USS Sablefish (SS/AGSS-303), a Balao-classsubmarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the sablefish, a large, dark fish found along North America's Pacific coast from California to Alaska.
Sablefish′s duty in 1946 established a pattern for her operations during much of her subsequent career. Highlights of her service for the next few years included testing a new type of submarine escape buoy in January 1948 and again in September 1948; participating in ceremonies at Havana, Cuba, on 14 February 1948, the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the battleshipMaine; conversion to a Fleet Snorkel submarine during the first half of 1951; and a starring role in one of Edward R. Murrow's See It Now television shows.[7]
On 15 July 1952, Sablefish broadened her experience by departing New London and proceeding to the Mediterranean Sea for her first deployment with the United States Sixth Fleet. After exercises with other U.S. warships and vessels of the navies of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies during the rest of the summer, Sablefish returned to New London in October 1952. Thereafter, she made six more deployments to the Mediterranean.
When operating on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, Sablefish was busy with exercises which took her as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada, and south to the Caribbean.
In June 1959, Sablefish was one of the U.S. Navy's representatives at the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in Canada, and she operated in the Great Lakes until mid-August 1959. A second cruise up the St. Lawrence River returned her to the Great Lakes in 1961.
In May 1967, Sablefish again headed east across the Atlantic, but this time, instead of transiting the Straits of Gibraltar for service with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean, she visited ports in the British Isles and along the Atlantic coast of Europe in France, West Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. On her homeward voyage, she also stopped at Iceland.
Sablefish began her last Mediterranean deployment in the fall of 1968 and returned to New London on 1 February 1969. On 30 June 1969, while operating from New London, she was reclassified as an "auxiliary submarine" and accordingly redesignated AGSS-303.
Decommissioning and disposaledit
Sablefish was decommissioned at New London on 1 November 1969 and struck from the Navy list the same day. She was subsequently stripped, then sold for scrap on 29 July 1971.
^ abcdefgBauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN0-313-26202-0.
Photo gallery of Sablefish at NavSource Naval History
March 08, 2024
sablefish, ships, with, similar, name, sable, agss, balao, class, submarine, ship, united, states, navy, named, sablefish, large, dark, fish, found, along, north, america, pacific, coast, from, california, alaska, historyunited, statesnamesablefishnamesakesabl. For ships with a similar name see USS Sable USS Sablefish SS AGSS 303 a Balao class submarine was a ship of the United States Navy named for the sablefish a large dark fish found along North America s Pacific coast from California to Alaska USS SablefishHistoryUnited StatesNameSablefishNamesakeSablefishBuilderCramp Shipbuilding Co Philadelphia 1 Yard number558Laid down5 June 1943 1 Launched4 June 1944 1 Sponsored byMrs Carol S BurroughCommissioned18 December 1945 1 Decommissioned1 November 1969 1 Stricken1 November 1969 1 FateSold for scrap 29 July 1971 2 General characteristicsClass and typeBalao class diesel electric submarine 2 Displacement1 526 tons 1 550 t surfaced 2 2 424 tons 2 463 t submerged 2 Length311 ft 8 in 95 00 m 2 Beam27 ft 3 in 8 31 m 2 Draft16 ft 10 in 5 13 m maximum 2 Propulsion4 Fairbanks Morse Model 38D8 1 8 9 cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators 4 5 2 126 cell Sargo batteries 6 4 high speed Elliott electric motors with reduction gears 4 2 propellers 4 5 400 shp 4 0 MW surfaced 4 2 740 shp 2 04 MW submerged 4 Speed20 25 knots 38 km h surfaced 3 8 75 knots 16 km h submerged 3 Range11 000 nautical miles 20 000 km surfaced at 10 knots 19 km h 3 Endurance48 hours at 2 knots 3 7 km h submerged 3 75 days on patrolTest depth400 ft 120 m 3 Complement10 officers 70 71 enlisted 3 Armament10 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes 6 forward 4 aft 24 torpedoes 6 1 5 inch 127 mm 25 caliber deck gun 6 Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon Contents 1 Construction and commissioning 2 Service history 3 Decommissioning and disposal 4 Awards 5 References 6 External linksConstruction and commissioning editSablefish was laid down on 5 June 1943 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company at their site in Philadelphia Pennsylvania She was launched on 4 June 1944 sponsored by Mrs Carol S Burrough wife of Captain Edmund W Burrough the former commanding officer of the light cruiser USS Cleveland CL 55 Sablefish was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Philadelphia on 18 December 1945 Service history editFollowing a shakedown cruise from Naval Submarine Base New London in New London Connecticut to Balboa Panama Canal Zone Sablefish conducted type training in the Panama area until mid May 1946 She then returned to her home port New London and spent the remainder of 1946 supporting antisubmarine warfare exercises off the United States East Coast participating in fleet exercises off Bermuda and making a three week cruise off Greenland Sablefish s duty in 1946 established a pattern for her operations during much of her subsequent career Highlights of her service for the next few years included testing a new type of submarine escape buoy in January 1948 and again in September 1948 participating in ceremonies at Havana Cuba on 14 February 1948 the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the battleship Maine conversion to a Fleet Snorkel submarine during the first half of 1951 and a starring role in one of Edward R Murrow s See It Now television shows 7 On 15 July 1952 Sablefish broadened her experience by departing New London and proceeding to the Mediterranean Sea for her first deployment with the United States Sixth Fleet After exercises with other U S warships and vessels of the navies of North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO allies during the rest of the summer Sablefish returned to New London in October 1952 Thereafter she made six more deployments to the Mediterranean When operating on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean Sablefish was busy with exercises which took her as far north as Nova Scotia Canada and south to the Caribbean In June 1959 Sablefish was one of the U S Navy s representatives at the opening of the St Lawrence Seaway in Canada and she operated in the Great Lakes until mid August 1959 A second cruise up the St Lawrence River returned her to the Great Lakes in 1961 In May 1967 Sablefish again headed east across the Atlantic but this time instead of transiting the Straits of Gibraltar for service with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean she visited ports in the British Isles and along the Atlantic coast of Europe in France West Germany Denmark and Sweden On her homeward voyage she also stopped at Iceland Sablefish began her last Mediterranean deployment in the fall of 1968 and returned to New London on 1 February 1969 On 30 June 1969 while operating from New London she was reclassified as an auxiliary submarine and accordingly redesignated AGSS 303 Decommissioning and disposal editSablefish was decommissioned at New London on 1 November 1969 and struck from the Navy list the same day She was subsequently stripped then sold for scrap on 29 July 1971 Awards editAmerican Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal with starReferences edit a b c d e f 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 a b c d e f g Bauer K Jack Roberts Stephen S 1991 Register of Ships of the U S Navy 1775 1990 Major Combatants Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 275 280 ISBN 0 313 26202 0 a b c d e f U S Submarines Through 1945 pp 305 311 a b c d e Bauer K Jack Roberts Stephen S 1991 Register of Ships of the U S Navy 1775 1990 Major Combatants Westport Connecticut Greenwood Press pp 271 280 ISBN 978 0 313 26202 9 U S Submarines Through 1945 pp 261 263 a b c U S Submarines Through 1945 pp 305 311 These Roving TV Men Popular Mechanics July 1952 pp 65 69 247 see p 67 This article incorporates text from the public domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships The entries can be found here and here External links editPhoto gallery of Sablefish at NavSource Naval History Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title USS Sablefish amp oldid 1152688099, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
