USS Cod safe after clipping moored Coast Guard cutter

The day before CLEVELAND — the USS Cod was towed from its berth at North Coast Harbor and transported to Erie, Pennsylvania, for repairs, the skipper of the inoperable World War II submarine placed a call to the U.S. Coast Guard.

He was concerned about “congestion” in the harbor, including the USCG Morro Bay cutter moored a short distance away.

Farace said he told a Coast Guard representative that Cod was “getting underway” on Sunday, and ‘you might want to have Morro Bay move out of the way so we have that much more room to maneuver.’ ”

No such luck, and sure enough, the submarine struck the cutter, causing superficial damage to both boats.

Lt. Paul Rhynard, spokesman for the Coast Guard’s 9th District Headquarters in Cleveland, said Monday that Farace’s call went to the Coast Guard’s rescue station in Cleveland, which doesn’t have jurisdiction over the cutters. His concern was passed along in an email to the commanding officer of the Morro Bay, but he did not see it until Monday, Rhynard said.

The incident did not prevent Cod from continuing to Erie, where it is to undergo 6-8 weeks of planned repairs at Donjon Shipbuilding, said Farace, president of the Cleveland Coordinating Committee for Cod.

The United States built 270 submarines like Cod, which is named for the fish. Its engines were built in Cleveland, and much of the steel in the hull is from Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh. It was commissioned on June 21, 1943.

The submarine covered more than 88,000 miles during her seven runs. She fired 122 torpedoes, with 39 hits and sank 12 ships. The sub’s conning tower, where the periscope is located, is painted with Japanese flags representing its kills — and a cocktail glass representing the rescue of the Dutch submarine O-19.

Cod came to Cleveland in 1959 and served as a Navy training vessel until 1971. One of about 15 remaining American World War II submarines, she has been a mainstay on Cleveland’s waterfront for years, offering tours and serving as a backdrop for patriotic celebrations.

The submarine’s planned maintenance includes replacing corroded steel on the bottom of the hull and applying a protective coating made by Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams. The committee is using a $395,000 grant from the National Park Service along with donations and fees collected over the years to perform the work, which will exceed $1 million.

Malcolm Marine Inc. of St. Clair, Michigan, operates the tug Manitou, which towed the submarine with an assist early on by the John Francis out of Toledo. Farace said the Manitou continued towing Cod after it struck the ship, but that the tug was stopped off Euclid Beach by the Coast Guard, which sent a launch to speak with the captain.

A call to the captain of the Manitou was not immediately returned.

Farace said he was top side on Cod, above water, as it was being pulled away from its berth, but that he and others were focused on the stern, worried that the rudder might be mired in silt.