High End Replica Items: Only One Lot of 2 Available. These are very well constructed and hand painted replica canvas / cotton wall hangers/flags “attributed” to the US Navy Balao-Class Submarines, USS Besugo (SS/AGSS-321) and USS Hackleback (SS-295).

USS Hackleback Flag: The flag features a duck in a navy uniform riding a sturgeon that is holding onto a torpedo. This image is very similar to the ones produced by the Disney Animation Studio. All black background with small Japanese flags used as tallies for sunk vessels.

USS Besugo Flag: The flag features what appears to be either a dog or sea lion (both types have been seen being used) wearing a navy cap on a blue disc. All black background with small Japanese flags used as tallies for sunk vessels.

These are not Disney animation studio images, but they were heavily influenced by them.

By the time America entered WWII, Disney animations had proven themselves as true feature-length films with box-office toppers like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Dumbo. Disney’s animated shorts had already gained immense popularity to the point where Mickey Mouse was depicted on the patch of a Naval Reserve Squadron.

Although unsanctioned by Disney, the pre-war patch started a trend that exploded across the military during WWII. In fact, Disney had to dedicate five artists to the full-time task of filling requests for military insignias.

The Navy in particular had a fondness for incorporating Disney characters into its insignias.

These are incredible, museum quality replicas that would display wonderfully in any WWII US Navy collections. Comes more than ready for display!

The tradition of submarine battle flags began during WWII when subs returning from
patrol would fly flags representing ships sunk, total tonnage, or a broom indicating a “clean sweep” (meaning that every target engaged was destroyed). Toward the end of the war the crews started making flags specific to their boat with a logo and sewn patches indicating ships sunk, the number of patrols, pilots rescued, citations received, etc.

Battle flags in World War II kept an unofficial record of the number of ships a submarine sank. Warships were represented by the rising sun version of the Japanese flag, while the merchant vessels were represented by the "meatball" flags. The submarine's logo was also featured on the flag. The difficulties in assessing actual damage from attacks on the enemy led many submarines to overestimate their successes. After the war, an Allied naval review board discovered inaccuracies as great as thirty percent during an examination of Japanese losses credited to American submarines.

USS Hackleback (SS-295)
USS Hackleback (SS-295), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named after the hackleback, a freshwater fish of the sturgeon family.

Hackleback was launched 30 May 1943 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia; sponsored by Mrs. W. L. Wright; and commissioned 7 November 1944.

After training out of New London, Hackleback reported to the Fleet Sonar School at Key West 24 December. Two weeks training there were followed by further training at Balboa, Canal Zone, and Hackleback sailed for Pearl Harbor 25 January 1945. The new submarine participated in still more training exercises at Pearl Harbor before departing for her first war patrol 6 March.

Japanese merchant shipping had been decimated by the Pacific submarine fleet, and Hackleback was to encounter no suitable targets in any of her patrols. But on this first patrol, she played a key role in the sinking of the last of Japan's super-battleships, the Yamato.

Patrolling the Bungo Suido area late in the night of 6 April, Hackleback made radar contact on a fast group of ships at about 25,000 yards (23,000 m). She sent a steady stream of location reports back to Pearl Harbor, at the same time attempting to close with the task group. Hackleback three times came within 13,000 yards (12,000 m) of the Yamato force, but destroyers forced her out of range before she could get in position to fire torpedoes.

Yamato was not to escape, however. The following morning, 7 April, planes from Admiral Mitscher's famous TF 58, guided by Hackleback's contact location reports, struck the Yamato group. In four successive waves, the carrier planes accounted for the destruction of Yamato, the light cruiser Yahagi, and two destroyers, leaving only six destroyers of the Japanese task force to escape.

During the rest of her first patrol, Hackleback made two gun attacks on small ships, but discontinued the engagements when it appeared they were trying to lure her in close to shore. Returning to Midway 26 April, she prepared for a second patrol and on 21 May sailed.

This time Hackleback's primary mission was lifeguard duty off Sakishima Gunto as the carriers pounded the Japanese home islands. On 22 June she picked up a downed carrier pilot, Lt. Comdr. C. P. Smith. Hackleback also engaged in some shore bombardment. After an air strike on Shokoto Sho 7 July, the submarine closed the island and fired 73 rounds of 5-inch (130 mm) shells. No surface contacts were made on this patrol. Hackleback returned to Guam 12 July.

Sailing for her third war patrol 14 August, the submarine received an unofficial flash "Tokyo accepts" that same day, and on 16 August headed for Midway. The long Pacific war had ended. Hackleback spent 2 weeks at Midway and then sailed for home, reaching San Francisco 11 September.

Hackleback decommissioned there 20 March 1946 and was placed in reserve at Mare Island. Hackleback's classification was changed to AGSS-295 on 6 November 1962. Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 March 1967 and was sold for scrapping, 4 December 1968 to Zidell Explorations, Portland, Ore.

USS Besugo
USS Besugo (SS/AGSS-321), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the besugo.

Besugo (SS-321) was launched 27 February 1944 by Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut; sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Perry Homer (employee in the Outside Machinist's Department of Electric Boat Company), wife of Peter J. Homer (also an employee of the company); and commissioned 19 June 1944.

Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, Besugo arrived at Pearl Harbor 25 July 1944. She made five war patrols between 26 September 1944 and 25 July 1945 operating in Bungo Suido, Makassar Strait, Java Sea, and South China Sea. During these patrols, Besugo sank the German submarine U-183, 23 April 1945 in 04°57′S 112°52′E.; one 10,020-ton tanker Nichei Maru; one LST (Landing Ship, Tank), one frigate, and a minesweeper totaling 2260 tons.

Besugo departed Fremantle 29 August and arrived at San Diego 26 September 1945. After an overhaul she returned to the Central Pacific, operating out of Guam until transferred to Pearl Harbor 6 May 1946. She remained based at Pearl Harbor for the next eight years during which time she made two Far Eastern tours (10 June – 21 September 1947 and 31 October 1950 – 11 April 1951). In August 1954 Besugo shifted her base of operations to San Diego and the west coast.

Besugo was decommissioned, 21 March 1958 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified as an Auxiliary Research Submarine, AGSS-321, in 1962, and recommissioned, 15 June 1965. She was converted to a Fleet Snorkel Submarine in 1966.

Besugo was decommissioned and loaned to Italy, 31 March 1966, and re-commissioned as Francesco Morosini. She was returned to US Navy custody and struck from the Naval Register, 15 November 1975. She was sold for scrapping, 16 April 1976.

Besugo received four battle stars for her World War II service and one for the Korean War.