USS Growler (SS-215)
Service
- as Growler20 March 1942 — 8 November 1944964 days of the war
- Name
- USS Growler
- Pennant / hull number
- SS-215
- Namesake
- Growler fish
- Builder
- Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
- Laid down
- 10 February 1941
- Launched
- 22 November 1941
- Commissioned
- 20 March 1942
- Fate
- Sunk by Japanese vessels west of the Philippines, 8 November 1944 (1944)
- Status
- Wreck
Specifications
- Displacement, surfaced
- 1,525 long tons (1,549 t)
- Displacement, submerged
- 2,424 long tons (2,463 t)
- Length
- 94.79 m (311 ft)
- Beam
- 8.23 m (27 ft)
- Draught
- 5.18 m (17 ft)
- Speed
- 21 knots (38.9 km/h, 24.2 mph)
- Range
- 11,000 nmi (20,372 km)
- Complement
- 60
- Main gun
- 76 mm (3 in)
The third Growler (SS-215) was laid down on 10 February 1941 at Groton, Conn., by the Electric Boat Co.; launched on 22 November 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Robert L. Ghormley; and commissioned on 20 March 1942, Lt. Cmdr. Howard W. Gilmore in command.
Sailing out of Groton to conduct her first sea trials on 23 March 1942, Growler made a series of Condition II dives and operated her engineering plant at full speed. She returned to her builders’ yard to have the “night shift repair minor defects and leaks.” The next day, she reported for duty to Adm. Ernest King, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Fleet (ComInch), and Vice Adm. Royal E. Ingersoll, C-in-C, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CinCLant). For the rest of the month of March, Growler continued to conduct intensive training for her crew at sea, and returned at night to Groton for minor repairs.
On 1 April 1942, Growler participated with the submarine rescue vessel Falcon (ASR-2) to conduct various drills and training, including torpedo and night approaches as a part of Task Force (TF) 25.6, New Construction Submarines, operating under Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Operating in the Submarine Sanctuary off New London, Conn., she continued her commissioning and training underway. The next day the No. 8 torpedo tube’s outer door and shutter malfunctioned due to an indeterminate cause while conducting torpedo approaches with Falcon . On 3 April, Growler docked in the Marine Railway, Electric Boat Co., for repairs to her No. 8 torpedo tube. During the course of repair, the workers discovered three of her starboard propeller blades were bent. Over the next few days, the shipyard workers repaired her starboard propeller, fixed the shutter and door on the No. 8 torpedo tube, and checked and cleaned her other torpedo tubes as well.
Continue to the full service history About 5,632 words
From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Growler III (SS-215)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.
Armament and machinery
Armament and machinery
- Propulsion
- 4 × General Motors Model 16-248 V16 Diesel engines driving electric generators
- 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
- 4 × high-speed General Electric 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 × 3-inch (76 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun
- Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Sister ships
- USS Albacore (SS-218)
- USS Amberjack (SS-219)
- USS Angler
- USS Barb (SS-220)
- USS Bashaw
- USS Blackfish
- USS Bluefish (SS-222)
- USS Bluegill
- USS Bonefish (SS-223)
- USS Bream
- USS Cavalla (SS-244)
- USS Cero (SS-225)
- USS Cobia
- USS Cod
- USS Corvina
- USS Croaker
- USS Dace (SS-247)
- USS Darter (SS-227)
- USS Dorado (SS-248)
- USS Drum (SS-228)
- USS Finback (SS-230)
- USS Flasher (SS-249)
- USS Flier
- USS Flounder
Sources
- Facts harvested from USS Growler (SS-215) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
- Service history reproduced verbatim from Growler III (SS-215) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
- Photograph: Unknown author — U.S. Navy photo 19-N-28445 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons