On May 28, 1958, the USS Stickleback (SS-415) was the second American submarine to be lost post-World War II. Although it wasn’t in service during the war, the Balao-class submarine embarked on its maiden patrol on August 6, 1945, the same day as the Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima. Later, it was active during the Korean War from February to July 1952.
After that, the Stickleback took part in various exercises before it was lost along with its crew during a training mission.
USS Stickleback (SS-415) following World War II
On June 26, 1946, following the Second World War, the USS Stickleback was decommissioned. However, the submarine was recommissioned on September 6, 1946, serving as a training ship out of San Diego. In November 1952, the vessel was sent to Mare Island Naval Shipyard to be converted into a GUPPY IIA-type submarine.
After her conversion, Stickleback joined Submarine Squadron 7 out of Pearl Harbor. Between February-July 1954, she saw service supporting the United Nations (UN) forces in Korea. Following the conflict, the vessel participated in a number of exercises and training missions.
Not-so-routine anti-submarine warfare exercise
One of these drills, an anti-submarine warfare exercise, involved the USS Stickleback working alongside the USS Silverstein (DE-534), a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, as well as a torpedo retriever off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.
During this exercise, the Stickleback encountered a major problem. Following a simulated torpedo attack on the Silverstein, the submarine experienced a power failure and began to descend rapidly into the Pacific Ocean. Reports indicate that the submarine sank to a depth of 800 feet, which was twice her maximum diving depth.
Crisis averted… for now
If the crew weren’t able to get back to the surface, the USS Stickleback would be crushed by the water pressure. The crisis was averted when the vessel’s ballast tanks were blown, and the submarine rose to the surface. While she and her crew were out of danger of being crushed below the surface, they were still at risk, this time from an unexpected source: the USS Silverstein.
After escaping the depths of the ocean, Stickleback surfaced directly in the path of Silverstein. To avoid the submarine, the latter’s engines were put into reverse and the vessel put her rudder hard to the left. Despite this effort, Silverstein sailed into the port side of Stickleback, creating a large hole.
Disaster strikes the USS Stickleback (SS-415)
The USS Stickleback began taking on water. With little they could do, the 82 crewmen aboard were transferred to the torpedo retrieval ship involved in the exercise. Attempts to save the vessel involved the USS Silverstein, along with the USS Sturtevant (DE-239), Sabalo (SS-302) and Greenlet (ASR-10), securing lines around her.
Despite their efforts, the submarine continued to flood. At 6:57 PM on May 29, it was reported that Stickleback “sank in 1,800 fathoms of water.” Just a month later, she was removed from the Naval Register.
Discovering a wreck at the bottom of the ocean
In 2020, the Lost 52 Project, a private company dedicated to locating all American submarines lost during World War II and the four that sunk during the Cold War, began a search for the USS Stickleback. This marked the company’s sixth discovery, achieved through the use of sonar-based imagery and robotics technology.
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Bob Neyland, head of the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Underwater Archaeology Branch, stated Stickleback‘s discovery provided “an opportunity to remember and honor the service of our sailors and marines.”
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