USS Bass (SS-164) / (V-2 (SF-5)

History

The USS Bass was one of three "V-boat" (Barracuda-class) submarines authorized by the U.S. government in 1916 and funded in 1919. They completely missed the fighting of World War I (1914-1918) and marked the first ships built in the postwar period.

The USS Bass was the second ship of the group and was laid down at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 20 October 1921. She was launched on December 27, 1924, and officially commissioned as "V-2 (SF-5)" on September 26, 1925, beginning a career that would last until World War II (1939-1945).

When built, she displaces 2,155 tons when surfaced and 2,545 tons underwater. She showed a length of 326 feet, a beam of 27.5 feet and a draft of 15 feet. This makes them significantly larger than previous S-class ships.

The installed power adopts a direct-drive hybrid diesel and diesel-electric arrangement. Top speed in ideal conditions can reach 21 knots (surfaced) and range up to 6,000 nautical miles (surfaced). The ship is classified as a "Fast Fleet Ship".

88 personnel inside, armament includes 6 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (4 front, 2 rear) and 12 torpedo rounds. Carry a 1 x 5" (127 mm) deck gun for ground operations. In 1928, the gun was replaced by a 1 x 3" (76 mm) /50 caliber unit.

USS Bass made several trips initially. On March 9, 1931, she was officially named USS Bass, as she was only considered SF-5 until then. In addition to officers and soldiers, her crew now includes the Chief Non-commissioned Officer.

On July 1, 1931, her hull designation was changed from SF-5 to "SS-164". After that, various cruise ships appeared in her plans until she was reserved on June 9, 1937.

With the outbreak of war in Europe, the USS Bass came back online on 5 September 1940 and became part of the Atlantic Fleet. She was in the Panama Canal Zone when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese Navyan event that pushed the United States into a formal war. Since then, the USS Bass has conducted four full-scale war patrols. On August 17, 1942, a fire broke out in her rear battery room, killing 26 crew members. She then underwent an overhaul at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and in 1943 the torpedo tubes and deck guns were removed to convert it into a cargo submarine.

These changes effectively lowered her performance stats, although the ship was never used for the role. Before the end of the year, the USS Bass was involved in several top-secret experiments off Berk Island, New York, eventually making her facility available to trainers.

She returned to Philadelphia waters for repairs in early 1944 and has since operated again as part of the Atlantic Fleet. She was officially decommissioned on March 3, 1945, and used as a floating torpedo target on March 12, 1945. It sank on July 14 of the same year.

Early V-boats were notorious for their poor performance and would never reach their advertised top speed due to unreliable engine modifications. They held heavy bows, which also made them less seaworthy (leading to the removal of the heavier 5" deck guns in 1928).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

ARMAMENT

AIR WING