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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 on 8 August 1951 and again decommissioned on 15 January 1954 for Guppy IB conversion; 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); Her name was cancelled 28 April 1959 to clear the name for SSN-607, ordered in March 1959 to be built by Ingalls Corporation, Pascagoula, MS; 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.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

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.
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Dace 10k Dace Leuciscus leuciscus. Courtesy of maggotdrowning.com.
Dace 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 (of blessed memory).
Signs of the times 315k Signs of the times: Logo's for the following boats are emblazoned on the building wall to the right: Dace (SS-247), Dorado (SS-248), Flasher (SS-249), Flier (SS-250), Flounder (SS-251) & Gabilan (SS-252). Photo from the Photo Essay How To Build A Submarine at Electric Boat Co. New London, Conn.
Photographer: Bernard Hoffman, courtesy of life.time.com
Dace453kDace (SS-247) was sponsored by Mrs. O. P. Robinson.Electric Boat photo courtesy of Wendy S. Gulley, Archivist, Submarine Force Museum, Naval Submarine Base NLON, Groton CT.
Dace886kSponsor's party at the launching of the Dace (SS-247) at the Electric Boat., Groton CT.
MR. O. P. Robinson, O. P. Robinson 3d, Miss Ann Robinson & Mrs. O. P. Robinson, 25 April 1943.		USN photo # 80-G-68941, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Dace674kSponsor's party:
Mrs. O. P. Robinson, O. P. Robinson, Miss Mary Scroggie, Miss Ann Robinson, Mrs. M.E. Seeley, 25 April 1943.		USN photo # 80-G-68942, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Dace 733k Sponsor's party:
Mrs. O. P. Robinson, Lieutenant Commander Joseph F. Enright & Mrs. Joseph F. Enright.		USN photo # 80-G-68949, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Dace663kChristening of the Dace (SS-247) by Mrs. O. P. Robinson, 25 April 1943.USN photo # 80-G-68943, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Dace 577k Dace (SS-247), slides down the ways at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., at her launching, 25 April 1943.USN photo # 80-G-70681, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Dace 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 July 43 [Balao (SS-285), Billfish (SS-286), Bowfin (SS-287)].
Cabrilla (SS-288) arrived Pearl on 30 August, a pretty fast transit if in NL on 23 July but possible. Capelin was in NL in August 43 and departed NL for Pacific on 3 September per DANFS. Cisco (SS-290) left Panama for Pacific on 7 August 43, again rather quick to have been in NL on 23 July but possible. Crevalle (SS-291) was commissioned on 23 June and unlikely to be in NL on 23 July but possible. All remaining govt boats after Crevalle were commissioned too late to be in NL on 23 July.
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. 		USN 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.
Dace 140k 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. USN photo # 80-G-K-15445, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center now in the collections of the US National Archives.
Insert photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Photo i.d. courtesy of Dave Johnston (USNR).
Dace 35k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Dace's (SS-247) commissioning, 23 July 1943. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Dace 117k Dace (SS-247), pulling into port at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Dace285kLots of flags fly from Dace (SS-247) pulling into port at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Dace 114k Dace (SS-247), pulling into port at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944.USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Dace 112k Officers and ratings secure the lines as Dace (SS-247) ties up at Pearl Harbor, circa 1944.USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Dace 515k At 0555, LtCdr (later Captain) Bladen Clagett in Dace (SS-247) fires six torpedoes at 1,800 yards at what Clagett takes to be "a Kongo-class battleship". At 0557, four torpedoes hit Maya portside. One in the foreward chain locker, another opposite No. 1 gun turret, a third hits No. 7 boiler room and the last hits in her aft engine room. Haguro evades the other two of Dace's torpedoes. Powerful explosions rent Maya and she lists heavily to port. At 0605, Maya sinks in about 1000 fathoms of water at 09-27N, 117-23E.Photo & partial text courtesy of combinedfleet.com
Photo added 12/30/18.
Darter 234k The Darter (SS-227) has just grounded off Bombay Shoal off Palawan; a raft full of her sailors makes to the waiting Dace (SS-247) nearby for rescue. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Fremantle 365k This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
Dace 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.
Dace 39k Dace (SS-247), at the State Pier, New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 4th, 1952. USN photo submitted by Dave Carpenter.
Dace 102k Dace (SS-247), off Boon Island, 11 December, 1954. Broadside view. Courtesy of George Arnold.
Darter 202k Darter (SS-227) & Dace (SS-247) Memorial photo. Photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Dace7.36k101 page PDF of the History & War Patrols of the Dace (SS-247). USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510)
Dace 545k Dace (SS-247), following decommissioning, 31 January 1955, at New London, CT., appears here as the Italian Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510).USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Dace946k Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510) in Genoa on 22 April 1957. Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Dace 644k Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510) in 1958.USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Dace456kWhopping size photo of the Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510). USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Dace495k Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510) undergoing overhaul in Genoa on 11 April 1962. Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Dace 521k Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510), underway in 1966. Photo courtesy of 1966/67 Edition of Jane's Fighting Ships & submitted by Robert Hurst.
Italian boats228kFive 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.
View the Dace (SS-247)
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
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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