On a crisp winter day in Newport News, Virginia, the USS Lapon slid into the water, marking the arrival of one of the most advanced submarines of its time. Built as a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, Lapon embodied the technological innovations that redefined undersea warfare in the nuclear age. Its motto, Secret et Hardi—“Silent and Strong”—encapsulated the ethos of the men who would take it into the depths. Sponsored by Mrs. Charles D. Griffin, the Lapon became an integral player in America’s underwater chess game with the Soviet Union. Continue reading “Secret Et Hardi”
Secret Et Hardi
The USS Hawkbill (SS-366) prowled the waters of the South China Sea on December 15, 1944, ready to strike another blow in the relentless submarine campaign against Japan. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Francis Worth Scanland Jr., the Hawkbill was a stealthy predator of the Pacific, a Balao-class submarine with cutting-edge technology and a seasoned crew. This day would bring her into contact with one of Japan’s desperate attempts to maintain maritime supply lines: the Matsu-class destroyer IJN Momo. 
Patrol Reports 