.gif)
USS Ling (SS-297)
Encyclopedia
{|
USS Ling is a Balao-class
submarine
of the United States Navy
, named for the ling fish, also known as the cobia
.
She was launched
15 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Foy; and was moved to the Boston Navy Yard
for completion and testing. Ling was commissioned
on 8 June 1945, with Commander George Garvie Molumphy in command.
After shakedown
and further installations, Ling headed out to sea to test her equipment 15 September 1945. The submarine based at Naval Submarine Base New London
in Connecticut
until she sailed 11 February 1946 for the Panama Canal Zone
, arriving eight days later. She operated out of Panama
until 9 March when she sailed north. She completed inactivation 23 October at New London, decommissioned 26 October 1946, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
In March 1960, Ling was towed to Brooklyn
, New York
, where she was converted into a training ship at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
, simulating all aspects of submarine operations. She was reclassified an Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-297) in 1962.
Ling was reclassified a Miscellaneous Unclassified Submarine (IXSS-297), and struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1971.
Six months later the old 297 was donated to the Submarine Memorial Association, a non-profit organization formed in 1972 with the purpose of saving Ling from the scrap yard. They petitioned the Navy to bring the boat to Hackensack, New Jersey
to serve as a memorial "...to perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country". Many citizens and corporations contributed time, professional services, and funds toward the restoration of Ling. She arrived at her present home in New Jersey in January 1973, where she has been restored to near-mint condition—scrubbed, painted, and polished for public tours—through the efforts of the association. The compartments have been refurbished and outfitted with authentic gear that recreates the bygone era of the World War II
battle submarine. She is now the centerpiece of the New Jersey Naval Museum
at 78 River St, Hackensack, New Jersey.
X-ray
s showed that the submarine's five safe
s contain documents and metallic objects, but the combinations had long been lost. On 27 January 2006, Jeff Sitar
, the seven-time world champion locksmith, opened the safes
using only his fingers and an electronic sound amplifier, rather than drill
s or explosives. In the safes, he found a wide variety of objects, including a dozen pennies
, two .45-caliber bullet
s, a ring of keys, many training and maintenance manuals and parts catalogs from the 1940s and 1950s, and two one-quart cans of 190-proof ethanol
. (Despite the inevitable jokes that it was the private stash of the yeoman, the alcohol would have been used for cleaning electrical contacts.)
Ling received one battle star for World War II
service.
Since 1972, the New Jersey Naval Museum had paid one dollar per year to rent its riverside site for Ling. In January 2007, the North Jersey Media Group
, owner of the site, informed the museum that the site was going to be sold for redevelopment within the year and that the museum and submarine would need to be relocated. Efforts are being made to find an alternate site to host the Ling.
USS Ling is a Balao-class
Balao class submarine
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II, and with 122 units built, the largest class of submarines in the United States Navy. An improvement on the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences...
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...
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...
, named for the ling fish, also known as 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:...
.
History
Ling was laid down 2 November 1942 by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company in Philadelphia, Penn.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
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...
15 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Foy; and was moved to the Boston Navy Yard
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
for completion and testing. Ling was 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 8 June 1945, with Commander George Garvie Molumphy in command.
After shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
and further installations, Ling headed out to sea to test her equipment 15 September 1945. The submarine based at Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
until she sailed 11 February 1946 for the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
, arriving eight days later. She operated out of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
until 9 March when she sailed north. She completed inactivation 23 October at New London, decommissioned 26 October 1946, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
In March 1960, Ling was towed to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where she was converted into a training ship at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, simulating all aspects of submarine operations. She was reclassified an Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-297) in 1962.
Ling was reclassified a Miscellaneous Unclassified Submarine (IXSS-297), and struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1971.
Museum ship
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
to serve as a memorial "...to perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country". Many citizens and corporations contributed time, professional services, and funds toward the restoration of Ling. She arrived at her present home in New Jersey in January 1973, where she has been restored to near-mint condition—scrubbed, painted, and polished for public tours—through the efforts of the association. The compartments have been refurbished and outfitted with authentic gear that recreates the bygone era of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battle submarine. She is now the centerpiece of the New Jersey Naval Museum
New Jersey Naval Museum
The New Jersey Naval Museum , located along the Hackensack River in Hackensack, New Jersey, is dedicated to New Jersey's Navy heritage and naval history in general. The prominent element in the collection is the USS Ling , a long Balao-class submarine of World War II...
at 78 River St, Hackensack, New Jersey.
X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s showed that the submarine's five safe
Safe
A safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
s contain documents and metallic objects, but the combinations had long been lost. On 27 January 2006, Jeff Sitar
Jeff Sitar
Jeff Sitar is a locksmith living in Clifton, New Jersey who has specialized as a safe-cracker and who has won the Lockmaster's International Safecracking Competition eight times...
, the seven-time world champion locksmith, opened the safes
Safe-cracking
Safe-cracking is the process of opening a safe without either the combination or key. It may also refer to a computer hacker's attempts to break into a secured computer system, in which case it may be shortened to "cracking" or black hat hacking....
using only his fingers and an electronic sound amplifier, rather than drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
s or explosives. In the safes, he found a wide variety of objects, including a dozen pennies
Penny
A penny is a coin or a type of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.-Etymology:...
, two .45-caliber bullet
Bullet
A bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
s, a ring of keys, many training and maintenance manuals and parts catalogs from the 1940s and 1950s, and two one-quart cans of 190-proof ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
. (Despite the inevitable jokes that it was the private stash of the yeoman, the alcohol would have been used for cleaning electrical contacts.)
Ling received one battle star for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service.
Since 1972, the New Jersey Naval Museum had paid one dollar per year to rent its riverside site for Ling. In January 2007, the North Jersey Media Group
North Jersey Media Group
North Jersey Media Group is a newspaper publishing and media firm serving northern New Jersey and headquartered in Hackensack, with a second office in Woodland Park . The firm, owned by the Borg family, publishes The Herald News, which covers Passaic County, out of West Paterson and the state's...
, owner of the site, informed the museum that the site was going to be sold for redevelopment within the year and that the museum and submarine would need to be relocated. Efforts are being made to find an alternate site to host the Ling.