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

USS Odax

Tench-class diesel-electric submarine

USS Odax
U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy All Hands magazine March 1948 . p. 19.; U.S. Navy All Hands magazine October 1951 , p. 2 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy submarine USS Odax (SS-484) following her "GUPPY I" refit at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Following the Second World War, the U.S. Navy studied German Type XXI submarines, which featured a greatly increased underwater speed and endurance. The first restult was the "Greater Underwater Propulsive Power Program" (GUPPY) reconstruction of Odax and Pomodon (SS-486) in 1947. Both submari

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Odax (SS-484)11 July 1945 — 8 July 197253 days of the war
  2. Brazilian Navy as Rio de Janeiro (S-13)8 July 1972 — 1978
Tench-class diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Odax
Builder
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down
4 December 1944
Launched
10 April 1945
Commissioned
11 July 1945
Decommissioned
8 July 1972
Struck
8 July 1972
Fate
Broken up, 1981 (1981)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications — As built

Displacement, surfaced
1,570 long tons (1,595 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,414 long tons (2,453 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
20.3 knots (37.5 km/h, 23.3 mph)
Range
11,000 nmi (20,372 km)
Complement
81
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Odax was a Tench-class diesel-electric submarine, operated by the United States Navy. Her keel was laid at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine on 4 December 1944. Launched on 10 April 1945, she entered service on 11 July 1945.

24 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Balao-class submarine and was succeeded by the Barracuda class.

The boat displaced 1,570 long tons surfaced and 2,414 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 81. Her main battery was of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She served with the United States Navy as USS Odax (SS-484) until 8 July 1972. She then passed to the Brazilian Navy, serving as Rio de Janeiro (S-13) from 8 July 1972. She was in commission for 53 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 8 July 1972. She was struck from the register on 8 July 1972.

She was broken up for scrap in 1981.

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

Armament and machinery

This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.

As built
Propulsion
  • 4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators
  • 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
  • 2 × low-speed direct-drive Elliott electric motors
  • two propellers
  • 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced
  • 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Armament
  • 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • (6 forward, 4 aft)
  • 28 torpedoes
  • 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun
  • Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Guppy II
Displacement, surfaced
1,870 long tons (1,900 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,440 long tons (2,479 t)
Length
93.57 m (307 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
18 knots (33.3 km/h, 20.7 mph)
Range
15,119 nmi (28,000 km)
Complement
9
Propulsion
  • Snorkel added
  • Batteries upgraded to GUPPY type, capacity expanded to 504 cells (1 × 184 cell, 1 × 68 cell, and 2 × 126 cell batteries)
Armament
  • 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • (six forward, four aft)
  • all guns removed

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Odax on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: U.S. Navy — U.S. Navy All Hands magazine March 1948 . p. 19.; U.S. Navy All Hands magazine October 1951 , p. 2 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons