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76-698: USS Lancetfish (SS-296) , a Balao -class submarine , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the lancetfish ( Alepisaurus ferox ), a large voracious, deep sea fish having long lancetlike teeth and a high long dorsal fin. Her keel was laid down on 30 September 1942 by Cramp Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia . She was launched on 15 August 1943 sponsored by Miss Beatrice P. Barker, towed to Boston Navy Yard 19 May 1944 for completion, and commissioned 12 February 1945. While tied up alongside Pier 8, Lancetfish flooded through an aft torpedo tube and sank 15 March 1945. She

152-520: A "wet" mount with corrosion resistant materials, and with power-operated loading and aiming features removed. This conversion started in late 1943, and some boats had two of these weapons beginning in late 1944. Spadefish , commissioned in March 1944, was the first newly built submarine with the purpose-built 5-inch/25 submarine mount. Additional anti-aircraft guns included single 40 mm Bofors and twin 20 mm Oerlikon mounts, usually one of each. Like

228-585: A New Generation of Vehicles was a cooperative research program between the U.S. government and "The Big Three" automobile manufacturers ( DaimlerChrysler , Ford and General Motors ) that developed diesel hybrid cars. Diesel–electric propulsion has been tried on some military vehicles , such as tanks . The German armored vehicles VK 45.01 (P) , Elefant , and Panzer VIII Maus of the Second World War were petrol-electric or diesel-electric propelled. The prototype TOG1 and TOG2 super heavy tanks of

304-405: A cargo carrier. Experimentation ended in early 1950, and she was decommissioned into the reserve on 30 June 1950. In 1955, she was converted to a Regulus missile submarine and redesignated as an SSG. As of 2007 Tusk , a Balao -class submarine, was one of the last two operational submarines in the world built during World War II. The boat was transferred to Taiwan 's Republic of China Navy in

380-437: A combination: Queen Mary 2 has a set of diesel engines in the bottom of the ship plus two gas turbines mounted near the main funnel; all are used for generating electrical power, including those used to drive the propellers . This provides a relatively simple way to use the high-speed, low-torque output of a turbine to drive a low-speed propeller, without the need for excessive reduction gearing. Most early submarines used

456-697: A destroyer. The Balao s were similar to the Gato s, except they were modified to increase test depth from 300 ft (90 m) to 400 ft (120 m). In late 1941, two of the Navy's leading submarine designers, Captain Andrew McKee and Commander Armand Morgan, met to explore increasing diving depth in a redesigned Gato . A switch to a new High-Tensile Steel (HTS) alloy, combined with an increase in hull thickness from 9 ⁄ 16 inch (14.3 mm) to 7 ⁄ 8 inch (22.2 mm), would result in

532-503: A direct mechanical connection between the combustion engine and propeller, switching between diesel engines for surface running and electric motors for submerged propulsion. This was effectively a "parallel" type of hybrid, since the motor and engine were coupled to the same shaft. On the surface, the motor (driven by the engine) was used as a generator to recharge the batteries and supply other electric loads. The engine would be disconnected for submerged operation, with batteries powering

608-660: A direct-drive diesel locomotive would require an impractical number of gears to keep the engine within its powerband; coupling the diesel to a generator eliminates this problem. An alternative is to use a torque converter or fluid coupling in a direct drive system to replace the gearbox. Diesel electric based buses have also been produced, including hybrid systems able to run on and store electrical power in batteries. The two main providers of hybrid systems for diesel–electric transit buses include Allison Transmission and BAE Systems . New Flyer Industries , Gillig Corporation , and North American Bus Industries are major customers for

684-581: A group of volunteers to sleep overnight in the crew's quarters. The following is a complete list of Balao -class museum boats: USS  Clamagore  (SS-343) served as a museum boat at Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina until being closed in 2021 and scrapped two years later. Additionally the USS ; Ling  (SS-297) is aground in the Hackensack River at the site of

