Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT) is the Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet
type commander under the
United States Fleet Forces Command
The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Sta ...
.
The principal responsibility of the Admiral commanding is to operate, maintain, train, and equip submarines. COMSUBLANT also has additional duties as commander of
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's Allied Submarine Command and also Commander, Naval Submarine Forces. As Commander, Naval Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR), an additional
type commander role, he also supervises Commander, Submarine Force Pacific (often known as
COMSUBPAC
Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) is the principal advisor to the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet ( COMPACFLT) for submarine matters. The Pacific Submarine Force (SUBPAC) includes attack, ballistic missile and au ...
). From the 1960s to the 1990s the commander also held the NATO post of Commander, Submarines, Western Atlantic (COMSUBWESTLANT).
History
Established on 7 December 1941,
Rear Admiral Richard S. Edwards
Admiral Richard Stanislaus Edwards (18 February 1885 – 2 June 1956) served in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edwards was appointed to the United States Naval Academy ...
was its first commander. COMSUBLANT headquarters was at
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New L ...
until 1960, when it was moved to
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hampt ...
. U.S. submarine operations in the Atlantic, however, date from before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. On January 1, 1913, Lieutenant
Chester W. Nimitz was in command of the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla, with First Group consisting of submarines ''
C-2'', ''
C-3'', ''
C-4'', and ''
C-5'' under Lieutenant Lewis D. Causey, and Second Group consisting of submarines ''
D-1 D1, D01, D.I, D.1 or D-1 can refer to:
Science and technology Biochemistry and medicine
* ATC code D01 ''Antifungals for dermatological use'', a subgroup of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System
* Dopamine receptor D1, Dopamine ...
'', ''
D-2'', ''
D-3'', ''
E-1'', and ''
E-2'' under Lieutenant (junior grade) Claudius R. Hyatt. Nimitz was in command from May 1912 to March 1913.
In October 1945,
Submarine Squadron 2 Submarine Squadron Two (SUBRON 2) was a United States Navy submarine squadron based at Groton, Connecticut.
History
Submarine Squadron 2 started World War II at Mariveles Naval Section Base in the Philippines as part of the United States Asiatic F ...
was established at
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New L ...
,
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London i ...
, and in February 1946,
Submarine Squadron 8 A submarine squadron (SUBRON) is a naval formation or unit in such states such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Russia/Soviet Union. In France the equivalent unit is the ' (ESNA), part of the French submarine forces (and before the Second ...
was commissioned at Groton.
"In correspondence of 31 January 1949, the Chief of Naval Operations directed 'that the Fleet Commanders assign one division in each fleet to
hesole task
f solvingthe problem of using submarines to detect and destroy enemy submarines. All other operations of any nature, even type training, ASW services, or fleet tactics, shall be subordinated to this mission.' After a further exchange of correspondence, Submarine Forces Atlantic established Submarine Development Group 2, consisting of four Diesel submarines, two Guppy (
Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program
The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) was initiated by the United States Navy after World War II to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of its submarines. (The "Y" in the acronym was added for pronouncea ...
) conversions and two standard fleet boats." The initial staff included Captain
Roy S. Benson, two officers and two yeomen reporting directly to him.
In 1951, Submarine Squadron 10 was established at State Pier,
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...
. The squadron has the distinction of being the only unit associated with Submarine Base New London to actually be located in New London instead of Groton. In the early 1960s Squadron 10 became the first all-nuclear United States submarine squadron. The squadron was supported by for most of its existence, until both ''Fulton'' and the squadron were decommissioned in May, 1991.
In December 1969, Submarine Squadron 8 was decommissioned.
Submarine Squadron 14
Submarine Squadron 14 (SUBRON 14), was a United States Navy submarine squadron.
History
During World War II, served as tender and staff headquarters for Submarine Squadron 14's staff and Division Staff in Pearl Harbor from July to September 194 ...
operated Fleet Ballistic Missile boats from
Holy Loch
The Holy Loch ( gd, An Loch Sianta/Seunta) is a sea loch, a part of the Cowal peninsula coast of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
The "Holy Loch" name is believed to date from the 6th century, when Saint Munn landed there afte ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, from 1961 until it was disbanded in 1992. COMSUBLANT also oversaw
Submarine Squadron 22 at
La Maddalena
La Maddalena (Gallurese: ''Madalena'' or ''La Madalena'', sc, Sa Madalena) is a town and ''comune'' located on the islands of the Maddalena archipelago in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia, Italy.
The main town of the same name is loca ...
in the Mediterranean, which existed 1972–2008 and was known as Submarine Refit and Training Group La Maddalena from 1972 to the mid-1980s.
Submarine Group 8 continues to operate in support of U.S. and NATO objectives there.
