Guard tower at Manitowoc shipyards

Date

• November 9, 1944

Summary

• Port bow view of the Mapiro (SS-376) buoyant in the Manitowoc River just after launching at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin at 12:15 p.m. on November 9, 1944. Members of the christening party are still on the launching platform, which is draped with a canvas tarp to keep out rain and drizzle on this foggy day. Several shipyard workers are starting to gather on the submarine’s deck, while others mingle with the crowd in the foreground. The Mapiro was one of twenty-eight submarines built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Security measures imposed at the Manitowoc shipyards for the submarine building program included several guard towers with search lights, such as the one on the left in this picture. The yards were also fenced off, and company guards patrolled the grounds twenty-four hours a day.