List of Balao-class submarines

List of ''Balao''-class submarines and their dispositions. 120 of these boats were built during and after World War II, commissioned from February 1943 through September 1948, with 12 commissioned postwar.Bauer and Roberts, pp. 275-280 This was the most numerous US submarine class. Nine of the 52 US submarines lost in World War II were of this class, along with five lost postwar, including one in Turkish service in 1953, one in Argentine service in the Falklands War of 1982, and one in Peruvian service in 1988.''United States Submarine Losses in World War II'', Naval History Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington: 1963 (Fifth Printing) Also, flooded and sank while fitting out at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 15 March 1945. She was raised but not repaired, and was listed with the reserve fleet postwar until struck in 1958. Some of the class served actively in the US Navy through the middle 1970s, and one (''Hai Pao'' ex-) is still active in Taiwan's Republic of China Navy.

The primary improvement of the ''Balao'' class over the preceding ''Gato'' class was an increase in test depth from to , which was shared with the subsequent ''Tench'' class. This, combined with generally less wartime service than previous classes, led to the ''Balao'' and ''Tench'' classes being preferred for modernization programs and active postwar service. 36 ''Balao''s were modernized under various GUPPY conversion programs, plus 19 received the more austere " Fleet Snorkel" modernization, often in connection with foreign transfers.GUPPY and other diesel boat conversions page
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SS-361 through SS-364 were initially ordered as ''Balao''-class, and were assigned hull numbers that fall in the middle of the range of numbers for the ''Balao'' class (SS-285 through SS-416 & SS-425–426). Thus, in some references they are listed with this class. However, they were completed by Manitowoc as ''Gato''s, due to an unavoidable delay in Electric Boat's development of ''Balao''-class drawings. Manitowoc was a follow yard to Electric Boat, and was dependent on them for designs and drawings.

Cancellations

A total of 125 U.S. submarines were cancelled during World War II, all but three between 29 July 1944 and 12 August 1945. The exceptions were , , and , cancelled 7 January 1946. References vary considerably as to how many of these were ''Balao''s and how many were ''Tench''es. Some references simply assume all submarines numbered after SS-416 were ''Tench'' class; however, and were completed as ''Balao''s. This yields 10 cancelled ''Balao''-class, SS-353-360 and 379-380. The ''Register of Ships of the U. S. Navy'' differs, considering every submarine not specifically ordered as a ''Tench'' to be a ''Balao'', and further projecting SS-551-562 as a future class. This yields 62 cancelled ''Balao'' class, 51 cancelled ''Tench'' class, and 12 cancelled SS-551 class. This article follows the information in the "Register". Two of the cancelled ''Balao''-class submarines, and , were launched incomplete and served for years as experimental hulks at Annapolis and Norfolk, Virginia. Two of the cancelled ''Tench''-class boats, and , were also launched incomplete, never commissioned, but listed with the Reserve fleet until struck in 1958 and scrapped in 1959. The cancelled hull numbers, including those launched incomplete, were SS-353-360 (''Balao''), 379–380 (''Balao''), 427–434 (''Balao''), 436–437 (''Tench''), 438–474 (''Balao''), 491–521 (''Tench''), 526-529 (''Tench''), 530–536 (''Balao''), 537-550 (''Tench''), and 551-562 (SS-551 class).

Abbreviations

Abbreviations and hull classification symbols for postwar redesignations/conversions:
* AGSS — auxiliary submarine (various roles including sonar testing and some pierside trainers)
* FS — " fleet snorkel" conversion, including a snorkel and streamlined sail
* G IA, G II, etc. — various GUPPY conversions, usually including a snorkel, streamlined sail, improved batteries, and upgraded sonar and electronics
* IXSS — unclassified submarine
* PT — pierside trainer for naval reservists, reportedly immobilized by removing the propellers
* SSA/ASSA - cargo submarine
* SSG — guided missile submarine
* SSP/ASSP/APSS/LPSS — amphibious transport submarine
* SSR — radar picket submarine
* Struck — Struck (deleted) from the Naval Vessel Register, usually followed by scrapping or other final disposal, or sale to a foreign navy

Ships in class

See also

* List of most successful American submarines in World War II
* List of lost United States submarines
* List of Gato-class submarines
* List of Tench-class submarines

References

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Further reading

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* Different pagination than 1977 edition.

External links

Description of GUPPY conversions at RNSubs.co.uk


* ttp://www.navsource.org/archives/08/04idx.htm Navsource.org fleet submarines photo and data index page
{{Balao class submarine

Balao
Balao