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USS Tautog (SSN-639)
Encyclopedia
USS Tautog (SSN-639), a Sturgeon-class
attack submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the Tautog
(Tautoga Onitis), and is found along the Northern Atlantic coast. It seldom exceeds three feet and is usually not larger than ten pounds. The Tautog is favored as a food and game fish. Distinguishing characteristics are the small mouth, continuous spinous dorsal fins and black skin with green-grey blotches. The word Tautog is from the Narranganset Indian language.
. SSN-639 is named in commemoration of the fleet submarine Tautog (SS 199).
The contract to build Tautog was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding
in Pascagoula
, Mississippi
, on 30 November 1961 and her keel
was laid down there on 27 January 1964. She was commissioned on 15 March 1967, sponsored by Pauline Lafon Gore, wife of United States Senator Albert Gore, Sr.
(1907–1998) of Tennessee
. Under sunny skies, a crowd of thousands watched as Mrs. Gore took a hearty swing with a bottle of champagne and intoned the memorial words, "In the name of the United States of America, I christen thee TAUTOG." Tautog was thereby commissioned
with Commander
Buele G. Balderston in command.
. She transited the Panama Canal
on 8 September 1968 and arrived at Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
, on 23 September 1968. There, she joined Submarine Squadron 12 as its flagship
. During the next 12 months, Tautog completed her round of post-commissioning tests and sea trials as well as her shakedown
training. She conducted the majority of these operations in waters around the Hawaiian Islands
, although in January and February 1969 she visited Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
at Bremerton
, Washington, for trials and repairs. She completed her shakedown training in September 1969 and, on 15 September 1969, began post-shakedown repairs and alterations which were protracted by the necessity of replacing her entire diesel generator
. Tautogs repairs finally were completed on 19 February 1970, and she began normal operations out of Pearl Harbor, consisting mostly of torpedo
and sonar
tracking exercises, culminating in TAUTOG earning the Battle Efficiency "E" in 1970 for outstanding performance.
TAUTOG sailed with the Seventh Fleet (Western Pacific, or WESTPAC) in 1970, making port calls in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Okinawa, Japan and Korea. Upon return to Pearl Harbor, the Terrible "T" was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations conducted during that deployment.
, a major base for Soviet Navy
missile
-armed submarine
s located near Rybachiy on the Soviet Union
s Kamchatka Peninsula
, attempting to trail K-108, a Soviet Navy Echo II-class
guided missile submarine nicknamed "Black Lila" when the submarines collided violently while K-108 apparently was conducting a maneuver known in the U.S. Navy as a Crazy Ivan. Tautog suffered damage to her sail
. As Tautog departed the scene, her crew heard what they thought was K-108 breaking up and sinking. When Tautog arrived in Pearl Harbor, a large portion of one of K-108s screws
was found embedded in her sail. Over thirty years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was discovered that K-108 in reality had limped back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The collision caused no personnel casualties aboard either submarine.
Even though this event was adamantly denied by the United States and the Soviet Union, the sail was permanently bent at a 2 degree angle making dry-docking evolutions problematic.
In the 1991, the Chicago Tribune broke the story about the collision. History Channel mentioned it in Sharks of Steel, and the full details were finally made public in 1999 in the book Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage by Sherry Sontag.
n deployment. She reached Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 23 October 1970 and joined the United States Seventh Fleet
. During her stay in the Western Pacific, she spent all of her sea time engaged in antisubmarine warfare training, usually with units of the Seventh Fleet but, on one occasion, with the British
Royal Navy
frigate
HMS Aurora (F10)
. When not at sea, she made port calls for liberty and repairs at such places as U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
in the Philippines
; Hong Kong
; Yokosuka
, Japan
; and the South Korea
n port of Pusan. She concluded her first tour of duty in the Western Pacific on 28 March 1971 when she departed Yokosuka bound for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 5 April 1971 and resumed her routine of upkeep in port alternated with periods at sea engaged in antisubmarine warfare training for the remainder of 1971 and during the first three months of 1972.
On 21 March 1972, Tautog put to sea for a special operation. During that mission, she called briefly at Guam
and at Subic Bay. At the conclusion of the assignment, Tautog earned the Navy Unit Commendation for operations conducted during that deployment. Tautog made a liberty visit to Hong Kong before returning via Guam to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 31 August 1972. She conducted operations in the Hawaiian Islands for the remainder of 1972.
