USS Sturgeon (SSN-637)

USS "Sturgeon" (SSN-637), the lead ship of her class of nuclear attack submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sturgeon, a large, bony-plated fish with an elongated body that is an important source of caviar and isinglass.

The contract to build "Sturgeon" was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 30 November 1961 and her keel was laid down on 10 August 1963. She was launched on 26 February 1966 sponsored by Mrs. Everett Dirksen, and commissioned on 3 March 1967, with Commander Curtis B. Shellman, Jr. in command.

"Sturgeon" spent a month conducting refresher training and then began her shakedown cruise on 3 April down the East Coast and to Puerto Rico. She returned to Groton for availability, maintenance, and training until 18 September when she departed on extended submarine operations. She returned to port two weeks later and was transferred to Development Group 2. On 22 January 1968, the ship began a five-week antisubmarine exercise to evaluate the relative effectiveness of sclass|Sturgeon|submarines and sclass|Permit|submarines.

"Sturgeon" began a three-month post-shakedown availability on 3 March. When the yard work was completed in June, she participated in the search for USS|Scorpion|SSN-589|2 in the vicinity of the Azores. She spent July and August preparing for overseas deployment from September to early November. The submarine participated in tests and evaluation of a new sonar detection device from December 1968 to February 1969. She visited the United States Naval Academy in March and then held an intensive training period for her crew before deploying from May to July. In April, the submarine was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for outstanding service during a period in 1968.

"Sturgeon" participated in fleet submarine exercises in August and September and in a project for the Chief of Naval Operations from 29 September to 31 October. The submarine was awarded a second Meritorious Unit Commendation, in December, for her service during a period in 1969. After training and preparation for another period at sea, the ship deployed from 29 January to 8 April 1970. In May and June, she aided in evaluating aircraft antisubmarine warfare tactics and equipment. The period 1 July to 26 July was spent in a submarine exercise, and from 15 August to 1 September, in sound trials. On 5 October 1970 she began an overhaul at Groton, Connecticut, which lasted until 5 October 1971. While in the yard in December 1970, "Sturgeon" was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during a period of that year.

When "Sturgeon" completed her overhaul in October, she was transferred to Submarine Squadron 10 based at New London, Connecticut. She held refresher training and completed a shakedown cruise from 6 October to 15 December. The period 16 December 1971 through 16 January 1972 was a leave and upkeep period. She then participated in two antisubmarine exercises before returning to Groton for restricted availability from 6 March to 27 May. The submarine conducted sea trials until 15 July at which time she began a test on sonar systems which lasted until mid-December 1972.

"Sturgeon" spent the period from 1 January to 2 April 1973 conducting local operations in the Narragansett Bay area. On 3 April, she sailed to the Fleet Weapons Range in the Caribbean. On 21 May, the submarine ran aground near St. Croix while making some ten knots. She sustained damage to her bow and was forced to return to Groton on 4 June to repair the damage. She returned to sea for local operations from 17 July to 1 October 1973 when she entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to effect bow repairs. She remained in the yard until 22 April 1974. After sea trials, she returned to her home port for a ten-day upkeep period. The submarine operated from there until 13 August when she sailed to Norfolk, Virginia, to join other fleet units participating in Atlantic Readiness Exercise 1-75. She then returned to New London to hold local training exercises in preparation for an overseas movement.

"Sturgeon" stood out to sea on 29 November, en route to the Mediterranean and a scheduled six-month deployment with the Sixth Fleet. She arrived there on 9 December 1974.

"Sturgeon" was decommissioned on 1 August 1994 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1994. Ex-"Sturgeon" entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, and on 11 December 1995 ceased to exist, with one exception.

On September 15, 1995 at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport, Washington, a ceremony commemorated the transfer of the "Sturgeon"'s sail from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The sail is now located in the museum parking lot.

In the 2003 novel, "Final Bearing", (ISBN 0-765-34317-7) by George Wallace and Don Keith, the "Sturgeon"'s number was used for that of a fictional submarine, the USS "Spadefish". (There was a real "Spadefish", but it had been scrapped by the time the book was written.)

References

External links

* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/s19/sturgeon-iii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Sturgeon"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08637.htm navsource.org: USS "Sturgeon"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ssn637.htm hazegray.org: USS "Sturgeon"]