USS PICKEREL SS 177

USS PICKEREL SS 177 Porpoise Class

April 3, 1943. Sunk by unknown causes. 73 men lost.

From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Pickerel
A young or small pike.

(SS-177: dp. 1,330 (surf.), 1,997 (subm.); l. 300'7"; b. 25'1"; dr. 13'10"; s. 19 k. (surf.), 9 k. (subm.); cpl. 50; a. 6 21" tt., 1 3"; cl. Porpoise))

Pickerel sailed from Pear Harbor on March 18, 1943 on her seventh and final war patrol. She stoped at Midway on March 22 to refuel, and then headed to patrol along the eastern coast of Northern Honshu. Pickerel was never heard from again, and was struck from the Navy List on August 19, 1943. She was the first submarine lost in the Central Pacific area.

Post war Japanese records substantiate Pickerel's sinking of 440-ton Submarine Chaser No. 13 on April 3 and 1,113-ton cargo ship Fukuei Maru on April 7. In total, over her 7 war patrols Pickerel is credited with sinking 4 Japanese vessels for 6,472 tons. She received three battle stars for World War II service.