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

USS Grunion

Gato-class Diesel–electric submarine

USS Grunion
US Navy photo, courtesy of Electric Boat Corporation & ussubvetsofworldwarii.org webpage. — https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08216.htm — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate USS_Grunion (SS-216), stern view at rest. March 20, 1942 at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. In a little less than 6 months, the boat and all her crew would be M.I.A. en:USS Grunion (SS-216)

Service

  1. United States Navy11 April 1942 — 2 November 1942205 days of the war
Gato-class Diesel–electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Grunion
Builder
Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
1 March 1941
Launched
22 December 1941
Commissioned
11 April 1942
Struck
2 November 1942
Fate
Sunk off of Kiska around 30 July 1942, due to accidents caused/related to circular run of own torpedo
By torpedo (1942)
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
70
Main gun
76 mm (3 in)

USS Grunion was a Gato-class Diesel–electric submarine built for the United States Navy. Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut laid her keel on 1 March 1941. She entered service on 11 April 1942, having been launched on 22 December 1941.

She was one of 76 ships of her class. The class followed the Mackerel-class submarine and was succeeded by the Balao-class submarine.

The boat displaced 1,525 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 21 knots, and she carried a complement of 70. Her main battery was of 76 mm (3.0 in) calibre.

She was in commission for 205 days of the Second World War. She was struck from the register on 2 November 1942.

She was sunk on 30 July 1942 by torpedo, at 52°14′N 177°25′E. The wreck survives.

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 16-248 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

51 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Grunion on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: US Navy photo, courtesy of Electric Boat Corporation & ussubvetsofworldwarii.org webpage. — https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08216.htm — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons