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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Pollack (SS-180)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Lima - Foxtrot
Perch Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 October 1935, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Launched, 15 September 1936; Commissioned, USS Pollack (SS-180), 15 January 1937; Decommissioned, 21 September 1945, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Struck from the Naval Register, 29 October 1946; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 2 February 1947, to Ship-Shape Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Pollack earned ten battle stars for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,330 t., Submerged: 1,997 t.; Length 300' 7"; Beam 21' 5"; Draft 13' 10"; Speed, Surfaced 21 kts, Submerged 9 kts; Maximum Operating Depth, 250'; Complement 5 Officers, 45 Enlisted; Armament, six 21" torpedo tubes, 18 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, four .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric, Fairbanks-Morse and Co. diesel engines, HP 4300, Fuel Capacity, 92,801 gals.; Elliot Motor Co., electric motors, HP 2368, 240 battery cells, twin screws.
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SS 180 911k Pollachius pollachius, a Pollack. Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org.
SS 180417kPollack (SS-180) was sponsored by Miss Anne Carter Lauman, daughter of Cap. P. G. Lauman USN, production officer at Portsmouth N.Y.
CHIEF OF THE BUREAU'S STAFF-(1. to r.) (1945) Commodore J. B. Dow, Capt. Lauman, Adm. Broshek, R. Adm. Brand, Capt. Roth, R. Adm. Kennedy, R. Adm. Wille, R. Adm. Mills, V. Adm. Cochrane. 		Courtesy of web2.ph.utexas.edu
SS 18024kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of the Pollack's (SS-180) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH, 15 September 1936. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
SS179 and 180135kStern view of the Pollack (SS-180) & Plunger (SS-179) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME. They are pictured here fitting out, circa April 1937.USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
SS 18071kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of the shakedown cruise of the Pollack (SS-180), 20 July 1937.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Navy Day 193721kCommemorative postal cover marking the boats of the P-class (SS-176/81) first Navy Day, 27 October 1937;
Perch (SS-176), Pickerel (SS-177), Permit (SS-178), Plunger (SS-179), Pollack (SS-180) & Pompano (SS-181). 		Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
SS 18064k Pollack (SS-180) photographed circa 1937.Official USN photo NH 99777, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
SS 18016kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of Pollack's (SS-180), first Xmas, 1937.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
SS 180536kPortside of Pollack (SS-180) possibly passing parts of Portsmouth. Photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
SS 18061kPollack (SS-180), circa late 1930's, possibly at at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.USN photo courtesy of Harry E. Royer.
SS 178, 179 and 18081kPhoto entitled "Weekly Inspection, Permit (SS-178). The Pollack (SS-180) and the Plunger (SS-179) flank the Permit." Naval Recruiting Dept, New York, circa late 1937.USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS 18034k Pollack (SS-180) underway, portside view, circa late 30's. Courtesy of submarinesailor.com.
SS 18024kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of the Fleet Review by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at San Francisco, CA, 14 July 1938. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
SS-172 123k Holland (AS-3) in Alaskan waters with submarines Pollack (SS-180) and Porpoise (SS-172) alongside, circa the later 1930s. USN photo # 68480, USNHC photograph
179
0817928		 1.72k Views of P-Class nest in San Francisco circa 1938:
Front: L to R: Perch (SS-176), (P5), Pollack (SS-180), (P9) & Plunger (SS-179) (P8).
Note: Battleship and cruiser in far-right background.
Rear of photo: L to R: Pickerel (SS-177) (P6), Permit (SS-178),(P7) & Porpoise (SS-172) (P1). 		Photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
180
0818017		 1.76k Views of P-Class nest in San Francisco circa 1938:
Front: L to R: Perch (SS-176), (P5), Pollack (SS-180), (P9) & Plunger (SS-179) (P8).
