USS Drum (SS-228)

USS Drum (SS-228) was a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy that served with distinction during World War II. Commissioned just weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor, she completed thirteen war patrols, primarily in the Pacific Ocean, and was credited with sinking 15 enemy vessels. After the war, she was decommissioned and later preserved as a museum ship at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama.

Construction and commissioning

The submarine's keel was laid down on 11 September 1940 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 12 May 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb, wife of the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Thomas Holcomb. USS *Drum* was officially commissioned into the United States Pacific Fleet on 1 November 1941 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert H. Rice, joining the growing American submarine force on the eve of World War II.

Service history

Following her shakedown cruise off the New England coast, *Drum* was ordered to the Pacific Theater of Operations in December 1941. She was assigned to Submarine Squadron 2 and based at Pearl Harbor, operating as part of the United States Pacific Fleet's submarine force under the command of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Throughout the war, she conducted offensive patrols against Japanese naval and merchant shipping, playing a role in the commerce raiding campaign that crippled the Empire of Japan's maritime logistics.

World War II patrols

*Drum*'s first war patrol began in April 1942 off the coast of Honshu, where she damaged the Japanese aircraft carrier *Ryūjō*. On her second patrol, she sank the Japanese seaplane tender *Mizuho* near Tokyo Bay. Subsequent patrols took her to the vital shipping lanes of the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the waters around the Philippines. Notable successes included sinking the Japanese cruiser *Yura* during the Guadalcanal campaign in October 1942 and engaging enemy vessels during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Her final patrols in 1945 focused on lifeguard duty for downed Allied aviators.

Post-war service and museum ship

After Victory over Japan Day, *Drum* returned to the United States, was decommissioned at the Naval Submarine Base New London on 16 February 1946, and placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 June 1967. Saved from scrapping by a public campaign, she was towed to Mobile, Alabama, and dedicated as a museum ship and National Historic Landmark at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park on 4 July 1969, where she remains a key exhibit.

Awards and legacy

For her wartime service, USS *Drum* received twelve battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation. She is officially credited with sinking 15 Japanese ships, totaling 80,580 tons, placing her among the top-performing American submarines of the war in terms of tonnage sunk. Her preservation provides a tangible link to the history of the United States Submarine Service and the Silent Service's crucial role in the Pacific War.

Category:Gato-class submarines Category:Museum ships in Alabama Category:World War II submarines of the United States Category:Ships built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Category:National Historic Landmarks in Alabama