On 1 May 1977, Submarine Development Group 2 was officially redesignated as Submarine Development Squadron 12 in recognition of its role and responsibilities and new organizational status. In August 1979, Submarine Squadron 8 was recommissioned in Norfolk, where it remained until consolidation with
Submarine Squadron 6 on April 28, 2011. On January 13, 2012, Submarine Squadron 2 similarly was disestablished, transferring its boats to Submarine Squadron 4 and Submarine Development Squadron 12.
As Commander, Task Force 42, COMSUBLANT operated Atlantic Fleet attack submarines. In addition, as Commander, Task Force 84, the previous Atlantic Fleet special surveillance and anti-submarine warfare commander, COMSUBLANT operates submarines, Maritime Patrol Aircraft, surface ships assigned by Fleet Forces Command and Integrated Undersea Surveillance System assets.
As of 2011, SUBLANT numbers 30 submarines and more than 15,000 officers, enlisted, and civilian personnel providing combat ready submarines in the Atlantic, Arctic, Eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
.
Commander, Naval Submarine Forces wrote in June 2012 on his blog: "We're not perfect. In the Submarine Force we've had some high-visibility lapses in character. You've read about them: the cheating incident on USS MEMPHIS, the fraternization between the Chief of the Boat and a female midshipman on USS NEBRASKA, an incident of hazing on
USS Florida, and the financial misconduct of some Supply Officers in Kings Bay. In each case, once discovered, these incidents were thoroughly investigated, and appropriate people were held accountable. This is our approach and we'll continue to address these cases swiftly and decisively."
There have also been previous problems of this nature. Commander Michael J. Alfonso was relieved as Commander, Blue Crew,
USS ''Florida'' (SSBN-728) in 1997 for ignoring his executive officer and browbeating his crew.
Rear Admiral Kenneth Perry, Commander, Submarine Group 2, retired on Friday, August 22, 2014, and the post of Commander Submarine Group 2 was disestablished that day. The responsibilities of the 45 personnel in the group headquarters have been shifted to the individual submarine squadrons. The new arrangement, with Submarine Squadrons reporting directly to the Submarine type commander for the fleet, mirrors that functioning in the Pacific.
Submarines and units
These are the submarines and related units reporting to COMSUBLANT.
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
, Virginia
Commander, Submarine Squadron 6 (COMSUBRON Six):
*
USS San Francisco (SSN 711)
*
*
*
USS Pasadena (SSN 752)
*
*
*
USS New Hampshire (SSN 778)
*
USS John Warner (SSN 785)
*
USS Washington (SSN 787)
*
USS Montana (SSN 794)
*
USS New Jersey (SSN 796)
*
USS Massachusetts (SSN 798)
Groton, Connecticut
Commander,
Submarine Group 2 (COMSUBGRU Two)
Submarine Group 2 was disestablished on 22 August 2014. It had been previously designated Submarine Flotilla Two and was active in the Atlantic Fleet from at least 1978 to 2014 and based in Groton, CT. (Ships and Aircraft, Eleventh Edition, 1978)
Commander, Submarine Squadron 2 (COMSUBRON Two):
Submarine Squadron 2 was disestablished in 2012 and all COMSUBRON 2 assigned attack submarines were assigned to COMSUBRON 4 or Commander, Submarine Development Squadron 12.
Commander,
Submarine Squadron 4 (COMSUBRON Four):
*
USS Montpelier (SSN 765)
*
*
USS Minnesota (SSN 783)
*
USS North Dakota (SSN 784)
*
USS Colorado (SSN 788)
*
USS South Dakota (SSN 790)
*
USS Vermont (SSN 792)
*
USS Oregon (SSN 793)
*
USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795)
*
USS Iowa (SSN 797)
*
USS Idaho (SSN 799)
Commander, Submarine Squadron 12 (COMSUBRON 12):
*
*
*
USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)
USS ''Santa Fe'' (SSN-763), a , is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Santa Fe, New Mexico. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 21 M ...
*
USS Toledo (SSN 769)
*
USS Virginia (SSN 774)
*
USS Texas (SSN 775)
*
USS New Mexico (SSN 779)
*
USS California (SSN 781)
*
USS Indiana (SSN 789)
*
USS Delaware (SSN 791)
Submarine Development Squadron 12's mission, as assigned by the Chief of Naval Operations, is to develop the tactics and promulgate the tactical doctrine to conduct submarine warfare. Organized as Submarine Development Group 2 on 9 May 1949, the original charter was to solve the problem of using submarines to defeat and destroy enemy submarines. During the intervening years this charter has grown in scope to support the full range of submarine missions including arctic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, mine warfare and tactical strike warfare. With the vastly improved capabilities of the modern nuclear submarine and a weapons delivery capability that include mines, torpedoes, and cruise missiles, there are few naval warfare missions which cannot be conducted by submarines. On 1 May 1977, Submarine Development Group 2 was officially re-designated as Submarine Development Squadron 12 in recognition of its expanded role and responsibilities and new organizational status. The Headquarters has been located at the Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Connecticut since 1949. Submarine Development Squadron 12 also commands a squadron of the most modern attack submarines.
