NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on right contributed by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI. Patch on left courtesy of Mike Smolinski
Golet (SS-361)
Gato Class : Laid down, 27 January 1943, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.; Launched, 1 August 1943; Commissioned USS Golet (SS-361), 30 November 1943; Sunk during 2nd patrol on 14 June 1944 by Japanese ASW North of Honshu Island, all hands lost; Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown). Golet was awarded one battle star for World War II service. As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2kts; Operating Depth, 300 ft; Complement 6 Officers 54 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .30 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator diesel engines, 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gals., four General Electric main motors with 2,740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
| Click On Image For Full Size | Size | Image Description | Source | |
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 | 119k | A trout of the scientific name Salvelinus malma, fish family Salmonidae. | Courtesy of anglerslifelist.com. | |
 | 15k | Commemorative postal cover marking Golet's (SS-361) keel laying, 27 January 1943, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 166k | Golet (SS-361) was sponsored by Mrs. Alexander Wiley, wife of U.S. Senator Wiley of Wisconsin. They appear here in a 1948 Press Photo in Honolulu. | Photo courtesy of ebay.com. | |
 | 2.57k | Golet (SS-361), getting ready for launching at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI., 1 August 1943. | USN photo # 80G-46834, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert. | |
 | 91k | Looking like an oar driven galley, the Golet (SS-361) appears across the Manitowoc River immediately before launching at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI., 1 August 1943. | Editors Note: There are over 200 images submitted on these pages covering the following submarines that were constructed at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, WI,: SS-265 through SS-274, and SS-361 through SS-380. None of them would have seen the light of day if it were not for the efforts of Curator, Asst. Director, Bill Thiesen of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and Larry Bohn, who sent them to NavSource for publication. A special debt of gratitude is owed to these two men and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245), for allowing these photographs to be seen by the lovers of naval history worldwide. Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 123k | Stern view showing the propellers of the Golet (SS-361), immediately before launching at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI., 1 August 1943. Note that bunting is also covering her stern area. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 68k | Port stern view of the Golet (SS-361), showing her lines and length immediately before launching at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI., 1 August 1943. She is about to tip into the water. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 62k | Plaque reads: This FIGHTING SHIP sponsored and made possible by war bond purchases of the People of Shreveport. | Photo & text courtesy of history.navy.mil. | |
 | 67k | The launching timbers go flying in the air and the Golet (SS-361), goes splashing into the waters of the Manitowoc River with a resonating wave from her starboard side at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI., 1 August 1943. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 17k | Commemorative postal cover marking the launching of the Golet (SS-361) on 1 August 1943. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 55k | Watercolor print by the artist Tom Denton of the side launching of a Manitowoc built boat. | Courtesy of submarineart.com | |
 | 52k | Golet (SS-361), underway in Lake Michigan during her sea trials, August 1943. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 53k | Golet (SS-361), tests the waters of Lake Michigan for her sea trials in early August 1943. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 14k | Commemorative postal cover marking the commissioning of the Golet (SS-361), 30 November 1943. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 241k | Golet (SS-361), port bow view wearing ice on deck. Photographed at Manitowoc 19 December 1943 near the Manitowoc breakwater light house tower. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245). Photo fix courtesy of Jim Kelling. |
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 | 485k | Photo of Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Mr. Les Mangin is on his right next to the unidentified woman. The above photo of the Golet (SS-361) appears on the wall above him on the upper right. His obituary appears here. | Photo courtesy of Susan Menk, Archives Assistant, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Dee Anna Grimsrud,Reference Archivist, Wisconsin Historical Society, Steve Khail, CBC, Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, The Manitowoc Company, Inc. & William Young. | |
 | 46k | Photo at Manitowoc 19 December 1943 shows the iced port side view of the bridge with crew wearing their winter gear as the Golet (SS-361), cruises through the frigid waters near the Manitowoc breakwater light house tower. These men and their boat would be declared M.I.A. in a little under 7 months time. | Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI. Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the Cobia (SS-245) | |
 | 93k | Google Earth satellite photo of North Honshu, Japan, Golet's (SS-361) last approximate position based during post-war debriefings. This position is thought to be the final resting place of the Golet and her crew. | View courtesy of Google Earth. | |
