USS Hardhead
Service
- as USS Hardhead18 April 1944 — 26 July 1972502 days of the war
- as Papanikolis26 July 1972 — 4 May 1993
- Name
- USS Hardhead
- Pennant / hull number
- SS-365
- Namesake
- Hardhead
- Builder
- Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
- Laid down
- 7 July 1943
- Launched
- 12 December 1943
- Commissioned
- 18 April 1944
- Decommissioned
- 10 May 1946
- Recommissioned
- 6 February 1952
- Struck
- 26 July 1972
- Fate
- Sold for scrap 1993 (1993)
- Status
- Scrapped
Specifications — As built
- 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)
Hardhead (SS-365) was launched by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, Wis., 12 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. E. F. McDonald; and commissioned 18 April 1944, Comdr. F. McMaster in command.
Following shakedown training in lake Michigan the submarine entered a floating dry dock at Lockport, III., and was towed to New Orleans, where she arrived 16 May 1944. Hardhead got underway from Algiers, La., 22 May, and arrived Balboa, Canal Zone, 5 days later. There she took part in additional training exercises before her arrival at Pearl Harbor 7 July 1944.
Hardhead, departed on her first war patrol 27 July and proceeded to her patrol area off the Philippines. Early 18 August she detected Japanese cruiser Natori east of San Bernardino Strait, and closed for a surface attack. The first well directed salvo stopped the cruiser dead in the water; a second sent her to the bottom. During the remainder of her first patrol Hardhead rendered lifeguard services during strikes by fleet aircraft on the Philippines and operated with a reconnaissance line during the Palaus operation. She arrived Fermantle, Australia, 26 September 1944.
Continue to the full service history About 741 words
From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Hardhead (SS-365)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.
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 built
- Propulsion
- 4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators
- 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries
- 4 × high-speed Elliott 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 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun
- Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
Guppy IIA
- Displacement, surfaced
- 1,848 long tons (1,878 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 knots (31.5 km/h, 19.6 mph)
- Propulsion
- Snorkel added
- One diesel engine and generator removed
- Batteries upgraded to Sargo II
- Armament
- 10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
- (six forward, four aft)
- all guns removed
Sister ships
- ARA Santa Fe (S-21)
- USS Apogon
- USS Archerfish (SS-311)
- USS Aspro (SS-309)
- USS Atule
- USS Balao
- USS Bang
- USS Barbel (SS-316)
- USS Barbero
- USS Batfish (SS-310)
- USS Baya
- USS Becuna
- USS Bergall (SS-320)
- USS Besugo
- USS Billfish (SS-286)
- USS Blackfin
- USS Blanquillo (SS-323)
- USS Blenny
- USS Blower
- USS Blueback (SS-326)
- USS Boarfish
- USS Bowfin
- USS Brill
- USS Bugara
Sources
- Facts harvested from USS Hardhead on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
- Service history reproduced verbatim from Hardhead (SS-365) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
- Photograph: Unknown author — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons