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USS Requin (SS-481)
Encyclopedia
USS Requin (SS/SSR/AGSS/IXSS-481), a Tench-class submarine
, was the only ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the requin
, a sand shark
. Her name was pronounced ˈreɪkwɪn by her crew.
Her keel was laid down on 24 August 1944 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine
. She was launched
on 1 January 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Slade D. Cutter, and commissioned
on 28 April 1945 with Commander Slade D. Cutter
in command.
Initially, Requin carried heavier armament than usual for a fleet submarine, perhaps because Commander Cutter was one of the most decorated submarine skippers going to sea. She had an additional five-inch/25-caliber deck gun, as well as two 24-tube five-inch (127 mm) rocket launchers, which were intended to be used to provide offshore bombardment during Operation Downfall
, the planned invasion of Kyūshū
and Honshū
.
Following shakedown off the New England
coast, Requin departed Portsmouth
, on 3 June 1945 en route to Hawaii
. She joined the Pacific Fleet on 13 July at Balboa, Panama
, and at the end of the month reached Pearl Harbor
. However, two weeks after her arrival, three days before she was to begin her first war patrol, World War II
ended and Requin was recalled and ordered back to the Atlantic.
Requin arrived at Staten Island, New York, on 18 September to begin what would be in the words of Commander Cutter, "a dull and boring assignment," essentially becoming a target for sonar school ships. On 6 January 1946 she sailed for Key West, Florida
, where she joined Submarine Squadron 4 (SubRon 4). August through November of that year were spent at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in Kittery, Maine
, being converted to a radar picket
submarine. Her four stern torpedo tubes were removed, along with both of her deck guns and her after anti-aircraft cannon. Two of her forward torpedo tubes were inactivated, and she was reduced to only ten torpedoes. She also received a new skipper; in October 1946, Commander George L. Street III
, who earned the Medal of Honor
during the war, took command.
. Given hull classification symbol
SSR-481 on 20 January 1948, Requin began modification to the MIGRAINE
II Radar Picket configuration at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
in Kittery, Maine
. In December she departed the shipyard after competing trials with new radar equipment and reported to New London, Connecticut
for duty with Submarine Squadron 8.
In May 1949 she sailed east for her first deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Arriving at Gibraltar
on 14 May, she operated in the Mediterranean Sea
until 30 June. Soon after her return to New London, Requin was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia
, for duty with SubRon 6. Into the spring of 1950, she operated in the western Atlantic, ranging from Nova Scotia
to the West Indies. Overhaul occupied most of the summer, and with the end of the year she prepared for another Sixth Fleet tour. In the Mediterranean from mid-January to mid-May 1951, she resumed operations off the East Coast and in the Caribbean Sea
on her return. In August 1952, she was back in European waters. During September, she visited the United Kingdom
; then, in October the submarine transited the Strait of Gibraltar
for her regular Sixth Fleet duty.
In 1953, she maintained her schedule of Second and Sixth Fleet operations, but at the end of the year put into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, for an extensive modernization overhaul that among other changes removed her last antiaircraft cannon. On 2 May 1955, she sailed for her fifth Mediterranean deployment. Detached at the end of July, she returned to Norfolk and remained on the East Coast, with cruises to the Caribbean, until November 1957 when she resumed duty with the Sixth Fleet.
removed all Requin’s radar equipment and improved her streamlining. Upon her conversion to Fleet Snorkel configuration, she was given hull classification symbol
SS-481 on 15 August 1959, and rejoined SubRon 6 in Norfolk for operations as a normal attack submarine, a role she retained until her decommissioning.
Requin conducted local operations off the East Coast and in the Caribbean Sea
. On 20 September 1963, Requin completed her 5000th dive. From 7 January 1964 into May she operated with the Sixth Fleet, then resumed her Second Fleet duties into 1968, interrupted only twice for extended deployments. Operation UNITAS VII in the fall of 1966 called for Requin to cruise around the South America
n continent for exercises with various South American navies and her last Sixth Fleet deployment sent her back to the Mediterranean for duty from 4 April to 27 July 1967.
Requin’s last Mediterranean deployment began on 4 April 1967. On 8 June, just as she completed a series of exercises with the Sixth Fleet, she received word that the US signal intelligence ship was under attack. Requin’s crew prepared to go to the defense of Liberty, but received orders from the Sixth Fleet commander to surface and proceed to Crete
.
On 28 May 1968, in her last deployment before decommissioning, Requin departed Norfolk, Virginia
, as part of the search effort for the missing nuclear attack submarine
. On 29 June 1968, Requin was reclassified AGSS-481 and in October 1968 she began inactivation at Norfolk. Decommissioned on 3 December 1968, she was towed to St. Petersburg, Florida
in February 1969 and served there as a Naval Reserve Training ship. On 30 June 1971 Requin was reclassified as IXSS-481, and on 20 December 1971 she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
.
, as a tourist attraction. She remained in this role until 1986, when she was closed down due to lack of funding and support. For four years she remained abandoned at the pier.
On 21 February 1990 Senator
John Heinz introduced Senate Bill S.2151, which allowed Requin to be transferred as an exhibit for the Carnegie Science Center
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. On 24 May Requin was towed to Tampa Shipyard for dry docking and hull repairs, in preparation for her move to Pittsburgh. On 7 August she left International Ship Repair in Tampa under tow to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
where, on 11 August, she was lifted onto barges and began her ride up the Mississippi River
and Ohio River
to Pittsburgh. On 4 September Requin arrived at the Carnegie Science Center
, and on 20 October Requin was dedicated as a memorial and museum exhibit, and opened for tours.
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...
, 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 requin
Requin
Requin, shark in French , may refer to :* Requins de l'Atlantique FC, a football club of Benin playing in the town of Cotonou* Great Requin River, a river of Grenada* Little Requin River, a river of Grenada...
, a sand shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
. Her name was pronounced ˈreɪkwɪn by her crew.
Her keel was laid down on 24 August 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 1 January 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Slade D. Cutter, 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 28 April 1945 with Commander Slade D. Cutter
Slade Cutter
Slade Deville Cutter was a career U.S. naval officer who was awarded four Navy Crosses and tied for second place for Japanese ships sunk in World War II...
in command.
Initially, Requin carried heavier armament than usual for a fleet submarine, perhaps because Commander Cutter was one of the most decorated submarine skippers going to sea. She had an additional five-inch/25-caliber deck gun, as well as two 24-tube five-inch (127 mm) rocket launchers, which were intended to be used to provide offshore bombardment during Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall
Operation Downfall was the Allied plan for the invasion of Japan near the end of World War II. The operation was cancelled when Japan surrendered after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan. The operation had two parts: Operation...
, the planned invasion of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
.
Shakedown and first conversion
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
coast, Requin departed Portsmouth
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
, on 3 June 1945 en route to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. She joined the Pacific Fleet on 13 July at Balboa, Panama
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
, and at the end of the month reached Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. However, two weeks after her arrival, three days before she was to begin her first war patrol, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended and Requin was recalled and ordered back to the Atlantic.
Requin arrived at Staten Island, New York, on 18 September to begin what would be in the words of Commander Cutter, "a dull and boring assignment," essentially becoming a target for sonar school ships. On 6 January 1946 she sailed for 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 (SubRon 4). August through November of that year were spent at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
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...
, being converted to a radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
submarine. Her four stern torpedo tubes were removed, along with both of her deck guns and her after anti-aircraft cannon. Two of her forward torpedo tubes were inactivated, and she was reduced to only ten torpedoes. She also received a new skipper; in October 1946, Commander George L. Street III
George L. Street III
George Levick Street, III was a submariner in the United States Navy. He received the Medal of Honor during World War II.-Early Life and Career:...
, who earned the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
during the war, took command.
Radar picket operations
After leaving the yard she resumed operations in the western Atlantic and in the fall of 1947 moved north for exercises with her sister radar picket submarine ; on 13 November she crossed the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. Given hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
SSR-481 on 20 January 1948, Requin began modification to the MIGRAINE
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
II Radar Picket configuration at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard , often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard located in Kittery on the southern boundary of Maine near the city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is used for remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships...
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...
. In December she departed the shipyard after competing trials with new radar equipment and reported to New London, Connecticut
New 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....
for duty with Submarine Squadron 8.
In May 1949 she sailed east for her first deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Arriving at Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
on 14 May, she operated in 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...
until 30 June. Soon after her return to New London, Requin was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, for duty with SubRon 6. Into the spring of 1950, she operated in the western Atlantic, ranging from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to the West Indies. Overhaul occupied most of the summer, and with the end of the year she prepared for another Sixth Fleet tour. In the Mediterranean from mid-January to mid-May 1951, she resumed operations off the East Coast 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....
on her return. In August 1952, she was back in European waters. During September, she visited 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...
; then, in October the submarine transited the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
for her regular Sixth Fleet duty.
In 1953, she maintained her schedule of Second and Sixth Fleet operations, but at the end of the year put into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, for an extensive modernization overhaul that among other changes removed her last antiaircraft cannon. On 2 May 1955, she sailed for her fifth Mediterranean deployment. Detached at the end of July, she returned to Norfolk and remained on the East Coast, with cruises to the Caribbean, until November 1957 when she resumed duty with the Sixth Fleet.
Second conversion
From June through August 1959 the Charleston Navy Yard in South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
removed all Requin’s radar equipment and improved her streamlining. Upon her conversion to Fleet Snorkel configuration, she was given hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
SS-481 on 15 August 1959, and rejoined SubRon 6 in Norfolk for operations as a normal attack submarine, a role she retained until her decommissioning.
Requin conducted local operations off the East Coast 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....
. On 20 September 1963, Requin completed her 5000th dive. From 7 January 1964 into May she operated with the Sixth Fleet, then resumed her Second Fleet duties into 1968, interrupted only twice for extended deployments. Operation UNITAS VII in the fall of 1966 called for Requin to cruise around the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n continent for exercises with various South American navies and her last Sixth Fleet deployment sent her back to the Mediterranean for duty from 4 April to 27 July 1967.
Requin’s last Mediterranean deployment began on 4 April 1967. On 8 June, just as she completed a series of exercises with the Sixth Fleet, she received word that the US signal intelligence ship was under attack. Requin’s crew prepared to go to the defense of Liberty, but received orders from the Sixth Fleet commander to surface and proceed to Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
On 28 May 1968, in her last deployment before decommissioning, Requin departed Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, as part of the search effort for the missing nuclear attack submarine
. On 29 June 1968, Requin was reclassified AGSS-481 and in October 1968 she began inactivation at Norfolk. Decommissioned on 3 December 1968, she was towed to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
in February 1969 and served there as a Naval Reserve Training ship. On 30 June 1971 Requin was reclassified as IXSS-481, and on 20 December 1971 she was struck 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...
.
Preservation efforts
On 17 June 1972 Requin was transferred to Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, as a tourist attraction. She remained in this role until 1986, when she was closed down due to lack of funding and support. For four years she remained abandoned at the pier.
On 21 February 1990 Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
John Heinz introduced Senate Bill S.2151, which allowed Requin to be transferred as an exhibit for the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center, located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in 1991.With a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. On 24 May Requin was towed to Tampa Shipyard for dry docking and hull repairs, in preparation for her move to Pittsburgh. On 7 August she left International Ship Repair in Tampa under tow to Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
where, on 11 August, she was lifted onto barges and began her ride up the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
to Pittsburgh. On 4 September Requin arrived at the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center
The Carnegie Science Center, located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, opened in 1991.With a history that dates to October 24, 1939, the Carnegie Science Center is the most visited museum in Pittsburgh...
, and on 20 October Requin was dedicated as a memorial and museum exhibit, and opened for tours.
External links
- navsource.org: USS Requin
- Carnegie Science Center - USS Requin
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - article on technology enhancements to the Requin exhibit
- HNSA Ship Page: USS Requin