Balao-class submarine

USS Balao in 1944
Class overview
Name	Balao class
Builders	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cramp Shipbuilding Company Mare Island Naval Shipyard Electric Boat Company Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company[2]
Operators	United States Navy  Italian Navy   Turkish Navy  Hellenic Navy  Peruvian Navy  Argentine Navy  Chilean Navy  Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela  Republic of China Navy  Royal Canadian Navy  Brazilian Navy  Royal Netherlands Navy  Spanish Navy
Preceded by	Gato class
Succeeded by	Tench class
Built	1942–1946[1]
In commission	1943–present[1]
Completed	120[2]
Cancelled	62[2]
Active	1
Lost	14 (11 in United States service, 3 in foreign service)[2]
Retired	105[2]
Preserved	8[2]
General characteristics
Type	Diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced,[2] 2,391–2,424 tons (2,429–2463 t) submerged[2]
Length	311 ft 6 in–311 ft 10 in (94.9–95.0 m)[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in–27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion	4 × electrical generators (Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors);[2] 2 × 126- batteries;[3] 4 × high-speed electric motors with reduction gears or 2 × low-speed electric motors (Elliott Company or General Electric)[2] two shafts;[2] 5,400 shp (4,000 kW) surfaced,[2] 2,740 shp (2,040 kW) submerged[2]
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced,[3] 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[3]
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)[3]
Endurance	48 hours @ 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged,[3] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted men[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes[4] 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun[4] Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

The Balao class was a design of

Design

The Balaos were similar to the Gatos, except they were modified to increase test depth from 300 ft (90 m) to 400 ft (120 m). In late 1941, two of the Navy's leading submarine designers, Captain Andrew McKee and Commander Armand Morgan, met to explore increasing diving depth in a redesigned Gato. A switch to a new High-Tensile Steel (HTS) alloy, combined with an increase in hull thickness from 9⁄16 inch (14.3 mm) to 7⁄8 inch (22.2 mm), would result in a test depth of 450 ft (140 m) and a collapse depth of 900 ft (270 m). However, the limited capacity of the trim pump at deep depths, and lack of time to design a new pump, caused Rear Admiral E. L. Cochrane, Chief of the Bureau of Ships, to limit test depth to 400 ft (120 m). Fortunately, in 1944 a redesigned Gould centrifugal pump replaced the noisy early-war pump, and effective diving depth was increased.^[9]

The Balaos incorporated the

For the masts and periscope shears, the original arrangement for both the Government and Electric Boat designs had (forward to aft) the two tapered cone shaped periscope support shears, followed by a thin mast for the SJ surface search radar, and then by a thin mast for the SD air search radar. There were minor differences in how the periscopes were braced against vibration, but both designs were nearly identical. About halfway through their production run, Electric Boat altered their design, moving the SJ radar mast forward of the periscopes, then altered it again a few boats later by enlarging the SD radar mast. Late in the war, many Balaos built with the original design had the SD air search radar moved slightly aft onto a thickened and taller mast. These mast arrangements, along with the tremendous variation in the gun layout as the war progressed account for the numerous exterior detail differences among the boats, to the point that at any given time no two Balaos looked exactly alike.[11]

Engines

The propulsion of the Balao-class submarines was generally similar to that of the preceding Gato-class. Like their predecessors, they were true

Balao-class submarines received main engines from one of two manufacturers. General Motors Cleveland Model 16-278A V-type diesels or Fairbanks-Morse 38D 8-1/8 nine-cylinder opposed-piston engine. The General Motors Cleveland Model 16-248 V-type as original installations, while boats from Sand Lance onward received 10-cylinder engines. Earlier General Motors boats received Model 16-248 engines, but beginning with Perch Model 16-278A engines were used. In each case, the newer engines had greater displacement than the old, but were rated at the same power; they operated at lower mean effective pressure for greater reliability.

