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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left contributed by Harold F.(Carl) Carlson & submitted by Gary Carlson, on right by Mike Smolinski

Dace (SS-247)

Radio Call Sign: November - India - Hotel - Charlie

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 22 July 1942, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 25 April 1943; Commissioned USS Dace (SS-247), 23 July 1943; Decommissioned, 12 February 1947, at New London, CT; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 22 October 1954, after extensive modernization; Decommissioned, 31 January 1955, at New London, CT., and transferred under the Security Assistance Program to Italy the same day; Commissioned into the Italian Navy as Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510); Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1972; Deleted from the Italian Navy in 1973; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 1 April 1975. Dace received seven battle stars in addition to the Navy Unit Commendation for World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,1526 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
10k	Dace Leuciscus leuciscus.	Courtesy of maggotdrowning.com.
18k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Dace's (SS-247) keel being laid as the first boat at the Victory Yard at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 22 July 1942.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
61k	Dace (SS-247), slides down the ways at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., at her launching, 25 April 1943.	US Navy photo from the collections of the Electric Boat Company, submitted by Lester Palifka.
62k	Dace (SS-247), at left at the New London submarine base, Groton, Connecticut, on 23 July 1943, the day she was placed in commission. Note women visitors on board *Dace, and hull details on the submarine at right, which might be the Capelin* (SS-289) which was commissioned on 4 June 1943. The unnamed boat has a port side anchor whereas all the Gato (SS-212) pics show starboard anchor (seems like a clear EB vs Portsmouth differentiation by that point). Since the pic is from New London is it possible a Portsmouth *Balao* was in port that day? According to DANFS there are several references to these boats departing New London (NL) so they obviously went through there. The first three Portsmouth *Balao's* were in the Pacific by 23 Jul 43 [Balao (SS-285), Billfish (SS-286), Bowfin (SS-287)]. Cabrilla (SS-288) arrived Pearl on 30 Aug, a pretty fast transit if in NL on 23 Jul but possible. *Capelin* was in NL in August 43 and departed NL for Pacific on 3 Sept per DANFS. Cisco (SS-290) left Panama for Pacific on 7 Aug 43, again rather quick to have been in NL on 23 Jul but possible. Crevalle (SS-291) was commissioned on 23 June and unlikely to be in NL on 23 Jul but possible. All remaining govt boats after *Crevalle* were commissioned too late to be in NL on 23 Jul. Looking at the pictures of *Capelin* there are a lot of similarities with the railings and lookout perch. Seems *Capelin* had a unique railing around the forward part of the fairwater in relation to the other early *Balao's*. Note the stanchion closest to the bridge on the port side from the picture # 80-G-468104 and the same one on the mystery sub.	US Navy photo # 80-G-K-15443, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center now in the collections of the US National Archives. Photographer was probably Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Col. John Hart.
72k	Dace (SS-247), at left at New London Submarine Base, Groton, CT., 23 July 1943, the day she was placed in commission. Submarine at right is unidentified, although it might be the Capelin (SS-289) which was commissioned on 4 June 1943. Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR.	US Navy photo # 80-G-K-16049, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center now in the collections of the US National Archives. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Col. John Hart.
78k	Commissioning ceremonies for the Dace (SS-247), at the New London submarine base, Groton, Connecticut, 23 July 1943. The submarine's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Joseph F. Enright (second from right) is reading his orders. Civilian standing second from left is Mr. L.Y. Spear, President of the Electric Boat Company, which built *Dace*. Note Marine bugler at left. Photographer was probably Commander Edward Steichen, USNR.	US Navy photo # 80-G-K-15445, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center now in the collections of the US National Archives.
35k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Dace's (SS-247) commissioning, 23 July 1943.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
39k	Dace (SS-247), underway in the Pacific, 1943.	US Navy photo submitted by Dave Carpenter.
117k	Dace (SS-247), pulling into port at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
114k	Dace (SS-247), pulling into port at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
112k	Officers and ratings secure the lines as Dace (SS-247) ties up at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
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.
39k	Dace (SS-247), at the State Pier, New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 4th, 1952.	US Navy photo submitted by Dave Carpenter.
102k	Dace (SS-247), off Boon Island, 11 December, 1954. Broadside view.	Courtesy of George Arnold.
57k	Dace (SS-247), following decommissioning, 31 January 1955, at New London, CT., appears here as the Italian Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510).	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
92k	Dace (SS-247), appears here as the Italian Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510) in 1958.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
33k	ex-Dace (SS-247), now in service to the Italian Navy as the Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510), circa 1968.	Photo courtesy of Jane's Fighting Ships & submitted by Robert Hurst.
228k	Five Italian boats at Naples in 1968. From top to bottom: Pietro Calvi (S-503), a former boat of WWII vintage – Italian built, Alfredo Cappellini (S-507), ex-Capitaine (SS-336), Francesco Morosini (S-508), ex-Besugo (SS-321), Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510), ex-Dace (SS-247), & Evangelista Torricelli (S-512), ex-Lizardfish (SS-373).	Photo courtesy of Maurizio Brescia Collection. Photo added 04/21/08.