The U.S.S. COD (SS 224), named after the world's most popular food fish, is the last fully intact World War II fleet submarine in existence. The Gato-class submarine is docked on Cleveland's lakefront (N. Marginal Rd., between E. 9th and BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT) as a memorial and historical tour. The Cod's keel was laid on 21 July 1942 at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. It was launched on 21 March, 1943, and was commissioned on 21 June 1943. Its diesel-electric engines were built at the GM/Cleveland Diesel plant on the city's west side. Cod was named a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The Cod operated in the southwest Pacific and made 7 patrols against the Japanese from bases in Brisbane and Fremantle, Australia, and Apra Harbor, Guam. It sank more than 12 Japanese ships, including the destroyer, Karukaya, for a total of more than 26,985 tons of enemy shipping. The 312' long submarine also damaged 7 other major enemy ships and was itself depth-charged, strafed by aircraft, and survived a major torpedo fire. On 9-10 July 1945, the Cod rescued the crew of the Dutch submarine 0-19 in the South China Sea.
The Cod was mothballed from 22 June 1946 until reactivated in 1952 to participate in Atlantic Fleet exercises and joint U.S.-Canadian anti-submarine training. In 1954 it was again mothballed and in 1959 was towed to Cleveland to serve as a Navy Reserve training vessel. The ship was decommissioned in 1972 and, following an intensive effort, was donated to the Cleveland Coordinating Committee for Cod, Inc. on 25 Jan. 1976 to become a memorial ship.
See also U.S. SUBMARINE VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, NORTHEAST OHIO CHAPTER.