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USS Sealion SS 195
Sealion launching
USS Sealion SS 195 launching May 25, 1939 at the Electric Boat Company.
She was the 131st submarine built at EB for the Navy.
Photo provided by MMCM (SS) Greg Peterman USN Retired, from his Goat Locker webpage
Sealion crew

At least eight of the USS Sealion crew are shown in this photo, circa 1939. At this time it is only a high probability that all the men in this photo are Sealion crewmen. The men identified are all members of the Commissioning crew roster. Based on other factors identified by Dave Johnston DCC(SS/SW), a submarine historian, this could only be the deck of the Seadragon (SS-194) or Sealion (SS-195). Here is his analysis:

"The light colored plates I had seen before, but never gave them much thought. Did some poking around and found out that they are indeed sonar. They are transducers for modified versions of the QC system, called QCG or QCH. They allowed passive listening when bottoming prevented the use of the keel mounted transducers. They didn't come along until 1938. I only found them on a handful of the boats, I couldn't tell if the use of these systems were limited or if they later starting coloring the plates to match the black hull.

The other thing I saw were the tubular metal brackets sticking out above the portholes for the covered nav bridge. These seemed unusual to me so I started looking around. They are support brackets for the fore to aft radio aerials. I found that they are unique to the EB built boats of the Sargo class. I also looked at the positioning of the horns for the ship's whistle. The position in the picture matches that of the EB Sargos.

The combination of the aerial brackets and the light colored QCG plates makes this boat to be Seadragon (SS-194) or Sealion (SS-195). Sargo, Saury, and Spearfish had the brackets but not the QCG. Searaven, Tambor, Tautog, and Thresher had the QCG but no brackets. None of the Gars nor any of the other Salmons or Sargos seemed to have either feature, but again maybe they had colored the plates black. There certainly weren't any of those distinct brackets."

Dave Johnston DCC(SS/SW)

Image courtesy of Mike Kaup


Lt. Julian K. Morrison / CO
Lt. John R. Moore / XO

Lt(jg) Albert Raborn / 1st Lt
Lt(jg)Wm C. Thompson/Gunnery

Richard W. Gerdes / CTM(PA)

Joseph Husrt / CEM(AA)
William J. Rogers / CMM(PA)
Edgar M. Hantsche / TM1

All the above are known members of the Sealion Commissioning Crew

Lt. Julian K. Morrison, jr, Commanding Officer of the USS Sealion took command on November 27, 1939. The Submarine Sealion was turned over to the navy in New London Conn, by the Electric boat Co, ( builders ) Capt Richard S Edwards, Commander of the submarine base accepted the craft for the Navy, While Lt Julian Knox Morrison Jr, U S N, read orders assigning him to command of the ship.

Prior to taking Command of Sealion Morrison was involved in the rescue of the crew trapped in the Squalus. Morrison made the dives to the after Torpedo Room to ascertain if there were any crew alive there. For these dives he was awarded the Navy Cross.

"The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant Julian K. Morrison, United States Navy, for distinguished service in the line of his profession as Senior Assistant to the diving supervisor during the entire period of the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the U.S.S. SQUALUS on 23 May 1939. Lieutenant Morrison's technical diving knowledge and his ability in handling difficult situations in emergencies were outstanding. His calmness, courage and good judgment inspired confidence in his men as well as in the senior officers of the Unit. He made numerous deep dives himself and was the only diver to attempt to enter the SQUALUS while she was on the bottom, failing only due to circumstances beyond his control. His superior and outstanding performance of duty contributed much to the success of the operations and characterizes conduct above and beyond the call of duty."

General Orders: Bureau of Navigation Bulletin 278 (February 10, 1940)
Action Date: 1939
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant
Company: Assistant Diving Officer
Regiment: Squalus Salvage Unit
Division: U.S.S. Falcon (ASR-2)

On February 11, 1940 Lt. Julian Knox Morrison died accidentally when he was cleaning a target weapon aboard the USS Sealion. Lt.Cdr. Richard G. Voge took command of Sealion until her sinking on Dec 10, 1941.

USS Sealion SS 195

USS Sealion SS 195 was heavily damaged on December 10, 1941 by the Japanese air raid on Manila and the Cavite Navy Yard. There was no time to repair her so she was striped of all equipment and towed out into the harbor and sunk with the hatches open. A number of depth charges had been placed aboard her and destroyed her beyond reasonable salvage condition.


Sealion Baseball team

Sealion Baseball team, date unknown, probably circa 1940. Photo most likely taken on the Sealion's deck. In the second row back on the right side the two men there have been identified as Pharmacists mate Wheeler Lipps and on his right side F/2c Henry B. Jones. In the background is a small boat with the number 197. If the boat belonged to the outboard submarine, that would make it the USS Seawolf SS 197. The center boat is not identifiable.

Thanks to Larry Johnson for the photo his uncle Clarence H. Johnson served aboard the Sealion as a Seaman 2nd.
Lt. Clarence H. Johnson died while serving aboard the USS Golet when she was sunk by the Japanese on June 14, 1944.
Identifications by Bryon Jones son of Henry Jones.