760-647: A petrol engine is paired with electric motors for this reason. Petrol engine produces most torque at high rpm, supplemented by electric motors' low rpm torque. The first diesel motorship was also the first diesel–electric ship, the Russian tanker Vandal from Branobel , which was launched in 1903. Steam turbine–electric propulsion has been in use since the 1920s ( Tennessee -class battleships ), using diesel–electric powerplants in surface ships has increased lately. The Finnish coastal defence ships Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen laid down in 1928–1929, were among

836-506: A strategic need for rail engines without plumes of smoke above them. Diesel technology was not yet sufficiently developed but a few precursor attempts were made, especially for petrol–electric transmissions by the French (Crochat-Collardeau, patent dated 1912 also used for tanks and trucks) and British ( Dick, Kerr & Co and British Westinghouse ). About 300 of these locomotives, only 96 being standard gauge, were in use at various points in

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912-480: A test depth of 450 ft (140 m) and a collapse depth of 900 ft (270 m). However, the limited capacity of the trim pump at deep depths, and lack of time to design a new pump, caused Rear Admiral E. L. Cochrane, Chief of the Bureau of Ships , to limit test depth to 400 ft (120 m). Fortunately, in 1944 a redesigned Gould centrifugal pump replaced the noisy early-war pump, and effective diving depth

988-594: A thickened and taller mast. These mast arrangements, along with the tremendous variation in the gun layout as the war progressed account for the numerous exterior detail differences among the boats, to the point that at any given time no two Balao s looked exactly alike. The propulsion of the Balao -class submarines was generally similar to that of the preceding Gato -class. Like their predecessors, they were true diesel-electric submarines: their four diesel engines powered electrical generators , and electric motors drove

1064-556: Is often stated as the maximum in various publications. In practice during the war, submarines went out with at least 8 torpedoes, and the largest minefields laid were 32 mines. Post-war, the Mk ;49 mine replaced the Mk 12, while the larger Mk 27 mine was also carried which only allowed one mine replacing one torpedo. This was the most numerous US submarine class; 120 of these boats were commissioned from February 1943 through September 1948, with 12 commissioned postwar. Nine of

1140-413: Is sometimes termed electric transmission, as it is identical to petrol–electric transmission , which is used on vehicles powered by petrol engines, and to turbine–electric powertrain , which is used for gas turbines . Diesel–electric transmissions are a type of continuously variable transmission . The absence of a gearbox eliminates the need for gear changes, which prevents uneven acceleration caused by

1216-413: Is that it avoids the need for a gearbox , by converting the mechanical force of the diesel engine into electrical energy (through an alternator ), and using the electrical energy to drive traction motors , which propel the vehicle mechanically. The traction motors may be powered directly or via rechargeable batteries , making the vehicle a type of hybrid electric vehicle . This method of transmission

1292-620: The Balao class. Elliott Company motors were fitted primarily to boats with Fairbanks-Morse engines. General Electric motors were fitted primarily to boats with General Motors engines, but some Fairbanks-Morse boats received General Electric motors. Allis-Chalmers motors were to be used in SS-530 through SS-536, but those seven boats were cancelled before even receiving names. Earlier submarines carried four high-speed electric motors (two per shaft), which had to be fitted with reduction gears to slow their outputs down to an appropriate speed for

1368-633: The Boston Navy Yard on 15 March 1945, after a yard worker mistakenly opened the inner door of an aft torpedo tube that already had the outer door open. No personnel were lost in the accident and she was raised, decommissioned, and never completed or repaired. Her 42 days in commission is the record for the shortest commissioned service of any USN submarine. Postwar, she was laid up in the Reserve Fleet until stricken in 1958 and scrapped in 1959. Postwar, 55 Balao s were modernized under

1444-478: The Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization II (FRAM II) program. All except Tiru , the pilot conversion, were lengthened by 15 feet in the forward part of the control room to provide a new sonar space, berthing, electronics space, and storerooms. Tiru was lengthened only 12.5 feet, and both forward diesel engines were removed. The other GUPPY IIIs retained all four engines. A taller "Northern" sail

