USS Narwhal (SS-167)

History of the Narwhal (SS-167)

The United States Navy (USN) continued to be interested in submarine attack platforms long after the end of World War I in November 1918. USS Narwhal (SS-167), the second ship to bear this name, became the pilot ship. The small V-5 (SC-1) class appeared in the late 1920s/early 1930s.

She was built by the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard in Kittery, Maine, and was laid on May 10, 1927. The ship was launched on December 17, 1928, and officially commissioned on May 15, 1930.

Design, internals and weapons

At this point in history, the greatest threat to American interests, especially in the Pacific, appears to be the Japanese Empire, whose expansion would soon bring Americans into World War II. As a result, it was decided that the U.S. Navy needed long-range vessels far beyond what earlier designs provided.

New boats - USS Narwhal and USS Nautilus - powered by 2 BuEng (MAN) 10-cylinder 4-stroke direct drive diesel engines, 2,350 hp each, paired with 2 BuEng (MAN) 6-cylinder 4-stroke auxiliary diesel engines, 450 hp each, rear The driver drives the Westinghouse generator, which itself produces 800 horsepower. Carry 2 120-cell Exide ULS37 battery packs.

Two propeller shafts are involved.

The boat can go at 14 knots (tested at 17 knots) when surfaced and about 8 knots when underwater. The range is 10 knots and the range is 9,380 nautical miles. It can run continuously for up to 10 hours at 5 knots. The hull has been tested to a depth of 300 feet.

There were 89 crew members on board, including 9 officers, 10 non-commissioned officers and 70 sailors. When built, the vessel had an overall length of 349 feet, a beam of 33.3 feet, and a draft of 16.11 feet.

The armament consisted of 6 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, four of which were directed towards the bow and the remaining pair towards the stern. 24 reloads were performed. 53 caliber Mark XII Mod 2 deck guns, one mounted to the front and rear of the conning tower.

Watch and War Patrol

In 1930, USS Narwhal was deployed off the coast of New England to train her new crew and entered San Diego waters via the Panama Canal in early 1931. After the overhaul, she conducted various operations and maneuvers, centered on the U.S.

West Coast prior to use, and her base was Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She lived there on December 7, 1941, the morning of the Japanese attack, which brought the United States into World War II.

Her first war patrol was in February-March 1942, she destroyed Maju Maru in the first attack and managed to capture Taki Maru shortly after. From February 1942 to April 1943, it conducted a total of 3 war patrols. Also in 1942, the ship was retrofitted with 4 General Motors Winton Model 16-278A 16-cylinder diesel electric motors, 1,600 hp each. A Fairbanks Morse reduction gear was also added.

The number of crew members increased to 97.

Their 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th War Patrols lasted from April 1943 to December 1943, followed by the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th War Patrols from January 1944 to July 1944. Their last deployment was the 13th War Patrol, the 14th and 15th, which lasted from August 1944 to May 1945.

Post-war career

Over her career, the ship has received a total of 15 Battle Stars for service in World War II, as well as the U.S. Defense Service Medal with Fleet Buckle, the Asia Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Before it was over, she became one of the most ornately decorated battleships in the entire U.S.

Navy.

The narwhal was officially decommissioned on April 23, 1945, and removed from the Naval Register on May 19. On November 16, 1945, her hull was broken and the wreck was sold as scrap.

However, her two 6-inch deck guns were rescued and displayed at the New London Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut.

In 1969, the USS Narwhal name was revived with the advent of the SSN-671 nuclear submarine.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing