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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch courtesy of
Don McGrogan BMCS, USN (ret.)

Seadragon (SS-194)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Lima - Papa
Sargo Class Submarine: Laid down, 18 April 1938, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 11 April 1939; Commissioned, USS Seadragon (SS-194), 23 October 1939; Decommissioned, 15 November 1945, at Boston, MA.; Recommissioned, 8 February 1946; Decommissioned 29 October 1946; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1948; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1948. Seadragon earned eleven battle stars during World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,450 t., Submerged: 2,350 t.; Length 310' ; Beam 27' 1"; Draft 13' 8"; Speed, Surfaced 20 kts, Submerged 7.75 kts; Max Operating Depth, 250'; Complement 5 Officers 50 Enlisted; Armament, eight 21" torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 caliber machine guns, two .30 caliber machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric, four Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co. diesel engines, (replaced in 1943-1944 with four General Motors 278A diesel engines), 5,500 hp, Fuel Capacity, 90,000 gals. four General Electric Co. electric motors, 2,740 hp, Battery Cells 252, twin propellers.
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Seadragon19kCommemorative postal cover marking the Seadragon's (SS-194) keel laying 18 April 1938, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Seadragon2.43kSeadragon's (SS-194) Sponsor, Mrs. James O. Richardson, poses with the sponsor's bouquet during christening ceremonies at the Electric Boat Company shipyard, Groton, Connecticut on 11 April 1939. Photo # NH 54887 by the Electric Boat Company via history.navy.mil courtesy of Chuck Haberlein.
Seadragon2.34kSeadragon's (SS-194) Sponsor's party: Mrs. J.G. Jones & Lieutenant J.G. Jones & Mrs. James O. Richardson, during christening ceremonies at the Electric Boat Company shipyard, Groton, Connecticut on 11 April 1939. Photo # NH 48704 by the Electric Boat Company via history.navy.mil courtesy of Chuck Haberlein.
Seadragon241kSeadragon (SS-194) being towed to dock 21 April 1939, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.Electric Boat / USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Seadragon20kCommemorative postal cover marking the Seadragon's (SS-194) launching, 11 April 1939, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Seadragon132kSeadragon (SS-194) full length, bow view at Provincetown, Mass, 28 August 1939.USN photo # 19-N-20953, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Seadragon109kSeadragon (SS-194) full length, broadside at Provincetown, Mass, 28 August 1939.USN photo # 19-N-20952, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Seadragon118kSeadragon (SS-194) full length, broadside at a speed of 19.5 knots at Provincetown, Mass, 28 August 1939.USN photo # 19-N-20950, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Seadragon112kSeadragon (SS-194) portside view at Provincetown, Mass, 28 August 1939.USN photo # 19-N-20946, from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), courtesy of Daniel Dunham.
Seadragon67kCommemorative postal cover marking Seadragon's (SS-194) commissioning, 23 October 1939.Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Seadragon196kCommemorative postal cover marking the first day of postal service on the Seadragon (SS-194) on her commissioning day, 23 October 1939.Courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
Navy Day46k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Navy Day, 27 October 1940, commemorating the participation of:
Sailfish (SS-192),
Seadragon (SS-194),
Sealion (SS-195),
Searaven (SS-196),
Seawolf (SS-197),
Tambor (SS-198),
Tautog (SS-199),
Thresher (SS-200), &
Triton (SS-201).
Note: YN1 Loyal Day was a plankowner of Sealion and aboard when she was bombed on 10 December 1941. 		Courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Sealion & Seadragon214kDirect hit! Two bombs strike Sealion (SS-195) almost simultaneously. First U.S. submarine casualty of the war, she went down in the shambles of Cavite - was later raised from the shallows off Machina wharf and sunk in Manila Bay to prevent capture. Seadragon (SS-194) (shown at right) narrowly escaped the blast. Drawing by Lt. Cmdr. Fred Freemen, Courtesy of Theodore Roscoe, from his book "U.S. Submarine Operations of WW II", published by USNI.
Seadragon2.34kW. E. Ferrall was CO of Seadragon (SS-194) from 10 December 1941 to 1 February 1943.Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
Hawes
0816294		 NR Officer's Rescue of Submarine Seadragon (SS-194) Wins Navy Gold Star Award
Lt. Comdr. Hawes Previously Honored For Salvaging S-51 (SS-162).		 Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Photo from Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 14 May 1942, Image 4, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
7Seadragon53k21 December 1942: St. George's Channel, off New Ireland. At 0620 LtCdr William E. Ferrall's Seadragon (SS-194), alerted by an "Ultra" message, sights an "I-68" class submarine on a northerly course at the southern entrance of St. George's Channel. The submarine, making 14 knots, is painted black and carries a white 4 on her conning tower.
Ferrall commences an approach. At 0637, he fires three Mark 10-3 torpedoes at a range of 850 yards. The lookouts on I-4 apparently spot the incoming torpedoes and the submarine attempts to comb their wakes. As a result of a gyro malfunction, the first torpedo misses ahead; the second explodes 18 seconds after firing, but the third hits the submarine in the stern, causing a large ball of flame and much smoke. I-4 sinks by the stern, with her bow in a vertical position, at 05-02S, 152-33E.		 Text & (Type J-1 submarine - colorized photo by Irootoko Jr) courtesy of combinedfleet.com. via Tommy Trampp.
Seadragon61k Seadragon (SS-194) photographed from directely ahead, while underway off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 17 April 1943. Note the escort ship (DE) fitting out in the background. Official USN photo # NH 102911, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon76k Seadragon (SS-194) photographed from directely astern, while underway off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 17 April 1943. Official USN photo # NH 102912, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon80k Plan view of the Seadragon (SS-194) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 13 April 1943. White outlines mark recent alterations to the submarine. Official USN photo # NH 102913,from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon262k The Seadragon (SS-194) off Mare Island on 17 April 1943. USN photo # 2682-43, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Seadragon102k Plan view aft of the Seadragon (SS-194) at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 13 April 1943. White outlines mark recent alterations. YC-833 is in the right center background. Official USN photo # NH 102914, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon38kSeadragon (SS-194) portside view, 17 April, 1943 off Mare Island, Ca.USN photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Seadragon61k Broadside view of the Seadragon (SS-194) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 5 August 1944. Official USN photo # NH 102915, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon88k Seadragon (SS-194) seen from almost directly ahead, while off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 5 August 1944. Official USN photo # NH 102916, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon68k Seadragon (SS-194) seen from astern, while underway off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 5 August 1944. Official USN photo # NH 102917, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon91k Plan view, aft, of the Seadragon (SS-194) at Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 5 August 1944. Official USN photo # NH 102918, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon88k Plan view, amidships looking aft, taken at the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 5 August 1944. White outlines mark recent alterations on the Seadragon (SS-194). YF-198 is in the right background (second barge from right). Official USN photo # NH 102919, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon63kSeadragon (SS-194) off the Hunters Point Navy Yard, San Francisco, California, 24 May 1945. Official USN photo # NH 102920, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Seadragon84kPassing the stern of an unidentified aircraft carrier, the Seadragon's(SS-194) flag fluters in the breeze in this undated photo. USN photo courtesy of David Buell.
Seadragon286kCrewmen relax around Seadragon's (SS-194) deck gun in this post war photo.
Note the Permit (SS-178) in the background. 		USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Seadragon241kSeadragon's (SS-194) WW II scorecard. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Fremantle 365k This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
View the Seadragon (SS-194)
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
PigBoats.COM TM, A Historic Look at Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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