USS Whale (SS-239)
Submarine of the United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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USS Whale (SS-239), a Gato-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for a whale, an extremely large, aquatic mammal that is fishlike in form. The USS Cachalot (SS-170) (Cachalot, another name for a Sperm Whale) commissioned on 1 December 1933 preceded the Whale.
History | |
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United States | |
Builder | Mare Island Naval Shipyard[1] |
Laid down | 28 June 1941[1] |
Launched | 14 March 1942[1] |
Sponsored by | Mrs. A. D. Denny |
Commissioned | 1 June 1942[1] |
Decommissioned | 1 June 1946[1] |
Stricken | 1 March 1960[1] |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 14 October 1960[1] |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Gato-class diesel-electric submarine[2] |
Displacement | |
Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2] |
Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2] |
Draft | 17 ft (5.2 m) maximum[2] |
Propulsion |
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Speed | |
Range | 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 kn (19 km/h)[6] |
Endurance |
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Test depth | 300 ft (90 m)[6] |
Complement | 6 officers, 54 enlisted[6] |
Armament |
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Her keel was laid down on 28 June 1941 by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Vallejo, California. She was launched on 14 March 1942 (sponsored by Mrs. A. D. Denny, wife of Captain A. D. Denny, the commanding officer of the shipyard), and commissioned on 1 June 1942, with Lieutenant Commander (Lt. Cmdr.) John B. Azer in command.
Dock trials and initial shakedown training commenced on 30 July. The submarine—escorted by destroyer Kilty (DD-137)—departed San Francisco, California, on 4 August and arrived at San Diego, California, two days later. Between 30 July and 9 September, she conducted type training in the San Diego and San Francisco areas.