1940 U.S.S. Sailfish First Submergence Naval Cover - Rare Full Envelope Cachet - World War 2 US Submarine Sailfish Submergence Cover

This listing is for the photographed 1940 U.S. Submarine Sailfish First Submergence WW2 Naval Cover. This postal cover was issued on the day of the first submergence of the USS Sailfish, June 29th, 1940, during the Second World War. This cachet design is a rarer variety, as the raised green design covers the entirety of the envelope cover, rather than remaining on only the left end of the cover! The cover includes a card inside the envelope that features a short history of the vessel. A stamp is featured in the upper right corner of the cover, Scott#875. Attractive and rare cachet for these kinds of Naval covers! Amazing piece of history! The cover is in excellent condition with no signs of circulation, making it a great addition to any collection!

The history of the USS Sailfish is an especially interesting one, as the submarine began under a different name, the U.S.S. Squalus. While it was in use as Squalus, it sank off of the New Hampshire coast during test dives on May 23rd, 1939 due to a failure of the main induction valve. The sinking caused flooding in the torpedo room, both engine rooms, and the crews quarters, drowning 26 men aboard almost immediately. The USS Falcon arrived the next day, sending down naval divers to rescue the 33 survivors. The ship was salvaged and raised several months later in September of 1939, and was soon recommissioned and renamed the USS Sailfish after undergoing major repairs. The USS Sailfish was commissioned on May 15th, 1940, and conducted numerous war patrols in the Pacific during World War II, earing a total of 9 battle stars by the time she was decommissioned and put on Naval Reserve in October of 1945. She was later scrapped after being taken off the reserve, but today her conning tower is on display at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

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1940 U.S.S. Sailfish First Submergence Naval Cover - Rare Full Envelope Cachet - World War 2 US Submarine Sailfish Submergence Cover