More information about the above photo from crew member Everett Buttler

In the photo of softball team. Believe ship in middle of picture is the Canopus. White cube shaped building in background in most likely the Manila Hotel, which was MacArthur's headquarters before his move to the Rock

I knew Day, (Y1/C Loyal Day), but only in a very limited way. He was the yeoman and had a lot of responsibilities. Guess he made his liberties with his buddies as I went ashore with Woods another fireman. Woods and I, with Capt Voge's help both came to Manitowoc in June 1943 for new construction we were both MoMM2 I went to Redfin and he to Robalo, he got off before she was lost

Shaw was a EM1 from Brooklyn, jewish man. His father owned a record store in Brooklyn. Al had a record player and his dad would send him all the recordings and when Al wasn't pissed off at the rest of us he would play them on his phonograph. Last time I saw Shaw he was an ensign at Pearl Harbor. Another arrangement by Voge I am sure.

I have had in the past an inquiry about CEM Hurst, who commissioned Sealion but was not on board in 1941 Someone else wrote me about either Oconnel or Foster one of the two EMC killed at Cavite

I will try and keep some info coming to you as I recall things, been a long time.

Everett Butler.


The following items are special to me since they are about family.
Thanks to a shipmate who found these items and sent them to me.
Ric Hedman/webmaster
Commissioning Officers roster
Image courtesy of Marty Danford
Enlisted Crew Commissioning roster.
My cousin, Loyal Day, is the ninth name down the list.
Image courtesy of Marty Danford
Hold Mouse Over Image
To Scroll the Image Use Mouse Wheel

Shortly after the Japanese planes had bombed the yard at Cavite in Manila Harbor. The shipyard was left in shambles and aflame. To the lower right hand edge of the photo you can see the bow of the Sealion SS195 in the air. She had been hit by two bombs. One hit the after end of the cigarette deck and exploded sending shrapnel flying everywhere and a piece penetrated the conning tower of the USS Seadragon moored next to Sealion and hitting and killing Ensign Samuel H. Hunter, Jr. The second bomb hit at the juncture of the Engine Room/Maneuvering Room killing four men instantly working on rebuilding electric motors. Their bodies were not recovered until the Sealion hulk was salvaged in 1959.

Sterling Cecil Foster ~ Chief Electrician
Melvin Donald O'Connell ~ Chief Electrician
Ernest Ephrom Ogilvie ~ Machinist's Mate, First Class
Vallentyne Lester Paul ~ Electrician's Mate, Third Class

US Navy Photo
Everett Butler in 1944
Everett Butler, Sealion crew member. Photo taken in 1944.
Image courtesy of Everett Butler

I was on the Sealion from Oct 41 to Dec 41. Was a F2C in the FWD Engine Room. Before the yard period at Cavite I, along with another fireman and chief Rogers, were working on modifying the pistons for the main engines for the up coming yard overhaul.

The yard overhaul was to be completed by Dec 13 but the air raid on Dec 10 ended all of that.

It was a Wednesday and work schedule had been increased a few hours each day. We had just had lunch in the mess hall in the dock area in the navy yard and returned to the ship waiting to return to work at 1 when the air raid sirens went off. We received two direct bomb hits one on the cigarette deck after end of bridge area. The other, either in the after engine room or manuevering room. This one really done us in lost main motor reduction gears and of course the entire switching equipment for electric power. The switches were all apart having been rebuilt by the EMs.

We lost 3 EMs and one MM1 Since we were outboard of Seadragon along side the wharf we settled in the water and only the stern and the deck from just aft of the conning tower was under water.

Most of the Sealion crew went on to the dock and manned fire hoses to fight fires in the wooden buildings. The fire got to the torpedo warheads and they began to explode, then many of us jumped into the water beside the dock.

When the fires were out and the yard was in waste, Capt Voge sent Utz to find us a boat so we could get across Manila Bay to the Canopus alongside one of the city piers. Utz came back with the Admirals Barge, we all got on board and headed for the Canopus.

The next several days were spent getting classified material off the boat On the 17 of Dec the Sailfish came in, their skipper had asked to be relieved, and Voge took command. Four Sealion sailors went on board, Riley RM1; Johnson SM1; Elsasser SN; and Butler FN. Later, I think in Java, we also picked up Rahl, Utz and McCurdy FN, making a total of 8 Sealion sailors on board Sailfish. PHM (Wheeler) Lipes went to Seadragon, he died just last year, was a LCDR retired. He did the appendectomy operation. (The first submerged appendectomy operation in history)

Hope this helps you out.

I am treasurer of Wisconsin Base SubVets inc.

Everett Butler


Story courtesy of Everett Butler
Postal Cover
Postal Cover with my cousin's signature on it.
My cousin, Loyal Day, was aboard Sealion in Cavite harbor when the base and Sealion were bombed.
Image courtesy of Marty Danford
Postal Cover
Postal Cover with my cousin's signature on it.
Image courtesy of Marty Danford
Postal Cover
Postal Cover with my cousin's signature on it.
Image courtesy of Marty Danford
Loyal Day & author
Loyal Day & author in May of 1969 in San Diego, CA.
This was the one and only time I had the pleasure to meet my
cousin he passed away a while after this photo was taken.
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