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Sargo-class submarine

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USSSearavenduring her sea trials on 13 May 1940
Class overview
NameSargoclass
BuildersElectric Boat Company,Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,Mare Island Naval Shipyard[2]
OperatorsUnited States Navy
Preceded bySalmonclass[1]
Succeeded byTamborclass[1]
Built1937–1939[2]
In commission1939–1946[2]
Completed10[1]
Lost4[1]
Retired6[1]
General characteristics
TypeCompositedirect-driveanddiesel-electric(first 6) or fulldiesel-electric(last 4)submarine[1]
Displacement
  • 1,450tons(1473t) standard, surfaced[3]
  • 2,350 tons (2,388 t) submerged[3]
Length310 ft 6 in (94.64 m)[3]
Beam26 ft 10 in (8.18 m)[3]
Draft16 ft 7½ in – 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)[3]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced[3]
  • 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[3]
Range11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)[3]
Endurance48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged[3]
Test depth250 ft (76 m) Crush Depth Possible 450 ft (140 m)[3]
Complement5 officers, 54 enlisted[3]
Armament

TheSargo-class submarineswere among the first United Statessubmarinesto be sent into action after the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor,starting war patrols the day after the attack, having been deployed to thePhilippinesin late 1941. Similar to the previousSalmonclass,they were built between 1937 and 1939. With a top speed of 21 knots, a range of 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) (allowing patrols inJapanesehome waters), and a reliable propulsion plant, along with theSalmons they were an important step in the development of a truefleet submarine.In some references, theSalmons andSargos are called the "New S Class", 1st and 2nd Groups.[6]

TheSargo-class submarineUSSSwordfish(SS-193)had the distinction of being the first US Navy submarine to sink a Japanese ship inWorld War II.

Design

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In most features theSargos were a repeat of theSalmons, except for the return to fulldiesel-electricdrive for the last four boats and the adoption of the improvedSargobatterydesign. The first sixSargos were driven by a compositedirect-driveand diesel-electric plant (two engines in each mode) in the same manner as theSalmons. In this arrangement, two main engines in the forward engine room drovegenerators.In the after engine room, two side-by-side engines were clutched toreduction gearswhich sat forward of the engines, with vibration-isolating hydraulic clutches. Two high-speedelectric motors,driven by the generating engines or batteries, were also connected to each reduction gear.[7]TheBureau of Steam Engineering(BuEng) and theGeneral Boarddesired a full diesel-electric plant, but there were some dissenting opinions, notably AdmiralThomas C. Hart,the only experienced submariner on the General Board, who pointed out that a full diesel-electric system could be disabled by flooding.[8]Technical problems went against the use of two largedirect-drivediesels in place of the four-engine composite plant. No engine of suitable power to reach the desired 21-knot speed existed in the US, and the current vibration-isolating hydraulic clutches were not capable of transmitting enough power. It was also not practical to gear two engines to each shaft.[8]So a full diesel-electric plant was adopted for the last fourSargos, and remained standard for all subsequent conventionally-powered US submarines.

Four of the class (Sargo,Saury,Spearfish,andSeadragon) were equipped with the troublesomeHooven-Owens-Rentschler(HOR)double-actingdiesels. An attempt to produce more power from a smaller engine than other contemporary designs, the double-acting system proved unreliable in service. DuringWorld War II,all had their engines replaced withGMCleveland Diesel16-278A engines, probably during their overhauls in early 1943.[9]

BuEng had designed a newlead-acid batteryto resist battle damage, known as theSargobattery because it was first installed onSargoand was based on a suggestion by her commissioningcommanding officer,Lieutenant E. E. Yeomans.[10]Instead of a single hard rubber case, it had two concentric hard rubber cases with a layer of soft rubber between them. This was to preventsulfuric acidleakage in the event one case cracked duringdepth-charging.[11]This remained the standard battery design until replaced with Sargo II and GUPPY batteries in submarines upgraded under theGreater Underwater Propulsion Power ProgramafterWorld War II.Each battery's capacity was slightly increased by installing 126cellsinstead of 120; this also raised the nominal voltage from 250voltsto 270 volts, which has been standard in US usage ever since, including the backup batteries ofnuclear submarines.

