Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Smith | 250227-N-SS900-2001 NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA (Feb. 27, 2025) The O’Kane cribbage board...... read more read more
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In a ceremony presided by Rear Adm. Rick Seif, commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the crew of the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756) received the historic O’Kane cribbage board from USS Topeka (SSN 754) as the oldest in-service fast-attack submarine in the Pacific Fleet, Feb. 7, 2025.
The O’Kane cribbage board traces its roots to the Pacific Theater of World War II. Then-Lt. Richard “Dick” O’Kane, executive officer of USS Wahoo (SS 283), played a game of cribbage with commanding officer Lt. Cmdr. Dudley “Mush” Morton while on patrol in the Yellow Sea in April 1943. As legend has it, this patrol was the first in this area during the war, and to ease tensions, O’Kane and Morton played a game of cribbage, a time-honored submarine tradition.
During the game, Morton dealt O’Kane a rare perfect hand, 29 points, a good omen to Wahoo’s crew. Wahoo went on to sink two Japanese freighters the same night. In another game only a few days later, Morton dealt a 28-point hand, as Wahoo’s crew sank three more enemy ships.
O’Kane went on to command USS Tang (SS 306), a legendary World War II submarine. During five war patrols, Tang was credited with sinking more than 30 ships displacing over 118,000 tons, by far the most ships and highest tonnage sunk in the war by one submarine. At the end of her fifth war patrol on Oct. 25, 1944, Tang was struck by her own torpedo and O’Kane and eight other survivors were captured as prisoners of war.
At his retirement in 1957, O’Kane was advanced to the rank of Rear Adm., with a Medal of Honor, three Navy Crosses and three Silver Star awards to his name. The crew of the second USS Tang (SS 563) presented a cribbage board to O’Kane to replace the one he lost in 1944, which his wife later gifted to the Submarine Force upon his death in 1994.
Commissioned in Norfolk, Virginia, Jan. 26, 1991, and now the oldest attack submarine in the Pacific, Scranton recently marked its 34th year of service, coinciding with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy and the 125th anniversary of the U.S. Submarine Force. Scranton is one of four Los Angeles-class submarines assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 11, and calls San Diego and Naval Base Point Loma home.
“Scranton’s crew is proud to carry on this incredible legacy as the holders of the O’Kane cribbage board,” said Cmdr. Jeff Ransom, Scranton’s commanding officer. “This ship has had generations of capable and professional Submariners, and we are excited to continue to add to 34 years of history here on Scranton.”
Scranton and her crew continue to prepare for post-dry dock sea trials and a return to underway operations to deter aggression throughout the Indo-Pacific. Scranton’s leadership knows that this connection to submariners past, present, and future will continue to strengthen the crew’s connection to history and their critical role in today’s Submarine Force.
“We are absolutely ready to get back to our primary mission and continue supporting our nation and our Navy,” said Ransom. “Being connected to history in this way, with this year being the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy and the 125th anniversary of the Submarine Force, gives our crew an extra sense of pride and dedication to the task at hand.”
Commander, Submarine Squadron 11 (CSS-11) is headquartered at Naval Base Point Loma, California, and reports to Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. CSS-11 provides training, material and personnel readiness support for the medium auxiliary floating dry dock ARCO (ARDM 5), Undersea Rescue Command (URC) and four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines capable of supporting various missions, including: anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
For more information, contact SPSC_CSS11_PAO@navy.mil, call +1 (619) 553-1278, or visit our command website at https://www.csp.navy.mil/css11/.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2025 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 494016 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 522 |
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