1520-507: The lead-acid type . This increased the total number of battery cells from 252 to 504; the downside was the compact batteries had to be replaced every 18 months instead of every 5 years. The Sargo II battery was developed as a lower-cost alternative to the expensive Guppy battery. All GUPPYs received a snorkel, with a streamlined sail and bow. Also, the electric motors were upgraded to the direct drive double- armature type, along with modernized electrical and air conditioning systems. All except

1596-440: The 1930s, the system was adapted for streamliners , the fastest trains of their day. Diesel–electric powerplants became popular because they greatly simplified the way motive power was transmitted to the wheels and because they were both more efficient and had greatly reduced maintenance requirements. Direct-drive transmissions can become very complex, considering that a typical locomotive has four or more axles . Additionally,

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1672-646: The 1990s, and Tusk remains active in Taiwan 's Republic of China Navy as Hai Pao . Interested in maintaining a ready pool of trained reservists , the Navy assigned at least 58 submarines from 1946 to 1971 to various coastal and inland ports (even in Great Lakes ports like Cleveland , Chicago , and Detroit ), where they served as training platforms during the Reservists' weekend drills. At least 20 Balao -class boats served in this capacity. In this role,

1748-808: The 52 US submarines lost in World War II were of this class, along with five lost postwar, including one in Turkish service in 1953, one in Argentine service in the Falklands War of 1982, and one in Peruvian service in 1988. Also, Lancetfish flooded and sank while fitting out at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 15 March 1945. She was raised but not repaired, and was listed with the reserve fleet postwar until struck in 1958. Some of

1824-748: The Allison EP hybrid systems, while Orion Bus Industries and Nova Bus are major customer for the BAE HybriDrive system. Mercedes-Benz makes their own diesel–electric drive system, which is used in their Citaro . The only bus that runs on single diesel–electric transmission is the Mercedes Benz Cito low floor concept bus which was introduced in 1998. Examples include: In the automobile industry, diesel engines in combination with electric transmissions and battery power are being developed for future vehicle drive systems. Partnership for

1900-699: The Fleet Snorkel and Greater Underwater Propulsion Power ( GUPPY ) programs, with some continuing in US service into the early 1970s. The last Balao -class submarine in United States service was USS  Clamagore  (SS-343) , which was decommissioned in June 1975. Seven were converted to roles as diverse as guided-missile submarines (SSG) and amphibious transport submarines (SSP). 46 were transferred to foreign navies for years of additional service, some into

1976-460: The GUPPY conversions, the original pair of Sargo batteries were not upgraded. Each boat received a streamlined sail with a snorkel, along with upgraded sonar, air conditioning, and ESM. The original bow was left in place, except on three boats ( Piper , Sea Owl , and Sterlet ) that received additional upper bow sonar equipment. A few boats initially retained the 5"/25 deck gun, but this was removed in

2052-456: The GUPPY program in 1947. Their configuration lacked a snorkel and was not repeated, so no Balaos received this conversion. This was the first production GUPPY conversion, with most conversions occurring in 1947–49. Thirteen Balao -class boats ( Catfish , Clamagore , Cobbler , Cochino , Corporal , Cubera , Diodon , Dogfish , Greenfish , Halfbeak , Tiru , Trumpetfish , and Tusk ) received GUPPY II upgrades. This

2128-789: The U. S. Navy differs, considering every submarine not specifically ordered as a Tench to be a Balao , and further projecting SS-551-562 as a future class. This yields 62 cancelled Balao class, 51 cancelled Tench class, and 12 cancelled future class. Two of the cancelled Balao -class submarines, Turbot  (SS-427) and Ulua  (SS-428) , were launched incomplete and served for years as experimental hulks at Annapolis and Norfolk, Virginia . The cancelled hull numbers, including those launched incomplete, were SS-353–360 ( Balao ), 379–380 ( Balao ), 427–434 ( Balao ), 436–437 ( Tench ), 438–474 ( Balao ), 491–521 ( Tench ), 526–529 ( Tench ), 530–536 ( Balao ), 537–550 ( Tench ), and 551–562 (future). The Balao s began to enter service in mid-1943, as

