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lost submarines from the list of 52 LOST BOATS of World War Two 
as designated by the SubVets of WWII
Virginia

POMPON (SS-267)
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Information source:   http://www.pacerfarm.org/i-400/ss267.htm

Just north of the Torpedo Factory art complex in Alexandria, Virginia, where a city park occupies the West bank of the Potomac River, a marine propeller is mounted on a stone base under a willow tree at the water's edge.

There is no historical marker or plaque in place and the propeller appears to have been set there purely for aesthetic reasons. A closer examination of the propeller leaves no doubt as to its provenance.

Both the screw and cap piece are clearly marked for the POMPON.
[ Images courtesy of Washington Grove Pacer Farm ]


NORFOLK
Memorial at the D & S Piers
USS SCORPION memorial is a stone monument with brass plaques containing the
names of her lost crewmen. There is a flagpole and one other memorial dedicated to THE MEN WHO GO DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS. The stone SCORPION monument is to the right of the flag. 

NORFOLK
USS SCORPION SSN-589
Plaque on top of memorial stone.
D&S Piers
Around the 4 sides of the stone are plaques with the crew members names.
(2 ) Photos courtesy of John Donaldson 


ALEXANDRIA 
U.S. Naval Torpedo Station

The original buildings which comprised the U. S. Naval Torpedo Station, Alexandria, were authorized in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. Ground was broken for the complex on November 12, 1918, the day after Armistice Day. The buildings were used for the manufacture and maintenance of torpedoes until 1923, when most activity ceased and the buildings were used for munitions storage. In 1935 the Navy ordered production to resume, and the facility eventually grew to consist of ten buildings.

The green torpedo presently on display in the main hall of the Art Center, a submarine-borne Mark XIV, was the principal torpedo manufactured at the facility, although Mark XIII aircraft torpedoes like the silver torpedo on display at the Art Center were repaired there. The Naval Station engaged in wartime production throughout World War II until an order to cease was issued in June of 1945.


The Torpedo Factory Exhibit
An exhibit in the main hall includes mementos of those who worked here--torpedo earrings and pens made as Navy Day souvenirs, model torpedoes made for loved ones, a worker’s badge, and issues of their newsletter, The Torp. Also on display is a gyroscope, used to guide the torpedo. The 23 foot long Mark XIV torpedo is still accompanied by its log book, which records its trips on submarines in the Pacific. The Torpedo is bright green, but the Navy assures us that this color is authentic. Newly manufactured torpedoes were painted green so that they could be recovered from the water after testing.

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