Philatelic trivia: A periscope view of the USS Reuben James being struck by a torpedo appears on a 29c USA postage stamp issued September 3, 1941. That stamp was on of a set of 10 stamps issued at the same time commemorating the 50th anniversary of World War II. The USA also issued sets of 10 stamps commemorating the 50th anniversary of World War II in each of the next four years.

Erich Topp, the commander of the German U-Boat that sank the USS Reuben James also appears on a stamp, a 6pf + 4pf semi-postal stamp issued by Germany on March 11, 1944. It was one of a set of 13 stamps honoring the German armed forces. It is called a semi-postal because only 6pf of its total price was valid for paying postage. The other 4 pf was a surtax that was supposedly earmarked for charity, but which like found its way into the coffers of the Nazi party or its front groups. The stamp pictures Herr Topp peering through a periscope.