Two submarines, Unicorn and Vendace, were to receive Hooven-Owens-Rentschler (H.O.R.) diesels, which proved unreliable on previous classes, but both boats were cancelled.

Two manufacturers supplied electric motors for the Balao class. Elliott Company motors were fitted primarily to boats with Fairbanks-Morse engines. General Electric motors were fitted primarily to boats with General Motors engines, but some Fairbanks-Morse boats received General Electric motors. Allis-Chalmers motors were to be used in SS-530 through SS-536, but those seven boats were cancelled before even receiving names.^[14]

Earlier submarines carried four high-speed

Many targets in the

Like the previous Tambor/Gar and Gato classes, the Balao class could substitute mines in place of torpedoes. For the Mk 10 and Mk 12 type mines used in World War II, each torpedo could be replaced by as many as two mines, giving the submarine a true maximum capacity of 48 mines. However, doctrine was to retain at least four torpedoes on mine laying missions, which further limits the capacity to 40 mines, and this is often stated as the maximum in various publications. In practice during the war, submarines went out with at least 8 torpedoes, and the largest minefields laid were 32 mines. Post-war, the Mk 49 mine replaced the Mk 12, while the larger Mk 27 mine was also carried which only allowed one mine replacing one torpedo.[19]

Ships in class

This was the most numerous US submarine class; 120 of these boats were commissioned from February 1943 through September 1948, with 12 commissioned postwar. Nine of the 52 US submarines lost in World War II were of this class, along with five lost postwar, including one in Turkish service in 1953, one in Argentine service in the

The Balaos began to enter service in mid-1943, as the many problems with the

Nine Balaos were lost in World War II, while two US boats were lost in postwar accidents. In foreign service, one in Turkish service was lost in a collision in 1953, one in Peruvian service was lost in a collision in 1988, and Catfish was sold to the Argentinian Navy. She was renamed the ARA Santa Fe (S-21) and was lost in the 1982 Falklands War after being damaged, when she sank while moored pierside. Santa Fe was refloated and disposed of a few years after the war by being taken out to deep water and scuttled.

Additionally, Lancetfish, commissioned but incomplete and still under construction, flooded and sank pierside at the Boston Navy Yard on 15 March 1945, after a yard worker mistakenly opened the inner door of an aft torpedo tube that already had the outer door open. No personnel were lost in the accident and she was raised, decommissioned, and never completed or repaired.^[2][29][30] Her 42 days in commission is the record for the shortest commissioned service of any USN submarine. Postwar, she was laid up in the Reserve Fleet until stricken in 1958 and scrapped in 1959.

Balao class losses

Notable submarines

• Tang was second on the list of number of ships sunk with 33 and first on the list of tonnage with 116,454. Her third war patrol was the most successful of any U.S. submarine with 10 ships for 39,100 tons. Sunk in the Taiwan Strait by a circular run of her own torpedo, her skipper Richard O'Kane and eight others escaped; some escaped the submerged wreck with the only known successful use of the Momsen Lung. Tang's survivors were imprisoned by the Japanese for the rest of the war. After his release following the Japanese surrender, Richard O'Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions commanding Tang during the convoy battles of 24 and 25 October 1944.
• Archerfish sank the aircraft carrier Shinano. Shinano is the largest ship sunk by a submarine. Commander Enright was awarded the Navy Cross.

