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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on right contributed by Mike Smolinski, other patches by ussubvetsofworldwarii.org

Drum (SS-228) (AGSS-228)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Tango - Golf

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 11 September 1940, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME, Launched, 12 May 1941; Commissioned USS Drum (SS-228), 1 November 1941; Decommissioned, 16 February 1946; Placed in service, 18 March 1947, as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel in the Potomac River Naval Command; Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine, (AGSS-228) 1 December 1962; Placed out of service in 1962; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London; Struck from the Naval Register, 30 June 1968; Final Disposition, sold to become a floating memorial at Mobile, AL., 14 April 1969. Drum received 12 battle stars for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,410 t.; Length 311' 10"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 2"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Complement 6 officers, 54 enlished; 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 Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, 5400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 94,400 gals., four Elliot Motor Co., electric motors, 2740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin screws.

Size	Image Description	Source
39k	Commemorative postal cover issued on the occasion of the Drum's (SS-228) keel laying ceremony, 11 September 1940, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
162k	Drum (SS-228) sliding down the lauching ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME, 12 May 1941.	US Navy photo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
25k	Commemorative postal cover issued on the occasion of the Drum's (SS-228) launching, 12 May 1941, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
25k	Commemorative postal cover issued on the occasion of the Drum's (SS-228) commissioning on 1 November 1941, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	Courtesy of petloveshack.com.
112k	Only the periscope and periscope shear are seen after Drum (SS-228) conducted a crash dive on 22 March 1944 after her overhaul at Mare Island.	U.S. Navy photo # 1890-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
136k	Stern view of the Drum (SS-228) off Mare Island on 22 March 1944.	U.S. Navy photo # 1892-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
162k	Broadside view of the Drum (SS-228) off Mare Island on 22 March 1944. She was in overhaul at the shipyard from 16 Jan until 21 March 1944.	U.S. Navy photo # 1895-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
51k	Drum (SS-228), entering Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 1941-45.	US Navy photo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
139k	Bow view & crew of the Drum (SS-228), entering Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 1941-45.	US Navy photo, courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
111k	Twin 20mm mount on Drum (SS-228) on the 'cigarette deck' aft of the bridge, circa 1943-45. The object on the pedestal just forward of the guns is the torpedo bearing transmitter.	USN photo, text courtesy of John Hummel.
497k	Bow view of Drum (SS-228) 3 July 1945 at Mare Island, California.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
70k	The Drum (SS-228) departing San Franscisco Navy Yard, at Hunter's Point in July 1945. Note her heavy armament of two 5inch/25 guns, and a 40mm mounted forward on the conning tower step. Additional 20mm and .50 calibre guns will be carried into combat. Note the two periscope shears atop the conning tower, with a separate radar mast behind them.	USN photo & text from "The American Submarine" by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
58k	Seven decommissioned subs berthed at New London, 1946. The second sub is the Dace (SS-247). What looks like the Drum (SS-228) lies to the port side of the *Dace, with what looks to be the Lapon* (SS-260) beyond her.	USN photo courtesy of sealeopard.com.
