. Carried Marine assault and reconnaissance teams on several patrols. Decommissioned June 30, 1945 and sold for scrap.
USS Pompano SS-181
Porpoise class
Launched March 11, 1937
Upper: Launch cover, cachet design by Martin Aden, Mare Island Navy Yard employee, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: First day Postal Service cover, USS Pompano Type 3(AC-BBT) cancel, cachet sponsored by Dr. S. E. Hutnick.
Displacement 1,997 tons, 301′ length, one deck gun. Made seven war patrols in the Pacific during World War II sinking 5 ships. On seventh patrol, departed Midway Island August 20, 1943 and was never heard from again. Probably lost to enemy mines.
USS Sturgeon SS-187
Salmon class
Launched March 15, 1938
Upper: Launch cover, USS Pompano Type 3(AC-BBT) cancel, cachet design Martin Aden.
Lower: USS Sturgeon Type 3r(A-BBT) cancel, cachet design by Louis Weigand.
Displacement 2,220 tons, 308′ length, one deck gun. Made 10 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank 9 ships, later assigned to New London, Connecticut in early 1945, as training ship. Decommissioned November 15, 1945 and sold for scrap.
USS Swordfish SS-193
Sargo class
Launched April 1, 1939
Upper: Launch cover, USS Pompano Type 3(AC-BBT) cancels, cachet design by Martin Aden.
Lower: Commissioning cover, cachet design sponsored by Lloyd Nace, shipyard machine postmark.
Displacement 2,350 tons, 299′ length, one deck gun. Made thirteen war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, sinking 12 ships. February 1942 evacuated President of the Philippines and family from Luzon. Last patrol began December 22, 1944, last heard from January 3, 1945, lost to unknown causes.
USS Tuna SS-203
Tambor class
Launched October 2, 1940
Upper: Launch cover, design sponsored by Mare Island, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Commissioning cover, USS Tuna Type 3r(A-BTB) cancel, cachet sponsored by Al Cohen.
Displacement of 2,370 tons, 308′ in length, one deck gun. Differing from Sargo class in silhouette, hull form and internal layout. Made 13 war patrols sinking 4 ships in the Pacific during World War II. Served as target vessel during atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll 1946. Survived two tests; decommissioned December 11, 1946. Disposed of by sinking off the California Coast in 1948.
USS Gudgeon SS-211
Tambor class
Launched January 25, 1941
Upper: Launch cover, cachet design by Martin Aden, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Commissioning cover, cachet design by Martin Aden, USS Tuna Type 3r(A-BTB) cancel.
Made twelve war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, 15th on the honor roll (tonnage) of American submarines sinking 12 ships for 71,000 tons. Sinking of 17,520 ton transport was one of the largest ships sunk by an American submarine. Became the first US submarine to sink an enemy vessel during the war, sinking Japanese submarine I-173. Last patrol began April 4, 1944. She was never heard from or seen again.
USS Silversides SS-236
Gato class
Launched August 26, 1941
Upper: Launch cover, cachet design by Martin Aden, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: First Day Postal Service cover, USS Silversides Type 3z(TTT) cancel and censor mark.
Displacement of 2,424 tons, 311′ in length, one deck gun. Made fourteen war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, sinking 23 ships. 3rd on the Honor Roll with number of ships sunk, 5th with total tonnage sunk, 90,080 tons. Decommissioned New London, Connecticut 1946. Placed in service as training ship Chicago, Illinois 1947. Presently in Muskegon, Michigan as floating memorial.
USS Trigger SS-237
Gato class
Launched October 22, 1941
Upper: First Day of Postal Service cover, USS Trigger Type 3z(BBT) cancel, cachet sponsored by Dr. S.E. Hutnick.
Lower: USS Trigger Type Fz cancel.
Made twelve war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, sinking 18 ships, damaging several others including Japanese carrier Hiyo. During one patrol sunk three ships for combined total 20,660 tons in three and a half hours. 7th on the honor roll (tonnage) with 86,552 tons, tied for 11th on the honor roll (ships sunk). Lost on patrol March 28, 1945 after depth charge attack by surface ships and aircraft.
USS Wahoo SS-238
Gato class
Launched February 14, 1942
Upper: Launch cover, cachet design by Martin Aden, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Memorial cover, cachet design by Budd Arrington, Pictorial postmark.
Made seven war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. 23rd on the honor roll (tonnage) with 60,038 tons, tied for 5th on the honor roll (ships sunk) with 20. After sinking four ships, caught on the surface on October 11, 1943 in Japanese waters and sunk during depth charge attack.
USS Whale SS-239
Gato class
Launched March 14, 1942
Upper: Launch cover, design by Martin Aden, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: First Day of Postal Service cover, USS Whale Type 3z(BTT) cancel, cachet design by C. De Montigny.
Made eleven war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. First American submarine to plant mines in Japan’s home waters. Sank 9 ships, total 57,716 tons. Inactivated New London, Connecticut 1945. Decommissioned 1947, reactivated 1956 and recommissioned January 1957. Final decommissioning September 1957. Sold for scrap.
USS Sunfish SS-281
Gato class
Launched May 2, 1942
Upper: Keel laying cover, design by Dr. S.E. Hutnick, USS Tangier Type 3(A-BBT) cancel.
Lower: Launch cover, design by Martin Aden, shipyard machine postmark.
Made eleven war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank 16 ships, ranks 24th on the honor roll (tonnage) with 59,815 tons of shipping. Decommissioned at Mare Island December 26, 1945, sold for scrap 1960.
USS Tunny SS-282
Gato class (No reported postmarks)
Launched June 3, 1942
Upper: Keel laying cover, design by Dr. S.E. Hutnick, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Ship’s rubber stamp cachet and corner card, submarine base machine postmark.
Made nine war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank six ships, total 26,837 tons. Decommissioned December 1945, recommissioned February 1952, decommissioned in April. Recommissioned March 1953 as SSG-282, after conversion to nuclear Regulus guided missiles. Redesignated SS-282 in 1965 after Regulus phase out, converted to troop carrying submarine in 1966, redesignated APSS-282. Operated off Vietnam 1967. Reclassified as LPSS-282 in 1968, decommissioned June 28, 1969 and sunk as mobile target 1970.
USS Tinosa SS-283
Gato class
Launched October 7, 1942
Upper: Tinosa corner card and Tinosa Type 9ruz cancel and with Vallejo, California machine cancel.
Lower: Post Card of Kamo Maru, sunk by USS Tinosa July 3, 1944.
Made twelve war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Tied for 9th on honor roll (ships sunk) with 16 and 19th on honor roll (tonnage) with 64,655 tons. Decommissioned January 1947, recommissioned January 1952 for the Korean War, decommissioned December 1953. Scuttled off Hawaii November 1960.
USS Tullibee SS-284
Gato class (No reported postmarks)
Launched November 11, 1942
Upper: Cover commemorating loss of Tullibee, cachet design by Budd Arrington, Vallejo hand stamp cancel.
Lower: Cover commemorating 50th anniversary of loss of Tullibee, cachet design by Robert Quintero, Detroit, Michigan hand stamp cancel.
Made four war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank three ships for 10,579 tons. On March 26, 1944 fired two torpedoes at a Japanese transport ship, one torpedo ran circular course and struck Tullibee, sinking her. One crewman survived the war as a POW to tell the story.
View Frame 1