Invitation to the launching of the U.S.S. Pogy

Creator

Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. (Manitowoc, Wis.)

Date

• June 1942

Summary

• This unused formal invitation to witness the launching of the U.S.S. Pogy at Manitowoc, Wisconsin on Tuesday, June 23, 1942 at 12:00 noon was issued by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. The invitation is printed on the front of a 5 1/8” x 7¼” folded card which features an embossed border. The inside and back are blank, as is the envelope which holds the invitation. Inside the invitation is a separate small card approximately 4”x 2” which was to be presented for entrance to the shipyard. The Pogy was the second of twenty-eight submarines built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid September 15, 1941. She was launched June 23, 1942, and commissioned January 10, 1943. As noted at the bottom of the invitation, the sponsor who smashed a bottle of champagne to christen her was Mrs. Julius A. Furer. Submarine launchings were major events in Manitowoc. Officials and dignitaries received formal invitations to enter the secure shipyard facility for these occasions, but thousands of other area residents also observed from vantage points along the Manitowoc River.