The original Mark 213-inch (76 mm)/50 caliberdeck gunproved to be too light in service. It lacked sufficient punch to finish off crippled or small targets quickly enough to suit the crews. It was replaced by the Mark 94-inch (102 mm)/50 caliber gunin 1943-44, in most cases removed from anS-boatbeing transferred to training duty.[12]

Ships in class

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Name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Fate
Sargo SS-188 Electric Boat,Groton, Connecticut 12 May 1937 6 June 1938 7 February 1939 Sold for scrap 19 May 1947 toLearner CompanyofOakland, California
Saury SS-189 28 June 1937 20 August 1938 3 April 1939 Sold for scrap 19 May 1947 to Learner Company of Oakland, California
Spearfish SS-190 9 September 1937 29 October 1938 12 July 1939 Sold for scrap 19 May 1947 to Learner Company of Oakland, California
Sculpin SS-191 Portsmouth Navy Yard,Kittery, Maine 7 September 1937 27 July 1938 16 January 1939 Damaged by depth charges and gunfire from theYamagumo19 November 1943; scuttled
Squalus SS-192 18 October 1937 14 September 1938 1 March 1939 Sank on trials 23 May 1939; raised and recommissioned asSailfish15 May 1940; sold for scrap 18 June 1948 toLuria Brothers and CompanyofPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania
Swordfish SS-193 Mare Island Navy Yard,Vallejo, California 27 October 1937 4 January 1939 22 July 1939 Lost on or about 12 January 1945 presumed sunk by mine or by depth charge by Japanese anti-submarine vessel
Seadragon SS-194 Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut 18 April 1938 21 April 1939 23 October 1939 Sold for scrap 2 July 1948 to Luria Brothers and Company of Philadelphia
Sealion SS-195 20 June 1938 25 May 1939 27 November 1939 Bombed by Japanese aircraft atCavite Navy Yard10 December 1941; scuttled 25 December 1941
Searaven SS-196 Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine 9 August 1938 21 June 1939 2 October 1939 Target inOperation Crossroadsatomic bomb test atBikini Atoll1946, later expended as target 11 September 1948
Seawolf SS-197 27 September 1938 15 August 1939 1 December 1939 Sunk by "friendly fire"from the destroyer escortUSSRichard M. Rowell3 October 1944

Service

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Periscope photo of a Japanese merchant ship sinking after being torpedoed bySeawolf.

From commissioning until late 1941 the first sixSargos were based first atSan Diego,later atPearl Harbor.The last four were sent to thePhilippinesshortly after commissioning. In October 1941, the remainingSargos and most other newer available submarines were transferred to theAsiatic Fleetin thePhilippinesas part of a belated effort to reinforce U.S. andAlliedforces in Southeast Asia. TheJapaneseoccupation of southernIndo-Chinaand the August 1941 American-British-Dutch retaliatory oil embargo had raised international tensions.[13]

After the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harboron 7 December 1941, the submarines of the Asiatic Fleet were the primary striking force available toAdmiralThomas C. Hart,the fleet's commander. He was assigned sixteenSalmons orSargos; the entirety of both classes.[14]SevenPorpoise-class and sixS-boatsrounded out the force.[15]TheJapanesedid not bomb the Philippines until 10 December 1941, so almost all of the submarines were able to get underway before an attack.SealionandSeadragonwere the unlucky exceptions. In overhaul at theCavite Navy Yard,Sealionwas damaged beyond repair and was scuttled on 25 December.Seadragon,assisted byUSSCanopusandUSSPigeon,was able to leave port with emergency repairs and went on to fight for most of the war.

TheSargoclass was very active during the war, sinking 73 ships, including a Japanese submarine. Four were lost, including one to "friendly fire".

Sailfishof this class sank theJapanese aircraft carrierChūyō,which was carrying 21 survivors from the submarineSculpin;only one of these prisoners survived the sinking.Sculpinhad been one of the ships assisting in the rescue of 33 men whenSqualussank during a test dive in 1939;Squaluswas refloated and recommissioned asUSSSailfish.

In early 1945 the surviving boats of this class were transferred to training roles for the remainder of the war, eventually being scrapped in 1947-48.Searavenwas used in theBikini Atollatomic weapon tests in 1946. There was negligible damage so she was later expended as a target in 1948.Sailfishwas also due to become a target in the same atomic weapon tests but she was scrapped instead in 1948.

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^abcdefghijkBauer, K. Jack;Roberts, Stephen S. (1991).Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants.Westport, Connecticut:Greenwood Press. pp. 269–270.ISBN0-313-26202-0.
  2. ^abcFriedman, Norman(1995).U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History.Annapolis, Maryland:United States Naval Institute.pp. 285–304.ISBN1-55750-263-3.
  3. ^abcdefghijklmnU.S. Submarines Through 1945pp. 305–311
  4. ^U.S. Submarines Through 1945pp. 202–204, 310
  5. ^Friedman, p. 310
  6. ^Silverstone, pp. 190-193
  7. ^Friedman, p. 203
  8. ^abFriedman, p. 204
  9. ^Friedman, pp. 263, 360-361
  10. ^Friedman, p. 265
  11. ^The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia,Sargo-class article
  12. ^Alden, p.93.
  13. ^Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Shipsonline at Hazegray.org
  14. ^Blair, p.82fn.
  15. ^US submarine deployment 7 December 1941

Sources

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