On January 15, 2016 Submarine Development Squadron 12 was re-designated Submarine Squadron 12, given the tactical development responsibilities fall under the
Undersea Warfighting Development Center
The underwater environment is the region below the surface of, and immersed in, liquid water in a natural or artificial feature (called a body of water), such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, reservoir, river, canal, or aquifer. Some characterist ...
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, New Hampshire/Maine
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard serves as one of the primary maintenance facilities for U.S. submarines from both the Atlantic and Pacific. No submarines are officially based here.
Kings Bay, Georgia
Commander, Submarine Group 10 (COMSUBGRU Ten)
Commander,
Submarine Squadron 16 (COMSUBRON Sixteen):
*
*
Commander,
Submarine Squadron 20 (COMSUBRON Twenty):
*
*
*
*
*
*
USS Wyoming (SSBN 742)
Officers serving as COMSUBLANT
![Submarine Force Holds Change of Command 210910-N-UB406-0128](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Submarine_Force_Holds_Change_of_Command_210910-N-UB406-0128.jpg)
The following is an incomplete list:
[Blair, Clay, Jr. ''Silent Victory''. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1975.]
*Rear Admiral
Richard S. Edwards
Admiral Richard Stanislaus Edwards (18 February 1885 – 2 June 1956) served in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II.
Biography
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Edwards was appointed to the United States Naval Academy ...
, 1941–1942
*Rear Admiral
Freeland A. Daubin, 1942–1944
*Rear Admiral
Charles W. Styer, 1944–1946
*Rear Admiral
John Wilkes
John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he f ...
, 1946–1947
*Rear Admiral
James Fife, Jr., 1947–1950
*Rear Admiral
Stuart S. "Sunshine" Murray, 1950–1952
*Rear Admiral
George C. "Turkey Neck" Crawford, 1952–1954
*Rear Admiral
Frank T. Watkins, 1954–1957
*Rear Admiral
Charles W. "Weary" Wilkins, March–September 1957
†
*Rear Admiral
Frederick B. Warder, September 1957 – 1960
†
*Rear Admiral
Lawrence R. "Dan" Daspit, January–September 1960
†
*Vice Admiral
Elton W. "Joe" Grenfell, September 1960 – 1964
† (also
COMSUBPAC
Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) is the principal advisor to the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet ( COMPACFLT) for submarine matters. The Pacific Submarine Force (SUBPAC) includes attack, ballistic missile and au ...
, 1964–1966)
*Vice Admiral
Vernon L. "Rebel" Lowrance, 1964–1966
†
*Vice Admiral
Arnold F. Schade, 1966–1970
†
*Vice Admiral
Eugene P. Wilkinson, 1970–1972 (last WW2 submarine officer to hold the position)
*Vice Admiral
Robert L. J. Long
Robert Lyman John Long (May 29, 1920 – June 27, 2002) was a List of United States Navy four-star admirals, four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations from 1977 to 1979 and United States Pacific Comman ...
, 1972–1974
*Vice Admiral J. Williams Jr, 1974–1977
*Vice Admiral Kenneth M. Carr, 1977–1980
*Vice Admiral
Steven A. White
Steven Angelo White (September 18, 1928 – February 1, 2021) was a four-star admiral who served in the United States Navy from 1948 until 1985. He was the 19th and last Chief of Naval Material.
Background
Steven ("Steve") Angelo White was b ...
, 1980–1983
*Vice Admiral Bernard M. Kauderer, 1983–1986
*Vice Admiral Daniel 'Dan' L. Cooper, 1986–1988
*Vice Admiral Roger F. Bacon, 1988–1990
*Vice Admiral
Henry "Hank" G. Chiles, 1990–1993
*Vice Admiral George W. Emery, 1993–1996
*Vice Admiral
Richard W. Mies, 1996–1998
*Vice Admiral
Edmund P. Giambiastiani, 1998–2000
*Vice Admiral John J. Grossenbacher, 2000–2003
*Vice Admiral
Kirk H. Donald, 2003–2004
*Vice Admiral
Charles L. Munns, 2004–2007
*Vice Admiral
John J. Donnelly, 2007–2010
*Vice Admiral
John Richardson, 2010–2012
*Vice Admiral
Michael J. Connor, 2012–2015
*Vice Admiral
Joseph E. Tofalo, 2015–2018
*Vice Admiral
Charles A. Richard 2018–2019
*Vice Admiral
Daryl Caudle 2019-2021
*Vice Admiral
William J. Houston 2021–Present
† Wartime submarine commander
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comsublant
Commander, Submarine Atlantic
*Commander, Submarine Atlantic
Military history of the Atlantic Ocean
Military units and formations established in 1941