Postwar service history

Postwar, 55 Balaos were modernized under the Fleet Snorkel and Greater Underwater Propulsion Power (

Interested in maintaining a ready pool of trained reservists, the Navy assigned at least 58 submarines from 1946 to 1971 to various coastal and inland ports (even in Great Lakes ports like Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit), where they served as training platforms during the Reservists' weekend drills. At least 20 Balao-class boats served in this capacity. In this role, the boats were rendered incapable of diving and had their propellers removed. They were used strictly as pierside trainers. These were in commission but classed as "in service in reserve", thus some were decommissioned and recommissioned on the same day to reflect the change in status.^[32][33][34]

Foreign service

The large numbers of relatively modern, but surplus U.S. fleet submarines proved to be popular in sales, loans, or leases to allied foreign navies. 46 Balao-class submarines were transferred to foreign navies, some shortly after World War II, others after serving nearly 30 years in the US Navy. These included 17 to Turkey, 2 to Greece, 3 to Italy, 2 to the Netherlands, 5 to Spain, 2 to Venezuela, 4 to Argentina, 5 to Brazil, 2 to Chile, 2 to Peru, 1 to Canada and 1 to Taiwan.

This was the first production GUPPY conversion, with most conversions occurring in 1947–49. Thirteen Balao-class boats (Catfish, Clamagore, Cobbler, Cochino, Corporal, Cubera, Diodon, Dogfish, Greenfish, Halfbeak, Tiru, Trumpetfish, and Tusk) received GUPPY II upgrades. This was the only production conversion with Guppy batteries.

GUPPY IA

This was developed as a more cost-effective alternative to GUPPY II. Nine Balao-class boats (Atule, Becuna, Blackfin, Blenny, Caiman, Chivo, Chopper, Sea Poacher, and Sea Robin) were converted in 1951–52. The less expensive Sargo II battery was introduced, along with other cost-saving measures.

Fleet Snorkel

The Fleet Snorkel program was developed as an austere, cost-effective alternative to full GUPPY conversions, with significantly less improvement in submerged performance. Twenty-three Balao-class boats (Bergall, Besugo, Brill, Bugara, Carbonero, Carp, Charr, Chub, Cusk, Guitarro, Kraken, Lizardfish, Mapiro, Mero, Piper, Sabalo, Sablefish, Scabbardfish, Sea Cat, Sea Owl, Segundo, Sennet, and Sterlet) received this upgrade, six immediately prior to foreign transfer. Most Fleet Snorkel conversions occurred 1951–52. Unlike the GUPPY conversions, the original pair of Sargo batteries were not upgraded. Each boat received a streamlined sail with a snorkel, along with upgraded sonar, air conditioning, and ESM. The original bow was left in place, except on three boats (Piper, Sea Owl, and Sterlet) that received additional upper bow sonar equipment.^[37] A few boats initially retained the 5"/25 deck gun, but this was removed in the early 1950s.

GUPPY IIA

This was generally similar to GUPPY IA, except one of the forward diesel engines was removed to relieve machinery overcrowding. Thirteen Balao-class boats (Bang, Diodon, Entemedor, Hardhead, Jallao, Menhaden, Picuda, Pomfret, Razorback, Ronquil, Sea Fox, Stickleback, and Threadfin) received GUPPY IIA upgrades in 1952–54. One of these, Diodon, had previously been upgraded to GUPPY II.

GUPPY IB

This was developed as an austere upgrade for two Gato-class and two Balao-class boats (Hawkbill and Icefish) prior to transfer to foreign navies in 1953–55. They lacked the sonar and electronics upgrades of other GUPPY conversions.

GUPPY III

Nine submarines, six of them Balaos (Clamagore, Cobbler, Corporal, Greenfish, Tiru, and Trumpetfish), were upgraded from GUPPY II to GUPPY III in 1959-63 as part of the

The SSRs proved only moderately successful, as the radars themselves proved troublesome and somewhat unreliable, and the boats' surface speed was insufficient to protect a fast-moving carrier group. The radars were removed and the boats reverted to general purpose submarines after 1959. Burrfish was decommissioned in 1956 and, with her radar equipment removed, transferred to Canada as HMCS Grilse (SS-71) in 1961.[41]

Guided-missile submarine

The

Polaris.^[42]

A number of fleet boats were equipped with Regulus guidance equipment 1953–64, including Cusk and Carbonero following the Loon tests.

