The first successful undersea rescue operation to retrieve a sunken submarine crew took place in this year.
1865
1919
1939
1944
1949
1939. The first successful undersea rescue operation to retrieve a sunken submarine crew took place in 1939. In 1939 the submarine USS Squalus suffered a mechanical malfunction and sank in 243 feet of water in the Atlantic Ocean, in effect dooming all on board. In an unprecedented rescue operation, all 33 surviving crewmen were retrieved using an underwater diving bell designed by diving expert Lieutenant Commander Charles “Swede” Momsen.