USS POMPANO SS 181

USS POMPANO SS 181 Porpoise Class

August 29, 1943. Sunk by enemy mines. All hands lost.

From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Pompano
One of the best of food fishes, a marine carangoid living in the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America.

(SS-181: dp. 1,330 (surf.), 1,997 (subm.); l. 300'7"; b. 1 25' dr. 13'10"; s. 20 k. (surf.), 9 k. (subm.); cpl. 50; a. 1 3" 6 21" tt.; cl. Porpoise)

On August 20, 1943, Pompano left Midway on her seventh and last war patrol, bound for the coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu. She was never heard from again, and when she failed to return, was presumed lost. The Japanese knew that she was in her area because Pompano sank two Japanese vessels during September. There is no record of enemy anti-submarine attacks during this period in Pompano's area. Therefore, the most likely cause for Pompano's loss is enemy mines. Pompano was struck from the Navy List on January 12, 1944.

Pompano received seven battle stars for service in World War II. She is credited with sinking 21,443 tons of Japanese shipping in five vessels.