Last week went to visit the U.S.S. Cod, a submarine that you can tour right here in downtown Cleveland on Lake Erie. The U.S.S. Cod served in WWII, specifically in the South Pacific. The submarine was commissioned on June 21, 1943. It is a diesel-electric powered submarine with its five diesel generators built in Cleveland by General Motors.
On July 8, 1945 the U.S.S. Cod came to the aid of the Dutch submarine O-19 which had run aground in enemy territory. After two days of trying to tow the sub off the reef, they realized the only option was to transfer the crew of 55 men from the O-19 to the American submarine. For three days the U.S.S. Cod was home to 152 men. This is the only international sub-to-sub rescue in history! The martini glass on the conning tower represents the rescue.
In 1976 the sub was turned over to civilians who set up a fund to convert the sub into a memorial. Today you can tour the sub from May – September each year. It is between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Air & Space Museum along the lake shore.