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

USS Atule

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

USS Atule
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 80-G-636420 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy submarine USS Atule (SS-403) lying in the Kane Basin during off the northwest coast of Greenland on 20 July 1946, during "Operation Nanook". The purpose of this exercise was to assist in the establishment of advanced weather stations in the Arctic regions and to aid in the planning and execution of more extensive naval operations in polar and sub-polar regions.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Atule (SS-403)21 June 1944 — 6 April 1970438 days of the war
  2. Peruvian Navy as BAP Pacocha (SS-48)31 July 1974 — 26 August 1988
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Atule
Builder
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down
2 December 1943
Launched
6 March 1944
Commissioned
21 June 1944
Decommissioned
8 September 1947
Recommissioned
8 March 1951
Struck
15 August 1973
Fate
Rammed and sunk by a fishing trawler on 26 August 1988 (1988)
Status
Wreck

Specifications — World War II

Displacement, submerged
1,526 long tons (1,550 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
4.88 m (16 ft)
Range
11,000 nmi (20,372 km)
Complement
10
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

USS Atule was a Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine, operated by the United States Navy. Her keel was laid at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine on 2 December 1943. She entered service on 21 June 1944, having been launched on 6 March 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 submerged. She measured 94.8 m (311 ft) long with a beam of 8.2 m (27 ft). Her designed speed was 17.3 knots, and she carried a complement of 10. Her main battery was of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She served with the United States Navy as USS Atule (SS-403) until 6 April 1970. She then passed to the Peruvian Navy, serving as BAP Pacocha (SS-48) from 31 July 1974. She was in commission for 438 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 8 September 1947. She recommissioned on 8 March 1951. She was struck from the register on 15 August 1973.

She was sunk on 26 August 1988. The wreck survives.

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.

World War II
Propulsion
  • 4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators
  • 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
  • 4 × high-speed Elliott electric motors with reduction gears
  • 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
  • 24 torpedoes
  • 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun
  • Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Guppy IA
Displacement, submerged
1,830 long tons (1,859 t)
Length
93.57 m (307 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Draught
5.18 m (17 ft)
Speed
17.3 knots (32 km/h, 19.9 mph)
Range
17,000 nmi (31,484 km)
Complement
10
Propulsion
  • Submarine snorkel added, Batteries upgraded to Sargo standard II
Armament
  • 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft), all guns removed

Sister ships

86 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Atule on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 80-G-636420 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons