USS Barbel (SS-580)

Last updated

USS Barbel;0858005.jpg
Launching of Barbel on 19 July 1958
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS Barbel
Ordered24 August 1955
Builder Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine [1]
Laid down18 May 1956 [1]
Launched19 July 1958 [1]
Commissioned17 January 1959 [1]
Decommissioned4 December 1989
Stricken17 January 1990 [1]
FateSunk as a target 30 January 2001
General characteristics
Class and type Barbel-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,744  tons (1,778  t) light [1]
  • 2,146 tons (2,180 t) full
  • 2,637 tons (2,679 t) submerged [1]
  • 402 tons (408 t) dead
Length219 ft 6 in (66.90 m) overall [1]
Beam29 ft (8.8 m) [1]
Draft25 ft (7.6 m) max [1]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 12  knots (22 km/h) surfaced
  • 25 knots (46 km/h) submerged [1]
Endurance
  • 30 minutes at full speed
  • 102 hours at 3 knots
Test depth
  • 712 ft (217 m) operating
  • 1,050 ft (320 m) collapse
Complement10 officers, 69 men
Armament6 × 21 inch (533 mm) [1] bow torpedo tubes, 18 torpedoes

USS Barbel (SS-580) was the lead ship of her class of submarines in the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the barbel, a cyprinoid fish, commonly called a minnow or carp.

Contents

The contract to build Barbel was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on 24 August 1955 and her keel was laid down on 18 May 1956. She was launched on 19 July 1958 sponsored by Mrs. Bernard L. Austin, and commissioned on 17 January 1959, with Lieutenant Commander Ord Kimzey, Jr., in command.

1950s and 1960s

Barbel-class submarines were originally designed and built with bow planes. On 30 November 1960, the Barbel had been operating off the coast of the Eastern U.S. while participating in training exercise SLAMEX. Following her first dive of the day to test depth (700 feet), she ruptured a 5" line used for cooling equipment which circulated sea water throughout the boat at sea pressure. An emergency blow was performed and on reaching the surface it was found that she had taken on 350 long tons (360 t) of water in the engine room. She entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and underwent major repairs of all her piping over 2". At that time, her bow planes were also converted to fairwater planes.[ citation needed ]

In 1966 Barbel accidentally rammed and sank North Vietnam's largest freighter while trying to determine what type of war-related cargo it was carrying. Although damaged, Barbel was able to remain submerged and return to port for repairs.[ citation needed ]

During the 1950s and 1960s, the early classes of nuclear submarines suffered propulsion plant reliability problems, and occasionally were unable to complete their assigned missions. In 1969, while deployed in WESPAC, Barbel was assigned to fill in on a "special mission" for such a nuclear submarine. It was noted by the control room watch standers at that time that there should be some sort of recognition badge, similar to the recently authorized "Polaris Patrol Pin", for diesel boats required to fill in for a broken down nuclear submarine. A contest was held to design the badge. ETR3(SS) Leon Figurido's winning design was a broadside view of a guppy submarine with SS superimposed on the North Atlantic sail. There were two bare-breasted mermaids facing towards the sail with arms outstretched. Completing the design was a wreath under the boat, with holes for stars, and centered on the wreath were the letters "DBF" standing for "Diesel Boats Forever". And so was born the DBF pin.[ citation needed ]

1970s and 1980s

In 1973 Barbel's weapons division set a SUBPAC record for successfully shooting 118 torpedoes that year. This included successful salvo firing two Mark 16-8 exercise torpedoes, and a successful MK 16-8 warshot operational test. In addition the boat performed a zero error Mark 45 torpedo Technical Standardization Inspection conducted by DoD, a Navy Technical Proficiency Inspection, and the torpedomen identified the source of the MK 45 torpedo "flex hose eater problem." For this record, Barbel was awarded the 1973 Battle Efficiency "E". Barbel's record for firing torpedoes was around 1978. She also succeeded in a simulated "sinking" of the aircraft carrier Enterprise during Exercise RIMPAC during that same period.

From 19 January 1981 to 22 January, Barbel and fellow submarine Grayback participated in ASWEX 81-3U off the coast of the Philippines, an exercise in shallow water ASW. The submarines opposed the transit of the oiler USNS Navasota, which was escorted by the destroyers John Young (CTF 75 embarked) and Elliot, and frigates Gray, Whipple, Lang, Ramsey and through the narrow straits.

From 1988 until her decommissioning in 1989, Barbel was commanded by Commander William F. Bundy who was the first African-American Navy enlisted man to rise to become a submarine commander. After retiring from the Navy, Bundy served as Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and later as a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. [2]

On 1 May 1989, while operating off Kyūshū, Japan, three submariners were washed overboard by heavy waves. One sailor was rescued; two drowned. Due to extensive damage from flooding during the incident, the decision was made to decommission Barbel. Supposedly, the May '89 event was caused soon after having surfaced due to improperly ensuring the vessel had a proper positive buoyancy, and when a large wave went over the bow, the boat was driven below periscope depth before ships force was able to recover depth control and resurface.[ citation needed ]

Fate

Barbel was decommissioned on 4 December 1989, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 January 1990. The Navy sold Barbel to a scrapper who began the process of scrapping her. After the sail, superstructure and induction piping were removed, the scrapper discovered the boat's interior was filled with painted-over asbestos insulation. Scrapping ceased at that time while the scrapper decided what to do with Barbel. Barbel had her sail and superstructure reconstructed out of plywood for a brief role in the movie Crimson Tide (1995). [3] She is seen as the submarine when it is tied up and they are making preparations for departure on patrol. After eight years Barbel returned to Navy ownership. She was towed from the berth in San Pedro, Los Angeles and on 30 January 2001 she was sunk as a target off the California coast in 1,972 fathoms (3,606 m) [4]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Dolphin</i> (SS-169) "V-boat" class submarine

USS Dolphin (SF-10/SC-3/SS-169), a submarine and one of the "V-boats", was the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for that aquatic mammal. She also bore the name V-7 and the classifications SF-10 and SC-3 prior to her commissioning. She was launched on 6 March 1932 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. E.D. Toland, and commissioned on 1 June 1932.

USS <i>Bonefish</i> (SS-223) Submarine of the United States

USS Bonefish (SS-223) was a Gato-class submarine, the first United States Navy ship to be named for the bonefish.

USS <i>Argonaut</i> (SM-1) Submarine of the United States

USS Argonaut (V-4/SF-7/SM-1/A-1/APS-1/SS-166) was a submarine of the United States Navy, the first boat to carry the name. Argonaut was laid down as V-4 on 1 May 1925 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. She was launched on 10 November 1927, sponsored by Mrs. Philip Mason Sears, the daughter of Rear Admiral William D. MacDougall, and commissioned on 2 April 1928. Although never officially designated as "SS-166", at some point she displayed this number on her conning tower.

USS <i>Greenling</i> (SSN-614) Submarine of the United States

USS Greenling (SSN-614) was a Permit-class submarine. She was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the greenling, an elongated, fine-scaled fish found from Kamchatka to California. Her keel was laid down on 15 August 1961 by General Dynamics Electric Boat of Groton, Connecticut.

USS <i>Nautilus</i> (SS-168) Submarine of the United States

USS Nautilus (SF-9/SS-168), a Narwhal-class submarine and one of the "V-boats", was the third ship of the United States Navy to bear the name.

USS <i>G-1</i> G-class submarine of the United States

USS G-1 (SS-19½) was the lead ship of her class of submarine of the United States Navy. While the four G-boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four unique boats, each in a class by herself.

<i>Balao</i>-class submarine US Navy submarine class of World War II

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.

