USS Cavalla (SS-244)
1943 Gato-class submarine
USS Cavalla (SS/SSK/AGSS-244), a Gato-class submarine, is a submarine of the United States Navy named for a salt water fish, best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku.
Her keel was laid down on 4 March 1943 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 14 November 1943 (sponsored by Mrs. M. Comstock), and commissioned on 29 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral) Herman J. Kossler, USN, (class of 1934) in command.
Operational history
Departing New London 11 April 1944, Cavalla arrived at Pearl Harbor 9 May, for voyage repairs and training. On 31 May 1944 the sub put to sea on active service for the first time.
First patrol
On her maiden patrol Cavalla, en route to her station in the eastern Philippines, made contact with a large Japanese task force on 17 June. Cavalla tracked the force for several hours, relaying information which contributed to the United States victory in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (commonly known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot") on 19–20 June 1944. The submarine first reported sighting what appeared to be fifteen or more large combatant ships and then reported in more detail course and speed information having tracked the enemy force from underneath. On 19 June, she caught the carrier Shōkaku recovering planes, and quickly fired a spread of five torpedoes, with four hits.
“USS Cavalla (SS-244)” enters the record as 1943 Gato-class submarine. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Cavalla, SS-244 and Gato-class can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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