Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Submarine

USS Bullhead

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

USS Bullhead
Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Cite: US Navy, COMSUBPAC Public Affairs URL: http://www.csp.navy.mil/ww2boats/images/332.jpg Description: USS Bullhead (SS 332)

Service

  1. United States Navy as Bullhead4 December 1944 — 6 August 1945245 days of the war
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Bullhead
Builder
Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
21 October 1943
Launched
16 July 1944
Commissioned
4 December 1944
Fate
Sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Java Sea, 6 August 1945
By aircraft (1945)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,526 long tons (1,550 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,424 long tons (2,463 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
4.88 m (16 ft)
Speed
20.3 knots (37.5 km/h, 23.3 mph)
Range
11,000 nmi (20,372 km)
Complement
10
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Bullhead was a Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine in service with the United States Navy. Her keel was laid at Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut on 21 October 1943. Launched on 16 July 1944, she entered service on 4 December 1944.

Her class ran to 111 ships. The class followed the Gato-class submarine and was succeeded by the Tench-class submarine.

The boat displaced 1,526 long tons surfaced and 2,424 long tons submerged. She measured 94.8 m (311 ft) long with a beam of 8.2 m (27 ft). Her designed speed was 20.2 knots, and she carried a complement of 10.

Her main battery was one 127 mm (5 in) guns.

She was in commission for 245 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 6 August 1945 by aircraft. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators
  • 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
  • 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears
  • 2 × propellers
  • 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced
  • 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Armament
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft; 24 torpedoes)
  • As built
  • 1 x 5 in/25 caliber deck gun
  • 1 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannon
  • 1 x 20 mm Oerlikon antiaircraft cannon
  • July 1945
  • 2 x 5 in/25 caliber deck guns
  • 2 x 40 mm Bofors antiaircraft cannons

Sister ships

86 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Bullhead on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons