USS LAGARTO (SS-371)
USS Lagarto (SS-371) was a Balao-class submarine that was last heard from on 3 May 1945. It is believed that the Lagarto was sunk by the minelayer Hatsutaka, because Japanese records indicate that the Hatsutaka reported sinking a submarine around the same location as the last known location of the Lagarto. It wasn’t until 2005 that USS Lagarto was seen again. It was found in the Gulf of Thailand on 18 May 2005 by Jamie Macleod and Stewart Oehl of the MV Trident dive boat. The wreck lies in 280 feet of water. All 86 men onboard were lost.
The U.S. Navy has identified and confirmed the wreck as USS Lagarto. The families of the crew attended a memorial ceremony at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on 6 May 2006.
