USS Diodon

History
United States
Name	USS Diodon
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut[1]
Laid down	1 June 1944[1]
Launched	10 September 1945[1]
Commissioned	18 March 1946[1]
Decommissioned	15 January 1971[1]
Stricken	15 January 1971[1]
Fate	Sold for scrap, 12 May 1972[1]
General characteristics
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];

USS Diodon (SS-349), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Diodon, a genus of the porcupine fishes.

Diodon (SS-349) was launched 10 September 1945 by Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut; sponsored by Mrs. D. Cullinane; and commissioned 18 March 1946.

Diodon arrived at San Diego, California, 5 July 1946, and during the next four years joined in training operations along the West Coast, in Alaskan waters, and in the Hawaiian Islands, as well as training members of the Naval Reserve. It received an extensive GUPPY II modernization at Mare Island Naval Shipyard between August 1947 and March 1948.

On 14 September 1950 Diodon sailed for the Far East, rescuing six aviators off Guam during its passage. It trained frigates of the Republic of Korea in antisubmarine warfare in Sagami Wan, Japan, and from 30 October to 28 November made a simulated war patrol. It passed undetected through Tsugaru Strait to Otaru, Hokkaidō, then continued to patrol undetected as it observed and photographed shipping in La Perouse Strait. it returned to the West Coast for overhaul from February to May 1951.

USS Diodon in 1962.

Resuming its west coast operations, Diodon aided in the training of Canadian naval air and surface forces out of Esquimalt, British Columbia, from October to December 1952. It returned to the Far East from March to September 1954, again conducting a surveillance patrol in La Perouse Straits from 24 May to 22 June. During its west coast training operations in the next two years, Diodon again operated with the Canadian Navy, and in March 1956 admitted visitors by means of a submarine escape bell while 130 feet (40 m) below the surface during rescue drills.

During its 1956–1957 tour of duty in the Far East, Diodon visited Brisbane, Australia, for the celebration commemorating the World War II Allied victory in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. It served again in the Far East in 1958–1959 and 1960.

Diodon was decommissioned on 15 January 1971 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. It was sold for scrapping on 12 May 1972.

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 Diodon at NavSource Naval History
USS Diodon site

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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