There is a true Cleveland treasure that sits permanently anchored off North Marginal Rd. downtown, right next to Burke Lakefront Airport. If you're a WWII buff, you might have already guessed that we're talking about the USS Cod.
The USS Cod and the Submarine's Role in World War II
For starters, you might be wondering how the vessel got its name. It's simple, really: The Cod got its name to honor a very popular food choice found in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.
The USS Cod is a Gato-class fleet submarine that measures 312 feet long and weighs a mere 1,525 tons. Her keel was laid at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut in 1942 and first launched in March 1943, commissioned into service three months later in June. The submarine’s first commander was someone already known for sinking the first Japanese destroyer of WWII while in command of, believe it or not, a WWI submarine: CDR James C. Dempsey, USN.
Dempsey commanded three of the Cod’s seven patrols, and it was on his third and final command of the vessel that the sub fought its fiercest battle.
On the evening of May 14, 1944, the Cod had followed a massive group of Japanese ships headed for the Philippines. First, the Japanese destroyer Karukaya was fired upon with three torpedoes and crippled while another six torpedoes had been launched at troop transport and supply/cargo ships.
The Cod's most unusual success was a submarine-to-submarine rescue operation on its seventh and final patrol of the war in June 1945. It was the only known international achievement of its kind. Ironically, after the rescue of 56 Dutch sailors stranded on a reef, the Cod then became quarters for the next two-and-a-half days to a total of 153 men as it headed for the Subic Bay. The ironic part is the fact that the Subic Bay was where the Cod had tracked that large Japanese fleet to in May 1944, inflicting tremendous damage to the Japanese fleet at the time.
Tense moments for the crew of the Cod occurred shortly after the rescue operation of the O-15 Dutch crew. While conducting operations to board and destroy junk ships carrying enemy supplies, a five-member boarding crew was temporarily lost before being rescued by another submarine, the USS Blenny.
While docked in Australia in August 1945, the Cod crew were invited to a party by the sailors of the Dutch O-15 as a thank you for their rescue and during the celebration learned of the Japanese surrender.
The USS Cod's Voyage to Cleveland, Ohio
Flash forward to 1959. The Cod was towed to Cleveland via the new pathway known as the St. Lawrence Seaway for a new challenge, that of serving as a naval training vessel until 1971, when the Cod was removed from the list of active naval ships.
The city of Cleveland was not only grateful for the Cod's service during the war, but for the excitement it provided schoolchildren who were thrilled to visit the submarine on field trips. So, in January of 1976, the Navy officially granted “guardianship” of the Cod to the Cleveland Coordinating Committee to Save Cod Inc., establishing her as a memorial that opened to public tours in May of that same year. Finally, in 1986, the US Department of the Interior designated the Cod a National Historic Landmark.
Cleveland also has at least a partial claim as the birthplace of the Cod because her five diesel engines were built right here at General Motors' Cleveland Diesel plant.
The USS Cod is also the only submarine on display that has not had its hull compromised to provide public access. Visitors must utilize the same hatches and stairwells that the sailors themselves navigated.
A true Cleveland jewel, the Cod stands proudly off North Marginal on Lake Erie as a memorial to all those who have served in the 100+ years that submarines have been part of America’s armed forces.
(Photo credit: Michael Barera)