Pre World War Two
23 May 1939 USS Squalus SS 192 Foundered on test dive off New Hampshire 26 killed –
World War Two
3 May 1945 SS 371 Lagarto 86 killed, all hands lost, Post war examination of Japanese Naval records suggest Lagarto was sunk in the Gulf of Thailand by the Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka. The Hatsutaka was later sunk by the USS Hawkbill SS 366 on 16 May 1945
12 May 1944 SS 211 Gudgeon 79 killed all hands, lost believed sunk Southeast of Iwo Jima by depth charge\bombing.
Cold War
20 May 1958 SS 415 Stickleback Collision with USS Silverstein DE 534 no loss of life. Attempts to save the boat failed although four rescue ships including Silverstein, Sabalo, Sturevant and Greenlet which put lines around the
22 May to 5 June 1968 SSN 589 Scorpion 99 killed, all hands lost; cause unknown although several theories have been promulgated.
The decisive role played by the Silent Service during WW II is often overlooked, or the significance of their contribution is not fully understood. The Submarine Service represented only 1.6% of all Navy personnel during the war but they accounted for over 55% of all Japanese ships sunk, including one-third of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Submariners paid a high price for this accomplishment, however, with the highest percentage causality rate of any branch of the service, almost 23%. Fifty-two U.S. submarines were lost during WW II with over 3,500 men. Many additional men were lost either from gunfire or tragic mishap. It should always be remembered that these men were all volunteers. (source: National Park Service)