Medal of Honor: Orson L. Crandall - USS Squalus Rescue - May 1939
Deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, a sunken American submarine trapped sailors in darkness with time running out. Amid dangerous dives and crushing pressure, one Navy master diver helped lead the desperate effort to bring them home alive.
May 26, 2026
Name: Orson L. Crandall
Rank: Chief Boatswain’s Mate
Branch: U.S. Navy
Event: USS Squalus Rescue and Salvage Operations
Date of Action: May 1939
Location: Atlantic Ocean following the sinking of USS Squalus
Summary of Action
In May 1939, Chief Boatswain’s Mate Orson L. Crandall displayed extraordinary heroism during the rescue and salvage operations following the sinking of the USS Squalus.
The submarine sank during test dives off the New England coast after catastrophic flooding trapped crewmen deep beneath the sea.
The disaster launched one of the most dangerous submarine rescue operations in American naval history.
Serving as a master diver, Crandall played a critical role throughout the effort to locate, rescue, and recover the stricken submarine and its crew.
Operating in hazardous underwater conditions, he directed diving operations and personally conducted difficult dives under extreme danger.
The rescue missions involved deep-water descents, poor visibility, dangerous currents, and the ever-present threat of equipment failure or entrapment beneath the ocean surface.
Despite the deadly risks, Crandall repeatedly descended into the dangerous environment to aid the operation.
His leadership, technical skill, and unwavering devotion to duty helped make possible the successful rescue of surviving crewmen trapped aboard the submarine.
The USS Squalus disaster and rescue became one of the defining moments in the history of submarine rescue operations, and Crandall’s courage stood at the center of the effort.
Medal of Honor Citation
CRANDALL, ORSON L.
