USS Seahorse (SSN-669)

USS "Seahorse" (SSN-669), a "Sturgeon"-class submarine, was the second submarine and third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seahorse, a small fish whose head and upper body suggest the head and neck of a horse.

The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 9 March 1965 and her keel was laid down on 13 August 1966. She was launched on 15 June 1968 sponsored by Mrs. Paul Ignatius, and commissioned on 19 September 1969, with Commander George T. Harper, Jr., in command.

Following a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea and visits to Roosevelt Roads and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Frederiksted, St. Croix, "Seahorse" returned to her home port, Charleston, South Carolina. For the remainder of 1969 and through November 1970, the submarine operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean areas, engaging in local operations and conducting type training.

On 30 November, "Seahorse" got underway from Charleston on her first major deployment, in which she operated in the Atlantic and visited Bremerhaven, Germany, before returning to Charleston on 14 February 1971. For the next four months, "Seahorse" conducted type training, engaged in air group operations and made final preparations for an extended Mediterranean Sea deployment. Departing Charleston on 21 June, she arrived at Rota, Spain, on 2 July and continued to operate in the Mediterranean until 4 October when she headed back to Charleston. She remained in Charleston for the next three and one-half months.

On 24 January 1972, "Seahorse" ran agrounded and was stranded for two hours while attempting to put to sea from Charleston, South Carolina. After breaking free, she returned to port for repairs. On 9 February 1972, she again set sail for a north Atlantic deployment, visiting Faslane, Scotland, before returning to Charleston on 11 May. During the months of June, July, and August, she spent four weeks at sea in the Atlantic providing services for air groups and participating in destroyer operations. In September, "Seahorse" departed for the North Atlantic to participate in NATO Exercise "Strong Express," followed by exercises with Great Britain and Canada in October and with the Royal Netherlands Navy in November. The submarine returned to Charleston on 5 November.

"Seahorse" was decommissioned on 17 August 1995 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 August 1995. Ex-"Seahorse" entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 1 March 1995 and on 30 September 1996 ceased to exist.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s8/seahorse-ii.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Seahorse"]
* [http://www.ussseahorse.org/ www.ussseahorse.org] website for (SS-304) and (SSN-669)