Cast Iron Submarine Models

[crazyfingers]

I'm curious if anyone knows much about the cast iron submarine models that were given out related to the Submarine service.

 

I have two cast iron submarine models that were passed to me when I was a kid from my grandmother whose husband, my grandfather, was lost as commander of the USS Shark 174 in the early days of WWII. Story here. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/278728-two-months-and-two-generations-to-eternity-the-shanes-the-shark-ss-174-and-a-sampson/

 

One pictured below, has inscribed on one side of the base U.S.S. Triton and on the other side of the base N.Y. Portsmouth N.H.

 

I guess the N.Y is not New York but Naval Yard? The USS Triton SS-201 was build at the Portsmouth Navy Yard from 1939 to 1940. While my grandfather never served on the Triton (at least it's not in his service records) his father was a Captain in charge of the yards at one time but a good 10 years earlier than when the Triton was build.

 

I'm guessing that he still had friends there anyway and so I can guess how my grandfather ended up with a Triton model that I now have.

 

Photo of one side

[crazyfingers]

Photo of the other side.

 

 

[crazyfingers]

I've seen models like the Triton above pretty frequently. There is one just like if for example on the museum ship USS Lionfish. I think I saw one on the museum ship Nautilus.

 

The design of the model very closely resembles any of the Fleet Submarines starting with the U.S.S. Cachalot SS-170 though the Gato class until the sail was redesigned to look like the classic Gato and Balao classes.

 

Anyway, it appears the navy made lots of these though I don't know who would get them.

 

The oddity I have is in the photo below.

 

When I was a kid I was told it was the USS Shark that my grandfather was lost on. But over the years I've decided I don't believe it. The model below looks not a whole lot like any US Submarine around that era. But it sort of resembles the older S boats made in the 1920's. My grandfather did serve on the S-25 so I wonder if this model is supposed to be an S Boat?

 

Unlike the Triton model, there is no inscription of any kind.

 

In any case, I have never seen another like it. I wonder if anyone knows more about this particular style of model.

 

 

 

[crazyfingers]

WOW. Over 700 views but I guess not a lot is known about these items.

[Josh B.]

Missed this the first time around.  The first type you show were likely made at the Portsmouth Yard as boats launched there usually have corresponding models.  I’ve seen some of those same models dedicated to other sub force tasks like the Squalus recovery.  In a nutshell, they aren’t particularly rare but some that commemorate high scoring or lost boats command higher prices.

 

I don’t know about the origins of the other model, but there are several types of sub desk models out there.

[crazyfingers]

My great grandfather was Captain of the Portsmouth, NH naval yard for several years in the 1930's. I expect that's how we ended up having the first one.

 

Still no idea about the second. It looks like an older S-Boat. Sort of..

 

[Waco]

Realize this is an old post but thought I'd give my 2 cents.  As Josh said the first type is likely a product of PNSY and seems to be nickel or chrome over brass.  You will see these for boats built on the East Coast, with the name of the sub on the base.  I have never seen this type for boats built at Manitowoc or Mare Island.   I have a number of the second type and think as you that these were for S-boats; they come in both bronze and some sort of silver-colored alloy.  These are much rarer than the PNSY type and are earlier but unnamed.  

[Josh B.]

I have a solid bronze one that looks like an S boat and the base is engraved to the Subbase New London