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Lot Essay
The U.S.S. TRIGGER (SS-237) was a Gato Class Submarine commissioned on 30 January 1942 at the Mare Island Navy yard with Lt. Comdr. Jack H. Lewis in command. The submarine sailed for Hawaii on 22 May and reached Pearl Harbor the following week. Between the period of June 1942 and February of 1945 U.S.S. TRIGGER completed 11 succesful patrols sinking numerous ships and engaging the enemy. On 11 March 1944 to begin her 12th war patrol and headed for the Nansei Shoto area. On the 18th, she attacked a convoy west of the islands, sinking the cargo ship TSUKUSHI MARU NO. 3 and damaging another. The attack was reported on the 20th, and the submarine was subsequently ordered to radio as many movements of the convoy as possible to help find a safe passage through a known mined area of the East China Sea. On the 24th, TRIGGER was ordered to begin patrolling west of the islands the next day, outside the 100 fathom curve, and to steer clear of restricted areas. On the 26th, she was ordered to join a wolf pack called "Earl's Eliminators" and to acknowledge receipt of the message. A weather report came from the submarine that day but no confirmation of her having received the message. The weather report was TRIGGER's last transmission. On 4 April, she was ordered to proceed to Midway, but she had not arrived by 1 May and was reported as presumed lost.
Post-war records indicate that she torpedoed and sank the repair ship ODATE on 27 March. The next day, Japanese planes and ships joined in a two-hour attack on a submarine. The attack was heard by SILVERSIDES, SEA DOG (SS-401), HACKLEBACK (SS-295), and THREADFIN (SS-410) in adjacent areas. THREADFIN was the only one of these submarines that had been attacked that day, and she reported that she heard many depth charges and several heavy explosions east of her position after the attack on her ceased. TRIGGER was struck from the Navy list on 11 July 1945.
U.S.S. TRIGGER received 11 battle stars for World War II service and the Presidential Unit Citation for her fifth, sixth, and seventh war patrols.
Post-war records indicate that she torpedoed and sank the repair ship ODATE on 27 March. The next day, Japanese planes and ships joined in a two-hour attack on a submarine. The attack was heard by SILVERSIDES, SEA DOG (SS-401), HACKLEBACK (SS-295), and THREADFIN (SS-410) in adjacent areas. THREADFIN was the only one of these submarines that had been attacked that day, and she reported that she heard many depth charges and several heavy explosions east of her position after the attack on her ceased. TRIGGER was struck from the Navy list on 11 July 1945.
U.S.S. TRIGGER received 11 battle stars for World War II service and the Presidential Unit Citation for her fifth, sixth, and seventh war patrols.