USS Lagarto SS 371
The USS Lagarto SS 371 was a Balao-class submarine that was launched on May 28th, 1944 from the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and was sponsored by an Emily Taft Douglas who was at the time a Congresswoman from Illinois that had later became a United States Senator from Illinois. The submarine was commissioned on October 14th, 1944 under the leadership of Commander Frank D. Latta. Following her shakedown training, she was placed into dry dock towing and brought down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana and set out in the open sea on November 12th, 1944. She transited the Panama Canal and headed west and into the deep Pacific moving towards her final destination of Pearl Harbor where she arrived on Christmas Day in 1944.
After conducted rigorous operational training for an additional few weeks, the was finally ready for true action and set out on her first war patrol departing from Pearl Harbor on January 24th, 1945 where she traveled through the waters surrounding the Marianas Islands near Saipan. On February 7th, 1945 she sailed to the Bonin Islands to join with the Task Force 38 to support their aircraft carrier strikes already underway.
Throughout the month of February of 1945, the Lagarto was involved in the most dramatic and deadly of battles that resulted in the tragically unfortunate demise of some brave sailors. On February 24th, 1945 she began tracking a Japanese enemy submarine off the coast of Okino Shima and prepared for battle. She fired four of her torpedoes directly at her combative opponent and commenced diving procedures to avoid any counterattack and while listening for the results, she heard an enormous underwater explosion and it was proven that the Lagarto had slammed her intended target dead on.
The months of April and May of 1945 were just as unkind to the Lagarto, and on May 2nd and 3rd she was cruising through the South China Sea heading for the waters outside the Gulf of Siam when she encountered a huge enemy force heading straight for her and she began a long forty eight hour battle that she didn’t survive. She was announced overdue from patrol and presumed lost on August 10th, 1945. The USS Lagarto SS 371 was sunk on May 4th, 1945. She was awarded one battle star for World War II service.
During her time in service, the USS Lagarto S 371 carried out many missions of the utmost importance. She also carried substances that were made with asbestos. Asbestos is a dangerous material that can lead to respiratory diseases, most notably mesothelioma. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, so it can be easily inhaled where it can cause great harm and even death. The passengers and crew who spent time on the Lagarto were put at risk of exposure to this toxic material. Any veteran sailor, who has sailed on the Lagarto and may be concerned, should receive an evaluation by your physician for the possibility of asbestos cancer.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