2204-742: The US Navy. These included 17 to Turkey, 2 to Greece, 3 to Italy, 2 to the Netherlands, 5 to Spain, 2 to Venezuela, 4 to Argentina, 5 to Brazil, 2 to Chile, 2 to Peru, 1 to Canada and 1 to Taiwan. One of the Venezuelan boats, ARV Carite (S-11) formerly USS Tilefish (SS-307), featured in the 1971 film Murphy's War with some cosmetic modification. At the end of World War II , the US submarine force found itself in an awkward position. The 111 remaining Balao -class submarines, designed to fight an enemy that no longer existed, were obsolete despite

2280-461: The US made much use of diesel–electric transmission before 1945. After World War II, by contrast, it gradually became the dominant mode of propulsion for conventional submarines. However, its adoption was not always swift. Notably, the Soviet Navy did not introduce diesel–electric transmission on its conventional submarines until 1980 with its Paltus class . During World War I , there was

2356-447: The austere "Fleet Snorkel" conversion was developed to add snorkels and partial streamlining to some boats. A total of 36 Balao -class submarines were converted to one of the GUPPY configurations, with 19 additional boats receiving Fleet Snorkel modifications. Two of the GUPPY boats and six of the Fleet Snorkel boats were converted immediately prior to transfer to a foreign navy. Most of the 47 remaining converted submarines were active into

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2432-486: The austere GUPPY IB conversions for foreign transfer received sonar, fire control , and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) upgrades. The Fleet Snorkel program was much more austere than the GUPPY modernizations, but is included here as it occurred during the GUPPY era. The GUPPY and Fleet Snorkel programs are listed in chronological order: GUPPY I, GUPPY II, GUPPY IA, Fleet Snorkel, GUPPY IIA, GUPPY IB, and GUPPY III. Two Tench -class boats were converted as prototypes for

2508-408: 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

2584-576: The boats were rendered incapable of diving and had their propellers removed. They were used strictly as pierside trainers. These were in commission but classed as "in service in reserve", thus some were decommissioned and recommissioned on the same day to reflect the change in status. The large numbers of relatively modern, but surplus U.S. fleet submarines proved to be popular in sales, loans, or leases to allied foreign navies. 46 Balao -class submarines were transferred to foreign navies, some shortly after World War II, others after serving nearly 30 years in

2660-588: The bridge and sail proved to be efficiently laid out, well equipped, and well liked by the crews. For the masts and periscope shears, the original arrangement for both the Government and Electric Boat designs had (forward to aft) the two tapered cone shaped periscope support shears, followed by a thin mast for the SJ surface search radar, and then by a thin mast for the SD air search radar. There were minor differences in how

2736-681: The class served actively in the US Navy through the middle 1970s, and one ( Hai Pao ex- Tusk ) is still active in Taiwan's Republic of China Navy . SS-361 through SS-364 were initially ordered as Balao -class, and were assigned hull numbers that fall in the middle of the range of numbers for the Balao class (SS-285 to SS-416 & 425–426). Thus, in some references they are listed with that class. However, they were completed by Manitowoc as Gato s, due to an unavoidable delay in Electric Boat 's development of Balao -class drawings. Manitowoc

2812-499: The conflict. In the 1920s, diesel–electric technology first saw limited use in switcher locomotives (UK: shunter locomotives ), locomotives used for moving trains around in railroad yards and assembling and disassembling them. An early company offering "Oil-Electric" locomotives was the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). The ALCO HH series of diesel–electric switcher entered series production in 1931. In

2888-475: The diesel engine and the propeller that was initially common, the advantages were eventually found to be more important. One of several significant advantages is that it mechanically isolates the noisy engine compartment from the outer pressure hull and reduces the acoustic signature of the submarine when surfaced. Some nuclear submarines also use a similar turbo-electric propulsion system, with propulsion turbo generators driven by reactor plant steam. Among

