No wind knocked out of MY sails!

Very cool, Mel, and very appropriate to sail past the USS Cod on this particular holiday.

The Cod is the fleet flagship for a design of diesel-hybrid electric submarines that helped stop the massive Japanese Navy in its tracks at a time when they seemed invincible. 3% of the US Naval force, U.S. submarines sank more than 55% of the Japanese ships lost in all of WWII, including more than 70% of her merchant fleet and more than 220 warships. They also conducted secret intelligence gathering missions and rescued more than 550 aviators who were forced to ditch at sea in enemy waters, including former President George Bush. The U.S. Navy lost 52 submarines with a loss of more than 3,500 men, or 22% of the submarine force.

From the USS Cod website;

We recently acquired two GM Cleveland Model 248 engines that had originally been used aboard another WW-II submarine, USS Stingray SS-186. The two engines will be used for parts for the restoration of Cod’s engines. These very large V-16, 1,600 HP diesel engines were originally built right here in Cleveland, Ohio — the last in 1943. Each engine weighs about 43,000 pounds (21,000 kG). Here is a photo showing one of these engines loaded aboard a transporter. click here

Cod’s Mark IV Torpedo Data Computer has been restored to full operation. Click here to see a few photos of this amazing mechanical computer.
(Westinghouse torpedoes, also Cleveland made)

and;

It was on Cod’s seventh and final war patrol that she would carve a unique niche for herself, not for destroying enemy ships, but for performing the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history. On the morning of July 8, 1945 Cod arrived at Ladd Reef in the South China Sea to aid the Dutch Submarine O-19 which had grounded on the coral outcropping. After two days of attempts at pulling O-19 free, the captains of both vessels agreed that there was no hope of freeing the Dutch sub from the grip of the reef. After removing the 56 Dutch sailors to safety, Cod destroyed the O-19 with two scuttling charges, two torpedoes, and 16 rounds from Cod’s 5-inch deck gun. The Cod was home to 153 men for the two and a half-day run to the recently liberated Subic Bay naval base.

After delivering the O-19 crew, Cod returned to her patrol area off the coast of Vietnam where she resumed boarding and sinking Junks carrying enemy supplies. During one of these “pirate-like” operations, a five-man boarding party was stranded on a junk after Cod was strafed by a Japanese plane and forced to crash dive. It was several hours before Cod could surface to retrieve her boarding party. When she did, the horizon was littered with Junks.

After a two-day search involving several U.S. submarines, the lost crewmen were recovered by the submarine Blenny. Highlights of the patrol, including the O-19 rescue and return of the lost boarding party, were recorded in color movies made by Norman Jensen, a Navy photographer, who was assigned to film Cod’s war patrol. The films were discovered in the National Archives in 1992.

Cod returned to her Perth, Australia base on August 13, 1945, and was met at the dock by the men of the O-19 who invited their rescuers to a thank-you party. It was during the party that word of the Japanese surrender was received. Today, Cod’s battleflag and conning tower both carry a cocktail glass above the name “O-19″ to commemorate the rescue and the party.

Before you visit the Cod, rent “Das Boot” and watch it on the biggest screen you have at max volume. Cod class subs were luxury yachts compared to U-boats, Japanese subs tended to sink at first launch.
When you visit the Cod, and its ice cream machine, look at Cleveland through the periscope mounted on land nearby. It’s a great way to see Cleveland, you just have to look.

You’re welcome,Mel. No quiz, but imagine what a blowout that party must have been!

Sorry Mel, lost at sea temporarily, actually, work.
Vodka, generally.