Highlights Archives
Legacy of the USS Lagarto Revealed
The fate of a Wisconsin-built submarine that sank in combat in the Gulf of Thailand near the end of World War II, with the loss of its 86-man crew, will be revealed in a free public presentation at the Wisconsin Historical Society by one of the divers who explored the shipwreck in 2007. Technical wreck diver and noted shipwreck explorer, Richie Kohler, will reveal the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of the Balao-class submarine in May 1945 through stunning underwater film and historic imagery. The sub was built in Manitowoc and commissioned in October 1944. Only seven months later, it went down with all hands on board. The sub's location remained a mystery for 60 years until its discovery under 225 feet of water in 2005.
Deep Sea Detectives
In March 2007 the Wisconsin Maritime Museum sponsored a dive expedition of the USS Lagarto by Richie Kohler and John Chatterton of The History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives program to solve the mystery of the ship's final voyage. You can join Kohler as he reveals his discoveries about the long-lost ship during his presentation of The Legacy of the USS Lagarto: She Went Down Fighting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, in the auditorium of the Society's headquarters building. Kohler is known worldwide not only for his work on Deep Sea Detectives, but also for his work with Chatterton to identify the German U-boat U869 that launched his career in documentary films and which was the subject of The New York Times Best Seller Shadow Divers.
This program is co-sponsored by the Charles E. Brown Education Fund of the Wisconsin Historical Foundation, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Global Challenges in Cultural Heritage Preservation Research Circle, with support from the International Institute, an initiative of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of International Studies.
:: Posted February 19, 2009
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