USS Quillback

History
United States
Builder	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down	27 June 1944
Launched	1 October 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. J. A. Tyree, Jr.
Commissioned	29 December 1944
Decommissioned	April 1952
Recommissioned	27 February 1953
Decommissioned	23 March 1973
Stricken	23 March 1973
Fate	Sold for scrap, 21 March 1974
General characteristics
Class and type	Tench-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,570 tons (1,595 t) surfaced; 2,414 tons (2,453 t) submerged;
Length	311 ft 8 in (95.00 m)
Beam	27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
Draft	17 ft (5.2 m) maximum
Propulsion	4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators ; 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries ; 2 × low-speed direct-drive Elliott electric motors ; two propellers ; 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced; 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged;
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced; 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged;
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged; 75 days on patrol;
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)
Complement	10 officers, 71 enlisted
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 6 forward, 4 aft); 28 torpedoes; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun ; Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;
General characteristics (Guppy II)
Displacement	1,870 tons (1,900 t) surfaced; 2,440 tons (2,480 t) submerged;
Length	307 ft (93.6 m)
Beam	27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)
Draft	17 ft (5.2 m)
Propulsion	Snorkel added; Batteries upgraded to GUPPY type, capacity expanded to 504 cells (1 × 184 cell, 1 × 68 cell, and 2 × 126 cell batteries);
Speed	Surfaced:; 18.0 knots (33.3 km/h) maximum; 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h) cruising; Submerged:; 16.0 knots (29.6 km/h) for ½ hour; 9.0 knots (16.7 km/h) snorkeling; 3.5 knots (6.5 km/h) cruising;
Range	15,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (20 km/h)
Endurance	48 hours at 4 knots (7 km/h) submerged
Complement	9–10 officers; 5 petty officers; 70 enlisted men;
Sensors and ; processing systems	WFA active sonar; JT passive sonar; Mk 106 torpedo fire control system;
Armament	10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes ; (six forward, four aft); all guns removed;

Last updated May 03, 2023

USS Quillback (SS-424), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for quillback, a fish of the sucker family, widespread in the freshwaters of North America and Northern Asia.

Construction

When her construction by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, was authorized, her name was to be Trembler, which would have made her the first ship named for the trembler, a torpedinoid fish of the West Indies and Brazil, but she was given a less embarrassing name on 7 December 1943.

Her keel was laid down on 27 June 1944. She was launched on 1 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs. J. A. Tyree, Jr., and commissioned on 29 December 1944.

Wartime Activities

After training at New London, Connecticut, and work on an experimental ordnance project at Key West, Florida, Quillback departed for Pearl Harbor and her maiden war patrol, off the coast of Kyūshū. During this patrol, from 30 May to 24 July 1945, she destroyed a Japanese suicide motorboat and rescued one aviator from the water only a half mile from the heavily armed shore. Surrender of the enemy found Quillback refitting for her second patrol at Guam.

Training Activities

Peacetime duties returned Quillback to New London for duty as a unit of Submarine Squadron 2. From 1945 to 1951, she operated with the Submarine School in a training capacity and as an experimental unit of the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory. In April 1951, Quillback departed New London for a six-month tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. In April 1952, she reported to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for decommissioning and conversion.

On 27 February 1953, Quillback was recommissioned and joined the Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet as a streamlined Greater Underwater Propulsive Power Program (GUPPY) Submarine. She reported to ComSubRon 4 at Key West. There in local operations, with occasional trips to Guantanamo Bay, she assisted the Fleet Training Group in Destroyer ASW indoctrination. In 1956, 1957, and 1958, Quillback took part in major fleet and NATO exercises in the North Atlantic.

Mediterranean Deployment

In 1959, Quillback was transferred to Submarine Squadron 12. In June 1959, the Quillback sailed the St. Lawrence River, traversed locks, and navigated all of the Great Lakes to reach Chicago in Operation Inland Seas to mark the official opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. During 1960, she underwent extensive overhaul at Charleston, South Carolina, to improve her offensive capabilities. She deployed to the Mediterranean in October 1961, returning to Key West in February 1962. Operating locally out of Key West from May to October, Quillback was deployed to Guantanamo Bay when the Cuban Quarantine was put into effect and remained there during the first ten days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. During 1963, Quillback operated out of Key West and rendered services to the Fleet Training Group at Guantanamo.

Quillback deployed to the Mediterranean for six months in July 1964. Experimental torpedo research and development projects were assigned to Quillback in 1965 until she deployed to Guantanamo Bay in June. She continued to operate out of Key West until deploying to the Mediterranean again from August to November 1967. She spent most of 1968 and 1969 in the Caribbean.