476k	Bow view of submarines post WW II at New London, Conn. From inboard to outboard are six boats, four identified by hull numbers: Drum (SS-228), Halibut (SS-232), Haddo (SS-255) and Paddle (SS-263). Outboard of her are two numberless boats. All the boats are decommissioned: none are flying colors or union jack. Date is after 16 Feb 1946 when *Drum* was decommissioned and before *Halibut* was sold for scrap on 10 January 1947. *Halibut* had suffered major damage by the Japanese and was considered beyond economical repair. She is the only one of the group not freshly painted, and has been stripped of deck guns and other gear, probably in preparation for sale. The outboard boat has a small pennant flying from her jackstaff. The boats in commission popped up with numbers right away soon after VJ Day, so the outboard boats may just be getting painted up in Haze Grey in preparation for mothballing, with the numbers to follow. These two boats are older EB-built boats. The inboard of the two numberless boats is likely the Gabilan (SS-252). It has a very distinct cutdown of the fairwater. The only similar picture I could find is the *Gabilan* (look at the last pic from the bottom of the Gabilan page). Same bridge cut down low like most other *Gatos* but the sides of the wagon train were not cut out so it is solid, not open like most other *Gatos* that were cut down that low. Also location of SJ and SD radar antennas is the same as the latest pic of *Gabilan* . Also venturi looks the same. *Gabilan* was decommissioned in 1946 and laid up at New London which would match the timing and location.	US Navy photo & text courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of John Hart. Photo added 06/28/09.
380k	Stern view of submarines post WW II at New London, Conn. From inboard to outboard is the reverse of the above.	US Navy photo & text courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of John Hart. Photo added 06/28/09.
279k	Line up of decommissioned subs at Groton, CT., circa 1947. From left to right:Archerfish (SS-311), Flasher (SS-249), Cobia (SS-245), Croaker (SS-246), Drum (SS-228) & what looks like the Cavalla (SS-244).	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Jack Treutle. Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman.
294k	Picture from Norfolk Naval Shipyard newspaper of 25 April 1969. Show shop 38 (Marine Machinist) and shop 72 (Rigger) installing 5"/25 deck gun aboard Drum (SS-228) in preparation for the boats trip to the Park, Mobile, Alabama.	U.S. Navy photo, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
343k	Pages 4 & 5 of the Drum (SSN-677) Commissioning Program covering the history and picture of the World War II submarine Drum (SS-228).	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
114k	Builder's plaque (Fleet Introduction Site) fis on display during the commissioning ceremonies for the Drum (SSN-677) on 15 Apr 1972 at Mare Island, detailing the history of the first Drum (SS-228) and her awards.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
41k	Drum (SS-228), dockside at Mobile, Alabama.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
147k	Deck of the Drum (SS-228) dockside at Mobile, Alabama.	Courtesy of Judson Phillips.
142k	Very deteriorated stern section of the Drum (SS-228) at Mobile, Alabama.	Courtesy of Judson Phillips.
127k	Drum (SS-228) in her shoreside cradle.	Courtesy of Jim Richardson.
170k	Main hydraulic control manifolds of the Drum (SS-228).	Courtesy of Jim Richardson.
160k	This photo of the Drum (SS-228) shows the advanced state of rust which has opened up on the starboard aft side of the boat, 28 January 2004.	Courtesy of Jim Richardson.
179k	This photo of the Drum (SS-228) shows the advanced state of rust which has opened up on the starboard bow side of the boat, January 28, 2004.	Courtesy of Jim Richardson.
168k	Aft torpedo tubes of the Drum (SS-228).	Courtesy of Jim Richardson.
136k	Diesel engine of the Drum (SS-228) with the cut open top revealing the rocker arms.	Courtesy of Jim Richardson, text courtesy of John Hummel.
107k	Drum's (SS-228) forward engine room.	Courtesy of Jim Richardson, text courtesy of John Hummel.
45k	Starboard bow of the Drum (SS-228) in her shoreside cradle, 3 March 2004.	Courtesy of Eric Dahlstrom.
47k	Port quarter view the Drum (SS-228) in her shoreside cradle, 3 March 2004.	Courtesy of Eric Dahlstrom.
150k	Information Systems Technician 1st Class Joshua Shepard works inside a torpedo tube aboard the decommissioned World War II-era diesel submarine Drum (SS-228) to help prepare the submarine for the upcoming film "USS Seaviper." Mighty Moments Motion Pictures will begin filming in March 2009 and later plans to highlight *Drum* in a documentary. U.S. submarines � which made up only 2 percent of the U.S. fleet during the war � were responsible for 65 percent of all Japanese ships sunk. *Drum* sank 15 enemy ships.	U.S. Navy photo # N-2555N-313 by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alec J. Noe, courtesy of navy.mil.