On 15 January 1973, Tautog entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for her first regular overhaul
. It was completed on 15 April 1974, when she resumed local operations out of Pearl Harbor which — except for a voyage to the Pacific Northwest
which lasted from late July to early September 1974 — occupied her time until the beginning of May 1975. On 3 May 1975, she departed Pearl Harbor for another series of special operations in the Central Pacific
and Western Pacific. That voyage included a period in drydock at Guam during the first week in June 1975 as well as exercises in the Philippines near Subic Bay. Ports of call once again included Subic Bay and Hong Kong but no South Korean or Japanese ports. Tautog returned to Pearl Harbor on 18 October 1975 and resumed her schedule of training and upkeep. The officers and crew were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for the successful completion of their assigned mission.
Attack submarine training, independent ships exercises, inspections, and evaluations, all conducted in the Hawaiian Islands operating area, consumed Tautogs energies through the end of 1976. She did not deploy overseas again until the beginning of 1977, when she got underway for a goodwill visit to Mombasa, Kenya
. Departing Pearl Harbor on 3 January 1977, she reached Mombasa on 24 January 1977 and remained there for a month while her crew saw the sights and she received visitors on board.
Idi Amin
had precipitated a crisis by rounding up all Americans resident in Uganda
in response to President of the United States
Jimmy Carter
s condemnation of the murders of two of Amins Ugandan political opponents, and Tautog received orders to join a hastily organized task force
built around the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
and return to the East Africa
n coast. While the United States waited for Amin to make his mind up about whether or not to release the American hostages, Tautog cruised the coast of Kenya
, which stands between landlocked Uganda and the Indian Ocean
, with the Enterprise task force both as a show of American resolve to protect U.S. citizens in Uganda and as a scratch force to try for a hostage rescue if one became necessary.
During the 1977 WESTPAC deployment, her crew enjoyed such liberty ports as Mombasa (Kenya), Guam, Chin Hae (South Korea), the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Upon return to Pearl Harbor, preparations were made for the transit to Vallejo, California, where Tautog would undergo its second major overhaul and receive a new reactor core. In December 1977 Tautog entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard and the overhaul commenced.
, in April and, on 20 April 1977, arrived in Subic Bay for a series of special operations in the Philippines.
Early in May 1977, Tautog made a liberty call at Hong Kong and then returned to Subic Bay on the 18 May. Special operations occupied her time in late May and in June. On 3 July 1977, she arrived back at Pearl Harbor and began a customary post-deployment standdown to allow the crew to rest and recuperate.
Following completion of the standdown on 8 August 1977, Tautog conducted local operations in the Hawaiian area until she departed Pearl Harbor on 2 December 1977 to proceed to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
at Vallejo
, California
, for an overhaul. This overhaul, which included the refueling
of her nuclear core, lasted nearly fifteen months, after which Tautog successfully completed her sea trials and sailed to Pearl Harbor to rejoin the Submarine Force arriving in July of 1979.
1981 found the ship and crew rested and ready to go. After a vigorous training cycle, Tautog sailed west once more in support of the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. She became the first nuclear submarine to transit the Malacca Straits, surfaced and visited Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Diego Garcia and Japan. Later in 1982 Tautog earned her third consecutive Engineering "E" and a Damage Control "DC" for excellence in Engineering and Damage Control.
In the winter of 1982, Tautog joined one of her sister ships, the USS Aspro (SSN-648)
, and journeyed to the frozen reaches of the North. She operated beneath the ice pack for two months and experienced the rare thrill of a dual surfacing maneuver at the North Pole with USS Aspro (SSN-648)
.
During the summer of 1983, Tautog once again found herself operating under the Arctic ice pack. To celebrate her arrival at the Pole, the crew had a picnic, a tug-of-war and dog sled races "around the world." Here's a picture take by IC2(SS) Chris Chrosniak and submitted by Allen Woolley. It is another photo of the Tautog at the north pole from the PacSubIceEx 1-83 exercise. The ice thickness can be determined by looking at the stack of ice on top of the hydrophone.
In 1984, following a two-month shipyard availability, Tautog entered a vigorous operational crew training period. In the spring of 1984, Tautog again journeyed west in support of Seventh Fleet operations. Tautog operated extensively in the Northern Pacific, making port visits to the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan. Again, Tautog was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal.