 | 31k | The physical landscapes of the northern end of Honshu Island where the Golet (SS-361) was lost are visible in this north-looking, synoptic view. The north-south coverage extends from the Sendai Plain (lighter-colored area, bottom right) along the southern coast to beyond the Tsuruga Strait, which separates northern Honshu from Hokkaido Island (top center). The limited amount of intermontane valleys and coastal plains are easy to identify as the lighter-colored areas in the image. The overwhelming, darker terrain shows the extensiveness of the forested mountains that dominate the scene. The image provides a vivid reminder that in Japan only about 20 percent of the land is suitable for human habitation or agriculture. The two white spots near the west coast of Honshu are dormant, snow-capped volcanic peaks- Mt. Chokai (north) at 7317 feet (2230 meters) above sea level and Mt. Gassan (more southerly) at 6496 feet (1980 meters) above sea level. | Photo # STS040-610-28 & text courtesy of jsc.nasa.gov. | |
 | 92k | Commemorative photo in honor of the memory of the crew of the Golet (SS-361). | Photo courtesy of Tom Kermen. Dante's Prayer courtesy of Loreena McKennitt via loreenamckennitt.com | |
 | 41k | James Seerley Clark, Commander (Commanding Officer) of the Golet (SS-361) at the time of her loss. | USN photo courtesy of oneternalpatrol.com. | |
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117k | Joyce DaSilva, the wife of Jesse DaSilva of the Tang (SS-306), one of the nine survivors of the boat, tosses a flower into a reflecting pool to honor the memory of one of the 52 submarines lost during World War II at the National Submarine Memorial-West on board Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Calif. On this Veterans Day, the Submarine Veterans of World War II transferred ownership of the memorial to the U.S. Navy. The following text is from The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton., pg. 478. "Major Sullivan Ballou of Rhode Island was killed in the battle, and just before it he had wrote to his wife, Sarah, to tell her that he believed he was going to be killed and to express a tremulous faith that could see a gleam of light in the dark: "But O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and float unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you in the gladdest days and in the gloomiest nights, always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your chest it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait, for we shall meet again!" |
Text i.d. courtesy of Marlynn Starring. Photo i.d. courtesy of Chuck Senior, Vice Commander, Los Angeles-Pasadena Base, USSVI. USN photo # N-1159B-021 by Journalist 2nd Class Brian Brannon, courtesy of news.navy.mil. |
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91k | The sponsor and Maid of Honors of Bonita (SSK-3) are seen prior to her launching at Mare Island on 21 June 1951. Left to right: Miss Judith Clark (Maid of Honor), Mrs. James Seerley Clark (Sponsor), wife of James Seerley Clark, Commander (Commanding Officer) of the Golet (SS-361), and Miss Sara Clark (Maid of Honor). | USN photo # 9626-6-51, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
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118k | The Launching Party is seen at the Mare Island Officer’s Club prior to the launching of the Bonita (SSK-3), dated 6/21/1951. Standing from left to right: LCDR H. C. Embry (CHC); RADM T. R. Cooley, Deputy Commander, Western Sea Frontier; RADM B. J. Rodgers, Commandant 12th Naval District; Lt. Governor Goodwin J. Knight; Capt. B. E. Manseau, Shipyard Commander; State Senator Luther E. Gibson; Capt W. L. Turney, Production Officer; and J. Allan Armstrong. Seated from left to right: Mrs. B. E. Manseau; Mrs. T. R. Cooley; Mrs. B. J. Rodgers; Miss Judith Clark, Maid of Honor; Mrs. James Seerley Clark, Sponsor; Miss Sara Clark, Maid of Honor; Mrs. Atherton Clark; and Mrs. J. A. Armstrong. | USN photo # NY9 9621-6-51, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 431k | Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Poe lowers the Golet (SS-361) memorial marker with retired Torpedoman's Mate 1st Class Dennis Gilbert of the U.S. Submarine Veterans and Navy Counselor 1st Class Aaron Anspach helping to guide it into place onto a flat bed trailer on 12 October 2006. | USN photo # N-0857S-002 by Mr. Sam Shore, courtesy of navy.mil. | |
 | 237k | The memorial marker was part of the Gilmore Park Submarine Memorial that was located in the Gilmore Park Navy Housing Area near Naval Support Activity New Orleans. The memorial marker was removed from Gilmore Park when the Navy closed the off-base housing area. The marker and three other artifacts from the submarine memorial will be fully restored by the U.S. Submarine Veterans Redfish Base and displayed at a new location in Louisiana that has yet to be determined. The Golet marker honors the sacrifice of the submarine and crew that were lost during an enemy attack by depth charges during WWII.
In Memorium: In the Second Book of Shmuel (Samuel), 22nd chapter, 5th through the 20th verses, translated from the original in Hebrew and published by the Koren Publishers of Jerusalem, Israel, 1982, can perhaps aptly describe the fate of the crew and all other U.S. submariners who died defending their county: "When the waves of death compassed me / the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; / the bonds of She'ol encircled me; / the snares of death took me by surprise; / in my distress I called upon the Lord, / and cried to my G-D: / and he heard my voice out of his temple, / and my cry entered into his ears. / Then the earth shook and trembled; /the foundations of heaven moved / and shook because of his anger /...the heavy mass of waters, and thick clouds of the skies /... And the channels of the sea appeared, / the foundations of the world were laid bare, / at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast at the breath of his nostrils. / He sent from above, he took me; / he drew me out of many waters; / he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. / They surprised me in the day of my calamity: / but the Lord was my stay / He brought me forth also into a large place: / he delivered me because he delighted in me./" | USN photo # N-0857S-003 by Mr. Sam Shore, courtesy of navy.mil. | |
View the Golet (SS-361)
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
On Eternal Patrol
ComSubPac Report on the loss of USS GOLET (SS 361) June 14, 1944 - 82 Men Lost
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
Manitowoc Built Submarines
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