Tench-class submarine

''Tench''-class submarines were a type of submarine built for the United States Navy (USN) between 1944 and 1951. They were an improvement over the and es, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout. One of the ballast tanks was converted to carry fuel, increasing range from to . This improvement was also made on some boats of the previous two classes.Friedman through 1945, pp. 209, 351 Further improvements were made beginning with SS-435, which are sometimes referred to as the ''Corsair'' class. Initial plans called for 80 to be built, but 51 were cancelled in 1944 and 1945 when it became apparent that they would not be needed to defeat Japan. The remaining 29 were commissioned between October 1944 (''Tench'') and February 1951 (''Grenadier''). The last submarine of the ''Tench'' class, as well as the last submarine which served during World War II, remaining in service with the U.S. Navy was USS ''Tigrone'' (AGSS-419) which was decommissioned on 27 June 1975.

Design

The as-built diesel-electric propulsion layout was the same as the last few ''Balao'' class, with four Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors Cleveland Division two-stroke diesel engines supplying two low-speed double-armature direct-drive electric motors to drive two shafts. All except received the Fairbanks-Morse 38D 8-1/8 engine with 10 cylinders; ''Corsair'' had GM 16-278A engines. The direct-drive electric motors were much quieter than the reduction gear arrangement of previous classes, and they made the drive train much more reliable due to the fact that the gearing was an element prone to shock damage from depth charges.Johnston, pp. 11 Two 126-cell -type lead-acid batteries provided submerged power to the electric motors.

A design weakness of earlier classes solved by the ''Tench'' re-design were the ballast tank vent riser pipes that passed through the interior of the boat in the forward and after torpedo rooms. These pipes allowed #1 and #7 Main Ballast Tanks (MBT) (located in the single hull sections of the boat) to vent air during diving, which allowed water to flood into them from below. The tops of these tanks formed the walking deck in the interior of both rooms and thus the normal location of the vent valves (the top of the tank) could not be used. The riser pipes allowed the tanks to vent, but when the tanks were full these pipes contained water at full submergence pressure ''inside'' the torpedo rooms. If these pipes ruptured during depth charge attack, catastrophic flooding would occur. Solving this problem initially proved quite difficult, but ultimately required the complete rearrangement of the ballast tanks. #1 MBT was moved to a location forward of the end of the pressure hull, thus allowing it to vent directly into the superstructure like the rest of the MBT's. This move eliminated the riser pipes completely. #7 MBT, after stability and buoyancy calculations were run, was found to be redundant and was converted to a variable fuel oil/ballast tank, increasing the class's surfaced range. These changes forced a rearrangement of the associated piping runs and locations of many of the other tanks. Being almost entirely internal, these changes resulted in a boat that was visually almost indistinguishable from the earlier ''Balao'' class, with the exception of a sharper angle (or knuckle) at the lower corner of the bow (only visible when the boat was drydocked). Another difference was the elimination of small bulges around the motor room that previously accommodated the reduction gears.

A significant benefit of the tank rearrangement was that these boats could carry four additional torpedoes in the forward torpedo room, for a total of 28. This was a change that had been asked for by submarine crews much earlier, but could not be accommodated in the earlier designs due to the lack of space in the torpedo rooms.

Many targets in the Pacific War were sampans or otherwise not worth a torpedo, so the deck gun was an important weapon. Due to war experience, most ''Tench'' class were armed with a /25 caliber gun, and some boats had two of these. Additional anti-aircraft guns included single 40mm Bofors and twin 20mm Oerlikon mounts, usually one of each.

Mine armament

Like the previous Tambor/Gar, Gato and Balao classes, the Tench class could substitute mines in place of torpedoes. For the Mk 10 and Mk 12 type mines used in World War II, each torpedo could be replaced by as many as two mines, giving the submarine a true maximum capacity of 56 mines. However, doctrine was to retain at least four torpedoes on mine laying missions, which further limits the capacity. The maximum is often stated as 40 mines in various publications because the authors simply used previous limitations of the Gato and Balao classes, and included the four torpedo doctrine. In practice, during the war, submarines went out with at least 8 torpedoes, and the largest minefields laid were 32 mines. Post-war, the Mk 49 mine replaced the Mk 12, while the larger Mk 27 mine was also carried which only allowed one mine replacing one torpedo.

Ships in class

29 of these boats were built during and after World War II, commissioned from October 1944 through February 1951, with 11 commissioned postwar.Bauer and Roberts, pp. 280-282 None of this class were lost in World War II. ''Ghazi'' (ex-''Diablo'' (SS-479)) was lost in Pakistani service on 4 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani Naval War of 1971, possibly due to a minelaying accident. Some of the class served actively in the US Navy through the middle 1970s, others served into the 1990s with foreign navies, and one (''Hai Shih'' ex-) is still active in Taiwan's Republic of China Navy.

With one exception, these boats were all built at government owned shipyards; Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Boston Navy Yard. Two boats, USS ''Wahoo'' (SS-516) and an unnamed boat designated SS-517 were laid down at Mare Island Navy Yard but canceled and broken up prior to completion. With the end of the war obviously near and due to a large construction backlog of ''Balao''-class boats, the Electric Boat Company was only awarded contracts for three ''Tench''-class boats, only one of which, , was completed. Electric Boat's follow on yard, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin worked through its contracts for ''Balao''s and was not awarded any ''Tench'' contracts. The Cramp Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, struggling with workforce problems and supply issues with its ''Balao''s, was also not awarded any contracts.

Cancellations

A total of 125 U.S. submarines were cancelled during World War II, all but three between 29 July 1944 and 12 August 1945. The exceptions were USS ''Wahoo'' (SS-516), , and , cancelled 7 January 1946. References vary considerably as to how many of these were ''Balao''s and how many were ''Tench''es. Some references simply assume all submarines numbered after SS-416 were ''Tench'' class; however, and were completed as ''Balao''s. This yields 10 cancelled ''Balao''s, SS-353-360 and 379–380. The ''Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy'' differs, considering every submarine not specifically ordered as a ''Tench'' to be a ''Balao'', and further projecting SS-551-562 as a future class. This yields 62 cancelled ''Balao''- , 51 cancelled ''Tench''-, and 12 cancelled "SS-551"-class boats. Two of the cancelled ''Tench''-class boats, ''Unicorn'', and ''Walrus'', were launched incomplete, never commissioned, but listed with the reserve fleet until struck in 1958 and scrapped in 1959. The cancelled hull numbers, including those launched incomplete, were SS-353-360 (''Balao''), 379–380 (''Balao''), 427–434 (''Balao''), 436–437 (''Tench''), 438–474 (''Balao''), 491–521 (''Tench''), 526-529 (''Tench''), 530–536 (''Balao''), 537-550 (''Tench''), and 551-562 (future).

Service

Ten of the 29 ''Tench''-class submarines were completed in time to conduct war patrols in World War II, entering service beginning in late 1944. They finished what the previous classes had largely accomplished: the near-destruction of the Japanese merchant fleet. Another significant contribution was the rescue of downed aviators near Okinawa and Japan. Two additional boats (''Cutlass'' and ''Diablo'') entered Japanese waters on their first war patrols immediately after the 13 August 1945 cease-fire. Construction on the last four of the class was suspended, and they were completed 1948–1951.

Postwar, 24 of the 29 ''Tench''es were modernized under the Fleet Snorkel and Greater Underwater Propulsion Power (GUPPY) programs, with most continuing in US service into the early 1970s.GUPPY and other diesel boat conversions page
Fourteen were transferred to foreign navies for years of additional service, and the former remained active in Taiwan's Republic of China Navy as ''Hai Shih'' as of July 2021, the last of the class in service with any navy.

Naval Reserve trainer

Interested in maintaining a ready pool of trained reservists, the Navy assigned at least 58 submarines from 1946 to 1971 to various coastal and inland ports (even in Great Lakes ports such as Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago), where they served as training platforms during the Reservists' weekend drills. At least three ''Tench''-class boats served in this capacity. In this role, the boats were rendered incapable of diving and had their propellers removed. They were used strictly as pierside trainers. These were in commission but classed as "in commission in reserve", thus some were decommissioned and recommissioned on the same day to reflect the change in status.Friedman since 1945, pp. 228–231

Foreign service

The large numbers of relatively modern, but surplus U.S. fleet submarines proved to be popular in sales, loans, or leases to allied foreign navies. Fourteen ''Tench''-class submarines were transferred to foreign navies, most after serving over 25 years in the US Navy. These included 2 to Turkey, 1 to Greece, 2 to Italy, 1 to Pakistan, 1 to Canada, 4 to Brazil, 1 to Venezuela, 1 to Peru, and 1 to Taiwan. The ''Tench''-class submarine ex- was transferred along with the ''Balao''-class ex- to the Republic of China Navy as ''Hai Shih'' and ''Hai Pao'' in 1973; as of 2015 they remained in commission as the last US-built World War II-era submarines in service. was sold to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1968, renamed , decommissioned in 1974, and returned to the US for scrapping in 1977. was leased to the Pakistan Navy in 1963 and then as PNS ''Ghazi'' participated in two further wars, finally sinking during a minelaying mission in the Bay of Bengal with the loss of all 92 hands, on 4 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. ''Diablo'' was thus the last ''Tench''-class submarine to see action.

As of 2020 the Taiwanese Hai Shih-class had largest weapons load of any conventional submarines in the world.

File:海獅軍艦 20070304.jpg, Taiwanese ''Hai Shih'' ex-''Cutlass'' still in service
File:Istanbul asv2021-11 img16 Rahmi Koç Museum.jpg, Turkish TCG ''Uluçalireis'' moored at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum on the Golden Horn in Istanbul
File:Ussdiablo.jpg, PNS ''Ghazi''
File:HMCS Rainbow (SS-75).jpg, HMCS ''Rainbow''

GUPPY and other conversions

At the end of World War II, the US submarine force found itself in an awkward position. The 29 ''Tench''-class submarines, designed to fight an enemy that no longer existed, were obsolescent despite the fact they were only one to three years old. The German Type XXI U-boat, with a large battery capacity, streamlining to maximize underwater speed, and a snorkel, was the submarine of the immediate future. The Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program (GUPPY) conversion program was developed to give some ''Balao''- and ''Tench''-class submarines similar capabilities to the Type XXI. When the cost of upgrading numerous submarines to GUPPY standard became apparent, the austere "Fleet Snorkel" conversion was developed to add snorkels and partial streamlining to some boats. A total of 16 ''Tench''-class submarines were converted to one of the GUPPY configurations, with 8 additional boats receiving Fleet Snorkel modifications. ''Diablo'', one of the Fleet Snorkel boats, was converted immediately prior to transfer to Pakistan. Most of the converted submarines were active into the early 1970s, when many were transferred to foreign navies for further service and others were decommissioned and disposed of.

Although there was some variation in the GUPPY conversion programs, generally the original two ''Sargo'' batteries were replaced by four more compact Guppy (GUPPY I and II only) or Sargo II batteries via significant re-utilization of below-deck space, usually including removal of auxiliary diesels. All of these battery designs were of the lead-acid type. This increased the total number of battery cells from 252 to 504; the downside was the compact batteries had to be replaced every 18 months instead of every 5 years. The Sargo II battery was developed as a lower-cost alternative to the expensive Guppy battery. All GUPPYs received a snorkel, with a streamlined sail and bow. Also, the electric motors were upgraded to the direct drive double- armature type, along with modernized electrical and air conditioning systems. All ''Tench''-class GUPPYs received sonar, fire control, and Electronic Support Measures (ESM) upgrades.
The Fleet Snorkel program was much more austere than the GUPPY modernizations, but is included here as it occurred during the GUPPY era. The GUPPY and Fleet Snorkel programs are listed in chronological order: GUPPY I, GUPPY II, GUPPY IA, Fleet Snorkel, GUPPY IIA, GUPPY IB, and GUPPY III.

GUPPY I

Two ''Tench''-class boats, and , were converted as prototypes for the GUPPY program in 1947. They proved very successful, though not initially fitted with snorkels. ''Pomodon'' achieved while Odax made 18.2 Knots submerged on trials, though even the increased battery capacity only allowed one hour of operation at that speed. However, banking and depth control problems resulting from the high speed were noted and eventually compensated for. An advantage of streamlining was that active sonar detection range against a GUPPY was reduced by about 10%, and the higher submerged speed also severely impacted anti-submarine warfare efforts.

GUPPY II

This was the first production GUPPY conversion, with most conversions occurring in 1947–49. Eleven ''Tench''-class boats received GUPPY II upgrades (, , , , ''Odax'', , ''Pomodon'', , , , and ), including the two GUPPY I prototypes in 1951. This was the only production conversion with Guppy batteries.

GUPPY IA

This was developed as a more cost-effective alternative to GUPPY II. ''Tench'' was converted in 1951. The less expensive Sargo II battery was introduced, along with other cost-saving measures.

Fleet Snorkel

The Fleet Snorkel program was developed as an austere, cost-effective alternative to full GUPPY conversions, with significantly less improvement in submerged performance. Eight ''Tench''-class boats received this upgrade (, - immediately prior to foreign transfer to Pakistan as ''Ghazi'', , , , , , and ). Most Fleet Snorkel conversions occurred 1951–52. Notably, the original pair of Sargo batteries was not upgraded. Each boat received a streamlined sail with a snorkel, along with upgraded sonar, air conditioning, and ESM. A few boats initially retained a 5-inch/25 caliber deck gun, but this was removed in the 1950s.

GUPPY IIA

This was generally similar to GUPPY IA, except one of the forward diesel engines was removed to relieve machinery overcrowding. Four ''Tench''-class boats (, , , and ) received GUPPY IIA upgrades in 1952–54.

GUPPY IB

This was developed as an austere upgrade for two ''Gato''-class and two ''Balao''-class boats prior to transfer to foreign navies ( 2 each to Italy and The Netherlands ) in 1953–55. They lacked the sonar and electronics upgrades of other GUPPY conversions. No ''Tench''-class boats were converted under this upgrade.

GUPPY III

Nine submarines, three of them belonging to the ''Tench'' class (''Pickerel'', ''Remora'', and ''Volador''), were upgraded from GUPPY II to GUPPY III in 1959–63 as part of the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization II (FRAM II) program. The three ''Tenches'' were lengthened by in the forward part of the control room to provide a new sonar space, berthing, electronics space, and storerooms. A taller "Northern" sail was included for improved surfaced operations in rough seas; this was also backfitted to some other GUPPY and Fleet Snorkel boats. The BQG-4 Passive Underwater Fire Control Feasibility Study (PUFFS) sonar system, with three tall domes topside, was fitted. Additionally, fire control upgrades allowed the Mark 45 nuclear torpedo to be used.

Radar picket

The advent of the ''kamikaze'' demonstrated the need for a long range radar umbrella around the fleet. Radar picket destroyers and destroyer escorts were put into service, but they proved vulnerable in this role as they could be attacked as well, leaving the fleet blind. A submarine, though, could dive and escape aerial attack. Four submarines including the ''Tench''-class boat ''Remora'' prototyped the concept at the end of World War II but were not used in this role. Ten fleet submarines were later converted for this role in 1946–53 and redesignated SSR as radar picket submarines. Three ''Tench''-class boats (''Requin'', ''Spinax'', and ''Tigrone'') were among those converted, the first two in 1946 under Project Migraine I. ''Tigrone'' would be converted under Migraine II (aka project SCB 12) in 1948, and the other two would be upgraded to this standard with powerful air search and height finding radars installed on masts, and with the after torpedo room converted into an electronics space with torpedoes and tubes removed.

The SSRs proved only moderately successful, as the radars themselves proved troublesome and somewhat unreliable, and the boats' surface speed was insufficient to protect a fast-moving carrier group. The radars were removed and the boats reverted to general purpose submarines after 1959.

Sonar test submarines

was fitted with Bottom Reflection Active Sonar System II (BRASS II) sonar equipment in 1961 and was redesignated as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS) in 1962. BRASS II led to the sonar sphere used on the ''Thresher'' class and all subsequent US attack submarines.

''Tigrone'', formerly a radar picket submarine, was redesignated as an AGSS and converted to a sonar test submarine in 1963–64. She was given a unique configuration to test developmental sonar for the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory. This included the removal of all torpedoes and tubes to allow room for sonar-related electronics. A large upper bow sonar dome and a forward extension of the sail were included, with a side-facing square sonar rack eventually added aft of the sail. The bow and sail domes were for BRASS III equipment.

Follow-on studies

In late 1944, the Bureau of Ships consulted with a group of submarine officers chaired by COMSUBPAC Admiral Charles A. Lockwood on specifications for a future submarine. Several designs were considered. The submarine officers wanted a deeper test depth, more torpedo tubes, and a higher speed, but got only part of what they wanted. The final design merged ambition with realism. Known as Design B, it was developed by May 1945. It was to be long, surfaced displacement ( submerged), with larger engines (12-cylinder Fairbanks-Morse with two-stage supercharging) for a speed of surfaced. Armament was to be twelve torpedo tubes (six forward, six aft), with six short external torpedo tubes in the superstructure for the swim-out Mark 27 acoustic homing anti-escort torpedo. The external tubes would be arranged with three each firing to port and starboard. Test depth would be increased to . The wind-down of submarine production in 1945 brought an end to this project. Had SS-551 through SS-562 not been cancelled, it is possible they would have been built to the new design.

Museums

Three ''Tench''-class submarines are on display for the general public.
* at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
*, moored at Pier Three, Baltimore's Inner Harbor, (alongside the National Aquarium in Baltimore) in Maryland.
*TCG ''Uluçalireis'' (S 338) (ex-), on display at Rahmi M. Koç Museum, Golden Horn in Istanbul.

See also

* Allied submarines in the Pacific War

References

Citations

Sources

*
*
* Gardiner, Robert and Chesneau, Roger, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946'', Conway Maritime Press, 1980. .
* Lenton, H.T. ''American Submarines''. New York: Doubleday, 1973.
* Silverstone, Paul H., ''U.S. Warships of World War II'', Ian Allan, 1965, .

External links

Fleet Type Submarine Training Manual
San Francisco Maritime Museum




* ttp://www.navsource.org/archives/08/04idx.htm Navsource.org fleet submarines photo index page
DiGiulian, Tony Navweaps.com 5"/25 caliber gun

{{WWII US ships

Submarine classes

Tench
Tench
Tench
Tench