<i>Skipjack</i>-class submarine Early cold-war US nuclear attack submarine

The Skipjack class was a class of United States Navy nuclear submarines (SSNs) that entered service from 1959 to 1961. This class was named after its lead boat, USS Skipjack. The new class introduced the teardrop hull and the S5W reactor to U.S. nuclear submarines. The Skipjacks were the fastest U.S. nuclear submarines until the Los Angeles-class submarines, the first of which entered service in 1974.

USS <i>Cavalla</i> (SS-244) US Navy Gato-class submarine in service 1943-1946, 1951-1952, 1953-1968

USS Cavalla (SS/SSK/AGSS-244), a Gato-class submarine, is a submarine of the United States Navy named for a salt water fish, best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku.

<i>Barbel</i>-class submarine Last class of diesel-electric submarine operated by US Navy

The Barbel-class submarines, the last diesel-electric propelled attack submarines built by the United States Navy, incorporated numerous, radical engineering improvements over previous classes. They were the first production warships built with the teardrop-shape hull first tested on the experimental USS Albacore, and the first to combine the control room, attack center, and conning tower in the same space in the hull. They were of double hull design with 1.5-inch thick HY80 steel. This class of submarine became part of the United States Navy's fleet in 1959 and was taken out of service 1988–1990, leaving the Navy with an entirely nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

USS <i>Bergall</i> (SS-320) Balao-class submarine in service 1944-1958

USS Bergall (SS-320), a Balao-class submarine in commission from 1944 to 1958, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bergall, a small fish of the New England coast. During World War II she made five war patrols between 8 September 1944 and 17 June 1945, operating in the South China Sea, Java Sea, and Lombok Strait and north of the Malay Barrier. During these patrols she sank two Japanese merchant ships totaling 14,710 gross register tons and one 740-displacement ton Imperial Japanese Navy frigate. She also damaged the Japanese heavy cruiser Myōkō, which was never repaired.

USS <i>Kingfish</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Kingfish (SS-234), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the kingfish.

USS <i>Gabilan</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Gabilan (SS-252), a Gato-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the gabilan, an eagle ray of the Gulf of California.

USS <i>Peto</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Peto (SS-265), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the peto, a sharp-nosed tropical fish of the mackerel family.

USS <i>Ray</i> (SS-271) Submarine of the United States

USS Ray (SS/SSR-271), a Gato-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the ray, a fish characterized by a flat body, large pectoral fins, and a whiplike tail.

USS <i>Besugo</i> Submarine of the United States

USS Besugo, a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy in commission from 1944 to 1958. She was named for the besugo.

USS <i>Parche</i> (SS-384) Submarine of the United States

The first USS Parche (SS-384/AGSS-384) was a United States Navy submarine. She bore the name of a butterfly fish, Chaetodon capistratus. Parche was a Balao-class submarine that operated in World War II.

USS <i>William T. Powell</i> Buckley-class destroyer escort

USS William T. Powell (DE/DER-213), a Buckley-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy, was named in honor of Gunner's Mate William T. Powell (1918-1942), who was killed in action, aboard the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco off Guadalcanal on 12 November 1942.

USS <i>Baker</i> (DE-190) Cannon-class destroyer escort

USS Baker (DE-190) was a Cannon-class destroyer escort built for the United States Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided escort service against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. She returned home at war's end with a one battle star for her assistance in sinking a German submarine.

The G-class submarines were a class of four United States Navy submarines. While the four G boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four unique boats, each in a class by herself. They were the result of agitation for competition in submarine design; all previous US submarines were designed by Electric Boat. G-1, G-2, and G-3 were designed by Simon Lake of the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, while G-4 was designed by American Laurenti. G-1 and G-2 were built by Newport News, G-3 by Lake, and G-4 by Cramp.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991), Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, ISBN   0-313-26202-0
  2. ↑ "William F. Bundy, Baltimore-born Navy submarine commander, dies in Rhode Island". 18 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Crimson Tide (1995) Trivia". IMDb. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Barbel II (SS-580)". Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.