USS Blenny

USS Blenny (SS/AGSS-324), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the blenny, a fish found along the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

History
United States
Name: USS Blenny
Ordered: 9 July 1942
Builder: Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down: 8 July 1943[1]
Launched: 9 April 1944[1]
Commissioned: 27 June 1944[1]
Decommissioned: 7 November 1969[1]
Stricken: 15 August 1973[1]
Fate: Scuttled off Ocean City, Maryland, 7 June 1989[2]
General characteristics (As completed)
Class and type: Balao-class diesel-electric submarine[2]
Displacement:
  • 1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced[2]
  • 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged[2]
Length: 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2]
Beam: 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft: 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced[6]
  • 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[6]
Range: 11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[6]
Endurance:
  • 48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged[6]
  • 75 days on patrol
Test depth: 400 ft (120 m)[6]
Complement: 10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[6]
Armament:
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
    • 6 forward, 4 aft
    • 24 torpedoes[5]
  • 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun[5]
  • Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
General characteristics (Guppy IA)
Class and type: none
Displacement:
  • 1,830 tons (1,859 t) surfaced[7]
  • 2,440 tons (2,479 t) submerged[7]
Length: 307 ft 7 in (93.8 m)[8]
Beam: 27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)[8]
Draft: 17 ft (5.2 m)[8]
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[7]
Range: 17,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (20 km/h)[8]
Endurance: 36 hours at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged[8]
Complement:
  • 10 officers
  • 5 petty officers
  • 64–69 enlisted men
Armament:

Blenny (SS-324) was launched 9 April 1944 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Miss Florence King, daughter of CNO Admiral Ernest J. King; commissioned 27 June 1944, Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Between 10 November 1944 and 14 August 1945 Blenny conducted four war patrols in the Java and South China Seas. Blenny sank eight Japanese vessels totaling 18,262 tons. On 16 July 1945, she torpedoed and sank the gunboat Nankai at 05°26′S 110°33′E, 150 miles west of Surabaya.[9] In addition, she is credited with destroying more than 62 miscellaneous Japanese small craft by gunfire, and rescuing a boarding party lost by the Cod (SS-224) when that boat had to make an emergency dive to avoid strafing.

With the cessation of hostilities Blenny returned to San Diego, arriving 5 September 1945. She operated locally from the San Diego area during the remainder of 1945. Between 1946 and 1951 Blenny made one cruise to China (August–November 1946); participated in a midshipman cruise to Canada; made two winter cruises in Alaskan waters (1947–48 and 1948–49); and participated in fleet maneuvers off Hawaii and local operations near San Diego.

In 1951 Blenny underwent conversion to a GUPPY submarine and spent the remainder of the year operating in the San Diego area. Between May and November 1952 she cruised in the Far East during which time she conducted a 35-day reconnaissance patrol in support of the Korean operations. The boat spent 1953 conducting local operations along the west coast.

On 24 May 1954 Blenny reported to the Atlantic Fleet. She operated out of New London, Conn., participating in Atlantic Fleet, NATO, and anti-submarine warfare exercises, in addition to operating with a submarine development group engaged in evaluating new equipment.

Blenny was reclassified an Auxiliary Submarine, AGSS-324, c. 1969. She was decommissioned, 7 November 1969 and laid up in the Reserve Fleet. Blenny was struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1973. She was sunk to form part of an artificial reef about fifteen miles (24 km) off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland in June, 1989.

Blenny received four battle stars for her World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service.

References
  1. Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
  2. Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
  3. Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.
  4. U.S. Submarines Through 1945 p. 261
  5. U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
  6. U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
  7. Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
  8. U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242
  9. Toda, Gengoro S. "南海の船歴 (Gunboat Nankai- Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy -Tokusetsu Kansen (in Japanese).
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