USS Sealion: The Hunters and the Hunted – September 1944

On the morning of September 7, 1944, USS Sealion slipped away from Saipan and headed west.

She had come into Tanapag Harbor only two days earlier. The pause had been brief. Fuel tanks were topped off, minor repairs completed, and fresh torpedoes brought aboard. Fifteen Mark 14-3A torpedoes came from the submarine tender Holland, while Billfish supplied another eight Mark 18-1 electric torpedoes. By the morning of the seventh, Sealion was ready to return to the war.

At 0650 she got underway.

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Pioneer of the Silent Service: Captain Frank L. Pinney, Sr. and the Birth of Undersea Command

Introduction: From Sail to Steel

Frank Lucius Pinney, Sr. began his distinguished naval career during a period of massive transition, witnessing the United States Navy systematically replace its wooden sail-powered vessels with armored steel steamships. He first entered the national spotlight for his extraordinary bravery during the Apia cyclone in Samoa on March 15–16, 1889, where the wooden steam-frigate USS Trenton was destroyed. For his conspicuous gallantry in saving lives and assisting in the preservation of his shipmates during the wreck of the Trenton, a special Act of Congress appointed him to the rank of Ensign.

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The Combat Evolution and Cold War Legacy of USS Dace (SS-247)

The USS Dace (SS-247) represents one of the most storied combat records in the history of the United States Navy’s “Silent Service.” A Gato-class fleet submarine, the Dace distinguished herself as a premier instrument of undersea denial during World War II, earning seven battle stars and the prestigious Navy Unit Commendation. Her operational history is characterized by a high degree of tactical versatility, ranging from aggressive surface gun actions and the destruction of heavy cruisers to specialized commando insertions in enemy territory.

The vessel’s career serves as a historical microcosm for the evolution of American submarine warfare. Her journey reflects the broader transition of the U.S. Submarine Force: originating as a raw, mass-produced WWII fleet combatant and evolving into a specialized Cold War training and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platform. Through technical modernization and international cooperation, the Dace helped bridge the gap between the era of unrestricted undersea commerce raiding and the sophisticated sonar-driven environment of the NATO alliance.

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