USS ''Robert E. Lee'' (SSBN-601), a fleet ballistic missile

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

, was the only ship of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to be named for

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

(1807–1870), the commanding general of the Confederate forces during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

. Her keel was laid down on 25 August 1958 by the

Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the U ...

. She was launched on 18 December 1959 sponsored by Anne Carter (Lee) Ely, a granddaughter of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and widow of Hanson Edward Ely, Jr., and commissioned on 16 September 1960 with

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Reuben F. Woodal commanding the Blue Crew and Commander Joseph Williams, Jr. commanding the Gold Crew.

Service history

Shakedown and training

The third nuclear-powered

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN � ...

to join the fleet, and the first nuclear-powered submarine built in the southern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, ''Robert E. Lee'' operated in and out of

, until 2 December 1960, when she got underway for the

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sm ...

Operating Area for

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, ...

firing tests. Following the successful firing of five torpedoes on 6 December 1960, ''Robert E. Lee'' departed for

Cape Canaveral , image = cape canaveral.jpg , image_size = 300 , caption = View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991 , map = Florida#USA , map_width = 300 , type = Cape , map_caption = Location in Florida , location ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, arriving on 12 December 1960. She then loaded

Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude th ...

test missiles and on 22 December 1960 conducted her first missile launch. The Polaris flew "hot and true." In January 1961, ''Robert E. Lee'' conducted additional simulated missile launches and on 15 January 1961 departed for the

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

Operating Area. There, joined by the

on 25 January 1961, she engaged in

antisubmarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are ty ...

training with ''Torsk''. Returning to Norfolk on 30 January, ''Robert E. Lee'' entered the Newport News drydock on 3 February for a month of shipyard work. She departed Newport News on 17 March 1961, loaded torpedoes at

Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while York Co ...

, on 25 March, and got underway for

, arriving on 9 April 1961. ''Robert E. Lee'' conducted "special operations" out of

during May and June 1961, and in late June departed for

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 a ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, where she joined Submarine Squadron 14 on 10 July 1961.

Holy Loch deployment, 1961-1965

She conducted practice torpedo firing during the first week of August and departed Holy Loch on 9 August 1961 on her first deterrent patrol. During the next two years she completed nine more deterrent patrols. On 10 September 1963, ''Robert E. Lee'' entered the floating drydock , then on 4 October 1963 resumed her normal patrol schedule. Continuing to operate out of Holy Loch into 1964, she got underway on 27 November 1964 for her 16th patrol, which terminated on 28 January 1965 at

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...

, Vallejo,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

First refit, 1965

On 22 February 1965, ''Robert E. Lee'' entered the Mare Island Division of the

San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard The San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard was a short-lived shipyard formed in 1965 with the combination of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The combined yards were the largest naval shipyard in the world, but the d ...

for her first

overhaul Overhaul may refer to: *The process of overhauling, see ** Maintenance, repair, and overhaul **Refueling and overhaul (eg. nuclear-powered ships) **Time between overhaul * Overhaul (firefighting), the process of searching for hidden fire extensio ...

. Major items of work included refueling the reactor, reengineering of many ship systems to provide greater safety and reliability, modernization of the navigation system, and modification to the weapons system to give her the capability of launching the improved Polaris A3 missile. Emerging from overhaul after nearly a year and a half of work, ''Robert E. Lee'' got underway for

sea trial A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...

s on 12 July 1966. Sound trials and weapons system accuracy trials were conducted during the latter half of July, and on 5 August she entered

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, harbor for a five-day visit. Underway for the

United States East Coast The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, the Atlantic Coast, and the Atlantic Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Eastern United States meets the North Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard contains the coa ...

on 10 August 1966, ''Robert E. Lee'' transited the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a condui ...

on 20 August and arrived at

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, on 4 September 1966. During the remainder of September and the first week of October, ''Robert E. Lee'' conducted shakedown operations off

Cape Canaveral, Florida Cape Canaveral ( es, Cabo Cañaveral, link=) is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 9,912 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne– Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. History After t ...

. On 10 October, with the

Undersecretary of the Navy The Under Secretary of the Navy is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the United States Department of the Navy. The Under Secretary, called the "Under" in Pentagon slang, reports to the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). Before the crea ...

on board as an observer, ''Robert E. Lee'' successfully fired a Polaris A-3 test missile. She returned to Charleston to commence a predeployment upkeep period at the Cooper River site in

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

where a failed rudder ram bolt was replaced. On 4 December 1966, she departed Charleston on her 17th deterrent patrol, which terminated at Holy Loch on 30 January 1967.

Holy Loch, 1967-1971

By 4 October 1967, ''Robert E. Lee'' had completed three more patrols. After drydocking in ''Los Alamos'' for minor repairs and

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

surveillance, she resumed her patrol schedule on 1 November 1967 and completed her 21st patrol before entering drydock on 22 November 1967 for two weeks of repairs. She departed Holy Loch on 26 December 1967 for another patrol. ''Robert E. Lee'' remained attached to Submarine Squadron 14 throughout 1969 and 1970. Continuing to operate out of Holy Loch, she completed her 33rd deterrent patrol on 1 January 1971.

Second refit (1971)

''Robert E. Lee'' was drydocked for her second overhaul on 27 January 1971 at

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...

Bremerton Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. She did not leave the drydock until 11 December 1971 and, afterward remained berthed at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for the remainder of 1971. For the first seven months of 1972, ''Robert E. Lee'' was engaged in post-overhaul trials and exercises on the

United States West Coast The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S. ...

United States East Coast operations, 1972-1973

In mid-August 1972, ''Robert E. Lee'' transited the

and arrived in

, on 14 September 1972. She continued normal operations, this time on the U.S. East Coast, throughout 1972 and for the first seven months of 1973.

Pacific operations, 1973-1977

Transiting the Panama Canal early in August 1973, she arrived in

, on 17 August 1973 and then moved on to

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, arriving on 5 September 1973. After a month in

, she sailed for Apra,

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

, and continued operations in that area into 1977, accomplishing several deterrent patrols in the Pacific.

Third refit, 1977-1978

In early 1977, ''Robert E. Lee'' drydocked for her third and final overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard for nuclear reactor core refueling, equipment, and weapons upgrades. Sea Trials commenced in August 1978 and she went into operational status December, 1978.

Operations 1978-1983

The Gold Crew transited the Panama Canal January 1979. Transited to San Diego California, Bremerton, WA to Honolulu, HI. Turned over to the Blue Crew. In 1982-1983, ''Robert E. Lee''s missiles were removed and she was redesignated SSN 601.

Decommissioning and disposal

''Robert E. Lee'' was decommissioned on 1 December 1983, and stricken from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...

on 30 April 1986. Her hulk was stored at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard until it entered the Nuclear Powered

Ship and Submarine Recycling Program The Ship-Submarine Recycling Program (SRP) is the process that the United States Navy uses to dispose of decommissioned nuclear vessels. SRP takes place only at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton, Washington, but the preparations ...

. On 30 September 1991, it ceased to exist.

References

External links

*https://www.ssbn601.org) New website 2022
USS Robert E Lee official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601) 1959 ships George Washington-class submarines Cold War submarines of the United States Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Robert E. Lee Confederate States of America monuments and memorials