Transport submarine

British commandos on one raid in the Korean War, and operated in the Vietnam War from 1965 until assignment to Naval Reserve training in 1967 and decommissioning in 1971, followed by scrapping in 1973. Perch was replaced in the Pacific Fleet transport submarine role by Tunny in 1967 and Grayback in 1968. Sealion operated in the Atlantic, deploying for the Cuban Missile Crisis and numerous SOF-related exercises. She was decommissioned in 1970 and expended as a target in 1978. The LVT hangar and 5-inch gun were removed from both boats by the late 1950s. They went through several changes of designation in their careers: ASSP in 1950, APSS in 1956, and LPSS in 1968.^[43][2]

Sonar test submarine

Baya was redesignated as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS) in 1949 and converted to a sonar test submarine in 1958–59 to test a system known as LORAD. This included a 12-foot (3.7 m) extension aft of the forward torpedo room, with 40-foot (12 m) swing-out arrays near the bow. Later, three large domes were installed topside for a wide aperture array.^[44]

Cargo submarine

Barbero was converted to a cargo submarine and redesignated as an SSA in 1948. The forward engine room, after torpedo room, and all reload torpedo racks were gutted to provide cargo space. From October 1948 until March 1950, she took part in an experimental program to evaluate her capabilities as a cargo carrier. Experimentation ended in early 1950, and she was decommissioned into the reserve on 30 June 1950. In 1955, she was converted to a Regulus missile submarine and redesignated as an SSG.^[45]

Operational submarines

As of 2007 Tusk, a Balao-class submarine, was one of the last two operational submarines in the world built during World War II. The boat was transferred to Taiwan's Republic of China Navy in the early 1970s. The Tench-class ex-Cutlass is the other one. They are named Hai Pao and Hai Shih, respectively, in Taiwanese service.^[46][47]

Museums

Six Balao-class submarines are open to public viewing. They primarily depend on revenue generated by visitors to keep them operational and up to U.S. Navy standards; each boat gets a yearly inspection and a "report card". Some boats, like Batfish and Pampanito, encourage youth functions and allow a group of volunteers to sleep overnight in the crew's quarters.

Surviving ships

The following is a complete list of Balao-class museum boats:

• USS Batfish (SS-310) at War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma^[48]
• USS Becuna (SS-319) at Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia^[49]
• USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Honolulu^[50]
• USS Lionfish (SS-298) at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts^[51]
• USS Pampanito (SS-383) at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco^[52]
• USS Razorback (SS-394) at Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock, Arkansas^[53]

USS Clamagore (SS-343) served as a museum boat at Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina until being closed in 2021 and scrapped two years later. Additionally the USS Ling (SS-297) is aground in the Hackensack River at the site of the former New Jersey Naval Museum. As of 2022, efforts to find a new home for this vessel have been unsuccessful.

Surviving parts

• USS Ling (SS-297) at New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, New Jersey
  (Sail)
• USS Baya (SS-318) at Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum in Vallejo, California (Periscope)
• USS Pintado (SS-387) at National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas (Conning Tower)
• USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Honolulu
  (Conning Tower)
• USS Balao (SS-285) at Washington Navy Yard in Washington D.C. (Conning Tower)

See also

• List of most successful American submarines in World War II
• List of lost United States submarines
• Allied submarines in the Pacific War
• List of ship classes of the Second World War
• List of Balao-class Submarines

