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USS Darter (SS-576)
Encyclopedia
USS Darter (SS-576), a unique submarine
based on the , but incorporating many improvements, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the darter (fish)
, a type of small American fresh-water fish closely related to the perch
.
The contract to build Darter was awarded to the Electric Boat
Division of General Dynamics
Corporation in Groton, Connecticut
on 30 June 1954 and her keel was laid down on 10 November 1954. She was launched
on 28 May 1956 sponsored by Mrs. G.L. Russell, and commissioned
on 20 October 1956, with Lieutenant Commander
Ralph R. Blaine in command.
Darter was used to experiment with numerous innovations including a three-man helmsman-planesman station using aircraft-style stick controls.
, and Charleston, South Carolina
, and to Canada
and Northern Europe
on NATO maneuvers. In the 1970s she moved to San Diego and made several WestPac cruises. While on one of these in 1978, the head valve failed to close while snorkeling, and the ship had to Emergency Surface amongst U.S. surface units participating in an antisubmarine warfare exercise. In 1979, Darter changed homeport again to Sasebo, Japan, where she operated as a forward-deployed submarine.
In September 1985, Darter was involved in a collision with the merchant ship Kansas Getty which disabled her.
Darter was decommissioned on 1 December 1989 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 17 January 1990. On 7 January 1992, ex-Darter was sunk as a target by off Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii.
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...
based on the , but incorporating many improvements, was the second 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 darter (fish)
Darter (fish)
The fish popularly known as darters are small perch-like fish.They inhabit freshwater streams in North America. They are members of the family percidae and include members of the Ammocrypta, Crystallaria, Etheostoma and Percina genera....
, a type of small American fresh-water fish closely related to the perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
.
The contract to build Darter was awarded to the Electric Boat
Electric boat
While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...
Division of General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
Corporation in Groton, Connecticut
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
on 30 June 1954 and her keel was laid down on 10 November 1954. 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...
on 28 May 1956 sponsored by Mrs. G.L. Russell, 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 20 October 1956, with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (United States)
Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...
Ralph R. Blaine in command.
Darter was used to experiment with numerous innovations including a three-man helmsman-planesman station using aircraft-style stick controls.
Service history
Darter operated on various training exercises in the Atlantic, both locally from her home ports of Newport, Rhode IslandNewport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, and Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, and to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on NATO maneuvers. In the 1970s she moved to San Diego and made several WestPac cruises. While on one of these in 1978, the head valve failed to close while snorkeling, and the ship had to Emergency Surface amongst U.S. surface units participating in an antisubmarine warfare exercise. In 1979, Darter changed homeport again to Sasebo, Japan, where she operated as a forward-deployed submarine.
In September 1985, Darter was involved in a collision with the merchant ship Kansas Getty which disabled her.
Darter was decommissioned on 1 December 1989 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 17 January 1990. On 7 January 1992, ex-Darter was sunk as a target by off 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...
, Hawaii.