.gif)
USS Bonita (SSK-3)
Encyclopedia
USS Bonita (SSK-3/SS-552), a Barracuda-class
submarine
, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the bonito
, any of several types of fish, including the skipjack tuna
, Katsuwonus pelamis, the Atlantic bonito
(Sarda sarda), the lesser amberjack (Seriola fasciata), or the cobia
(Rachycentron canadum).
The original contract for construction of Bonita (SSK-3) was let to New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey
, but later transferred to Mare Island Naval Shipyard
of Vallejo, California
, where her keel was laid down on 19 May 1950. She was launched
as K-3 on 21 June 1951 sponsored by Mrs. J.S. Clark, widow of Commander James S. Clark
, and commissioned
on 11 January 1952 with Lieutenant Commander Eric E. Hopley in command.
The three SSK boats, , , and Bonita (SSK-3), were built around the large BQR-4 bow-mounted sonar
array as part of Project Kayo, which experimented the use of passive acoustics with low-frequency, bow sonar arrays. When the boat was rigged for silent running
, these arrays gave greatly improved convergence zone detection ranges against snorkeling submarines. The SSKs themselves were limited in their anti-submarine warfare abilities by their low speed and their need to snorkel periodically, but the advances in sonar technology they pioneered were invaluable to later nuclear-powered submarines.
K-3 joined Submarine Squadron 7 at Pearl Harbor
on 15 May 1952 and performed experimental and normal submarine duties, making a cruise to Alaska
n waters in August and September 1956. She was renamed Bonita 15 December 1955, decommissioned on 7 November 1958, and given hull classification symbol
SS-552 on 15 August 1959.
Barracuda class submarine
The Barracuda class submarines were the product of Project Kayo, a research and development effort begun immediately after World War II by the United States Navy to "solve the problem of using submarines to attack and destroy enemy submarines." The three Barracuda ASW boats were not the only US...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the bonito
Bonito
Bonito is a name given to various species of medium-sized, predatory fish in the Scombridae family. First, bonito most commonly refers to species in the genus Sarda, including the Atlantic bonito and the Pacific bonito ; second, in Japanese cuisine, bonito refers to the skipjack tuna , which, in...
, any of several types of fish, including the skipjack tuna
Skipjack tuna
The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish...
, Katsuwonus pelamis, the Atlantic bonito
Atlantic bonito
The Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda is a large mackerel-like fish of the family Scombridae. It is common in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean where it is an important commercial and game fish.-Description:...
(Sarda sarda), the lesser amberjack (Seriola fasciata), or the cobia
Cobia
Cobia —also known as black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfish, crabeaters, aruan tasek, etc.—are perciform marine fish, the sole representative of their family, the Rachycentridae.-Description:...
(Rachycentron canadum).
The original contract for construction of Bonita (SSK-3) was let to New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, but later transferred to Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
of Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, where her keel was laid down on 19 May 1950. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
as K-3 on 21 June 1951 sponsored by Mrs. J.S. Clark, widow of Commander James S. Clark
James S. Clark
James S. Clark of Eufaula, Barbour County, Alabama, served as the Mayor of the City of Eufaula from 1976 to 1978, and served four consecutive terms in the Senate of Alabama from 1959 to 1975. He served as the Chair of the Senate Rules Committee for 12 of those 16 years...
, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 11 January 1952 with Lieutenant Commander Eric E. Hopley in command.
The three SSK boats, , , and Bonita (SSK-3), were built around the large BQR-4 bow-mounted sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
array as part of Project Kayo, which experimented the use of passive acoustics with low-frequency, bow sonar arrays. When the boat was rigged for silent running
Silent running (submarine)
Silent running is a stealth mode of operation for naval submarines. The aim is to evade discovery by passive sonar by eliminating superfluous noise: nonessential systems are shut down, the crew is urged to rest and refrain from making any unnecessary sound, and speed is greatly reduced to minimize...
, these arrays gave greatly improved convergence zone detection ranges against snorkeling submarines. The SSKs themselves were limited in their anti-submarine warfare abilities by their low speed and their need to snorkel periodically, but the advances in sonar technology they pioneered were invaluable to later nuclear-powered submarines.
K-3 joined Submarine Squadron 7 at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 15 May 1952 and performed experimental and normal submarine duties, making a cruise to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n waters in August and September 1956. She was renamed Bonita 15 December 1955, decommissioned on 7 November 1958, and given hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
SS-552 on 15 August 1959.