Likely masts of the Beaver (AS-5) are visible in the background. 		Photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
Fleet Problem XX 43k Commemorative postal cover marking Snapper (SS-185), Stingray (SS-186), Skipjack (SS-184), Plunger (SS-179), Cachalot (SS-170), Salmon (SS-182), Perch (SS-176) & Pollack (SS-180) participating in Fleet Problem XX, 28 January 1939. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
SS 180 356k Pollack (SS-180) pierside. A liberty launch is pulling into an adjacent pier that has benches on it so it looks like a regular happening. Photo dates from between 1 September to 1 June since the uniform of the day is dress blues. Text courtesy of DANFS.
Photo from the personal collection of Ric Hedman.
AS 3 59k Panoramic photograph of Holland (AS-3) moored at Buoy 19, San Diego, CA, 1940, with eleven submarines alongside. Submarines are (from left to right):
Salmon (SS-182);
Seal (SS-183);
Stingray (SS-186);
Perch (SS-176);
Pollack (SS-180);
Cachalot (SS-170);
Cuttlefish (SS-171);
Skipjack (SS-184);
Sturgeon (SS-187);
Snapper (SS-185)
and Sargo (SS-188).
SS-182 through SS-187 were members of Submarine Division 15, commanded by R.W. Christie. Richmond (CL-9), flagship of the Commander Submarine Force, Pacific, is in the right distance.
 USN photo # NH 68481, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of US Naval Institute, James C Fahey Collection.
SS 180129k Postal cover marking the 4th birthday of the Pollack (SS-180), 15 January 1941. Courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SS 180479kPollack (SS-180) entering Pearl Harbor.
This is actually a pre war photo, probably taken in 1939 or 1940. The hull numbers were painted out immediately after hostilities began and the conning tower fairwaters on the P class (SS-176-81) boats were cut down during refits between patrols and during overhauls in 1942. I think this picture was a generic shipboard souvenir postcard or photo obtained by the Senior Chief who wrote the caption on the front during his wartime service. 		Text courtesy of David Johston (USNR).
Insert photo courtesy of www.ww2online.org.
USN photo probably by Tai Sing Loo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Argonaut134kSubmarines at Pearl Harbor include the Pollack (SS-180) at far left, Nautilus (SS-168) & Argonaut (SS-166) and unidentified S-boat, 1940. Photographer: Carl Mydans, courtesy of time.com. via Life.
Partial photo i.d. courtesy of David Johston (USNR).
Navy Day 193763kOil on canvas painting by the artist Jim Christley entitled "Off To War".
Although mismanaged and crippled with defective torpedoes, the boats such as this one of the Perch-class (SS-176/81) headed out to do battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy. 		Photo & text courtesy of subart.net.
SS 180 82k Pollack (SS-180), Gudgeon (SS-211), and Plunger (SS-179) departed Pearl Harbor 13 December and were off the coast of Honshu, Japan, a few hours before midnight 31 December, the first American submarines to reach Japanese waters in World War II. Pollack damaged 2,700-ton cargo ship Heijo Maru 5 January 1942 and, two days later, sent 2,250-ton cargo ship Unkai Maru NO. 1 to the bottom, the first officially confirmed victim of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force. Text courtesy of DANFS.
Photo courtesy wrecksite.eu.
Steinmetz 74kCapt. Everett Hartwell Steinmetz was the commanding officer of the Pollack (SS-180) from 13 June 1944 to 20 November 1944. Photo courtesy of the Crevalle (SS-291) thanks to John "Bud" Cunnally via Bill Gonyo.
Pearl Harbor106Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii view looking northward, with the Navy Yard industrial area in the foreground and the Marine Barracks in the lower right, 28 July 1942. Ford Island is at left, with Oklahoma (BB-37) and Arizona (BB-39) under salvage nearby. San Diego (CL-53) is in the upper center.
West Virginia (BB-48) is in Drydock Number One, in the lower left, and California (BB-44) is alongside the wharf at the extreme right. Cruisers alongside the pier in right center are Northampton (CA-26) (left) and Pensacola (CA-24). Submarines alongside 1010 Dock, just beyond Drydock # 1, are Trout (SS-202), Pollack (SS-180), Dolphin (SS-169) and Cachalot (SS-170). Note camouflage on many of the Navy Yard's buildings.		Official USN photo # NH 84002, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of The Honorable James V. Forrestal.
