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| USS Cod (SS-224) | |
|---|---|
| Ship name | USS Cod (SS-224) |
| Caption | USS Cod underway, 1943 |
| Country | United States |
| Ship class | Gato-class submarine |
| Operator | United States Navy |
| Ordered | 1940 |
| Builder | Electric Boat Company |
| Laid down | 18 June 1942 |
| Launched | 5 March 1943 |
| Commissioned | 7 July 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 1 July 1971 |
| Fate | Museum ship at Cleveland, Ohio |
USS Cod (SS-224) was a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy commissioned in 1943 that conducted multiple war patrols in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, survived the war, served in postwar operations, and is preserved as a museum ship in Cleveland, Ohio. Built by Electric Boat Company at Groton, Connecticut, Cod earned combat credits and sank enemy shipping while operating in areas including the East China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and off Honshu. Following decommissioning she was transferred to the City of Cleveland and opened to the public as a memorial and educational exhibit.
Laid down on 18 June 1942 at Electric Boat Company shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, Cod was launched on 5 March 1943 and sponsored by Mrs. Robert Daniel Murphy, wife of the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Commissioned on 7 July 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Claude E. Ricketts, Cod joined Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet operations after shakedown training at New London, Connecticut and advanced submarine schools at Panama Canal Zone transit points en route to the Pacific Theater.
As a Gato-class submarine, Cod featured a diesel-electric propulsion plant with four General Motors diesel engines driving electric motors for surface and submerged operations, twin screw propulsion, and a test depth characteristic of wartime U.S. fleet submarines. Her armament included ten 21-inch torpedo tubes compatible with Mark 14 torpedos and later Mark 18 torpedos, a deck gun of 3-inch/50 caliber or 4-inch/50 caliber type depending on refit, and various anti-aircraft machine guns such as the 20 mm Oerlikon and .50 caliber Browning. Habitability and sensors comprised a periscope suite from manufacturers serving United States Navy submarines, a SJ radar installation during later patrols, sonar suites typical of World War II era attack submarines, and provisions for extended patrol ranges suitable for operations across the Pacific Ocean.
Cod completed multiple war patrols against the Empire of Japan and its maritime logistics. During early patrols she conducted reconnaissance and lifeguard duty for United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy air strikes in the Philippine Islands campaign and participated in coordinated wolfpack tactics with other submarines including units from Submarine Squadron 2. Cod is credited with sinking enemy freighters and escorts in engagements that involved use of torpedoes and gunfire; actions occurred in patrol areas such as the East China Sea and approaches to Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands. Notable episodes included rescue and lifeguard operations for downed aviators linked to raids on Tokyo and strike operations supporting Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’s island campaigns. Cod also conducted special missions, including reconnaissance of coastal waters and delivery of supplies or personnel for guerrilla contacts in areas influenced by Dutch East Indies and Philippine guerrillas resistance activity. Throughout her wartime service she faced threats from Japanese Navy patrol craft, aircraft carrier-based aircraft, and escorted convoys employing depth charge attacks and sonar search patterns.
After Japan’s surrender following the Surrender of Japan in 1945, Cod returned to the continental United States for overhaul and served in peacetime training, submarine school duties, and NATO-related exercises reflecting evolving Cold War requirements. Modernization cycles adapted some Gato-class boats for new roles while others were converted under programs like GUPPY; Cod remained in service through training deployments and reserve status changes until decommissioning on 1 July 1971. Her decommissioning followed a period of reduced front-line utility due to advances exemplified by GUPPY conversion-upgraded classes and the advent of diesel–electric submarine successors and nuclear-powered submarines such as USS Nautilus (SSN-571).
Transferred to the City of Cleveland for static display, Cod opened as a museum ship at Edgewater Park on the shore of Lake Erie, becoming one of the last surviving fully intact Gato-class submarine museum exhibits in the United States. As a museum she features restored living spaces, control room, torpedo room, and mess facilities for public tours and educational programs focused on World War II, submarine warfare, and naval technology. Preservation efforts have involved volunteer organizations, veterans’ groups, and municipal authorities collaborating on hull maintenance, corrosion control, and interpretive exhibits highlighting connections to veterans from communities across Ohio and the broader Great Lakes region.
USS Cod’s legacy encompasses combat service in the Pacific Theater, survival through World War II and the early Cold War, and continuing public education as a museum ship. Her honors include campaign credits and unit commendations reflecting participation in multiple war patrols and lifeguard missions supporting United States air operations; she stands alongside preserved contemporaries such as USS Pampanito (SS-383), USS Bowfin (SS-287), and USS Cod (SS-224)-class peers in heritage roles. Cod remains listed among historic naval vessels celebrated during commemorations of Victory over Japan Day anniversaries, Veterans Day observances, and regional maritime heritage programs, serving as a tangible connection to submarine operations, sailors’ experiences, and mid-20th-century naval history.
Category:United States Navy submarines Category:Museum ships in Ohio Category:Gato-class submarines Category:Ships built in Groton, Connecticut