Submarines Lost in WWII
Below is the complete list of U.S. submarines lost during WWII, including boat names, casualties and notes—all arranged by date of loss. If you would like additional information on any particular sub, please send an e-mail to director@submarinememorial.org.
I can assure you that they went down fighting and that their brothers who survived them took a grim toll of our savage enemy to avenge their deaths.Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, USN
| Boat | Date of Loss | Casualties | Notes |
| Sealion (SS-195) | 12/25/1941 | 4 killed 1 died later as POW | Scuttled at Cavite after being damaged by Japanese aircraft. |
| S-36 (SS-141) | 1/21/1942 | No loss of life | Ran aground Taka Bakang Reef, Scuttled |
| S-26 (SS-131) | 1/24/1942 | 46 killed 3 survived | Sunk by accidental ramming by submarine chaser Sturdy in the Gulf of Panama. |
| Shark (SS-174) | 2/11/1942 | 59 killed – All hands lost | The first U.S. submarine in WWII to be lost with all hands. Sunk by Japanese destroyer Yamakaze; Makassar Strait, 120 miles east of Menado, Celebes |
| Perch (SS-176) | 3/3/1942 | All 59 taken prisoner, 6 later died as POWs | Launched 9 May 36 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. She was scuttled after severe damage from Japanese destroyers Ushio and Sazanami. |
| S-27 (SS-132) | 6/19/1942 | No loss of life. | Ran aground St. Makarius Point, Aleutian Islands. |
| Grunion (SS-216) | 7/31/1942 | 70 killed | Launched 22 Dec 41 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. She was sunk on her First War Patrol by gunfire from torpedoed Japanese transport Kashima Maru;10 miles north Segula, near Kiska Island, Aleutians. |
| S-39 (SS-144) | 8/13/1942 | No loss of life. | Ran aground on submerged rocks off of Rossel Island in the Coral Sea. |
| Argonaut (SS-166) | 1/10/1943 | 102 killed – All hands lost | Launched 10 Nov 27 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. America’s largest submarine during WWII, was sunk by aircraft and Japanese destroyers Isokaze and Maikaze southeast of New Britain in Solomon Sea on her Third War Patrol. |
| Amberjack (SS-219). | 2/14/1943 | 72 or 73 killed – All hands lost | Launched 6 Mar 42 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. She was sunk on her Third War Patrol by combined efforts of a Japanese seaplane, torpedo boat Hiyodori, and submarine chaser off Cape St. George, New Britain |
| Grampus (SS-207) | Feb or Mar 43. | 71 killed All hands lost | Launched 23 Nov 40 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Sunk on her Sixth War Patrol either by Japanese naval aircraft southeast of New Britain on 19 February or by destroyer Minegumo in Blackett Strait on the night of 5-6 March. |
| Triton (SS-201 | 3/15/1943 | 74 killed All hands lost | Sunk either by Japanese destroyer Satsuki or submarine chaser Ch 24 north of Admiralty Islands. |
| Pickerel (SS-177) | 4/3/1943 | 74 killed All hands lost | Launched 7 Jul 36 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. She was sunk on her Seventh War Patrol by Japanese minelayer Shirakami and auxiliary subchaser Bunzan Maru off northern Honshu, Japan. |
| Grenadier (SS-210) | 4/22/1943 | All 76 crew taken prisoner, 4 died as POWs | Launched 20 Nov 40 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. Scuttled during her Sixth War Patrol after Japanese seaplane attacks (936 Kokutai) damaged the boat the previous day, off Penang, Malaysia. |
| Runner (SS-275) | Jun-43 | 78 killed All hands lost | Launched 30 May 42 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. She was sunk on her Fourth War Patrol to unknown causes. Possibly a Japanese mine or combined air and surface attack off northeastern Honshu, Japan. |
| R-12 (SS-89) | 6/12/1943 | 42 killed 5 survived. | Sunk by unknown flooding while preparing to dive off of the Florida |
| Pompano (SS-181) | Aug or Sep 43 | 77 killed All hands lost | Launched 11 Mar 37 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, CA. Sunk on her Seventh War Patrol to unknown causes . Possibly a Japanese mine or combined air and surface attack off northeastern Honshu, Japan. |
| Grayling (SS-209 | 9/9/1943 | 76 killed All hands lost | Launched 4 Sep 40 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. Sunk to unknown causes. Probably rammed and sunk by Japanese transport Hokuan Maru, South China Sea west of Luzon. |
| Cisco (SS-290) | 9/28/1943 | 76 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese observation seaplane and gunboat Karatsu in Sulu Sea off Panay Island. |
| S 44 (SS-155) | 10/7/1943 | 56 killed 2 survivors taken prisoner | Launched 27 Oct 23 at Fore River Shipbuilding Co., Quincy, MA. Lost to Japanese escort destroyer Ishigaki, northeast Araito Island off Kamchatka. |
| Wahoo (SS-238). | 10/11/1943 | 80 killed All hands lost | Launched 14 Feb 42 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, CA. Sunk on her Seventh War Patrol by Japanese naval aircraft, submarine chasers Ch 15 and Ch 43, and minesweeper W.18 in La Perouse Strait off Japan |
| Dorado (SS-248) | 10/12/43 | 77 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Presumed either accidently bombed and sunk by friendly Guantanamo-based flying boat on 13 October or sunk by a German submarine mine in the West Indies. |
| Corvina (SS-226) | 11/16/1943 | 82 killed All hands lost | Launched 9 May 43 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Torpedoed and sunk on her First War Patrol by Japanese submarine I 176 south of Truk. |
