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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left courtesy of Cully Middleton & submitted by Gary Carlson, others by Mike Smolinski

Bream (SS-243) (SSK-243) (AGSS-243)

Radio Call Sign: November - Bravo - Alpha - Xray

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 February 1943, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 17 October 1943; Commissioned USS Bream (SS-243), 24 January 1944; Decommissioned, 31 January 1946, at San Francisco, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 5 June 1951; Decommissioned, 10 September 1952, for conversion to a Hunter-Killer Submarine; Recommissioned, USS Bream (SSK-243), 20 June 1953; Redesignated (SS-243) in August 1969; Reclassified Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-243), 1 February 1964; Decommissioned, 28 June 1969, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Struck from the Naval Register and sunk as a target, 7 November 1969 by Sculpin (SSN 590). Bream was awarded four battle stars 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, 5,400HP, Fuel Capacity, 97,140 gal., four General Electric main motors, 2,740HP, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin screws.

Size	Image Description	Source
22k	Bream Abramis brama.	Courtesy of freshwater-fishing-guide.com.
76k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of the Bream (SS-243) at Electric Boat on 17 Oct 1943.	Courtesy of Darryl Baker.
21k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of the Bream (SS-243) at Electric Boat on 17 October 1943.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
90k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of the Shark (SS-314) from the South Electric Boat and the launching of the Bream (SS-243) at the Electric Boat's Victory Yard on 17 Oct 1943.	Courtesy of Darryl Baker.
17k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the commissioning of the Bream (SS-243) at Electric Boat on 24 January 1944.	Courtesy of Ken Zirkle.
34k	Bream (SS-243) underway, circa 1944.	US Navy photo courtesy of Hyperwar US Navy in WWII.
87k	Bream (SS-243) probably entering Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 1944-45. The fairwater is open, and her battle flag and pennants are streaming from her shears.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
34k	Bream (SS-243) returning to base with periscopes raised and battle flags flying, June 1945. Images from "U.S. Warships of World War Two".	US Navy photo, courtesy of Mike Green.
137k	Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. This photo is a Berthing list identifying the ships in the picture.	Photo commerating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
453k	Photo of the Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. From back to front and left to right, first group of 12 boats: Sandlance (SS-381) Tunny (SS-282) Aspro (SS-309) Lionfish (SS-298) Guvania (SS-362) Sunfish (SS-281) Macabi (SS-375) Gurnard (SS-254) Pampanito (SS-383) Mingo (SS-261) Guitarro (SS-363) Bashaw (SS-241) From back to front and left to right, second group of 12 boats: Sealion (SS-315) Hammerhead (SS-364) Bream (SS-243) Seahorse (SS-304) Tinosa (SS-283) Pintado (SS-387) Mapiro (SS-376) Pipefish (SS-388) Moray (SS-300) Batfish (SS-310) Hackleback (SS-295) Bluegill (SS-242) From back to front and left to right, third group of 12 boats: Hawkbill (SS-366) Menhaden (SS-377) Perch (SS-313) Loggerhead (SS-374) Barbero (SS-317) Baya (SS-318) Hardhead (SS-365) Spadefish (SS-411) Springer (SS-414) Devilfish (SS-292) Kraken (SS-370) Dragonet (SS-293) From back to front and left to right, fourth group of 12 boats: Lamprey (SS-372) Piranha (SS-389) Manta (SS-299) Pargo (SS-264) Rancador (SS-301) Archerfish (SS-311) Mero (SS-378) Sawfish (SS-276) Spot (SS-413) Lizardfish (SS-373) Jallao (SS-368) Icefish (SS-367) From back to front and left to right, last group of 4 boats: Steelhead (SS-280) Puffer (SS-268) Stickleback (SS-415) Trepang (SS-412) From back to front, Submarine Tenders group of 4 ships: Pelias (AS-14) Aegir (AS-23) Euryale (AS-22) Griffin (AS-13).	Photo commerating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
162k	Capt. W. A. Lent, Commander of Pacific Reserve Fleet Mare Island, renders a salute during the re-commissioning ceremonies of Bream (SS-243) at Mare Island on 4 June 1951. LCDR R. F. Reilly (not shown) assumed command of the submarine.	US Navy photo # 9476-6-51, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
111k	Bashaw (SSK-241), with Bream (SSK-243),Segundo (SS-398), Razorback (SS-394), and Menhaden (SS-377), in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.	Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the Perch (SS-313).
115k	Bream (SS-243) is seen here on 1 January 1962 off the coast of Hawaii. The fairwater has been streamlined and all guns removed. Also, she has been fitted with an enlarged sonar dome on her bow.	USN Archives photo # USN-1039531 courtesy of All Hands magazine by the Naval Historical Center, April 2002, pg. 47 & submitted by Bill Gonyo. Text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, Fleet Subs of WW II" by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
246k	Port side view of the Bream (SS-243), circa 60's.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
69k	Bream (SS-243), underway with her deck slightly awash, circa 60's.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
58k	Bream (SS-243), underway off Point Loma (San Diego) California, date unknown. Her bow houses an AN/BQR-4A sonar array. Two bow tubes have been removed and the boats were modified to reduce self-generated noises. They were not GUPPY variants, despite their appearance.	USN photo and text from The American Submarine by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst. Photo added 11/30/07.
156k	Starboard view of the Bream (SS-243), with the Menhaden (SS-377) outboard, as they appeared from the cigarette deck of the Archerfish (AGSS-311) in Pearl Harbor in late August 1963.	Photo courtesy of Fred Firks and submitted by Ken Henry.
360k	US Naval Submarine Base, Point Loma. It is circa 1968. Identifiable are the submarine tender Nereus (AS-17), with the 2nd boat outboard of her is the Bream (SS-243). In the left foreground is the Menhaden (SS-377). All of the submarines in the photo have had some type of "Guppy" conversion.	USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.