2964-540: The diesel engines were not directly connected to the shafts, the electric motors drove the shafts all the time. Many targets in the Pacific War were sampans or otherwise not worth a torpedo, so the deck gun was an important weapon. Early Balao s began their service with a 4-inch (102 mm)/50 caliber Mk. 9 gun . Due to war experience, most were re-armed with a 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber Mk. 17 gun , similar to mounts on battleships and cruisers but built as

3040-456: The disengagement of a clutch . With auxiliary batteries the motors can run on electric alone, for example when the noise or exhaust from the engine disrupts a clean air zone . Disadvantages of a diesel electric transmission are the potential complexity, cost, and decreased efficiency due to energy conversion. Diesel engines and electric motors are both known for having high torque at low rpm, this may leave high rpm with little torque. Typically

3116-466: The early 1950s. This was generally similar to GUPPY IA, except one of the forward diesel engines was removed to relieve machinery overcrowding. Thirteen Balao -class boats ( Bang , Diodon , Entemedor , Hardhead , Jallao , Menhaden , Picuda , Pomfret , Razorback , Ronquil , Sea Fox , Stickleback , and Threadfin ) received GUPPY IIA upgrades in 1952–54. One of these, Diodon , had previously been upgraded to GUPPY II. This

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3192-465: The early 1970s, when many were transferred to foreign navies for further service and others were decommissioned and disposed of. Although there was some variation in the GUPPY conversion programs, generally the original two Sargo batteries were replaced by four more compact Guppy (GUPPY I and II only) or Sargo II batteries via significant re-utilization of below-deck space, usually including removal of auxiliary diesels. All of these battery designs were of

3268-509: The early 1970s. The Tench -class ex- Cutlass is the other one. They are named Hai Pao and Hai Shih , respectively, in Taiwanese service. Six Balao -class submarines are open to public viewing. They primarily depend on revenue generated by visitors to keep them operational and up to U.S. Navy standards; each boat gets a yearly inspection and a "report card". Some boats, like Batfish and Pampanito , encourage youth functions and allow

3344-458: The electric motor and supplying all other power as well. In a true diesel–electric transmission arrangement, by contrast, the propeller or propellers are always driven directly or through reduction gears by one or more electric motors , while one or more diesel generators provide electric energy for charging the batteries and driving the motors. While this solution comes with a few disadvantages compared to direct mechanical connection between

3420-648: The extra personnel, to avoid excessive snorkeling they were equipped with a CO 2 scrubber and extra oxygen storage. Initially, a squadron of 12 SSPs was considered, capable of landing a reinforced Marine battalion, but only two Balao -class SSPs (out of four overall) were actually converted. Perch landed British commandos on one raid in the Korean War , and operated in the Vietnam War from 1965 until assignment to Naval Reserve training in 1967 and decommissioning in 1971, followed by scrapping in 1973. Perch

3496-529: The fact they were only one to three years old. The German Type XXI U-boat , with a large battery capacity, streamlining to maximize underwater speed, and a snorkel, was the submarine of the immediate future. The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) conversion program was developed to give some Balao - and Tench -class submarines similar capabilities to the Type XXI. When the cost of upgrading numerous submarines to GUPPY standard became apparent,

3572-527: The first surface ships to use diesel–electric transmission. Later, the technology was used in diesel powered icebreakers . In World War II, the United States Navy built diesel–electric surface warships. Due to machinery shortages destroyer escorts of the Evarts and Cannon classes were diesel–electric, with half their designed horsepower (The Buckley and Rudderow classes were full-power steam turbine–electric). The Wind -class icebreakers , on

3648-501: The fleet. Radar picket destroyers and destroyer escorts were put into service, but they proved vulnerable in this role as they could be attacked as well, leaving the fleet blind. A submarine, though, could dive and escape aerial attack. Four submarines including the Balao -class boat Threadfin prototyped the concept at the end of World War II but were not used in this role. Ten fleet submarines were converted for this role 1946-53 and redesignated SSR as radar picket submarines. Burrfish

