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USS Tunny (SSN-682)
Encyclopedia
USS Tunny (SSN-682), a Sturgeon-class
attack submarine, was the second submarine of the United States Navy
to be named for the tunny, any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel
.
was laid down on 22 May 1970 at Pascagoula
, Mississippi
, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Division of Litton Industries
. She was launched
on 10 June 1972, sponsored by Mrs. Lola Aiken, and commissioned
on 26 January 1974 at her home port
, Charleston
, South Carolina
, with Commander
Dennis Y. Sloan in command.
, Connecticut
, for two weeks of in-port training at the submarine base. Between March and June 1974, she conducted shakedown
training in the West Indies and along the United States East Coast. From June to August 1974, she conducted operations out of Charleston before heading north to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
at Kittery
, Maine
, where she began post-shakedown overhaul
on 12 August 1974. She completed repairs on 5 October 1974 and headed back to Charleston, where she resumed normal training operations.
. She stood out of Charleston on 6 March 1975 and headed across the Atlantic Ocean
. She came under operational control of the United States Sixth Fleet on 16 March 1975. During the first part of her tour in the Mediterranean, she operated with Task Force
60, conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises with the other ships of the task force. Following refit and upkeep alongside a submarine tender
in June and early July 1975 at Santo Stefano
, Sardinia
, Italy
, Tunny rejoined the Sixth Fleet as a unit of Task Force 69 and resumed antisubmarine warfare training. After participating in a major Sixth Fleet exercise late in July and early in August 1975, she departed the Mediterranean for home. She changed operational control from the Sixth Fleet to the United States Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force on 17 August 1975 and arrived in Charleston, concluding her deployment, on 29 August 1975. After a routine post-deployment standdown in September and repairs and alterations Charleston Naval Shipyard
at Charleston in October and November, she resumed operations—mostly attack submarine training—out of Charleston on 20 November 1975.
coasts occupied her time during January 1976. February 1976 brought inspections and examinations and, in March 1976, she participated in two special operations designed to help develop and evaluate submarine tactics. In May 1976, Tunny began preparations for her second tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet but did not embark upon that assignment for over two months. In the meantime, she conducted an exercise in naval mine
warfare in June 1976. Finally, on 26 July 1976, she departed Charleston on her way to the Mediterranean. Following a visit to Lisbon
, Portugal
, she joined the Sixth Fleet on 11 August 1976. After a month of antisubmarine warfare training, highlighted by Exercise "National Week XXI", she put into Santo Stefano for a month of upkeep alongside submarine tender . In October 1976, she returned to sea for antisubmarine warfare training operations punctuated periodically with a visit to Naples
, Italy, or upkeep at Santo Stefano. That routine continued until 11 December 1976, when she departed Santo Stefano to return to the United States
. Arriving in Charleston on 22 December 1976, she commenced a combination of Christmas
holiday leave and upkeep and a routine post-deployment standdown.
in Portsmouth
, Virginia
, which was concluded in late November, followed by a short sea trial
period. Following refresher training at Naval Submarine School New London at New London
, Connecticut, Tunny returned to Charleston.
In July 1978, Tunnys home port was changed to Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
. She transited the Panama Canal
and briefly crossed the equator
on her voyage to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 19 August 1978. Tunny was assigned to Submarine Squadron 1
, and devoted the remainder of 1978 to operations in the Hawaiian Islands
in preparation for a 1979 deployment to the Western Pacific.
in Thailand
, and Orote Point in Guam
. She also entered the Indian Ocean
, where she visited the U.S. naval base at Diego Garcia
in the British Indian Ocean Territory
. She was a guest of the Royal Australian Navy
when she visited , the administrative center of the Royal Australian Navy's main naval base on the west coast of Australia
, located on Garden Island
just off the coast of Western Australia
near the city of Perth
, and Tunnys crew participated in the ANZAC Day
Parade in April 1979. Tunny completed her six-month deployment to the Western Pacific when she returned to Pearl Harbor in June 1979.
Tunny was deactivated while still in commission on 1 October 1997.
and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 13 March 1998. Her scrapping via the U.S. Navys Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program began on 1 October 1997 and was completed on 27 October 1998.
Sturgeon class submarine
The Sturgeon class were a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "work horses" of the submarine attack fleet throughout much of the Cold War...
attack submarine, was the second submarine 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 tunny, any of several oceanic fishes resembling the mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
.
Construction and commissioning
The contract forTunnys construction was awarded on 25 June 1968 and her keelKeel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid down on 22 May 1970 at Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
Division of Litton Industries
Litton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
. 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 10 June 1972, sponsored by Mrs. Lola Aiken, 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 26 January 1974 at her home port
Home port
A vessel's home port is the port at which it is based, which may not be the same as its port of registry shown on its registration documents and lettered on the stern of the ship's hull...
, Charleston
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...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, with Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Dennis Y. Sloan in command.
1974
Tunny remained at Charleston until March 1974, when she moved to GrotonGroton, 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....
, 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...