Trout 21k Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Vertical aerial view of the drydock area, 28 July 1942. Floating drydock YFD-2 is at left, with Aylwin (DD-355) inside. Small drydock in center holds Growler (SS-215) and Nautilus (SS-168). Litchfield (DD-336) and an ARD floating drydock are in Drydock # 2, in right center. Drydock # 1, at right, contains West Virginia (BB-48). Submarines partially visible alongside 1010 Dock, in the extreme upper right, are Trout (SS-202) and Pollack (SS-180). Note anti-torpedo nets and booms protecting this area. Official USN photo # NH 83998, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of The Honorable James V. Forrestal.
SS- 180 319k An early periscope photo, taken by Pollack (SS-180), profiles an unsuspecting Japanese freighter. periscope photography is tricky and hazardous. Good shots were snapped at ranges under a mile, best at 500 yards. For photo recon U.S. submarines preferred the hard-to-get German primarflex camera. Image scanned from United States Submarine Operations in World War II, by Theodore Roscoe courtesy of Robert Hurst.
SS 18074kReconnaissance photo taken by the Pollack (SS-180) on 17 March 1943, off the North east coast of Honshu Island, Japan, shows shore installations and a beached Japanese freighter. Text & photo courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
SS 180 296k Undated pre-war image of the Osaka Shosen KK-owned general cargo ship Bangkok Maru underway. In August 1941 Bangkok Maru (5351 grt): Converted by IJN to armed merchant cruiser December 1941. Torpedoed and sunk on 20 May 1943 E of Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands (05 degrees 47' N, 169 degrees 42' E) by the submarine Pollack (SS-180). Photo courtesy of Mitsui OSK archives via "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" by Roger W. Jordan, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
SS-180
0818016		347kParsed paragraph portraying a pair of portside peeks of Pollack (SS-180) preceding peace, possibly past Portsmouth.
The photo was taken in early spring of 1945, and the location is most likely the New London area/east coast.
For those who would like to know more:
1. On the aft edge of the bridge fairwater the edges curve downward to the point where it was cut off and removed. On all of the other P’s this curved portion was eliminated when the fairwater was cut down, making a 90 degree angle.
2. There are no external torpedo tubes at the bow. Only Shark (SS-179), Perch (SS-176), Pollack, and Pompano (SS-181) did not receive them. Shark and Perch were lost before they were installed, so that leaves only the two last boats. Since the bridge config does not match Pompano that pretty much leaves us with Pollack.
3. On the P’s the SD radar was mounted on an extendable mast on the forward fairwater gun deck, a feature unique to the P’s. It is weird that you can not see the mast/antenna in these photos. In fact I can’t find the SD radar at all. Either the boat doesn’t have it (very unusual) or it is hidden behind the Mk 5 20mm gun mount due to the angle of the photo.
If this photo was taken during the late war period, the absence of the SD could be explained by the fact that it was deemed unnecessary once she became a training boat, with the unit transferred to a newer boat that was headed to the war zone.
4. The boat appears to have three periscopes, again very unusual.
5. There are firing arc restraint bars attached to the tops of the railings around the forward and aft fairwater gun decks. I have not seen these on any other P boat.
6. The limber hole pattern aft of the bow planes is also unique. It doesn’t match any other P boat. 		Text courtesy of David Johnston (USN, retired)
Photos courtesy of Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
SS 180 152k 27 page PDF history of the Pollack's (SS-180). Photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Pollack731kCDR Prentice 'Lee' House, Commanding Officer of Pollack (SSN-603) and Dr. William M. Wilson holding a copy of the war time insignia for the submarine at Mare Island on 18 November 1988.USN photo # 230190-11-88, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
View the Pollack (SS-180)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
PigBoats.COM TM, A Historic Look at Submarines.
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