3724-507: The former New Jersey Naval Museum . As of 2022, efforts to find a new home for this vessel have been unsuccessful. Diesel-electric Diesel–electric transmission is used on railways by diesel–electric locomotives and diesel–electric multiple units , as electric motors are able to supply full torque from 0 RPM . Diesel–electric systems are also used in marine transport , including submarines, and on some other land vehicles. The defining characteristic of diesel–electric transmission

3800-906: The many problems with the Mark 14 torpedo were being solved. They were instrumental in the Submarine Force's near-destruction of the Japanese merchant fleet and significant attrition of the Imperial Japanese Navy . One of the class, Archerfish , brought down what remains the largest warship sunk by a submarine, the Shinano (59,000 tons). Tang , the highest-scoring of the class, sank 33 ships totaling 116,454 tons, as officially revised upward in 1980. Nine Balao s were lost in World War II, while two US boats were lost in postwar accidents. In foreign service, one in Turkish service

3876-442: The mid-1910s, the technology was immediately reintroduced when Sweden began to design its own submarines again in the mid-1930s. From that point onwards, diesel–electric transmission has been consistently used for all new classes of Swedish submarines, albeit supplemented by air-independent propulsion (AIP) as provided by Stirling engines beginning with HMS Näcken in 1988. Another early adopter of diesel–electric transmission

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3952-552: The newer engines had greater displacement than the old, but were rated at the same power; they operated at lower mean effective pressure for greater reliability. Both the Fairbanks-Morse and General Motors engines were two-stroke cycle types. Two submarines, Unicorn and Vendace , were to receive Hooven-Owens-Rentschler (H.O.R.) diesels, which proved unreliable on previous classes, but both boats were cancelled. Two manufacturers supplied electric motors for

4028-549: The other hand, were designed for diesel–electric propulsion because of its flexibility and resistance to damage. Some modern diesel–electric ships, including cruise ships and icebreakers, use electric motors in pods called azimuth thrusters underneath to allow for 360° rotation, making the ships far more maneuverable. An example of this is Symphony of the Seas , the largest passenger ship as of 2019. Gas turbines are also used for electrical power generation and some ships use

4104-403: The periscopes were braced against vibration, but both designs were nearly identical. About halfway through their production run, Electric Boat altered their design, moving the SJ radar mast forward of the periscopes, then altered it again a few boats later by enlarging the SD radar mast. Late in the war, many Balao s built with the original design had the SD air search radar moved slightly aft onto

4180-745: The pioneering users of true diesel–electric transmission was the Swedish Navy with its first submarine, HMS Hajen (later renamed Ub no 1 ), launched in 1904 and originally equipped with a semi-diesel engine (a hot-bulb engine primarily meant to be fueled by kerosene), later replaced by a true diesel. From 1909 to 1916, the Swedish Navy launched another seven submarines in three different classes ( 2nd class , Laxen class , and Braxen class ), all using diesel–electric transmission. While Sweden temporarily abandoned diesel–electric transmission as it started to buy submarine designs from abroad in

4256-429: The previous Tambor / Gar and Gato classes, the Balao class could substitute mines in place of torpedoes. For the Mk 10 and Mk 12 type mines used in World War II, each torpedo could be replaced by as many as two mines, giving the submarine a true maximum capacity of 48 mines. However, doctrine was to retain at least four torpedoes on mine laying missions, which further limits the capacity to 40 mines, and this

4332-708: The program was discontinued in favor of Polaris . A number of fleet boats were equipped with Regulus guidance equipment 1953–64, including Cusk and Carbonero following the Loon tests. Sealion and Perch were converted to amphibious transport submarines in 1948 and redesignated as SSPs. Initially, they were equipped with a watertight hangar capable of housing a Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT), and retained one 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber deck gun for shore bombardment. Both torpedo rooms and one engine room were gutted to provide space for embarked Special Operations Forces (SOF) and their equipment. Snorkels were fitted. Due to

