USS Cobbler

History
United States
Name	USS Cobbler
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down	3 April 1944[1]
Launched	1 April 1945[1]
Commissioned	8 August 1945[1]
Decommissioned	28 November 1973[1]
Stricken	28 November 1973[2]
Identification	SS-344
Fate	Transferred to Turkey, 21 November 1973[1]
Turkey
Name	TCG Çanakkale
Namesake	City of Çanakkale
Acquired	15 January 1974
Commissioned	12 February 1974
Decommissioned	22 January 1998
Identification	S-341
General characteristics (As completed)
Class and type	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine[2]
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced[2]; 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged[2];
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2]
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;
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced[3]; 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged[3];
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[3]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged[3]; 75 days on patrol;
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 6 forward, 4 aft; 24 torpedoes[4]; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun[4]; Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;
General characteristics (Guppy II)
Class and type	none
Displacement	1,870 tons (1,900 t) surfaced[5]; 2,440 tons (2,480 t) submerged[5];
Length	307 ft (93.6 m)[6]
Beam	27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)[6]
Draft	17 ft (5.2 m)[6]
Propulsion	Snorkel added[5]; Batteries upgraded to GUPPY type, capacity expanded to 504 cells (1 × 184 cell, 1 × 68 cell, and 2 × 126 cell batteries)[5]; 4 × high-speed electric motors replaced with 2 × low-speed direct drive electric motors[5];
Speed	Surfaced:; 18.0 knots (20.7 mph; 33.3 km/h) maximum; 13.5 knots (15.5 mph; 25.0 km/h) cruising; Submerged:; 16.0 knots (18.4 mph; 29.6 km/h) for ½ hour; 9.0 knots (10.4 mph; 16.7 km/h) snorkeling; 3.5 knots (4.0 mph; 6.5 km/h) cruising[5];
Range	15,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)[6]
Endurance	48 hours at 4 knots (5 mph; 7 km/h) submerged[6]
Complement	9–10 officers; 5 petty officers; 70 enlisted men[6];
Sensors and ; processing systems	WFA active sonar; JT passive sonar; Mk 106 torpedo fire control system[6];
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; (six forward, four aft)[6]; all guns removed[5];
General characteristics (Guppy III)
Class and type	none
Displacement	1,975 tons (2,007 t) surfaced[5]; 2,450 tons (2,489 t) submerged[5];
Length	321 ft (97.8 m)[6]
Beam	27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)[6]
Draft	17 ft (5.2 m)[6]
Speed	Surfaced:; 17.2 knots (19.8 mph; 31.9 km/h) maximum; 12.2 knots (14.0 mph; 22.6 km/h) cruising; Submerged:; 14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h) for ½ hour; 6.2 knots (7.1 mph; 11.5 km/h) snorkeling; 3.7 knots (4.3 mph; 6.9 km/h) cruising[5];
Range	15,900 nm (29,400 km) surfaced at 8.5 knots (10 mph; 16 km/h)[6]
Endurance	36 hours at 3 knots (3 mph; 6 km/h) submerged[6]
Complement	8–10 officers; 5 petty officers; 70-80 enlisted men[6];
Sensors and ; processing systems	BQS-4 active search sonar; BQR-2B passive search sonar; BQG-4 passive attack sonar[6];

USS Cobbler (SS-344), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cobbler, the killifish of New South Wales.

Cobbler (SS-344) was launched 1 April 1945 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut; sponsored by Mrs. J. B. Rutter; commissioned 8 August 1945.

Cobbler arrived at Key West 11 January 1946, for operations locally and in the Caribbean for exercises and training until 27 November 1948. She then sailed for Groton, arriving 1 December for a GUPPY II modernization being completed on 17 August 1949. She departed Groton 24 August for Norfolk, her home port from the time of her arrival, 27 August.

She conducted operations in Florida and Caribbean waters and along the east coast visiting Quebec 10 to 14 September 1953, and returning to Norfolk 19 September. On 27 March 1954 she cleared Norfolk for 3 weeks of operations under the control of the Operational Development Force, cruising with units of the Canadian navy and air force from Bermuda to Nova Scotia.

Her operations in the Caribbean and off the east coast continued, until 6 January 1958, when she departed Norfolk for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea, returning 18 April. She resumed operations off the east coast, cruising to Bermuda in June 1958, and to Quebec with midshipmen embarked in July 1959. From 9 September 1959 through 1960 she was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet's Antisubmarine Development Force.

In 1962, Cobbler became one of only nine boats to undergo the GUPPY III conversion. She had a 15-foot (4.6 m) hull extension added forward of the control room, a plastic sail and the BQG-4 PUFFS passive ranging sonar, which included the three sharkfin sensors on her deck.

TCG Çanakkale (S 341)

Along with Corporal, Cobbler was transferred to Turkey, under terms of the Security Assistance Program in 1973. Both submarines were handed over on 21 March 1973 in New London. Cobbler was renamed TCG Çanakkale (S 341), the second submarine of that name. She was formally decommissioned, struck from the US Naval Register, and sold, 28 November 1973. Arriving in Turkey on 15 January 1974 she was commissioned on 12 February 1974. She was finally decommissioned on 22 January 1998.

References

Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found here and here.

External links

Photo gallery of Cobbler at NavSource Naval History
History of Turkish Submarines (1948-1972)

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[FriedmanSubs1-dates-1] Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.

[Register-2] Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[FriedmanSubs1-specs-3] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311

[FriedmanSubs1-specs_305–311-4] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

[FriedmanSubs2-chap2-5] Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.

[FriedmanSubs2-specs-6] U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242