A Sense Of Peace

The US Navy believes it has found the remains of the World War II submarine USS Lagarto, lost in the last few months of the war. US Navy divers have found strong evidence that the wreck, found by a British diver, is the Lagarto based on several unique design features.

HONOLULU - For 60 years, Nancy Kenney wondered what happened to her father. The submarine that William T. Mabin was in disappeared while he and his crewmates were on a mission to attack a Japanese convoy in the last months of World War II.

Now, the Navy says a wreck found at the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand appears to be the sub, the USS Lagarto.

"I have never in my life, unequivocally, felt such a high," said Kenney, who was 2 years old when her father and the submarine did not return from their mission in May 1945.

"We can just feel a sense of relief and a sense of peace in knowing what happened and where they are," said Kenney, of Lake Leelanau, Mich.

Navy divers on Friday completed a six-day survey of the wreckage site. They took photos and video of the 311-foot, 9-inch submarine for further analysis by naval archeologists.

The divers found twin 5-inch gun mounts on the forward and rear parts of the ship — a feature believed to be unique to the Lagarto.

They also saw the word "Manitowoc" displayed on the submarine's propeller, providing a connection to the Manitowoc, Wis., shipyard that built the Lagarto in the 1940s.

Eighty-six sailors died when the Lagarto sank in May 1945. The Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka reported dropping depth charges and sinking a U.S. sub in the area, though it was never known what ship it destroyed.

The Navy has no plans to disturb the wreck, in keeping with it's traditional belief that the sea is a proper final resting place for those who die at sea. The wreck is about 100 miles off the coast of Thailand and is protected by International agreements.

Here is a picture of the Lagarto underway:

And here is a site dedicated to the Lagarto where you can read more about her and her crew.

"Bless those who serve beneath the deep,
Through lonely hours their vigil keep.
May peace their mission ever be,
Protect each one we ask of thee.
Bless those at home who wait and pray,
For their return by night and day."

(Submariner's verse to the Navy Hymn)