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The Gato class of submarines were built for the United States Navy and launched in 1941–1943. Named after the lead ship of the class, USS Gato, they were the first mass-production U.S. submarine class of World War II.
USS Golet (SS-361), a Gato-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the golet, a California trout.
The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) was initiated by the United States Navy after World War II to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of its submarines. (The "Y" in the acronym was added for pronounceability.)
The Balao class was a design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 120 boats completed, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences. The most significant improvement was the use of thicker, higher yield strength steel in the pressure hull skins and frames, which increased their test depth to 400 feet (120 m). Tang actually achieved a depth of 612 ft (187 m) during a test dive, and exceeded that test depth when taking on water in the forward torpedo room while evading a destroyer.
Tench-class submarines were a type of submarine built for the United States Navy (USN) between 1944 and 1951. They were an improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout. One of the ballast tanks was converted to carry fuel, increasing range from 11,000 nautical miles to 16,000 nautical miles. This improvement was also made on some boats of the previous two classes. Further improvements were made beginning with SS-435, which are sometimes referred to as the Corsair class. Initial plans called for 80 to be built, but 51 were cancelled in 1944 and 1945 when it became apparent that they would not be needed to defeat Japan. The remaining 29 were commissioned between October 1944 (Tench) and February 1951 (Grenadier). The last submarine of the Tench class, as well as the last submarine which served during World War II, remaining in service with the U.S. Navy was USS Tigrone (AGSS-419) which was decommissioned on 27 June 1975.
USS Clamagore (SS-343) was a Balao-class submarine, which operated as a museum ship at the Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum outside Charleston, South Carolina from 1979 to 2022. Built in 1945 for the United States Navy, she was still in training when World War II ended. She was named for the clamagore. A National Historic Landmark, she was the last surviving example of a GUPPY III type submarine. On 15 October 2022, the USS Clamagore, stripped of sail and superstructure was removed from Patriots Point and towed to Norfolk VA to begin final recycling.
USS Croaker (SS/SSK/AGSS/IXSS-246), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the croaker, any of various fishes which make throbbing or drumming noises.
USS Guavina (SS/SSO/AGSS/AOSS-362), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the guavina, a fish which may reach a length of 2 feet (0.6 m) indigenous to the West Indies and the Atlantic coasts of Central America and Mexico.
USS Diodon (SS-349), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Diodon, a genus of the porcupine fishes.
USS Cubera (SS-347), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cubera, a large fish of the snapper family found in the West Indies.
USS Cobbler (SS-344), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cobbler, the killifish of New South Wales.
USS Guitarro (SS-363), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the guitarro.
USS Hammerhead (SS-364), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the hammerhead shark, a shark found in warm seas with a flattened anterior forward of the gill slits, presenting a hammer-like silhouette when viewed from above.
USS Tiru (SS-416), a Balao-class submarine, was a vessel of the United States Navy named for the tiru, a member of the lizardfish family.
The Mackerel-class submarines were a pair of experimental prototype submarines built just prior to World War II and launched in 1940 and 1941. The two submarines were similar in size and capability to the S-class submarines built at the end of World War I, and had been ordered to test the feasibility of using mass production techniques to build small submarines. Until at least 1940 it was thought that mass production of fleet submarines would be impractical, and in any case small submarines could provide area defense for submarine bases. Once it became apparent that there would be sufficient production of the more capable Gato-class submarines, interest in the design waned and no additional small submarines were ordered. Submarine production standardized during the war on the Gato class and its successors, the Balao and Tench-class submarines. In some references, the Mackerels are called the "M class".
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was a major shipbuilder for the Great Lakes. It was founded in 1902, with the purchase of the "Burger & Burger Shipyard," a predecessor to The Burger Boat Company, and made mainly steel ferries and ore haulers. During World War II, it built submarines, tank landing craft (LCTs), and self-propelled fuel barges called "YOs". Employment peaked during the military years at 7000. The shipyard closed in 1968, when Manitowoc Company bought Bay Shipbuilding Company and moved their shipbuilding operation to Sturgeon Bay.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Bauer and Roberts, pp. 271-273
- ↑ Blair, pp. 989-990
- ↑ ″United States Submarine Losses World War II″, Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington: 1963 (Fifth Printing)
- ↑ Fleet Submarine index page at Navsource.org
- ↑ Friedman 1995, p. 209
- ↑ "Snorkel added" was similar to fleet snorkel, but only the after part of the sail was streamlined.
- ↑ These were in commission but classed as "in commission, in reserve", thus some were decommissioned and recommissioned on the same day to reflect the change in status
- ↑ Friedman 1995, p. 285
- ↑ "Guavina (SS-362)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Friedman 1995, p. 294
- ↑ "Growler III (SS-215)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ "Grunion". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ Stevens, Peter F., Fatal Dive: Solving the World War II Mystery of the USS Grunion, Regnery History, 2012
- ↑ "Albacore II (SS-218)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ "Amberjack I (SS-219)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ USS Cod memorial website
- ↑ USS Drum memorial website
- ↑ "Halibut I (SS-232)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Friedman 1995, p. 295
- ↑ USS Silversides Submarine Museum website
- ↑ "Bashaw (SS-241)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ USS Bashaw (SS-241) at Navsource.org, retrieved 7 Dec 2017
- ↑ USS Bluegill (SS-242) at Navsource.org, retrieved 7 Dec 2017
- ↑ USS Cavalla memorial website
- ↑ USS Cobia memorial website
- ↑ Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park website
- ↑ "Dorado (SS-248)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Friedman 1995, p. 296
- ↑ USS Jack (SS-259) at Navsource.org
- ↑ USS Lapon (SS-260) at Navsource.org
- ↑ USS Mingo (SS-261) at Navsource.org
- ↑ USS Paddle (SS-263) at Navsource.org
- ↑ "Raton (SS-270)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ "Rock (SS-274)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- ↑ "Runner I (SS-275)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friedman 1995, p. 297
- 1 2 3 4 Friedman 1995, p. 300
- ↑ USS Guavina (SS-362) at Navsource.org
- ↑ USS Guitarro (SS-363) at Navsource.org
- ↑ USS Hammerhead (SS-364) at Navsource.org
- Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
- Blair, Clay Jr. (2001). Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-217-X.
- Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
- Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
