USS Bass (SSK-2)

USS "Bass" (SSK-2/SS-551), a "Barracuda"-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the bass, an edible, spiny-finned fish.

"Bass" was laid down by the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. She was launched on 2 May 1951 as "K-2" sponsored by Mrs. John J. Crane, widow of Commander Crane, and commissioned on 16 November 1952 with Lieutenant Commander D.E. Bunting in command.

The three SSK boats, USS|Barracuda|SSK-1|3, "Bass" (SSK-2), and USS|Bonita|SSK-3|3, were built around the large BQR-4 bow-mounted sonar array as part of Project Kayo, which experimented the use of passive acoustics with low-frequency, bow sonar arrays. When the boat was rigged for silent running, these arrays gave greatly-improved convergence zone detection ranges against snorkeling submarines. The SSKs themselves were limited in their anti-submarine warfare abilities by their low speed and their need to snorkel periodically, but the advances in sonar technology they pioneered were invaluable to later nuclear-powered submarines.

"K-2" arrived at Pearl Harbor on 23 May 1952 to join Submarine Division 72. Since she belonged to a new type of submarine, she engaged in evaluation operations to determine her capabilities and limitations. In January 1953 she underwent restricted availability at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for the installation of additional equipment. In June 1953 she resumed operations and for the next 13 months engaged in developing tactics and coordinated operations with other fleet units.

In January 1954, "K-2" returned to Mare Island, California, for overhaul and made a cruise to Mazatlán, Mexico, before returning to Pearl Harbor. She was renamed "Bass" on 15 December 1955. "Bass" operated out of Pearl Harbor until June 1957. On 26 June 1957 she returned to the United States and operated along the West Coast until going out of commission in reserve 1 October 1957. Her hull classification symbol was changed to SS-551 on 15 August 1959. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1965.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/b3/bass-ii.htm