| Sculpin (SS-191) | 11/19/1943 | 63 men lost, 21 taken prisoner | Launched 27 Jul 38 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. On her Ninth War Patrol she was damaged by Japanese destroyer Yamagumo and later scuttled north of Truk. |
| Capelin (SS-289 | Nov-43 | 76 killed All hands lost | Launched 20 Jan 43 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. Sunk on her First War Patrol by unknown causes, either Japanese aircraft and minelayer Wanatake, a Japanese mine in the northern Celebes, or perhaps a hull defect reported prior to her departure from Darwin. |
| Scorpion (SS-278) | Jan-44 | 77 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Probably a Japanese mine in Yellow or East China Sea. |
| Grayback (SS-208 | 2/27/1944 | 80 killed All hands lost | Launched 31 Jan 41 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Sunk on her tenth War Patrol probably to damage inflicted by land-based Japanese naval aircraft suffered the day before in the East China Sea. |
| Trout (SS-202) | 2/29/1944 | 81 killed All hands lost | Most likely sunk by Japanese destroyer Asashimo in Philippine Sea. |
| Tullibee (SS-284) | 3/26/1944 | 79 killed 1 survived as a POW | Sunk by a circular run of one of her own torpedoes near the Palau Islands. |
| Gudgeon (SS-211) | 4/18/1944 | 79 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Presumed sunk by Japanese naval aircraft southwest of Iwo Jima. |
| Herring (SS-233) | 6/1/1944 | 83 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese Army shore battery off Matsuwa Island, Kuriles. |
| Golet (SS-361) | 6/14/1944 | 82 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Probably sunk by Japanese guardboat Miya Maru, auxiliary submarine chaser Bunzan Maru, and naval aircraft off northern Honshu, Japan. |
| S-28 (SS-133) | 7/4/1945 | 49 killed All hands lost | Sunk off of Hawaii from unknown causes |
| Robalo (SS-273) | 7/26/1944 | 77 men lost, 4 taken prisoner, none survived as POW | Sunk by a mine off western Palawan, Philippines. |
| Flier (SS-250 | 8/13/1944 | 78 lost, 8 survivors | Launched 11 Jul 43 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Sunk by a Japanese mine south of Palawan in Balabac Strait on her Second War Patrol. |
| Harder (SS-257) | 8/24/1944 | 79 killed All hands lost | Launched 19 Aug 42 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Sunk by Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No. 22 on her Sixth War Patrol off west coast of Luzon, Philippines. |
| Seawolf (SS-197) | 10/3/1944 | 100 killed All hands lost | Probably sunk by friendly fire in the Morotai area. |
| Escolar (SS-294) | 10/17/1944 | 82 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Possibly sunk by a Japanese mine in the Yellow Sea. |
| Darter (SS-227) | 10/24/1944 | No loss of life | While tracking a damaged Japanese cruiser through Palawan Passage Darter grounded on Bombay Shoal. |
| Shark (SS-314) | 10/24/1944 | 87 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese depth charges from Harukaze, South China Sea west of Luzon. |
| Tang (SS-306) | 10/24/1944 | 78 killed 9 survived as POWs | Sunk by its own torpedo off of Taiwan. |
| Albacore (SS-218) | 11/7/1944 | 85 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Possible Japanese mine off northern tip of Honshu, Japan. |
| Growler (SS-215) | 11/8/1944 | 86 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Probably sunk by Japanese destroyer Shigure, escort vessel Chiburi, and Coast Defense Vessel No. 19 off Mindoro. |
| Scamp (SS-277) | 11/11/1944 | 83 killed All hands lost | Launched 20 Jul 42 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. Sunk on her Eighth War Patrol by Japanese naval aircraft and coast defense vessel in Tokyo Bay area. |
| Swordfish (SS-193) | Jan-45 | 89 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Possibly sunk by Japanese coast defense vessel on 5 January or sunk by a mine off Okinawa on 9 January. |
| Barbel (SS-316) | 2/4/1945 | 81 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese naval aircraft in South China Sea in Palawan Passage. |
| Kete (SS-369 | 3/20/1945 | 87 killed All hands lost | Unknown. Presumed sunk by a mine or a Japanese submarine east of Okinawa. |
| Trigger (SS-237) | 3/28/1945 | 89 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese patrol vessel Mikura, Coast Defense Vessel No.33, and Coast Defense Vessel No. 59 in the Nansei Soto. |
| Snook (SS-279) | 4/9/1945 | 84 killed All hands lost | Launched 15 Aug 42 at Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. Sunk on her Ninth War Patrol by a combination of Japanese naval aircraft, escort vessel Okinawa, Coast Defense Vessel No. 8 , Coast Defense Vessel No. 32 , and Coast Defense Vessel No. 52; and/or submarine I-56 in the Nansei Soto. |
| Lagarto (SS-371) | 5/3/1945 | 86 killed All hands lost | Sunk by Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka in Gulf of Siam. |
| Bonefish (SS-223) | 6/18/1945 | 85 killed All hands lost | Launched 7 Mar 43 at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Sunk on her Eighth War Patrol by combined efforts of escort destroyer Okinawa, Coast Defense Vessel No. 63, Coast Defense Vessel No. 75, Coast Defense Vessel No. 158, and Coast Defense Vessel No. 207 off southern coast of Honshu, Japan. |
| Bullhead (SS-332) | 8/6/1945 | 84 killed All hands lost | Probably sunk by Japanese Army aircraft off Bali in the Java Sea. |
The Los Angeles Pasadena Base of the USSVI is the officially recognized custodian of the National Submarine Memorial, West. 