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USS Irex (SS-482)
Encyclopedia
USS Irex (SS-482), a Tench-class
submarine
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the irex
, one of the oceanic fishes belonging to the family carangidae. Her keel was laid down on 2 October 1944 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
. She was launched
on 26 January 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Allen J. Ellender
, wife of Senator Ellender of Louisiana
, and commissioned
on 14 May 1945 with Commander J. D. Crowley in command.
, area, Irex sailed for the Pacific via the Panama Canal
. While she was in the Canal Zone, the war ended. Irex was ordered to Key West, Florida
, where she joined Submarine Squadron 4. She spent the remainder of the year there and at Guantanamo Bay
conducting exercises. By December 1946 the Navy had completed plans for the modern telescopic snorkel
(a device to enable diesel-powered submarines to run submerged for long periods of time), and Irex was ordered to Portsmouth for installation and test of this equipment. She spent July 1947 to February 1948 evaluating her new apparatus and then joined Submarine Squadron 8 at New London
as the U.S. Navy's first operational snorkel submarine.
For the next three years Irex trained out of New London and off the Virginia Capes. In May 1951 she was assigned patrol duty in the North Atlantic and in August commenced operations out of Key West and Cuba
. Returning to New London in the fall, Irex continued her important training out of New England and in the Caribbean Sea
until 26 October 1953 when she sailed for the Mediterranean Sea
to join the Sixth Fleet. Returning to New London 3 February 1954 Irex resumed her operations along the East Coast and in the Caribbean for the next two years.
Irex again deployed in 1956 to the Mediterranean with units of the Sixth Fleet. In the developing Mid-East crisis that culminated in the nationalization of the Suez Canal
in July 1956, and armed conflict between Egypt
and the forces of France
, Israel
, and the United Kingdom
, U.S. Naval forces acted early to support America's policy. In February, patrols in the Red Sea
and along the Israeli-Egyptian border were established as a means of expressing American interest in the peaceful outcome of the crisis. Returning to New London, she resumed her operations and also served as training ship for submarine students.
, was lighter in weight, higher, and acted as a stabilizer. With the exception of one tour to the Mediterranean (13 September – 20 December 1958) and training cruises to Bermuda
and Halifax, Nova Scotia
, Irex continued her operations out of New London for the next year and a half. In early 1960 she took part in fleet exercises in the North Atlantic before returning home 3 March. After operations out of New London, and a training cruise to Halifax, Irex deployed 1 August 1961 for submarine warfare training with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She returned to New London in November, ranging south to Bermuda and north to New York City
and Boston, Massachusetts, as she trained reservists and men of the New London Submarine School. She based winter operations January to March 1963 from Puerto Rico
and the Virgin Islands
, then was overhauled in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
before resuming training at New London. In October 1964 she again sailed for the Mediterranean, taking time out during this Sixth Fleet tour to transit Suez Canal
for CENTO
exercises in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea
. She returned home mid-January 1965 to aid in the development of antisubmarine warfare tactics, joined U.S.-Canadian warfare exercises reaching northward to Nova Scotia, then returned home to New London in November 1965 and continued local training duties into 1967. Irex was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
on 17 November 1969 and sold for scrapping on 13 September 1971.
Tench class submarine
Tench-class submarines were a type of submarine built for the United States Navy between 1944 and 1951. They were an evolutionary improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the irex
IREX
IREX can mean:*The International Robot Exhibition, a robot trade fair held every two years in Tokyo, Japan*iRex Technologies, the company that produced the iLiad and the iRex Digital Reader 1000 ebook devices...
, one of the oceanic fishes belonging to the family carangidae. Her keel was laid down on 2 October 1944 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 26 January 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Allen J. Ellender
Allen J. Ellender
Allen Joseph Ellender was a popular U.S. senator from Houma, Louisiana , who served from 1937 until his death. He was a Democrat who was originally allied with the legendary Huey Pierce Long, Jr.. As Senator he compiled a generally conservative record, voting 77% of the time with the Conservative...
, wife of Senator Ellender of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 14 May 1945 with Commander J. D. Crowley in command.
1945-1956
After shakedown in the New London, ConnecticutNew London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
, area, Irex sailed for the Pacific via the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. While she was in the Canal Zone, the war ended. Irex was ordered to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, where she joined Submarine Squadron 4. She spent the remainder of the year there and at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
conducting exercises. By December 1946 the Navy had completed plans for the modern telescopic snorkel
Submarine snorkel
A submarine snorkel is a device which allows a submarine to operate submerged while still taking in air from above the surface. Navy personnel often refer to it as the snort.-History:...
(a device to enable diesel-powered submarines to run submerged for long periods of time), and Irex was ordered to Portsmouth for installation and test of this equipment. She spent July 1947 to February 1948 evaluating her new apparatus and then joined Submarine Squadron 8 at New London
Naval Submarine Base New London
Naval Submarine Base New London is the United States Navy's primary submarine base, the "Home of the Submarine Force", and "the Submarine Capital of the World".-History:...
as the U.S. Navy's first operational snorkel submarine.
For the next three years Irex trained out of New London and off the Virginia Capes. In May 1951 she was assigned patrol duty in the North Atlantic and in August commenced operations out of Key West and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. Returning to New London in the fall, Irex continued her important training out of New England and in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
until 26 October 1953 when she sailed for the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
to join the Sixth Fleet. Returning to New London 3 February 1954 Irex resumed her operations along the East Coast and in the Caribbean for the next two years.
Irex again deployed in 1956 to the Mediterranean with units of the Sixth Fleet. In the developing Mid-East crisis that culminated in the nationalization of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in July 1956, and armed conflict between Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the forces of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, U.S. Naval forces acted early to support America's policy. In February, patrols in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and along the Israeli-Egyptian border were established as a means of expressing American interest in the peaceful outcome of the crisis. Returning to New London, she resumed her operations and also served as training ship for submarine students.
1957-1971
During early 1957 Irex participated in fleet exercises and again served as training ship. In July she entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she was fitted out with a new type plastic sail. The plastic sail, which replaced the World War II conning towerConning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
, was lighter in weight, higher, and acted as a stabilizer. With the exception of one tour to the Mediterranean (13 September – 20 December 1958) and training cruises to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Irex continued her operations out of New London for the next year and a half. In early 1960 she took part in fleet exercises in the North Atlantic before returning home 3 March. After operations out of New London, and a training cruise to Halifax, Irex deployed 1 August 1961 for submarine warfare training with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. She returned to New London in November, ranging south to Bermuda and north to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Boston, Massachusetts, as she trained reservists and men of the New London Submarine School. She based winter operations January to March 1963 from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...
, then was overhauled in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
before resuming training at New London. In October 1964 she again sailed for the Mediterranean, taking time out during this Sixth Fleet tour to transit Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
for CENTO
Cento
Cento is a city and comune in the province of Ferrara, part of the region Emilia-Romagna . In Italian "cento" means 100.-History:The name Cento is a reference to the centuriation of the Po Valley...
exercises in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. She returned home mid-January 1965 to aid in the development of antisubmarine warfare tactics, joined U.S.-Canadian warfare exercises reaching northward to Nova Scotia, then returned home to New London in November 1965 and continued local training duties into 1967. Irex was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 17 November 1969 and sold for scrapping on 13 September 1971.