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

USS Besugo

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

USS Besugo
Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 98360 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Battle Flag of the U.S. Navy submarine USS Besugo (SS-321) underway while armed with two 5"/25 deck guns, circa the later 1940s or early 1950s.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Besugo (SS-321)19 June 1944 — 31 March 1966440 days of the war
  2. Regia Marina as Francesco Morosini (S 508)31 March 1966 — 30 November 1973
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Besugo
Namesake
Besugo
Builder
Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
27 May 1943
Launched
27 February 1944
Commissioned
19 June 1944
Decommissioned
21 March 1958
Recommissioned
15 June 1965
Struck
15 November 1975
Fate
Returned to United States 15 November 1975 (1975)
Status
Unknown

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 Besugo was a Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine of the United States Navy. She was named for Besugo. Her keel was laid at Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut on 27 May 1943. Launched on 27 February 1944, she entered service on 19 June 1944.

She was one of 111 ships of her class. 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 of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She served with the United States Navy as USS Besugo (SS-321) until 31 March 1966. She then passed to the Regia Marina, serving as Francesco Morosini (S 508) from 31 March 1966. She was in commission for 440 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 21 March 1958. She recommissioned on 15 June 1965. She was struck from the register on 15 November 1975.

She was transferred on 15 November 1975.

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
  • 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 Besugo on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo NH 98360 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons