USS Growler (SSG-577)

USS "Growler" (SSG-577), a "Grayback"-class submarine, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the growler, a large-mouth black bass.

Construction and training

"Growler" was laid down on 15 February 1955 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 5 April 1958 sponsored by Mrs. Robert K. Byerts, widow of Commander Thomas B. Oakley, Jr., who commanded the third "Growler" on her 9th, 10th, and fatal 11th war patrols. "Growler" commissioned at Portsmouth on 30 August 1958 with Lieutenant Commander Charles Priest, Jr., in command.

After training exercises off the East Coast "Growler" sailed south for her shakedown cruise, arriving at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico, on 19 February 1959. After a brief run back to Portsmouth, she returned to the Caribbean Sea in March to train in launching Regulus I and II guided missiles. "Growler" returned to Portsmouth 19 April via Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New London, Connecticut.

Operational history

"Growler" then proceeded to the Pacific via Norfolk, Virginia, Key West, Florida, and the Panama Canal, putting in at Pearl Harbor on 7 September to serve as flagship of Submarine Division 12. At Pearl Harbor the guided missile sub participated in a variety of battle and torpedo exercises as well as missile practice before beginning her first Regulus Deterrent Mission. On this mission, which lasted from 12 March to 17 May 1960, "Growler" departed Hawaii with a full store of Regulus II sea-to-surface missiles, armed with nuclear warheads, and patrolled under a strict cloak of secrecy. Their patrols could last two months or more at a stretch and required them to remain submerged for hours and even days—which at first hardly seems difficult when compared to the patrols of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, but was a strain for the crew of a much smaller diesel boat. It is traditional that the log entries for 00:00 (midnight) on New Year's Day be made in verse. On 1 January 1961, during "Growler"'s second patrol, Lieutenant (j.g.) Bruce Felt wrote: "Not our idea of fun and good cheers/But doing our job to ensure many New Years."

From May 1960 through December 1963 "Growler" had made nine such deterrent mission patrols, one of which, the fourth, terminated at Yokosuka, Japan, on 24 April 1962, as the Navy displayed one of its newest weapons.

Decommissioning and fate

Returning to Mare Island, California, "Growler" decommissioned 25 May 1964 and was placed in reserve. She was moved to the Inactive Fleet section in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1980, and was scheduled to be used as a torpedo target. However, on 8 August 1988, Congress awarded the hulk to Zachary Fisher, Chairman of the "Intrepid" Sea-Air-Space Museum.

Due to the renovations to the entire "Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum" complex, including the USS "Intrepid" and Pier 86 the Growler was towed to Brooklyn for repairs. Holes found rusted in the hull complicated matters and pushed repair costs past $1 million. The museum is expected to reopen in the Fall of 2008. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/nyregion/21intrepid.html?hp Racing the Clock to Bring Back the Intrepid - NYTimes.com ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/growler.htm HNSA Web Page: USS Growler]
* [http://www.regulus-missile.com Regulus Missile and Submarine Website]