[1970-1973]

Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 March 1973, Quillback was sold on 21 March 1974.

Honors and awards

Quillback earned one battle star for World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS Argonaut (SS-475) was a Tench-class submarine operated by the United States Navy (USN). Constructed at Portsmouth Navy Yard during the second half of 1944, Argonaut was commissioned into the USN in 1945 and operated during the final year of World War II, although her only contact with the Japanese was when she sank a junk in August. During the 1950s, the submarine was modified for greater underwater endurance, and to guide the Regulus I missile. From 1963 to 1965, Argonaut operated in the Mediterranean Sea.

USS Amberjack (SS-522), a Tench-class submarine, was the second submarine of the United States Navy named for the amberjack, a vigorous sport fish found in the western Atlantic from New England to Brazil.

USS <i>Runner</i> (SS-476) Submarine of the United States

USS Runner (SS/AGSS-476), a Tench-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the runner, an amberfish inhabiting subtropical waters.

USS Cochino (SS-345) was a Balao-class submarine in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1949. She sank after a battery explosion off Norway, on 26 August 1949. Cochino was named for the cochino, a triggerfish found in the Atlantic.

USS Chopper (SS/AGSS/IXSS-342), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the chopper, a bluefish common in the rivers of the Mississippi Valley. Her keel was laid down by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 4 February 1945 sponsored by Mrs. G. S. Beebe, and commissioned on 25 May 1945.

USS Grenadier (SS-525), a Tench-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the grenadier, a soft-finned deep sea fish of the Macrouridae with a long, tapering body and short, pointed tail family, also known as rattails.

USS Picuda (SS-382), a Balao-class submarine, was originally named Obispo, making her the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the obispo, a spotted sting ray.

USS Remora (SS-487), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the remora, a fish with a suctorial disk on its head enabling it to cling to other fish and to ships.

USS Sirago (SS-485), a Tench-class submarine, was named for the sirago, a small, freshwater tropical fish.

USS Odax (SS-484), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for odax, a brilliantly colored, red and green fish belonging to the family Scaridae, the parrot fishes.

USS Sea Leopard (SS-483), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the leopard seal. Her keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard on 7 November 1944. She was launched on 2 March 1945 sponsored by Hon. Margaret Chase Smith, United States Congresswoman from Maine, and commissioned on 11 June 1945.

USS Irex (SS-482), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the irex, one of the oceanic fishes belonging to the family carangidae.

USS Trumpetfish (SS-425), a Balao-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for trumpetfish, any of several fishes so-called for their deep, compressed body and long, tubular snout. Her keel was laid down on 23 August 1943 at Philadelphia by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company. She was launched on 13 May 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Oswald S. Colclough, and commissioned on 29 January 1946.

USS Threadfin (SS-410), a Balao-class submarine, was the only vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the threadfin.

USS Manta (SS/ESS/AGSS-299), a Balao-class submarine, was the first submarine and second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the manta.

USS Sea Poacher (SS/AGSS-406), a Balao-class submarine, was a vessel of the United States Navy named for the sea poacher, a slender, mailed fish of the North Atlantic.

USS Sea Cat (SS/AGSS-399), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for a shortened form of sea catfish, a marine fish of little food value found off the southeastern coast of the United States commissioned on 16 May 1944, with Commander Rob Roy McGregor in command. During World War II Sea Cat operated within the Pacific theatre, conducting four war patrols in wolf packs accounting for up to 17400 tons in the form of three cargo ships and an enemy vessel. Sea Cat earned three battle stars for her World War II service.

USS Sea Owl (SS/AGSS-405), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the sea owl, a lumpfish of the North Atlantic Ocean.

USS Sennet (SS-408) was a Balao-class submarine, a ship of the United States Navy named for the sennet, a barracuda.

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

USS Piper (SS/AGSS-409), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named after the piper. Although built late in World War II, Piper completed three successful war patrols before the cessation of hostilities, operating as a life guard for plane strikes and as an advance picket for fast carrier task forces.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 280–282. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
1 2 3 4 5 Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–282. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.
↑ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261–263
1 2 3 U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
1 2 3 4 5 6 Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.

Coordinates: 32°13′N133°12′E / 32.217°N 133.200°E / 32.217; 133.200

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.

[FriedmanSubs1-dates-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.

[Register-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 280–282. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[Register_275–282-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–282. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.

[FriedmanSubs1-engines_261–263-4] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261–263

[FriedmanSubs1-specs_305–311-5] 1 2 3 U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

[FriedmanSubs1-specs-6] 1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311

[FriedmanSubs2-chap2-7] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.

[FriedmanSubs2-specs-8] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]