East Village in Des Moines in Polk County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
S-36 Submarine Memorial
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 14, 2011
1. S-36 Submarine Memorial Marker
Front
1 of 52 U.S. Submarines lost during WWII
Lost on her 2nd patrol, January 20, 1942
in Makassar Strait, Indonesia.
Left Image
U.S. Submarine Veterans World War II
In memory of all submarines and crews on eternal patrol
Right Image
United States Submarine Veterans
Honoring all U.S. Navy Submarine sailors.
Reverse
During WWII the U.S. Submarine Force suffered the highest loss rate of the U.S. Armed Forces. Of the 16,000 officers and enlisted men that served on submarines during the war 3,506 (22%> were lost. Although only 1.6% of the U. S. Navy, the Submarine Force sank 30% of the Japanese Imperial Navy and 60% of the Japanese Merchant Marine, choking off the Japanese economy. This victory came at a heavy price.
Topics and series. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Still On Patrol series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 20, 1942.
Location. 41° 35.365′ N, 93° 36.149′ W. Marker is in Des Moines, Iowa, in Polk County. It is in East Village. It is on East Walnut Street. Marker is on the grounds of the State Capitol between E. Walnut St. and E. Court Ave. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 East Walnut Street, Des Moines IA 50319, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and memorial is in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Also see . . . S-36 at Wikipedia. Excerpt:
At 0404 on 20 January 1942, S-36 ran hard aground on Taka Bakang Reef at the southern end of Makassar Strait, approximately 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) west-northwest of Makassar, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies. For over twenty-four hours the crew battled to save the submarine, but chlorine gas generated by her flooded forward battery and the sea conditions combined against them. A plain-language radio request for aid was sent, and on the morning of 21 January, the Dutch launch Attla was dispatched from Makassar. Two officers and 28 men transferred to Attla and taken to Makassar, but S-36's commanding officer (Lt. John(Submitted on August 13, 2024.)R. McKnight, Jr.) and the remaining crew stayed on board for a final attempt to save S-36. However, the situation worsened, and when the Dutch cargo ship Siberote arrived after noon, McKnight decided the submarine was beyond saving, transferred himself and the remaining crew to the Dutch vessel, and scuttled S-36 by flooding at 1330.Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 14, 20112. S-36 Submarine Memorial Marker
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 14, 2011
3. S-36 Submarine Memorial Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,569 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