References

Citations

1. ^ ^{a b} Friedman through 1945, pp. 285–304.
2. ^
   ISBN 0-313-26202-0
   .
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Friedman through 1945, pp. 305–311.
4. ^ ^{a b} U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
5. ^ Peter T. Sasgen (2002). Red Scorpion: The War Patrols of the USS Rasher. Naval Institute Press. p. 17.
6. ^ Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 40.
7. ^ Richard H. O'Kane (1977). Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang. Presidio Press. p. 111.
8. ^ Farley, Robert (18 October 2014). "The Five Best Submarines of All Time". The National Interest.
9. ^ Friedman through 1945, pp. 208-209
10. ^ A Visual Guide to the U.S. Fleet Submarines Part Three: Balao and Tench Classes 1942–1950 pp. 2-3, Johnston, David (2012) PigBoats.COM
11. ^ Johnston, pp. 3-10
12. ISBN 0-85368-203-8
    .
13. ^ Stern, Robert C. (2006). "Gato-Class Submarines in action" (PDF) (Press release). Squadron Signal Publications. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
14. ^ "Submarine Electrical Systems". www.maritime.org/.
15. ^ Bauer and Roberts, p. 275
16. ^ Friedman through 1945, pp. 209-210
17. ^ Johnston, pp. 3-6
18. ^ Friedman 1995, pp. 218-219
19. ^ ORD696 Operational Characteristics of U.S. Naval Mines
20. ^ United States Submarine Losses in World War II, Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington: 1963 (Fifth Printing)
21. ^ Fleet Submarine index at NavSource.org
22. ^ Lenton, p. 94
23. ^ Friedman through 1945, p. 209
24. ^ Lenton, pp. 100-102
25. ^ Silverstone, p. 203
26. ^ Silverstone, pp. 203-204
27. ^ Gardiner and Chesneau, pp. 145-147
28. ^ O'Kane 1989, p. 458
29. ^ Friedman through 1945, p. 297
30. ^ Silverstone, p. 199
31. ^ ^{a b} GUPPY and other diesel boat conversions page
32. ^ Friedman 1995, p. 285
33. ^ Reserve Training Boats at SubmarineSailor.com
34. ^ ^{a b} Friedman since 1945, pp. 228-231
35. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 41
36. ^ ^{a b} Friedman since 1945, pp. 35-43
37. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 82
38. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 37
39. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 43
40. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 253
41. ^ "Whitman, Edward C. "Cold War Curiosities: U.S. Radar Picket Submarines", Undersea Warfare, Winter-Spring 2002, Issue 14". Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
42. ^ Friedman since 1945, pp. 177-183
43. ^ Friedman since 1945, pp. 86-88
44. ^ Friedman since 1945, pp. 65-68
45. ^ Friedman since 1945, p. 89
46. ^ Museum documents an operating US, WW II built submarine in Taiwan
47. ^ Jimmy Chuang (17 April 2007). "World's longest-serving sub feted". Taipei Times. p. 2.
48. ^ "Muskogee War Memorial Park website". Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
49. ^ "USS Becuna memorial website". Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
50. ^ USS Bowfin memorial website
51. ^ Battleship Cove website
52. ^ USS Pampanito memorial website
53. ^ "Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum website". Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.

Bibliography

• ISBN 1-55750-263-3
  .
• ISBN 1-55750-260-9
  .
• Lenton, H. T. (1973). American Submarines. New York: Doubleday.
  ISBN 0-385-04761-4
  .
• Silverstone, Paul H. (1989) [1965]. U.S. Warships of World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.
  ISBN 0-87021-773-9
  .
• Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. London: Conway Maritime Press.
  ISBN 0-83170-303-2
  .
• ISBN 978-0-89141-346-2
  . Different pagination than 1977 edition.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Balao class submarines.

• On Eternal Patrol, website for lost US subs
• A Visual Guide to the U.S. Fleet Submarines Part Five: Balao and Tench Classes 1942-1950
• Fleet Type Submarine Training Manual San Francisco Maritime Museum
• Description of GUPPY conversions at RNSubs.co.uk
• GUPPY and other diesel boat conversions page (partial archive)
• Navsource.org fleet submarines photo index page
• https://web.archive.org/web/20140322093118/http://www.fleetsubmarine.com/sublist.html
• DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com later 3"/50 caliber gun
• DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com 4"/50 caliber gun
• DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com 5"/25 caliber gun