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

USS Cutlass

Tench-class diesel-electric submarine

USS Cutlass
U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo USN 1107442 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate The U.S. Navy submarine USS Cutlass (SS-478) underway on 9 May 1962, while operating with the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39).

Service

  1. United States Navy as Cutlass17 March 1945 — 15 April 1973169 days of the war
  2. as ROCS Hai Shih (SS-791)12 April 1973 — in service
Tench-class diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Cutlass
Namesake
Cutlassfish
Builder
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down
22 July 1944
Launched
5 November 1944
Commissioned
17 March 1945
Decommissioned
15 April 1973
Struck
15 April 1973
Fate
Transferred to Taiwan (Republic of China), 15 April 1973 (1973)
Status
Unknown

Specifications — As completed

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 Cutlass was a Tench-class diesel-electric submarine built for the United States Navy. She was named for Cutlassfish. Her keel was laid at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine on 22 July 1944. Launched on 5 November 1944, she entered service on 17 March 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 Cutlass until 15 April 1973. She was in commission for 169 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 15 April 1973. She was struck from the register on 15 April 1973.

She was transferred on 15 April 1973.

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 × 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 (4 × 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 Cutlass on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: U.S. Navy — Official U.S. Navy photo USN 1107442 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons