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At random: The first diesel engines built by Electric Boat for submarines were installed (1913) in the USS NAUTILUS and SEAWOLF, namesakes of the first nuclear powered submarines, also built by Electric Boat.

Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns? Moderators: Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]
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snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-11 6:09 PM (#24215)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Can anyone name some WWII era subs that were equipped with a 5" 25 caliber deck gun fore and aft? Any photos that show this would be VERY nice.

We are trying to determine if the submarine(s) shown in the photo below is the Drum or not.

Why?
Fact 1: The Drum did have a 5" 25 caliber gun aft after leaving Hunters Point in July of 1945. We don't know if she also had one up front though.

Fact 2: The Drum still has her port anchor well today and can't find anything indicating she ever had it covered up. The lower photo has no port anchor well.

bergall320

Posted 2009-02-11 6:59 PM (#24216 - in reply to #24215)

Holland Club

Posts: 101

Location: Brentwood, CA

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

The Bergall, SS-320 had 5"25's forward and aft until 1949. Try this site to view them.
http://www.bergall.org/bergall.html

snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-11 7:03 PM (#24218 - in reply to #24215)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Found one. Ronquil (SS-396) had them either very late in the war or post-war.

USS Ronquil

PatH

Posted 2009-02-11 8:07 PM (#24219 - in reply to #24218)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 618

Location: Issaquah WA, USA

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

The hull numbers are a giveaway that the Ronquil pix is post war.

Corabelle

Posted 2009-02-11 8:36 PM (#24221 - in reply to #24219)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 2561

Location: Rapid City, SD

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

...because there were no hull numbers painted on subs (or other ships) during WWII?

(from a reliable source)

Cora

snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-12 5:11 AM (#24230 - in reply to #24219)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

PatH - 2009-02-11 10:07 PM

The hull numbers are a giveaway that the Ronquil pix is post war.

Yep, I'm telling ya I don't get enough sleep at night anymore.

Myron

Posted 2009-02-12 8:13 AM (#24232 - in reply to #24215)

Crew

Posts: 73

Location: Kingwood, Texas

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Here's a link to a Life Magazine photo of COBBLER post-war. It's larger than the image below. http://tbn0.google.com/hosted/images/c?q=4ce9a6d0c3ba6ee6_large

(cobblerwr.jpg)

Attachments
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cobblerwr.jpg (30KB - 581 downloads)

Ric

Posted 2009-02-12 8:40 AM (#24235 - in reply to #24215)

Plankowner

Posts: 9165

Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map.

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Here are two shots of Catfish post WW II and post snorkel install with all her guns. (Two views of Catfish taking on fuel from a ship.)

Ralph Luther

Posted 2009-02-12 10:59 AM (#24241 - in reply to #24215)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 6180

Location: Summerville, SC

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

I'm looking for a photo of Sennet SS-408 which had fore and aft 5" guns along with other smaller guns near the end of WWII. I was told the 2 5" guns were due to the increase of small japanese craft. They used the deck guns rather than waste a torpedo(s).

Lee Davenport

Posted 2009-02-12 11:14 AM (#24243 - in reply to #24215)

Crew

Posts: 92

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

I have an old photo of USS Quillback(SS424) with two deck guns(mid-late 40's). However, I don't know what caliber they were. I also have a photo of her with only one as one was removed sometime prior to 1952, which is when she was converted to GUPPY IIa.

Pig

Posted 2009-02-12 12:37 PM (#24247 - in reply to #24215)

Plankowner

Posts: 5024

Location: Gulfport, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

When Archerfish left the yards in Hunter's Point between the 6th and 7th War Patrols she had two deck guns. I have been told that was how SubPac was solving the problem of getting the larger guns to forward deployed areas in a timely manner. Too cut down on the 'red tape' and all the excuses of why it couldn't be done, each boat leaving the yards took an extra gun when they headed west. When they got to the place where they were to drop off one of them for replacing a smaller deck gun on another boat, the CO had the choice of which one he wanted to keep... the one forward to chase things with, or the one after to cover his ass as he was being chased.

snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-12 1:00 PM (#24248 - in reply to #24247)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Pig - 2009-02-12 2:37 PM

When Archerfish left the yards in Hunter's Point between the 6th and 7th War Patrols she had two deck guns. I have been told that was how SubPac was solving the problem of getting the larger guns to forward deployed areas in a timely manner. Too cut down on the 'red tape' and all the excuses of why it couldn't be done, each boat leaving the yards took an extra gun when they headed west. When they got to the place where they were to drop off one of them for replacing a smaller deck gun on another boat, the CO had the choice of which one he wanted to keep... the one forward to chase things with, or the one after to cover his ass as he was being chased.

Now THAT is nice to know, thank you. The Archerfish and the Drum would have been at Hunters Point at almost the same time, too. Did Archerfish keep both 5"/25 deck guns, or did she drop one of them off at Pearl Harbor or Midway?

snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-12 1:19 PM (#24249 - in reply to #24215)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

OK, here's Archerfish leaving Hunters Point in June of 1945, and the bottom is the Drum leaving Hunters Point, July 1945. Look right?

snakeyez

Posted 2009-02-14 9:01 PM (#24292 - in reply to #24215)

Senior Crew

Posts: 186

Location: Chunky, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Thanks to a world of help and input, the two photos in my original post are certainly the Drum. The top full shot silhouette is the Drum leaving Hunters Point, the bottom closer shot is the Drum at Mare Island (getting torpedoes?) on July 3, 1945.

The Drum did receive the dual 5"/25 deck gun setup, and did keep this configuration until decommission.

http://www.drum228.org/warpatrol14.html

Thanks to all of you who helped ease my mind.

Pig

Posted 2009-02-15 9:59 AM (#24298 - in reply to #24215)

Plankowner

Posts: 5024

Location: Gulfport, MS

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

The book jacket photo on "Gallant Lady" was taked as Archer-Fish was leaving the yards and returning to Pearl (with two deck guns). While in Pearl the forward gun was removed... don't know who received it, but it was a new gun fresh out of the factory. Another piece of "useless information" abouth that picture is you will also find it on the front book jacket cover of "Unrestricted Warfare". Have no idea why they ued that photo, as Archer-Fish isn't mentioned in the book.

steamboat

Posted 2009-02-15 2:42 PM (#24300 - in reply to #24215)

Master and Commander

Posts: 1814

Location: Boydton, Virginia

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Makes you wonder if they ever manned both guns at the same time. Seems to me it would take all hands not otherwise on essential watch below decks to do so, with all the nessasary ammo handlers, pointers, trainers, etc. Gee, I miss Warshot to bounce questions like this off of!!!
Steamboat sends

Edited by steamboat 2009-02-15 6:04 PM

Jim M.

Posted 2009-02-15 5:08 PM (#24301 - in reply to #24215)

Great Sage of the Sea

Posts: 877

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

Here's a postwar photo of SPINAX, taken in 1946 or 47, showing her with both a forward and aft 5-inch gun, and the deck-mounted SR-2 radar, YE-3 beacon, and the SV-2 Nodding Idiot radar.. SPINAX was modified into this pre-MIGRAINE configuration while still on the building ways in Portsmouth

(SSR489f.jpg)

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SSR489f.jpg (38KB - 588 downloads)

Corabelle

Posted 2009-02-15 8:08 PM (#24302 - in reply to #24300)

COMSUBBBS

Posts: 2561

Location: Rapid City, SD

Subject: RE: Fleet subs with dual 5 inch 25 caliber deck guns?

I miss my WWII submariner on a daily basis. I have a zillion questions for him about his experiences.

I also miss my brother.

Cora

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