Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Submarine SS-316

USS Barbel (SS-316)

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

Displacement
1,526 long tons (1,550 t)
Length
94.79 m (311 ft)
Beam
8.23 m (27 ft)
Speed
20.3 knots (37.5 km/h, 23.3 mph)
Complement
10
Main gun
127 mm (5 in)

Service

  1. United States Navy as Barbel3 April 1944 — 4 February 1945307 days of the war
Full service history About 3,637 words
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Barbel
Pennant / hull number
SS-316
Builder
General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
11 March 1943
Launched
14 November 1943
Commissioned
3 April 1944
Fate
Sunk by Japanese aircraft off Palawan on 4 February 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)

A European fresh water minnow. Its name derives from the pair of fleshy, beard-like appendages found on either side of its thick lips.

Barbel (SS-316) was laid down on 11 March 1943, at Groton, Conn., by the Electric Boat Co.; launched on 14 November 1943; and sponsored by Mrs. Harold A. Allen.

Commissioned on 3 April 1944, Cmdr. Robert A. Keating in command, Barbel worked up in the waters off New London and the Naval Torpedo Station, Gould Island, Conn. Just after midnight on 10 May 1944, she stood out of New London en route to Key West, Fla. Over the next four days Barbel conducted numerous systems tests as well as general and emergency drills. She moored starboard side to Pier A, Naval Operating Base (NOB) Key West at 1223 on 16 May. After her arrival, the submarine conducted training exercises for the next two weeks. Escorted by the submarine chaser SC-1064 , Barbel sailed to Panama early on 1 June.

Continue to the full service history About 3,637 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Barbel I (SS-316)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

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
  • 6 forward, 4 aft
  • 24 torpedoes
  • 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun
  • Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

Sister ships

86 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Barbel (SS-316) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Barbel I (SS-316) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.