Tautog completed a Western Pacific deployment in November 1984 upon her return to Pearl Harbor. After completing a standdown and a post-deployment upkeep period, she hosted prospective commanding officer
operations in February 1985 and spent a three-day liberty period at Lahaina, Hawaii, on Maui
.
In the summer of 1985 Tautog joined the attack submarine in hosting prospective commanding officer]] operations.
In October 1985, Tautog left Pearl Harbor for a Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment, visiting Guam; Singapore
; Diego Garcia
twice; Perth
, Australia
; the Philippines: and Chinhae, South Korea. On her return to Pearl Harbor Tautog picked up an Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination
team.
Once back in Pearl Harbor in April 1986, Tautog had a change of command ceremony in which Commander Walter P. Stuermann relieved Commander T. R. Kent as commanding officer
.
The beginning of 1986 took Tautog back to the Western Pacific with port visits to the Philippine Islands, Korea, Guam, Australia, Christmas in Singapore and an extended stay in Diego Garcia. In October of 1986, Tautog commenced a non-refueling overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. After extensive modifications and testing, Tautog returned to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 30 May 1989.
Tautog departed on her eighth Western Pacific deployment in May 1990 visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Subic Bay (Philippines), and Yokosuka (Japan). The ship experienced a massive typhoon which prevented her from entering Subic Bay for almost a week.
Back in Pearl Harbor in November 1990, Tautog enjoyed the holidays and began preparing for her third arctic deployment. In April 1991 Tautog once again joined her sister ship, the USS Aspro (SSN-648)
for three weeks of Arctic under-ice operations, ending in a liberty port in San Francisco. After the exercise, Tautog performed an emergency main ballast tank blow from her test depth. Here she is emerging from the deep.
In the summer of 1991, Tautog hosted the JMSDF Submarine Akishio
on her mid-Pac cruise. Several members of both crews shared in each others culture, and some former members of each crew are still in contact.
Also, during this summer, some SEALs managed to get themselves in trouble when they chose this opportunity to take a picture of what Surfer Magazine called the hottest surfboard in the world. This is a SEAL standing on top of the sail while it is just a few inches under the water. The picture was taken from the SEAL's rubber boat. This image is a scan from Surfer Magazine.
During the 50th anniversary remembrance observances of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, Tautog held the honor of being the showcase submarine, hosting many distinguished World War II veterans.
In late January 1992, Tautog successfully fired a MK 48 Advanced Capability warshot torpedo and laid the diesel submarine ex-DARTER to rest in the deep waters just south of Oahu.
In October 1993, Tautog was sent on an emergent WESTPAC with only four days notice. The ship and crew participated in a joint exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, then enjoyed a liberty port in Hong Kong.
In February 1995, Tautog departed Pearl Harbor for her eleventh WESTPAC deployment conducting joint operations with Japanese, Korean and British naval forces. During this deployment the crew was still able to enjoy such liberty ports as Guam, Hong Kong, Yokosuka (Japan), Sasebo (Japan), Okinawa (Japan), Chinhae (South Korea), and Subic Bay (Philippines). Tautog was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for the highly successful completion of this cruise.
Misfortune arrived in February 1996 while the Tautog was conducting a personnel transfer in the mouth of Pearl Harbor. Unusual winds blowing from Maui caught the sail and Tautog drifted off course. While the Officer of the Deck was trying to reposition her, she ran into the west bank of the harbor. The damage was slight - cracking the sonar dome - but it was still a ship grounding incident and a board of inquiry was launched to determine the root cause of the incident.
In July 1996, Tautog departed on her final deployment, this time to the eastern Pacific, supporting weapons testing and weeks of daily Midshipman orientation cruises. Liberty ports included San Diego and Esquimalt (British Columbia), with a repair stop in Bangor, Washington.
Tautog made her last dive on Sunday, 13 October 1996, her 1119th dive, with LTJG Gilbertson as the Diving Officer.
Tautogs inactivation ceremony was held on 25 October 1996. After an inactivation period of approximately 6 months, Tautog departed her lifelong homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for the final time, en route to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for final disposition.
on 31 March 1997 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register
the same day. Her scrapping via the U.S. Navys Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton began on 15 March 2003 and was completed on 30 November 2004.
in Galveston
, Texas
. (29.3342°N 94.7782°W). It suffered damage when Hurricane Ike
struck the area in 2008.
Sturgeon class submarine
The Sturgeon class were a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy from the 1960s until 2004. They were the "work horses" of the submarine attack fleet throughout much of the Cold War...
attack submarine, was the second 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 Tautog
Tautog
The tautog or blackfish also known as the "poor-man's lobster" , Tautoga onitis, is a fish of the wrasse family found in salt water from Nova Scotia to Georgia...
(Tautoga Onitis), and is found along the Northern Atlantic coast. It seldom exceeds three feet and is usually not larger than ten pounds. The Tautog is favored as a food and game fish. Distinguishing characteristics are the small mouth, continuous spinous dorsal fins and black skin with green-grey blotches. The word Tautog is from the Narranganset Indian language.
Construction and commissioning
The second ship of the fleet to bear the name of fish of the family WrasseWrasse
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 82 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes....
. SSN-639 is named in commemoration of the fleet submarine Tautog (SS 199).
The contract to build Tautog was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
in Pascagoula
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, on 30 November 1961 and her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid down there on 27 January 1964. She was commissioned on 15 March 1967, sponsored by Pauline Lafon Gore, wife of United States Senator Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Gore, Sr.
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Sr. was an American politician, serving as a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator for the Democratic Party from Tennessee....
(1907–1998) of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Under sunny skies, a crowd of thousands watched as Mrs. Gore took a hearty swing with a bottle of champagne and intoned the memorial words, "In the name of the United States of America, I christen thee TAUTOG." Tautog was thereby 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...
with Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Buele G. Balderston in command.
1968-1970
On 30 August 1968, Tautog departed Pascagoula on her way to join the United States Pacific FleetUnited States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
. She transited 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...
on 8 September 1968 and arrived at 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...
, 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...
, on 23 September 1968. There, she joined Submarine Squadron 12 as its flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. During the next 12 months, Tautog completed her round of post-commissioning tests and sea trials as well as her shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
training. She conducted the majority of these operations in waters around the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, although in January and February 1969 she visited Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
at Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, Washington, for trials and repairs. She completed her shakedown training in September 1969 and, on 15 September 1969, began post-shakedown repairs and alterations which were protracted by the necessity of replacing her entire diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
. Tautogs repairs finally were completed on 19 February 1970, and she began normal operations out of Pearl Harbor, consisting mostly of torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
and sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
tracking exercises, culminating in TAUTOG earning the Battle Efficiency "E" in 1970 for outstanding performance.
TAUTOG sailed with the Seventh Fleet (Western Pacific, or WESTPAC) in 1970, making port calls in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Okinawa, Japan and Korea. Upon return to Pearl Harbor, the Terrible "T" was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations conducted during that deployment.
Collision with K-108, 1970
On 20 June 1970, Tautog was in the North Pacific Ocean off Petropavlovsk-KamchatskyPetropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the main city and the administrative, industrial, scientific, and cultural center of Kamchatka Krai, Russia. Population: .-History:It was founded by Danish navigator Vitus Bering, in the service of the Russian Navy...
, a major base for Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
-armed 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...
s located near Rybachiy on the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
s Kamchatka Peninsula
Kamchatka Peninsula
The Kamchatka Peninsula is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of . It lies between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sea of Okhotsk to the west...
, attempting to trail K-108, a Soviet Navy Echo II-class
Echo class submarine
The Echo class submarines were nuclear cruise missile submarines of the Soviet Navy built during the 1960s. Their Soviet designation was Project 659 class for the first five vessels, and Project 675 for the following twenty-nine...
guided missile submarine nicknamed "Black Lila" when the submarines collided violently while K-108 apparently was conducting a maneuver known in the U.S. Navy as a Crazy Ivan. Tautog suffered damage to her sail
Sail (submarine)
In naval parlance, the sail or fin of a submarine is the tower-like structure found on the dorsal surface of submarines...
. As Tautog departed the scene, her crew heard what they thought was K-108 breaking up and sinking. When Tautog arrived in Pearl Harbor, a large portion of one of K-108s screws
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
was found embedded in her sail. Over thirty years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was discovered that K-108 in reality had limped back to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The collision caused no personnel casualties aboard either submarine.
Even though this event was adamantly denied by the United States and the Soviet Union, the sail was permanently bent at a 2 degree angle making dry-docking evolutions problematic.
In the 1991, the Chicago Tribune broke the story about the collision. History Channel mentioned it in Sharks of Steel, and the full details were finally made public in 1999 in the book Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story Of American Submarine Espionage by Sherry Sontag.
1970-1977
On 9 October 1970, Tautog departed Pearl Harbor for her first East AsiaEast Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n deployment. She reached Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 23 October 1970 and joined the United States Seventh Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
. During her stay in the Western Pacific, she spent all of her sea time engaged in antisubmarine warfare training, usually with units of the Seventh Fleet but, on one occasion, with the British
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...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Aurora (F10)
HMS Aurora (F10)
HMS Aurora was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . Like other ships of the class, Aurora was named after a figure of mythology, Aurora being the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Eos. HMS Aurora was built by John Brown & Company, shipbuilders of Clydebank, Scotland...
. When not at sea, she made port calls for liberty and repairs at such places as U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
; Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; and the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n port of Pusan. She concluded her first tour of duty in the Western Pacific on 28 March 1971 when she departed Yokosuka bound for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 5 April 1971 and resumed her routine of upkeep in port alternated with periods at sea engaged in antisubmarine warfare training for the remainder of 1971 and during the first three months of 1972.
On 21 March 1972, Tautog put to sea for a special operation. During that mission, she called briefly at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and at Subic Bay. At the conclusion of the assignment, Tautog earned the Navy Unit Commendation for operations conducted during that deployment. Tautog made a liberty visit to Hong Kong before returning via Guam to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 31 August 1972. She conducted operations in the Hawaiian Islands for the remainder of 1972.
On 15 January 1973, Tautog entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for her first regular overhaul
Overhaul
Overhaul may refer to:*Overhaul , a Transformers character*The process of overhauling...
. It was completed on 15 April 1974, when she resumed local operations out of Pearl Harbor which — except for a voyage to the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
which lasted from late July to early September 1974 — occupied her time until the beginning of May 1975. On 3 May 1975, she departed Pearl Harbor for another series of special operations in the Central Pacific
Central Pacific
Central Pacific can refer to:* The Central Pacific Railroad, the western part of the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States* The Central Pacific Area, a subdivision of the Pacific Ocean Areas in World War II...
and Western Pacific. That voyage included a period in drydock at Guam during the first week in June 1975 as well as exercises in the Philippines near Subic Bay. Ports of call once again included Subic Bay and Hong Kong but no South Korean or Japanese ports. Tautog returned to Pearl Harbor on 18 October 1975 and resumed her schedule of training and upkeep. The officers and crew were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for the successful completion of their assigned mission.
Attack submarine training, independent ships exercises, inspections, and evaluations, all conducted in the Hawaiian Islands operating area, consumed Tautogs energies through the end of 1976. She did not deploy overseas again until the beginning of 1977, when she got underway for a goodwill visit to Mombasa, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Departing Pearl Harbor on 3 January 1977, she reached Mombasa on 24 January 1977 and remained there for a month while her crew saw the sights and she received visitors on board.
Uganda crisis, 1977
Tautog departed Mombasa on 24 February 1977 and started east toward Pearl Harbor. On the way, however, President of UgandaPresident of Uganda
-List of Presidents of Uganda:-Affiliations:-See also:*Uganda*Vice President of Uganda*Prime Minister of Uganda*Politics of Uganda*History of Uganda*Political parties of Uganda...
Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
had precipitated a crisis by rounding up all Americans resident in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
in response to President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
s condemnation of the murders of two of Amins Ugandan political opponents, and Tautog received orders to join a hastily organized task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
built around the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
and return to the East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
n coast. While the United States waited for Amin to make his mind up about whether or not to release the American hostages, Tautog cruised the coast of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, which stands between landlocked Uganda and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, with the Enterprise task force both as a show of American resolve to protect U.S. citizens in Uganda and as a scratch force to try for a hostage rescue if one became necessary.
During the 1977 WESTPAC deployment, her crew enjoyed such liberty ports as Mombasa (Kenya), Guam, Chin Hae (South Korea), the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Upon return to Pearl Harbor, preparations were made for the transit to Vallejo, California, where Tautog would undergo its second major overhaul and receive a new reactor core. In December 1977 Tautog entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard and the overhaul commenced.
1977-1980
Amin eventually freed the hostages, and Tautog was released from the special task force and resumed her voyage east, arriving at Guam on 19 March 1977. Tautog visited Chinhae, South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, in April and, on 20 April 1977, arrived in Subic Bay for a series of special operations in the Philippines.
Early in May 1977, Tautog made a liberty call at Hong Kong and then returned to Subic Bay on the 18 May. Special operations occupied her time in late May and in June. On 3 July 1977, she arrived back at Pearl Harbor and began a customary post-deployment standdown to allow the crew to rest and recuperate.
Following completion of the standdown on 8 August 1977, Tautog conducted local operations in the Hawaiian area until she departed Pearl Harbor on 2 December 1977 to proceed to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
at Vallejo
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, for an overhaul. This overhaul, which included the refueling
Refueling and Overhaul
In the United States Navy, Refueling and Overhaul refers to a lengthy process or procedure performed on nuclear-powered Naval ships, which involves replacement of expended nuclear fuel with new fuel and a general maintenance fix-up, renovation, and often modernization of the entire ship...
of her nuclear core, lasted nearly fifteen months, after which Tautog successfully completed her sea trials and sailed to Pearl Harbor to rejoin the Submarine Force arriving in July of 1979.
1980-1997
Following an intense period of training and operational exercises, Tautog again deployed on WESTPAC in March 1980. Tautog met every commitment placed on her during this period of international tension, and was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for her performance. In September of 1980, the ship was awarded the Battle Efficiency "E", Anti Submarine Warfare "A" and Engineering "E" for excellence displayed during the previous year. Port visits to Diego Garcia; the Philippines; Perth, Australia; and Guam were enjoyed by all hands.1981 found the ship and crew rested and ready to go. After a vigorous training cycle, Tautog sailed west once more in support of the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. She became the first nuclear submarine to transit the Malacca Straits, surfaced and visited Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Diego Garcia and Japan. Later in 1982 Tautog earned her third consecutive Engineering "E" and a Damage Control "DC" for excellence in Engineering and Damage Control.
In the winter of 1982, Tautog joined one of her sister ships, the USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the aspro, a fish of the Zingel genus found abundantly in the upper Rhone River.-Construction and commissioning:...
, and journeyed to the frozen reaches of the North. She operated beneath the ice pack for two months and experienced the rare thrill of a dual surfacing maneuver at the North Pole with USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the aspro, a fish of the Zingel genus found abundantly in the upper Rhone River.-Construction and commissioning:...
.
During the summer of 1983, Tautog once again found herself operating under the Arctic ice pack. To celebrate her arrival at the Pole, the crew had a picnic, a tug-of-war and dog sled races "around the world." Here's a picture take by IC2(SS) Chris Chrosniak and submitted by Allen Woolley. It is another photo of the Tautog at the north pole from the PacSubIceEx 1-83 exercise. The ice thickness can be determined by looking at the stack of ice on top of the hydrophone.
In 1984, following a two-month shipyard availability, Tautog entered a vigorous operational crew training period. In the spring of 1984, Tautog again journeyed west in support of Seventh Fleet operations. Tautog operated extensively in the Northern Pacific, making port visits to the Philippines, Thailand, and Japan. Again, Tautog was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal.
Tautog completed a Western Pacific deployment in November 1984 upon her return to Pearl Harbor. After completing a standdown and a post-deployment upkeep period, she hosted prospective commanding officer
Prospective Commanding Officer
A Prospective Commanding Officer is a United States Submarine Officer who has been selected for the specialized training to attain his/her own command.-References:...
operations in February 1985 and spent a three-day liberty period at Lahaina, Hawaii, on Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
.
In the summer of 1985 Tautog joined the attack submarine in hosting prospective commanding officer]] operations.
In October 1985, Tautog left Pearl Harbor for a Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment, visiting Guam; Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
; Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
twice; Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; the Philippines: and Chinhae, South Korea. On her return to Pearl Harbor Tautog picked up an Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination
Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination
An Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination is an examination conducted by senior United States Navy personnel on US Navy Nuclear Powered aircraft carriers and submarines...
team.
Once back in Pearl Harbor in April 1986, Tautog had a change of command ceremony in which Commander Walter P. Stuermann relieved Commander T. R. Kent as commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
.
The beginning of 1986 took Tautog back to the Western Pacific with port visits to the Philippine Islands, Korea, Guam, Australia, Christmas in Singapore and an extended stay in Diego Garcia. In October of 1986, Tautog commenced a non-refueling overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. After extensive modifications and testing, Tautog returned to her homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on 30 May 1989.
Tautog departed on her eighth Western Pacific deployment in May 1990 visiting Singapore, Hong Kong, Subic Bay (Philippines), and Yokosuka (Japan). The ship experienced a massive typhoon which prevented her from entering Subic Bay for almost a week.
Back in Pearl Harbor in November 1990, Tautog enjoyed the holidays and began preparing for her third arctic deployment. In April 1991 Tautog once again joined her sister ship, the USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro (SSN-648)
USS Aspro , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the aspro, a fish of the Zingel genus found abundantly in the upper Rhone River.-Construction and commissioning:...
for three weeks of Arctic under-ice operations, ending in a liberty port in San Francisco. After the exercise, Tautog performed an emergency main ballast tank blow from her test depth. Here she is emerging from the deep.
In the summer of 1991, Tautog hosted the JMSDF Submarine Akishio
Yushio class submarine
The Yūshio was a Japanese diesel-electric submarine class operated by the JMSDF. It was a second generation submarine, a development of the Uzushio class submarine, incorporating a teardrop hull, with a resulting increase in underwater performance on the Uzushio class submarine. Ten were built...
on her mid-Pac cruise. Several members of both crews shared in each others culture, and some former members of each crew are still in contact.
Also, during this summer, some SEALs managed to get themselves in trouble when they chose this opportunity to take a picture of what Surfer Magazine called the hottest surfboard in the world. This is a SEAL standing on top of the sail while it is just a few inches under the water. The picture was taken from the SEAL's rubber boat. This image is a scan from Surfer Magazine.
During the 50th anniversary remembrance observances of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, Tautog held the honor of being the showcase submarine, hosting many distinguished World War II veterans.
In late January 1992, Tautog successfully fired a MK 48 Advanced Capability warshot torpedo and laid the diesel submarine ex-DARTER to rest in the deep waters just south of Oahu.
In October 1993, Tautog was sent on an emergent WESTPAC with only four days notice. The ship and crew participated in a joint exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, then enjoyed a liberty port in Hong Kong.
In February 1995, Tautog departed Pearl Harbor for her eleventh WESTPAC deployment conducting joint operations with Japanese, Korean and British naval forces. During this deployment the crew was still able to enjoy such liberty ports as Guam, Hong Kong, Yokosuka (Japan), Sasebo (Japan), Okinawa (Japan), Chinhae (South Korea), and Subic Bay (Philippines). Tautog was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for the highly successful completion of this cruise.
Misfortune arrived in February 1996 while the Tautog was conducting a personnel transfer in the mouth of Pearl Harbor. Unusual winds blowing from Maui caught the sail and Tautog drifted off course. While the Officer of the Deck was trying to reposition her, she ran into the west bank of the harbor. The damage was slight - cracking the sonar dome - but it was still a ship grounding incident and a board of inquiry was launched to determine the root cause of the incident.
In July 1996, Tautog departed on her final deployment, this time to the eastern Pacific, supporting weapons testing and weeks of daily Midshipman orientation cruises. Liberty ports included San Diego and Esquimalt (British Columbia), with a repair stop in Bangor, Washington.
Tautog made her last dive on Sunday, 13 October 1996, her 1119th dive, with LTJG Gilbertson as the Diving Officer.
Tautogs inactivation ceremony was held on 25 October 1996. After an inactivation period of approximately 6 months, Tautog departed her lifelong homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for the final time, en route to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for final disposition.
Decommissioning and disposal
Tautog was decommissionedShip decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 31 March 1997 and 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...
the same day. Her scrapping via the U.S. Navys Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton began on 15 March 2003 and was completed on 30 November 2004.
Commemoration
Tautogs sail was preserved and is now on display at Seawolf ParkSeawolf Park
Seawolf Park is a memorial to , a United States Navy Sargo-class submarine mistakenly sunk by U.S. Navy forces in 1944 during World War II. It is located on Pelican Island , just north of Galveston, Texas, in the United States....
in Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. (29.3342°N 94.7782°W). It suffered damage when Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
struck the area in 2008.