USS Caiman

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Caiman (SS-323), Spring 1951 following GUPPY upgrade.
Caiman (SS-323), spring 1951, following GUPPY upgrade.
History
United States
NameUSS Caiman (SS-323)
NamesakeThe
crocodilians of Central America and South America
BuilderElectric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down24 June 1943[1]
Launched30 March 1944[1]
Commissioned17 July 1944[1]
Decommissioned30 June 1972[1]
Stricken30 June 1972[2]
FateTransferred to Turkey, 30 June 1972[1]
Turkey
NameTCG Dumlupınar (S 339)
Commissioned24 August 1972
Decommissioned6 February 1983
RenamedCeryan Botu (Y-1247) 6 February 1983
ReclassifiedCharging boat 6 February 1983
In service6 February 1983
Out of service15 September 1986
FateRetired 15 September 1986
General characteristics (As completed)
Class and type
diesel-electric submarine[2]
Displacement
  • 1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced[2]
  • 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged[2]
Length311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2]
Beam27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced[3]
  • 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[3]
Range11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[3]
Endurance
  • 48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged[3]
  • 75 days on patrol
Test depth400 ft (120 m)[3]
Complement10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[3]
Armament
General characteristics (Guppy IA)
Class and typenone
Displacement
  • 1,830 tons (1,859 t) surfaced[6]
  • 2,440 tons (2,479 t) submerged[6]
Length307 ft 7 in (93.8 m)[5]
Beam27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)[5]
Draft17 ft (5.2 m)[5]
Propulsion
Speed
  • Surfaced:
  • 17.3 knots (32.0 km/h) maximum
  • 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h) cruising
  • Submerged:
  • 15.0 knots (27.8 km/h) for ½ hour
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h) snorkeling
  • 3.0 knots (5.6 km/h) cruising[6]
Range17,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (20 km/h)[5]
Endurance36 hours at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged[5]
Complement
  • 10 officers
  • 5 petty officers
  • 64–69 enlisted men
Armament

USS Caiman (SS-323), a

Security Assistance Program
, where she was recommissioned as the third TCG Dumlupınar. She was retired in 1986.

Career (US)

Originally Blanquillo, the vessel was renamed on 24 September 1942 after the

Pacific Fleet
.

During

Fremantle
, Australia, on 22 January 1945 to refit.

Her second patrol, performed in the South China Sea and off the

U.S. Navy
.

Returning to Fremantle 27 June from her patrol area off southern

Indo-China and western Borneo, the submarine refitted for her fourth war patrol, during which she performed three dangerous special missions, landing and later evacuating agents from the coast of Java
. On this patrol, which took place from 22 July to the end of hostilities, she sank another Japanese schooner. She returned to Subic Bay 19 August, then sailed for the West Coast.

Post-World War II, Caiman operated out of

Seattle as part of Operation Blue Nose. Thereafter, based on Seattle, she served as reserve training ship until 23 April 1951, when she began a GUPPY conversion at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Since then based at Pearl Harbor and San Diego, Caiman has alternated local operations and fleet exercises with tours of duty in the Far East at 18-month intervals. On her 1957 cruise, Brisbane
, Australia, was added to her more usual itinerary of Japanese and Philippine ports.

Career (Turkey)

For other ships with the same name, see TCG Dumlupınar.

Caiman was decommissioned, struck from the

Security Assistance Program. She arrived on 23 August 1972 to the Naval Yards in Gölcük and was commissioned the following day as the third TCG Dumlupınar (S-339) - an important name in Turkish history, and the name of the final and defining battle of the Turkish War of Independence
.

Four years after Turkey took over ex-Caiman, she suffered a collision with

the previous TCG Dumlupinar in 1953, the wreck site of which lay just 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi) away. TCG Dumlupinar was subsequently salvaged, repaired, and continued to serve in the Turkish Navy for 11 years before she was decommissioned and renamed Ceryan Botu (Y-1247) on 6 February 1983, under which name she served as a charging boat at Gölcük
Navy Yards until she was permanently retired on 15 September 1986.

Honors and awards

Of Caiman's four World War II war patrols, the last was designated "successful".

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-55750-263-3
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-313-26202-0
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
  4. ^ a b U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
  5. ^ a b c d e f U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242
  6. ^
    ISBN 1-55750-260-9
    .

External links


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