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USS Pomodon (SS-486)
Encyclopedia
USS Pomodon (SS-486), a Tench-class submarine
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the Pomodon (an obsolete synonym for Hemilutjanus) genera of snapper
. Her keel was laid down on 29 January 1945 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
. She was launched
on 12 June 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Lorena Neff, and commissioned
on 11 September 1945 with Commander Melvin H. Dry in command.
Departing Portsmouth 6 January 1946, Pomodon slipped through the Cape Cod Canal
and set her course for the Panama Canal
Zone for further training. By May the submarine was back north to New London, Connecticut
, for several days operations before an availability and upkeep period at New London.
Slipping out of the Submarine Base at New London, Pomodon set her course southward again; transited the Panama Canal
arriving San Diego, California
, on 12 October, and joined Submarine Squadron 3. After alterations at Mare Island
from 25 October 1946 to 26 July 1947 had made Pomodon the first Greater Underwater Propulsive Power Program (GUPPY) submarine in the Pacific Fleet, the submarine returned to San Diego on 28 July and began operations in the area as part of Task Forces 52 and 56.
At the outbreak of hostilities in Korea
in July 1950, Pomodon was deployed to Pearl Harbor
. In January 1951, Pomodon was again modernized at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
and in May 1951 she returned to service as the most modern and advanced GUPPY submarine in the Submarine Force.
Pomodon departed San Diego in November 1951 for a six month deployment with the United Nations
Forces in Korea
, followed by operations in the San Diego area. During the next decade, the submarine made six more WestPac deployments.
On 21 February 1955, while recharging batteries in the San Francisco Naval Yard, a build-up of hydrogen
gas caused an explosion and fire, damaging the submarine and killing five men. TM1(SS) Charles E. Payne earned the Navy Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant by his actions in fighting the fire and rescuing the injured. Pasquale Talladino EnD2(SS) received the Navy & Marine Corps Medal. After the third explosion he entered the control room through the conning tower in an attempt to rescue anyone who might still be alive.
On 16 November 1962, Pomodon sank the hulk of ex-Aspro (SS-309)
.
Pomodon’s eighth deployment with the Seventh Fleet, 6 June to 30 November 1966, took her to Vietnam
ese waters and she operated with American destroyer
s and antisubmarine aircraft carrier
on Yankee Station
. Training operations on the West Coast and overhaul at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
, filled 1967. She again headed west across the Pacific for her ninth deployment on 22 March 1968. She operated in Japanese waters, off Okinawa, and in the Philippines before entering the Vietnam combat zone 13 August. Pomodon returned to San Diego 17 October 1968.
Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 August 1970, Pomodon was sold on 28 December 1971.
Tench class submarine
Tench-class submarines were a type of submarine built for the United States Navy between 1944 and 1951. They were an evolutionary improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout...
, was the only 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 Pomodon (an obsolete synonym for Hemilutjanus) genera of snapper
Lutjanidae
Snappers are a family of perciform fish, mainly marine but with some members inhabiting estuaries, feeding in freshwater. Some are important food fish. One of the best known is the red snapper....
. Her keel was laid down on 29 January 1945 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
. 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 12 June 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Lorena Neff, 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 September 1945 with Commander Melvin H. Dry in command.
Departing Portsmouth 6 January 1946, Pomodon slipped through the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
and set her course for the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
Zone for further training. By May the submarine was back north to New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, for several days operations before an availability and upkeep period at New London.
Slipping out of the Submarine Base at New London, Pomodon set her course southward again; transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
arriving San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, on 12 October, and joined Submarine Squadron 3. After alterations at Mare Island
Mare Island
Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...
from 25 October 1946 to 26 July 1947 had made Pomodon the first Greater Underwater Propulsive Power Program (GUPPY) submarine in the Pacific Fleet, the submarine returned to San Diego on 28 July and began operations in the area as part of Task Forces 52 and 56.
At the outbreak of hostilities in Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in July 1950, Pomodon was deployed to 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...
. In January 1951, Pomodon was again modernized at 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...
and in May 1951 she returned to service as the most modern and advanced GUPPY submarine in the Submarine Force.
Pomodon departed San Diego in November 1951 for a six month deployment with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Forces in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, followed by operations in the San Diego area. During the next decade, the submarine made six more WestPac deployments.
On 21 February 1955, while recharging batteries in the San Francisco Naval Yard, a build-up of hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
gas caused an explosion and fire, damaging the submarine and killing five men. TM1(SS) Charles E. Payne earned the Navy Commendation Ribbon with Metal Pendant by his actions in fighting the fire and rescuing the injured. Pasquale Talladino EnD2(SS) received the Navy & Marine Corps Medal. After the third explosion he entered the control room through the conning tower in an attempt to rescue anyone who might still be alive.
On 16 November 1962, Pomodon sank the hulk of ex-Aspro (SS-309)
USS Aspro (SS-309)
USS Aspro , a Balao-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the aspro, a fish found abundantly in the upper Rhône River. According to legend, the aspro comes to the surface only in bad weather, when other fishes take refuge near the bottom...
.
Pomodon’s eighth deployment with the Seventh Fleet, 6 June to 30 November 1966, took her to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese waters and she operated with American destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and antisubmarine aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
on Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
. Training operations on the West Coast and overhaul at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
The San Francisco Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city...
, filled 1967. She again headed west across the Pacific for her ninth deployment on 22 March 1968. She operated in Japanese waters, off Okinawa, and in the Philippines before entering the Vietnam combat zone 13 August. Pomodon returned to San Diego 17 October 1968.
Stricken 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 1 August 1970, Pomodon was sold on 28 December 1971.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org