"Seadragon"s hull was already scorched from flames that swept the wharf. Just as "Pigeon" pulled the submarine backward to the channel, a big fuel tank exploded and spewed a horizontal wave of fire that blistered the hulls of both ships. Once "Seadragon" reached the channel, her skillful crew worked her out into the Bay. Her leaks were plugged and her pressure hull was patched by submarine tender when she departed for Soerabaja, Java on 16 December. "Pigeon" received the first Presidential Unit Citation awarded a ship of the United States Navy for her heroism in saving "Seadragon".