, for two weeks of in-port training at the submarine base. Between March and June 1974, she conducted 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...
training in the West Indies and along the United States East Coast. From June to August 1974, she conducted operations out of Charleston before heading north to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
at Kittery
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...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, where she began post-shakedown overhaul
Overhaul
Overhaul may refer to:*Overhaul , a Transformers character*The process of overhauling...
on 12 August 1974. She completed repairs on 5 October 1974 and headed back to Charleston, where she resumed normal training operations.
1975
In February 1975, Tunny began preparations for her first deployment to the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. She stood out of Charleston on 6 March 1975 and headed across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. She came under operational control of the United States Sixth Fleet on 16 March 1975. During the first part of her tour in the Mediterranean, she operated with Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
60, conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises with the other ships of the task force. Following refit and upkeep alongside a submarine tender
Submarine tender
A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...
in June and early July 1975 at Santo Stefano
Santo Stefano (island)
Santo Stefano is an island in the Maddalena archipelago of northern Sardinia, Italy, and part of the Maddalena National Park. It is largely uninhabited and it is mainly known for its hosting of a NATO Naval Base and Italian Navy munitions magazines Apart from the military, the only residences on...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Tunny rejoined the Sixth Fleet as a unit of Task Force 69 and resumed antisubmarine warfare training. After participating in a major Sixth Fleet exercise late in July and early in August 1975, she departed the Mediterranean for home. She changed operational control from the Sixth Fleet to the United States Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force on 17 August 1975 and arrived in Charleston, concluding her deployment, on 29 August 1975. After a routine post-deployment standdown in September and repairs and alterations Charleston Naval Shipyard
Charleston Naval Shipyard
Charleston Naval Shipyard was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston...
at Charleston in October and November, she resumed operations—mostly attack submarine training—out of Charleston on 20 November 1975.
1976
Attack submarine training along the South Carolina and FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
coasts occupied her time during January 1976. February 1976 brought inspections and examinations and, in March 1976, she participated in two special operations designed to help develop and evaluate submarine tactics. In May 1976, Tunny began preparations for her second tour of duty with the Sixth Fleet but did not embark upon that assignment for over two months. In the meantime, she conducted an exercise in naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
warfare in June 1976. Finally, on 26 July 1976, she departed Charleston on her way to the Mediterranean. Following a visit to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, she joined the Sixth Fleet on 11 August 1976. After a month of antisubmarine warfare training, highlighted by Exercise "National Week XXI", she put into Santo Stefano for a month of upkeep alongside submarine tender . In October 1976, she returned to sea for antisubmarine warfare training operations punctuated periodically with a visit to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy, or upkeep at Santo Stefano. That routine continued until 11 December 1976, when she departed Santo Stefano to return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Arriving in Charleston on 22 December 1976, she commenced a combination of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holiday leave and upkeep and a routine post-deployment standdown.
1977
January 1977 found Tunny undergoing an extensive upkeep following her Mediterranean deployment. She then resumed operations off the U.S. East Coast which extended through the spring and summer months. In mid-September 1977, she commenced a two-month period of repairs and alterations at the Norfolk Naval ShipyardNorfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which was concluded in late November, followed by a short sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
period. Following refresher training at Naval Submarine School New London at New London
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....
, Connecticut, Tunny returned to Charleston.
1978
Tunny spent January and part of February 1978 preparing for a North Atlantic Ocean deployment which commenced in late February and concluded in late April. Tunny made stops in Dunoon, Scotland and Portland, England.In July 1978, Tunnys home port was changed 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...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. She 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...
and briefly crossed the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
on her voyage to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 19 August 1978. Tunny was assigned to Submarine Squadron 1
Submarine Squadron 1
Submarine Squadron 1 is a squadron of submarines of the United States Navy based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Pearl Harbor, HI under the command of Captain Robinson . The submarines that make up SUBRON 1 include:-See also:...
, and devoted the remainder of 1978 to operations in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
in preparation for a 1979 deployment to the Western Pacific.
1979-1997
Tunny departed for Western Pacific at the beginning of 1979. She visited various ports during the deployment, including Amphoe SattahipAmphoe Sattahip
Sattahip is a district in the province Chonburi, Thailand. It is located at the southern tip of the province, close to the tourism center Pattaya.-Geography:...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Orote Point in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. She also entered the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, where she visited the U.S. naval base at Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
in the British Indian Ocean Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
The British Indian Ocean Territory or Chagos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom situated in the Indian Ocean, halfway between Africa and Indonesia...
. She was a guest of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
when she visited , the administrative center of the Royal Australian Navy's main naval base on the west coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, located on Garden Island
Garden Island (Western Australia)
Garden Island is a slender island about ten kilometres long and one and a half kilometres wide, lying about off the Western Australian coast, to which it is now linked by a man-made causeway....
just off the coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
near the city of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and Tunnys crew participated in the ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
Parade in April 1979. Tunny completed her six-month deployment to the Western Pacific when she returned to Pearl Harbor in June 1979.
Tunny was deactivated while still in commission on 1 October 1997.
Decommissioning and disposal
Tunny was both decommissionedShip decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
and 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 13 March 1998. Her scrapping via the U.S. Navys Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program began on 1 October 1997 and was completed on 27 October 1998.