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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Searaven (SS-196)

Radio Call Sign: November - Echo - Lima - Tango

Sargo Class Submarine: Laid down, 9 August 1938, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 21 June 1939; Commissioned, USS Searaven (SS-196), 2 October 1939; Decommissioned, 11 December 1946; Struck from the Naval Register, 21 October 1948; Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 11 September 1948. Searaven earned ten battle stars during World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,450 t., Submerged: 2,350 t.; Length 310' ; Beam 27' 1"; Draft 13' 8"; Speed, Surfaced 20 kts, Submerged 7.75 kts; Max Operating Depth, 250'; Complement 5 Officers 50 Enlisted; Armament, eight 21" torpedo tubes, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 caliber machine guns, two .30 caliber machine guns; Propulsion, diesel-electric, four Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co. diesel engines, (replaced in 1943-1944 with four General Motors 278A diesel engines), 5,500 hp, Fuel Capacity, 90,000 gals. four General Electric Co. electric motors, 2,740 hp, Battery Cells 252, twin propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
85k	Searaven (SS-196) ready for launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 21 June 1939.	Photograph # 19-N-43047, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
63k	Searaven (SS-196) enters the water during her launching at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 21 June 1939	Photograph # 19-N-43049, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
23k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Searaven's (SS-196) commissioning, 2 October 1939.	Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.
18k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Searaven's (SS-196) commissioning, 2 October 1939.	Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle.
76k	Searaven (SS-196) receives her Deep Dive Diploma, 9 January 1940.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
26k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Searaven's (SS-196) shakedown cruise, 20 Feb. 1940.	Photo courtesy of Jack Treutle. Photo added 12/09/06.
34k	Starboard view of the Searaven (SS-196), off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during her trials, 13 May 1940.	Courtesy of subnet.com.
42k	Searaven (SS-196) off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during her trials, 13 May 1940.	Photograph # 19-N-21882, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
43k	Searaven (SS-196) off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during her trials, 13 May 1940.	Photograph # 19-N-21880, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
46k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Navy Day, 27 October 1940, commemorating the participation of: Sailfish (SS-192), Seadragon (SS-194), Sealion (SS-195), Searaven (SS-196), Seawolf (SS-197), Tambor (SS-198), Tautog (SS-199), Thresher (SS-200), & Triton (SS-201). Note: YN1 Loyal Day was a plankowner of *Sealion* and aboard when she was bombed on Dec 10, 1941.	Courtesy of Ric Hedman.
112k	Stern view of Searaven (SS-196) departing Mare Island on 8 May 1943. She was in overhaul at the yard from 19 Feb to 18 May 1943.	USN photo # 3380-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
112k	Broadside view of Searaven (SS-196) off Mare Island on 8 May 1943. She was in overhaul at the yard from 19 Feb to 18 May 1943.	USN photo # 3382-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
108k	Bow on view of Searaven (SS-196) off Mare Island on 8 May 1943. She was in overhaul at the yard from 19 Feb to 18 May 1943. Note barrage balloon in the background.	USN photo # 3384-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
124k	Stern plan view of Searaven (SS-196) at Mare Island Navy Yard on 13 May 1943. She was in overhaul at the yard from 19 Feb to 18 May 1943. Circled areas indicate modifications made during the overhaul. Workers are painting the hull.	USN photo # 3552-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
900k	Inactivated submarines at Mare Island on 3 January 1946. Front row left to right: Sand Lance (SS-381), next two could be Sealion (SS-315) and Seahorse (SS-304), Searaven (SS-196), Pampanito (SS-383), Gurnard (SS-254), Mingo (SS-261), Guitarro (SS-363), Bashaw (SS-241). Back row left to right: Unknown, Tunny (SS-282), next three could be Sargo (SS-188), Spearfish (SS-190), and Saury (SS-189), Macabi (SS-375), Sunfish (SS-281), Guavina (SS-362), Lionfish (SS-298),Piranha (SS-389). The Scabbardfish (SS-397) is docked in *ARD-11* on the other side of the causeway. The mixture of boats from the *Salmon/Sargo, Gato, and Balao classes* illustrate the clear differences in the conning tower fairwaters and the periscope shears that can be used to identify boats. The high bridges with the uncovered support frames (the "covered wagon" look) of the *Gatos* and *Salmon/Sargo's* contrast with the low and sleek look of the *Balao's. The fatter, more robust periscope shears of the Balao's* are markedly different from the thinner shears with more supporting structure of the *Gatos* and *Salmon/Sargo's. The differences in the pattern of the superstructure limber holes can also be used for identification purposes. The single row of large semi-circular holes indentify Electric Boat or Manitowoc boats. A dual row of smaller rectangular holes mark the government built boats. Also note that the EB/Manitowoc boats have the deck mounted, T-shaped JP sonar head on the starboard side of the forward deck, while the government boats have it on the port side. EB/Manitowoc boats had the anchor on the starboard side, the government boats on the port side. A close look will show that some of the boats have had the anchor removed and the hawsepipe plated over as part of the mothball process. Most of the boats have the late war radar outfit of the SJ surface search (small dish) and SV air search (large dish). The Balao's* and some of the *Gatos* have the SS dish mounted on a separate large mast aft of the periscopes. The older *Salmon/Sargo's* and *Gatos* have a much smaller mast. *Searaven* appears to have had her radars already removed. *Searaven* is actually sporting a late war SJ surface search antennae mounted to starboard of the periscopes. This is a rare installation. Most often it was mounted forward (early war) or aft (late war) of the 'scopes shears. Her air search set is a late war SD antennae mounted on a stub mast directly aft of the 'scopes. *Searaven* never received the much more capable SV air search set. Having been assigned to training duties after November, 1944 it was probably felt that the SV set was not necessary. One strange thing: almost all of the boats appear to have the outer doors of the forward torpedo tubes open. Even though the boats have an interlock system that prevents the breech and outer doors from being opened at the same time, this is an unusual thing to do and a potential source of catastrophic flooding.	U.S. Navy photo # 17-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Text courtesy of David Johnston, USNR.
46k	Plan view, amidships looking aft, showing details of the Searaven's (SS-196) fairwater. Taken at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, 6 February 1946. Note that her deck guns have been removed.	Photograph # 19-N-93360, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
50k	Plan view, amidships looking forward, showing details of the Searaven's (SS-196) fairwater. Taken at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, 6 February 1946. Note that her deck guns have been removed.	Photograph # 19-N-93359, from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.
422k	Stern view of Searaven (SS-196) off Mare Island on 7 Feb 1946.	USN photo # 542-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
435k	Broadside view of Searaven (SS-196) off Mare Island on 7 Feb 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 18 Oct 45 until 8 Feb 46.	USN photo # 544-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
371k	Bow on view of Searaven (SS-196) departing Mare Island on 7 Feb 1946.	USN photo # 546-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
103k	Searaven (SS-196) underway, March 11, 1946. In another three months she would be one of the target ships in the 1946 atomic bomb test *Operation Crossroads* at Bikini Atoll. She escaped the tests with only negligible damage.	Courtesy of John Hummel.Text courtesy of DANFS.
278k	Three veterans of *Operation Crossroads* are shown at Mare Island on 17 Oct 1946 in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Left to right: Dentuda (SS-335), Searaven (SS-196) and Tuna (SS-203); Parche (SS-384) is aft of these three. Bluegill (SS-242) and Hackleback (SS-295) are to the left.	USN photo # 3618-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.