Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
United States Navy — Submarine SS-313

USS Perch (SS-313)

Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine

USS Perch (SS-313)
Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — SS-313 USS_Perch; https://www.navsource.net/archives/08/08313.htm Perch (ASSP-313), surface view, 45 degrees off centerline, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956. Courtesy of http://usssubvetsofwwii.org

Service

  1. United States Navy7 January 1944 — 27 May 1967604 days of the war
Full service history About 1,144 words
Balao-class submarine diesel-electric submarine Particulars
Name
USS Perch
Pennant / hull number
SS-313
Builder
Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down
5 January 1943
Launched
12 September 1943
Commissioned
7 January 1944
Decommissioned
January 1947
Recommissioned
20 May 1948
Struck
1 December 1971
Fate
Sold for scrap, 15 January 1973 (1973)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications

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)

The second Perch (SS-313) was laid down 5 January 1943 by the Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; launched 12 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. David A. Hart; and commissioned 7 January 1944, Lt. Comer. Blish C. Hills in command.

After shakedown she departed 19 February 1944 for Key West, Fla., ",here she gave services to the Fleet Sound School. She then sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 3 April."

On 29 April she departed Pearl Harbor with Peto for Midway where Picada joined them. The South China Sea was the hunting ground for the wolf pack. Early in the morning of 24 May, a medium tanker was contacted and damaged by four torpedo hits. The counterattack by a lone escort prevented further observation of the damage inflicted and knocked out both high pressure air compressors by flooding of the pump room. Perch headed for the Marshall Islands, arriving Majuro 4 June.

Continue to the full service history About 1,144 words

From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Perch II (SS-313)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
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

Sister ships

86 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from USS Perch (SS-313) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Service history reproduced verbatim from Perch II (SS-313) , Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships — public domain, a work of the United States Government.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — Unknown source — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons