Allied Warships

Cavalla (SS-244)

Submarine of the Gato class

USS Cavalla during or shortly after the war.

Navy	The US Navy
Type	Submarine
Class	Gato
Pennant	244
Built by	Electric Boat Co. (Groton, Connecticut, U.S.A.)
Ordered	9 Sep 1940
Laid down	4 Mar 1943
Launched	14 Nov 1943
Commissioned	29 Feb 1944
End service	30 Dec 1969
History	USS Cavalla was called "The Luckiest Ship in the Submarine Service" because of her outstanding performance during her short time in service before the end of World War II. She logged 90,000 miles, made 570 dives, and sank 34,180 tons of Japanese shipping. Her greatest sinking, during six war patrols, was the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku that had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was present in Tokyo Bay in September 1945 for the surrender signing aboard Missouri. Decommissioned 16 March 1946. Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Recommissioned 10 April 1951. Decommissioned 3 September 1952 for conversion to a Hunter-Killer Submarine. Recommissioned 15 July 1953. Decommissioned and stricken 30 December 1969. Donated on 21 January 1971 to be put on display as a permanent submarine museum at Seawolf Park, Galveston, Texas. For more on this ship see this website (offsite link).

Commands listed for USS Cavalla (244)

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and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.

	Commander	From	To
1	T/Cdr. Herman Joseph Kossler, USN	29 Feb 1944	12 Sep 1945

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Notable events involving Cavalla include:

11 Apr 1944
With her trials and initial training completed USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. Herman Joseph Kossler) departed from New London bound for Pearl Harbor.

9 May 1944
USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. H.J. Kossler) arrived at Pearl Harbor.

31 May 1944
USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. H.J. Kossler) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the eastern Philippines

19 Jun 1944
USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. H.J. Kossler) torpedoed and sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku (25675 tons, offsite link) about 140 nautical miles north of Yap Island in position 11°50'N, 137°57'E.

25 Nov 1944
While on her 3rd war patrol USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. H.J. Kossler) torpedoed and sank the Japanese destroyer Shimotsuki (3700 tons, offsite link) west of Borneo in position 02°21'N, 107°20'E.

5 Jan 1945
While on her 3rd war patrol USS Cavalla (Lt.Cdr. H.J. Kossler) torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary net layers Kanko Maru (909 GRT) and Shunsen Maru (971 GRT) in the Java Sea in position 05°00'S, 112°16'E.