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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Grunion (SS-216)
Initial Discovery 2006

Radio Call Sign: November - Uniform - Delta - Papa
To Additional Pages

Keel Laying - Loss
A Life & Beyond
Aftermath
ROV Pictures of the Wreckage
Hypotheses of the Sinking

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 March 1941, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 22 December 1941; Commissioned USS Grunion (SS-216), 11 April 1942; Final Disposition, last report 30 July 1942, reported overdue from patrol off Kiska Island, Alaska, 5 October 1942, all hands assumed lost; Struck from the Naval Register, 2 November 1942. Grunion received one battle star for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 6 Officers 54 Enlisted; Operating Depth, 300 ft; Submerged Endurance, 48 hrs at 2 kts; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 3"/50 deck gun, two .50 cal. machine guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Propulsion, diesel electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity, 97,140 gals., four General Electric main motors, HP 2740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.

Coincidence or not, (btw, we don't believe in this sort of thing, i.e. coincidence) the week's Bible portion read worldwide on Saturday, 25 August 2007 was in Deuteronomy, 21:10 to 25:19. In Chapter 22, verse 3, "You shall return every lost thing of your brother's...". Rabbi Zev Leff of Moshav Mattityahu in Israel mentioned that this includes helping to return a lost soul as well and helping to bring closure to families who have lost their loved ones. This reading of the Torah also coincided with a Memorial Service sponsored by American Legion Post 639 was held on Saturday, Sept. 17 2005 in Springfield Missouri for the crew of the Lagarto (SS-371)

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Grunion79kLast voyage of the Grunion (SS-216).
Photo courtesy of boston.com. and submitted by John Shane, whose grandfather, Lieutenant Commander Louis Shane, Jr. was K.I.A. with the entire crew of 59 men while commanding the Shark (SS-174) approximately 11 February 1942.
Grunion63kBathyscaph view of the region where the Grunion (SS-216) made upon impact on her descent to the ocean floor. Photo courtesy of ussgrunion.com.& Bruce Abele.
Grunion64k3D Sounding map showing Grunion (SS-216) spike. Photo courtesy of ussgrunion.com.& Bruce Abele.
Grunion14kSonar image of a 3000 meter swath which shows the Grunion (SS-216) lying over 2,000 feet down on the bottom of the Barents Sea.
Photo & text courtesy of the crew of the Aquila, ussgrunion.com. & Williamson Asscoiates.
Grunion201kSonar image of a 500m swath which shows Grunion (SS-216) very near centerline of the track lying on her starboard side. You can see the bow and periscope projecting up into the water column.
Photo & text courtesy of the crew of the Aquila, ussgrunion.com. & Williamson Asscoiates.
Grunion220kSonar image of a 250 meter swath which shows the Grunion (SS-216) lying on her starboard side at about a 45 degree angle.
Photo & text courtesy of the crew of the Aquila, ussgrunion.com. & Williamson Asscoiates.
Grunion186kSonar image of a 250 meter swath which shows the Grunion (SS-216) lying on her starboard side at about a 45 degree angle.
Photo & text courtesy of the crew of the Aquila, ussgrunion.com. & Williamson Asscoiates.
Grunion72k3-D image of the Grunion (SS-216) entitled "Distant", lying on her starboard side at about a 45 degree angle.
Photo courtesy of ussgrunion.com.& skinnersquared.com
Grunion67k3-D image of the Grunion (SS-216) entitled "East Angle 1", lying on her starboard side at about a 45 degree angle.
Photo courtesy of ussgrunion.com.& skinnersquared.com
Grunion60k3-D image of the Grunion (SS-216) entitled "West Angle 2", lying on her starboard side at about a 45 degree angle.
Photo courtesy of ussgrunion.com.& skinnersquared.com
View the Grunion (SS-216)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
On Eternal Patrol
ComSubPac Report of loss of USS Grunion (SS-216) July 30, 1942 - 70 Men Lost
Full Fathom Five, U.S. Submarine War Against Japan
ussgrunion.com
ussgrunionblog
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