USS Escolar file photo [18733]

Escolar

CountryUnited States
Ship ClassBalao-class Submarine
Hull NumberSS-294
BuilderCramp Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Laid Down10 Jun 1942
Launched18 Apr 1943
Commissioned2 Jun 1944
Sunk17 Oct 1944
Displacement1,526 tons standard; 2,424 tons submerged
Length312 feet
Beam27 feet
Draft17 feet
MachineryFour Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-1/8 9-cyl diesel engines (5,400shp), four high-speed Elliott electric motors (2,740shp), two 126-cell Sargo batteries, two propellers
Bunkerage116,000gal fuel oil
Speed20 knots
Range11,000nm at 10 knots surfaced, 48 hours at 2 knots submerged
Crew66
Armament6x533mm forward torpedo tubes, 4x533mm aft torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, 1x127mm deck gun, 1x40mm Bofors gun, 2x .50cal machine guns
Submerged Speed8.75 knots

Contributor:

ww2dbaseUSS Escolar entered service in Jun 1944 and embarked on her first, and what would turned to be her last, war patrol in Sep 1944. She was a member of a wolfpack searching for Japanese shipping in the Yellow Sea, and her pack mate USS Perch received the last message from her on 17 Oct 1944, routinely reporting her position and course. After that, she was never heard from again. Post war studies of Japanese records revealed no anti-submarine attacks in the region around that time, so USS Escolar was likely lost to a naval mine.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Aug 2013

Submarine Escolar (SS-294) Interactive Map

Escolar Operational Timeline

10 Jun 1942 The keel of submarine Escolar was laid down by William Cramp and Sons at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
18 Apr 1943 Submarine Escolar was launched at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, sponsored by Mrs. J. Bilisoly Hudgins.
2 Jun 1944 USS Escolar was commissioned into service with Commander W. J. Millican in command.
18 Sep 1944 USS Escolar departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her first and only war patrol.
30 Sep 1944 USS Escolar sent out a distress radio signal noting that she was under enemy gunboat attack.
17 Oct 1944 USS Escolar sent her final ship-to-ship message to her wolfpack mates USS Perch, after which she was never heard from again. She was probably mined in the Yellow Sea on or shortly after this day.
24 Nov 1944 USS Escolar was officially listed as lost.

Photographs

Aerial view of William Cramp & Sons shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 15 Mar 1943Submarine Escolar under construction at William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Apr 1943Launching of submarine Escolar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 Apr 1943, photo 1 of 2Launching of submarine Escolar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 Apr 1943, photo 2 of 2
See all 7 photographs of Submarine Escolar (SS-294)



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Submarine Escolar (SS-294) Photo Gallery
Aerial view of William Cramp & Sons shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 15 Mar 1943
See all 7 photographs of Submarine Escolar (SS-294)


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