Built by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, the United States Navy commissioned the USS Grunion a Gato-class submarine on April 11, 1942. After a shakedown cruise, the sub sailed for the Pacific on May 24, 1942. Along the way, she rescued 16 survivors of the USAT Jack, which had been torpedoed by the Germans in the Caribbean. She arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on June 20.
The submarine departed for a 10-day training cruise and was then assigned a war patrol along the Aleutian Islands. Her first report stated that she’d encountered a Japanese destroyer near Kiska, Alaska, and had fired torpedoes, noting that the area was rife with heavy antisubmarine activity. After the report, she was ordered to Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
The USS Grunion’s 70 crew were never heard from again.
This week, according to a LiveScience article, a team of ocean explorers discovered her well-preserved bow section in 2,700 feet of water off the Aleutian Islands. The rest of the wreck was discovered in the Bering Sea in August 2007. This video shows the 3D scans the team developed by diving on the sub with remote-operated vehicles.
