Newspaper Articles about Sabalo's Launching and Dedication


From the Philadelphia Evening Post     F 7
Philadelphia, Pa.
Thursday, June 1, 1944

CITY POLICE BOND WORK HONORED

Navy will Dedicate two Submarines at Cramp's in their Honor

     Dedication to the Philadelphia Police Force of two submarines, the U.S.S. Sabalo and the U.S.S. Sablefish, to be launched Sunday at the Cramp Shipbuilding Co. Yard, will honor the work of the members of the force during the Fourth War Loan.
     The dedication is believed to be the first in which a city police has been thus honored. It is a tribute to the city's police sales of $16,800,000 in bonds in the last war bond drive, a sum sufficient to pay for construction and equipment of the two underseas craft.
     The campaign was conducted by the Fraternal Order of Police, of which John Ashmore is president, and the City Police Department under Assistant Superintendent Guy Parsons. The police plan a similar bond-selling campaign in the Fifth War Loan, which opens June 12.
     Civic officials and officers of the armed services will witness a parade of a police contingent through Kensington streets preceding the double launching, honoring the 339 members of the Philadelphia force now in the services.

Plaques Honor Muhs
     George E. Muhs, first member of the Philadelphia police to give his life in the present war is mentioned in the bronze plaque which each submarine will carry, bearing the inscription:

     "This fighting ship, sponsored and made possible by the bond purchases of the people of the City of Philadelphia during the Fourth War Loan through the efforts of the Fraternal Order of Police of Philadelphia in memory of George E. Muhs, member, Philadelphia Police, World War II, 1944."
     The new submarines are named, in accord with Navy tradition, after fish. The U.S.S. Sabalo will be sponsored by Mrs. Charles M. Oman, wife of Rear Admiral Charles E. Oman, U.S.N., commanding officer of the Naval Convalescent Hospital for Officers at Harriman, N.Y. The U.S.S. Sablefish will be sponsored by Mrs. Edmund W. Burrough, wife of Captain R.W. Burrough, U.S.N., of Washington, D.C. and mother of Lieutenant (jg) E.J. Burrough, U.S.N.
     H. Birchard Taylor, vice president of the Cramp Company will act as master of ceremonies. Addresses will be given by P. Blair Lee, chairman, Philadelphia War Finance Committee; Mayor Samuel, and Rear Admiral Bryson Bruce, U.S.N., Supervisor of Shipbuilding and Naval Inspector of Ordnance at the yard.

Drive Opens in Schools
     The pupils of public and parochial schools began their war loan drive today, educational officials deciding to let them start early because the Fifth War Loan drive ends.
     No definite goal has been set, because it was felt the pupil's desire to beat their records for the previous campaign, in which their bond sales totaled $3,656,098, would be incentive enough. William J. Lowry, district superintendent, is chairman of the schools' bond campaign.



From the Philadelphia Evening Post 
Philadelphia, Pa.
Thursday, June 5, 1944

TWO SUBMARINES LAUNCHED HERE

Vessels Honoring Hero Detective Christened at Cramp's Yard

     The submarines Sabalo and Sablefish, each inscribed, "Tagged for Tokyo" and dedicated to the memory of George H. Muhs, the first city detective to pay the supreme sacrifice in this war, were launched yesterday at Cramp's shipyard.
     An audience of more than 7,000 persons, including State and city officials and a delegation of city police, saw the pair of sleek, deadly underseas raiders slide down the ways within 15 minutes of each other.
     Muhs, a veteran of the last war, enlisted in the Navy several months after Pearl Harbor, and was serving as a petty officer when he was killed in action in December, 1942, in the Southwest Pacific.
     His wife, Cora, and daughter, Cora, 19, of 2043 Fraley St., and parents, Mr. And Mrs. William Muhs, were honor guests at the launchings.

Police Sales Praised
     P. Blair Lee, War Loan drive chairman, declared at the exercises that the $16,500,000 worth of bonds sold by the city's police in the last drive, $2,500,000 in excess of its quota, was sufficient to pay for the submarines.



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