4408-580: The shafts. There was no direct connection between the main engines and the shafts. Balao -class submarines received main engines from one of two manufacturers. General Motors Cleveland Model 16-278A V-type diesels or Fairbanks-Morse 38D 8-1/8 nine-cylinder opposed-piston engine . The General Motors Cleveland Model 16-248 V-type as original installations, while boats from Sand Lance onward received 10-cylinder engines. Earlier General Motors boats received Model 16-248 engines, but beginning with Perch Model 16-278A engines were used. In each case,

4484-600: The shafts. This reduction gearing was very noisy, and made the submarine easier to detect with hydrophones . Eighteen late Balao -class submarines received low-speed double armature motors which drove the shafts directly and were much quieter, but this improvement was not universally fitted until the succeeding Tench class . The new direct drive electric motors were designed by the Bureau of Ships ' electrical division under Captain Hyman G. Rickover , and were first equipped on Sea Owl . On all US World War II-built boats, as

4560-431: The submarine was unable to submerge until after launch. Cusk was eventually fitted with a watertight hangar for one missile and redesignated as an SSG. Following a brief stint as a cargo submarine, Barbero was converted in 1955 to carry two surface-launched Regulus missiles and was redesignated as an SSG, joining the Gato -class Tunny in this role. She made strategic deterrent patrols with Regulus until 1964, when

4636-898: Was a follow yard to Electric Boat, and was dependent on them for designs and drawings. Also, USS  Trumpetfish  (SS-425) and USS  Tusk  (SS-426) are listed with the Tench class in some references, as their hull numbers fall in the range of that class. A total of 125 U.S. submarines were cancelled during World War II, all but three between 29 July 1944 and 12 August 1945. The exceptions were three Tench -class boats, cancelled 7 January 1946. References vary considerably as to how many of these were Balao s and how many were Tench es. Some references simply assume all submarines numbered after SS-416 were Tench class; however, Trumpetfish  (SS-425) and Tusk  (SS-426) were completed as Balao s. This yields 10 cancelled Balao -class, SS-353-360 and 379–380. The Register of Ships of

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4712-492: Was commissioned at the time of her sinking, she never saw active service, and she is not counted among the 52 American submarines lost during World War II. Balao-class submarine 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 ,

4788-419: Was developed as an austere upgrade for two Gato -class and two Balao -class boats ( Hawkbill and Icefish ) prior to transfer to foreign navies in 1953–55. They lacked the sonar and electronics upgrades of other GUPPY conversions. Nine submarines, six of them Balao s ( Clamagore , Cobbler , Corporal , Greenfish , Tiru , and Trumpetfish ), were upgraded from GUPPY II to GUPPY III in 1959-63 as part of

4864-592: Was developed as an austere, cost-effective alternative to full GUPPY conversions, with significantly less improvement in submerged performance. Twenty-three Balao -class boats ( Bergall , Besugo , Brill , Bugara , Carbonero , Carp , Charr , Chub , Cusk , Guitarro , Kraken , Lizardfish , Mapiro , Mero , Piper , Sabalo , Sablefish , Scabbardfish , Sea Cat , Sea Owl , Segundo , Sennet , and Sterlet ) received this upgrade, six immediately prior to foreign transfer. Most Fleet Snorkel conversions occurred 1951–52. Unlike

4940-425: Was included, to allow improved surfaced operations in rough seas; this was also backfitted to some other GUPPYs. The BQG-4 Passive Underwater Fire Control Feasibility Study (PUFFS) sonar system, with its three tall domes topside, was fitted. Additionally, fire control upgrades allowed the Mark 45 nuclear torpedo to be used. The advent of the kamikaze demonstrated the need for a long range radar umbrella around

5016-402: Was increased. The Balao s incorporated the fairwater , conning tower and periscope shears reduction efforts that were being retrofitted to the Gato s and the preceding classes in the original design, refining the reductions and reducing the sail to the smallest practical size. By the time the boats began to be launched, lessons learned from patrol reports had been worked into the design and

