Offered is a submarine cover postmarked from Sacramento, CA dated Aug 16, 2012. Color image of submarine printed on cachet #3279 by Alvin Eckert USCS #9964. Early history:

The Squalus conducted test dives off Portsmouth on 23 May 1939 and sank after failure of the main induction valve.   (See web articles for the details of her design, construction, sinking and salvage). In this disaster, 26 crewmen were lost and 33 survived the sinking. A dramatic rescue was accomplished using for the first time the McCann Rescue Chamber. She was raised (see cachet photo) after 628 dives by hard-hat Navy divers. The vessel was towed into Portsmouth and salvaged at the Navy Yard.

Squalus became USS Sailfish and was commissioned on 15 May 1940. The proud submarine was ordered to the Pacific and earned nine WW II Battle Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. She was recycled for scrap metal in 1948, but her conning tower was installed as a PNS memorial in Kittery, Maine.  (See her web pages for her WW II service history and battle action reports). 

Cover franked with a forever Virgin Islands flag coil stamp # 4326 (FDOI) with a sailfish design.

Seller has over 200 different submarine covers. Also see the cover for the USS Squalus.

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These items make fine USN gifts when mounted on a colored matte

and placed in a 5x7 picture frame.      Free US Shipping!