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

USS Caiman

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

USS Caiman
Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate USS_Caiman; https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08323.htm Caiman (SS-323), port view underway, Spring 1951 following upgrading to GUPPY and overhaul at Mare Island. US Navy photo courtesy of George M. Arnold.

Service

  1. United States Navy as USS Caiman (SS-323)17 July 1944 — 30 June 1972412 days of the war
  2. Turkish Navy as TCG Dumlupınar (S 339)24 August 1972 — 15 September 1986
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Caiman
Namesake
The caiman, a salt-water latiloid fish of Florida and the West Indies, and caiman, a genus of crocodilians of Central America and South America
Builder
Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
24 June 1943
Launched
30 March 1944
Commissioned
17 July 1944
Decommissioned
30 June 1972
Struck
30 June 1972
Fate
Retired 15 September 1986 (1986)
Status
Unknown

Specifications — As completed

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 Caiman was a Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine built for the United States Navy. She was named for The caiman. Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut laid her keel on 24 June 1943. Launched on 30 March 1944, she entered service on 17 July 1944.

111 ships of the class were built. The class followed the Gato-class submarine and was succeeded by the Tench-class submarine.

The boat displaced 1,830 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 Caiman (SS-323) until 30 June 1972. She then passed to the Turkish Navy, serving as TCG Dumlupınar (S 339) from 24 August 1972. She was in commission for 412 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 30 June 1972. She was struck from the register on 30 June 1972.

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 completed
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
Guppy IA
Displacement, surfaced
1,830 long tons (1,859 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
17.3 knots (32 km/h, 19.9 mph)
Range
17,000 nmi (31,484 km)
Complement
10
Propulsion
  • Snorkel added
  • Batteries upgraded to Sargo 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 Caiman on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons