USS Seahorse SS-304
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched January 9, 1943
Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Made eight war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. First of the Balao class to be built at Mare Island, displacement of 2,424 tons, length 311′ and one deck gun; basically refined Gato design with stronger pressure hull. Tied for 5th on the honor roll (ships sunk) with 20, 12th on the honor roll (tonnage) with 72,529 tons. Decommissioned March 2, 1946, sold for scrap 1968.
USS Skate SS-305
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched March 4, 1943
Upper: Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Lower: Cover cancelled at Midway Island after completion of second war patrol.
Made eight war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank ten ships for 27,924 tons including damaging Japanese battleship Yamato on second patrol. Used as target ship for atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll 1946. Towed to Mare Island for decommissioning December 1946. Disposed of by sinking off the California coast October 21, 1948.
USS Tang SS-306
Balao class
Launched August 17, 1943
Upper: Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Lower: Cover commemorating loss of Tang, cachet design by Budd Arrington, Mare Island hand stamp cancel.
Made five war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Second on the honor roll (ships sunk) with 24 and 4th on the honor roll (tonnage) with 93,824 tons. Under command of Commander Richard O’Kane on all patrols, he would receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions on the last patrol. On October 24, 1944, the last torpedo on board was fired which made a circular run, sinking the submarine. There were nine survivors, including Commander O’Kane.
USS Tilefish SS-307
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched October 25, 1943
Upper: Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Lower: USS Sandoval Type 2(n) and Type 9ef(nu) cancel, cachet design by Tazewell Nicholson, A.R.V. Carite ship’s cachet.
Made 6 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. September 1950 through March 1951 operated in Korean waters. Decommissioned October 1959. Overhauled and recommissioned January 30, 1960; final decommissioning May 1960. Sold to Venezuela, renamed A.R.V. Carite, S-11. Decommissioned 1970 and utilized for spare parts. Played the part of German U-Boat in movie “Murphy’s War” 1969.
USS Spadefish SS-411
Balao class
Launched January 8, 1944
Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel. Note misspelling of “Spadefish.”
Made 5 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Tied for 4th (ships sunk) with 21, 6th on the honor roll (tonnage) 88,091 tons. Sunk 10,000 ton tanker on first patrol and 21,000 ton escort carrier, Jinyo, on second. Decommissioned at Mare Island in May 1946 and scrapped in 1967.
USS Trepang SS-412
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched March 23, 1944
Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Made 6 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sank 11 ships for 23,850 tons. On first patrol, during surface attack near Tokyo Bay in October 1944, was thought to damage a battleship while sinking a destroyer. Skipper Commander Roy Milton Davenport received fourth Navy Cross for these actions. (Study of Japanese records could not verify these claims.) Decommissioned June 1946 at Mare Island, sunk as target ship September 1969.
USS Spot SS-413
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched May 19, 1944
Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Made 3 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Did not sink any ships. Decommissioned at Mare Island June 1946. Modernized 1961, loaned to government of Chile January 1962. Renamed Simpson, S-21. Simpson decommissioned 1975 and stricken from US Naval register. Reactivated as Simpson 1977 after major refit. Decommissioned 1982.
USS Springer SS-414
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched August 3, 1944
Commissioning cover, unknown cachet design artist, Type Fz shipyard shore cancel.
Made 3 war patrols in the Pacific during World War II. Sunk 4 ships for 3,940 tons. Decommissioned 1947 at Mare Island. Modernized and recommissioned September 1960. Decommissioned January 1961 and transferred to Chile. Recommissioned as Thomson, SS-22. Decommissioned 1972 and salvaged for spare parts.
USS Stickleback SS-415
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched January 1, 1945
Upper: Navy Official post card to crew member while on service in Korea area, reverse indicates correspondence course material has not been returned, noting completion letter is being withheld.
Lower: Cover to a crewmember from Japan dated April 21, 1955.
Began first war patrol on August 6, 1945, the date of the atomic bomb drop at Hiroshima, Japan. Decommissioned June 1946. Recommissioned three months later, serving as training ship at San Diego. Converted to Guppy IIA (Greater Underwater Propulsive Power) snorkel submarine 1952. Supported UN forces in Korea February through July 1954. During an antisubmarine warfare exercise on May 28, 1958, damaged during a collision with USS Silverstein, DE-534, sinking the next day.
USS Tiru SS-416
Balao class (No reported postmarks)
Launched September 16, 1947
Upper: Ship’s rubber stamp cachet and corner card, USS Simon Lake Type 2(n+)(USS) cancel.
Lower: Decommissioning cover, USS Orion Type 7tn+ cancel, unknown cachet artist.
Construction began 1944, halted, then resumed 1947. Only Guppy snorkel boat built at Mare Island. Supported United Nations forces during Korean War 1951. Converted to Guppy III 1959, receiving upgraded sonar, lengthened hull and new conning tower. Served in the Vietnam war zone during 1960’s. Transferred to Atlantic Fleet 1970, decommissioned 1975 and sold to Turkey though sale never completed due to tensions between Greece and Turkey. Sunk as target off Norfolk, Virginia July 19, 1979.
USS K-2 SSK-2 (Later renamed USS Bass SS-551)
Killer class (No reported postmarks)
Launched May 2, 1951
Launch cover, design by Martin Aden, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard Supervisors Association, shipyard machine postmark.
Designed for antisubmarine warfare as hunter-killer submarine. Length of 196′, displacement of 765 tons. Large bow sonar allowed snorkeling subs to be heard at great distance, however K-2 could not close the distance as the target could run faster submerged using diesels than the hunter could using battery power only. Stayed in service developing fleet tactics. Renamed Bass December 15, 1955. Decommissioned December 20, 1957. Designation changed to SS-551 while in reserve.
USS K-3 SSK-3 (Later renamed USS Bonita SS-552)
Killer class (No reported postmarks)
Launched June 21, 1951
Upper: Launch cover, design by Martin Aden, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard Supervisors Association, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Ship’s rubber stamp cachet and corner card, Pearl Harbor Submarine Base (Br 17012) machine cancel.
The sonar in this class easily visible as streamlined protrusion above the deck. Crew of 37 compared to crew of 80 in Balao class. Performed experimental and normal submarine duties in the Pacific, including cruise in Alaskan waters 1956. Renamed Bonita December 15, 1955 and decommissioned November 7, 1958. Designation changed to SS-552 while in reserve.
USS Grayback SSG-574
Grayback class (No reported postmarks)
Launched July 2, 1957
Upper: Launch cover, design by Lloyd Piller, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard Supervisors Association, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Cover commemorating first anniversary Official US missile mail via Regulus II launched from USS Grayback. Note misspelling of Grayback on cachet. Commemorative cancel.
First submarine designed at Mare Island and first submarine built to carry missiles. Fitted with two Regulus II nuclear missiles housed in large hanger on deck, required to surface to fire the missiles. Length of 318′, displacement of 3,650 tons. After sixteen patrols in the Pacific, decommissioned at Mare Island May 1964.
USS Grayback LPSS-574, SS-574
Grayback class (No reported postmarks)
Commissioned May 9, 1969
Upper: Recommissioning cover, cachet artist unknown, shipyard hand stamp postmark.
Lower: Ship’s cachet and corner card, shore machine cancel postmarked one day before decommissioning date.
Converted to submarine transport, commissioned LPSS-574 May 9, 1969. Missile hanger modified to include decompression chamber for swimmer access. Length increased to 334′. Carried 67 troops and SEAL swimmer delivery vehicles. Participated in covert raids in Vietnam through 1972. Designation later changed to SS-574. Decommissioned January 16, 1984. Sunk as a target in the South China Sea 1986.
USS Sargo SSN-583
Sargo class
Launched October 10, 1957
Upper: Launch cover, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard National Association of Supervisors, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Commissioning cover, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard National Association of Supervisors, shipyard machine postmark.
First nuclear submarine built at Mare Island. Length of 268′, displacement 2,861 tons. First to surface at the North Pole February 9, 1960 during a 11,000 mile cruise with 6,000 miles under the ice. Operated in the Pacific until decommissioning February 26, 1988. Entered the scrap/recycling program April 1994, with completion on April 5, 1995.
USS Halibut SSG(N)-587
Halibut class (No reported postmarks)
Launched January 9, 1959
Upper: Launch cover, sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard Supervisors Association, shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Ship’s cachet and corner card, shipyard handstamp postmark.
First nuclear submarine designed to carry guided missiles, the Regulus I nuclear missile. Length of 350′, displacement 5,000 tons, the largest submarine built at Mare Island since V-6 was built. First nuclear powered submarine to successfully launch a guided missile on March 11, 1960. Served in the Pacific with last missile patrol May 1964. Redesignated SS(N)-587 August 1965. Began service as special operations sub gathering intelligence in the Pacific until decommissioning in 1976. Disposed of by scrapping/recycling September 1994.
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