USS Plunger (SSN-595)

USS|Plunger|SSN-595, a "Permit"-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the plunger, a diver, a daring gambler .

The contract to build her as a guided-missile submarine (SSGN) was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 23 March, 1959 but by the time her keel was laid down on 2 March, 1960 she had been redesigned as an attack submarine (SSN). She was launched on 9 December, 1961 (sponsored by Mrs. Clinton P. Anderson), and commissioned on 21 November, 1962, with Commander William M. Adams, Jr., in command.

Following a trip to Puget Sound on 27 November to test torpedo tubes and sound gear, "Plunger" departed Mare Island on 5 January, 1963 for shakedown to Pearl Harbor. "Plunger" next was homeported at Mare Island and operated to test the performance of sonar and the fire control system. In April she changed homeport to Pearl Harbor, where she became flagship of ComSubDiv 71, 1 April.

Continuing in a testing capacity, "Plunger" evaluated the most advanced class of nuclear attack subs. Operating off the U.S. West Coast during the spring and summer, she proceeded to Wake Island on 15 September, 1964 for SubRon Operational Evaluation missile firing.

At Pearl Harbor again in January 1965, "Plunger" was selected to demonstrate the capability of the Navy's latest ASW weapon system to Dr. Donald Hornig, Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. At Wake Island in May, "Plunger" participated in C/S-17, the SubRon Operational Training Test. In September, she prepared for WestPac deployment, which continued into mid 1966. During this deployment, "Plunger" conducted evaluation exercises of the AN/BQQ-1 sonar systems and traveled as far east as Okinawa and Subic Bay. She also conducted ASW exercises and executed oceanographic and port surveys.

At Pearl Harbor with SubRon 7 in 1967, "Plunger" operated to improve the ASW readiness of the Pacific fleet; from 6 March to 22 March, she participated in ASW exercises and later continued in advanced type-training work. During inport periods at Pearl Harbor, "Plunger" provided services to Fleet Training Program Pearl Harbor. Homeporting at Puget Sound the last six months of 1967, "Plunger" returned to Pearl Harbor 1 February, 1968.

In 1986 she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award.

"Plunger" was deactivated, in commission, on 10 February, 1989, decommissioned on 3 January, 1990 and stricken from the Navy Register the following 2 February. Ex-"Plunger" entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 5 January, 1995 and on 8 March, 1996 ceased to exist.

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