5092-409: Was insufficient to protect a fast-moving carrier group. The radars were removed and the boats reverted to general purpose submarines after 1959. Burrfish was decommissioned in 1956 and, with her radar equipment removed, transferred to Canada as HMCS Grilse (SS-71) in 1961. The Regulus nuclear cruise missile program of the 1950s provided the US Navy with its first strategic strike capability. It

5168-641: Was lost in a collision in 1953, one in Peruvian service was lost in a collision in 1988, and Catfish was sold to the Argentinian Navy. She was renamed the ARA Santa Fe (S-21) and was lost in the 1982 Falklands War after being damaged, when she sank while moored pierside. Santa Fe was refloated and disposed of a few years after the war by being taken out to deep water and scuttled. Additionally, Lancetfish , commissioned but incomplete and still under construction, flooded and sank pierside at

5244-516: Was preceded by experiments with the JB-2 Loon missile , a close derivative of the German V-1 flying bomb , beginning in the last year of World War II . Submarine testing of Loon was performed 1947–53, with Cusk and Carbonero converted in to guided-missile submarines as test platforms in 1947 and 1948 respectively. Initially the missile was carried on the launch rail unprotected, thus

5320-750: Was raised eight days later and decommissioned 24 March. Assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in uncompleted condition, she was transferred to the First Naval District 27 February 1947 and was assigned to the New London Group 9 December 1952. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 June 1958 and sold for scrap for $ 57,189 on 20 August 1959 having never gone to sea on patrol, to Yale Waste Company, Boston, Massachusetts. Although Lancetfish

5396-660: Was redesignated as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS) in 1949 and converted to a sonar test submarine in 1958–59 to test a system known as LORAD. This included a 12-foot (3.7 m) extension aft of the forward torpedo room, with 40-foot (12 m) swing-out arrays near the bow. Later, three large domes were installed topside for a wide aperture array. Barbero was converted to a cargo submarine and redesignated as an SSA in 1948. The forward engine room, after torpedo room, and all reload torpedo racks were gutted to provide cargo space. From October 1948 until March 1950, she took part in an experimental program to evaluate her capabilities as

5472-675: Was replaced in the Pacific Fleet transport submarine role by Tunny in 1967 and Grayback in 1968. Sealion operated in the Atlantic, deploying for the Cuban Missile Crisis and numerous SOF-related exercises. She was decommissioned in 1970 and expended as a target in 1978. The LVT hangar and 5-inch gun were removed from both boats by the late 1950s. They went through several changes of designation in their careers: ASSP in 1950, APSS in 1956, and LPSS in 1968. Baya

5548-411: Was stripped and converted into berthing, and the boat lost two of her forward torpedo tubes to make room for additional berthing and electronics. The radars were raised up off the deck and put on masts, giving them a greater range and hopefully greater reliability. The SSRs proved only moderately successful, as the radars themselves proved troublesome and somewhat unreliable, and the boats' surface speed

5624-698: Was the United States Navy , whose Bureau of Steam Engineering proposed its use in 1928. It was subsequently tried in the S-class submarines S-3 , S-6 , and S-7 before being put into production with the Porpoise class of the 1930s. From that point onwards, it continued to be used on most US conventional submarines. Apart from the British U-class and some submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy that used separate diesel generators for low speed running, few navies other than those of Sweden and

5700-497: Was the only Balao -class SSR. Experiments on the first two SSR submarines under the appropriately named Project Migraine I showed that placement of the radars on the deck was inadequate and that more room was needed for electronics. Thus Burrfish was given the Migraine II (project SCB 12 ) conversion, which placed a Combat Information Center (CIC) in the space formerly occupied as the aft battery room. The after torpedo room

5776-420: Was the only production conversion with Guppy batteries. This was developed as a more cost-effective alternative to GUPPY II. Nine Balao -class boats ( Atule , Becuna , Blackfin , Blenny , Caiman , Chivo , Chopper , Sea Poacher , and Sea Robin ) were converted in 1951–52. The less expensive Sargo II battery was introduced, along with other cost-saving measures. The Fleet Snorkel program

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