dp. 1870 (surf.), 2424 (subm.); l. 312'; b. 27'; dr. 17' (mean);
s. 20.25 k. (surf.), 8.75 k. (subm.); td. 300'; a. 1-3"/50; 6-21" tt. fwd.,
4-21" tt. aft.;
cpl. 4 officers - 54 enlisted men; cl. GATO
Keel laid by the Electric Boat Company., Groton, CT. 21 September 1942;
Launched 9 May 1943; Sponsored by Mrs. Ralph W. Christie;
Commissioned 6 August 1943; Cdr. Roderick J. Rooney in command;
Venturing into enemy waters during WWII for her first time, USS
CORVINA (SS226), under the command of Cdr. R.S. Rooney, departed from
Pearl Harbor on 4 November 1943. After topping off with fuel at Johnson
Island she proceeded to an area south of Truk, there to attack enemy naval
forces during our surface operations in the Gilbert Islands. She was to
patrol as close to Truk as enemy antisubmarine measures would permit. On
14 December, she was to pass to command of Commander Task Force Seventy-Two
and proceed to an eastern Australian port for refit and duty in SubSoWesPac.
When the major surface force operations in the Gilberts were finished,
CORVINA was directed by dispatch on 30 November to pass to command
of Commander Task Force Seventy-Two on 2 December 1943. The message was
repeated three times on each of two successive nights, and an acknowledgment
was directed, but none was received. Because of the difficulty being experienced
as a result of Japanese interference, CORVINA was considered to
have passed to Commander Task Force Seventy-Two, despite her failure to
acknowledge. She was directed to proceed to Tulagi and rendezvous with
a surface escort, but she did not appear. Again transmissions directing
answer were repeatedly sent, but were not fruitful. Since she had not appeared
or been heard from since her departure from Johnston Island on 6 November,
CORVINA was reported as presumed lost on 23 December 1943.
Enemy records indicate that CORVINA met her doom on 16
November 1943, by enemy action. An enemy submarine reported having sighted
a surfaced submarine at 5! -50'N;151!-10'E, and torpedoed her. Three torpedos
were fired and two were reported to have hit, causing a "great explosion
sound."
Compiled by SUBNET from "Dictionary of American Fighting Ships"
and "U.S. NAVAL SUBMARINE FORCE INFORMATION BOOK '97" -- J. Christley
Photos and text contributed by Royal Weaver MTCM(SS)(Ret.).
