Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch courtesy of
BMCS Don McGrogan, USN (ret.)

Gurnard (SS-254)
Keel Laying - WW II Service

To Additional Pages

Decommissioning
Naval Reserve Training Vessel - Scrapping

Radio Call Sign: November - Foxtrot - Alpha - Yankee

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 2 September 1941, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 1 June 1942; Commissioned USS Gurnard (SS-254), 18 September 1942; Decommissioned, 27 November 1945, at San Francisco, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Placed in service, 1 July 1949 and towed to Pearl Harbor after fitting out at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. to serve as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel; Towed to Tacoma, WA., 18 May 1953, to serve as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel; Placed out of service in June 1960; Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1961; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 26 September 1961, to the National Metal & Steel Corp., Terminal Island, CA. for 41,379.00 Removed 10-29-61. Gurnard was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and received 6 battle stars for World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

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 Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co. main generator diesel 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
91k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the commissioning of the Gurnard (SS-254), 18 September 1942.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
78k	Two of the 6 subs of from Sub Squadron 50: Barb (SS-220), *Blackfish (SS-221), Herring* (SS-233), Shad (SS-235), Gunnel (SS-253), and Gurnard (SS-254) tied up at Rosneath, Scotland, circa 7 December 1942. The sub tender Beaver (AS-5) is in the background.	USN photo courtesy of jmlavelle.com.
98k	A 1943 Watercolor by the artist Dwight Clark Shepler entitled "Jerry Hunters, Rosneath, Scotland." portrays the stern view of the sub tender Beaver (AS-5) and 3 of the 6 subs of Sub Squadron 50: Barb (SS-220), Blackfish (SS-221), Herring (SS-233), Shad (SS-235), Gunnel (SS-253), and Gurnard (SS-254).	Painting #87 / 88-199-CK. Courtesy of the USNHC.
125k	Crew of Gurnard (SS-254). Date is not certain, but her CO, Charles H. Andrews, is still a Lt. Cdr., so it is early in her career, probably after the second or third war patrol. He is the officer just to the right of the hatch.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
53k	Commanding Officer of Gurnard (SS-254) in the first part of World War II, Commander Charles H. Andrews, receiving the Navy Cross from Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, ComSubPac. Date unknown, but probably late 1943-early 1944. Admiral Lockwood was promoted to Vice Admiral in October 1943. This is the first Navy Cross for Cdr. Andrews. He received a second Navy Cross later in the war. Location was probably at Pearl Harbor.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
77k	The officers of Gurnard (SS-254). This was taken on the day that her CO, Cdr. C.H. Andrews, third officer from the left, was awarded the Navy Cross by VADM Lockwood, ComSubPac. The officer on the far left, Lt. George S. Simmons III, was aboard *Gurnard* at commissioning and went on to become her third and final Commanding Officer (as a Lt. Cdr.) on 5 March 1945. He was also the only officer plankowner when *Gurnard* decommissioned on 27 November 1945.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
52k	Gurnard (SS-254), underway, circa 1942-45, probably off the California coast.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
56k	Lt. Comndr. C.H. Andrews, Commanding Officer of Gurnard (SS-254) during the first part of the war.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
94k	Officers and wives of Gurnard (SS-254) at a ship's party at "Spenglers Fish Grotto" on 6 March 1944. *Gurnard* was in overhaul at Mare Island at that time, between war patrols 4 and 5. She would leave after overhaul and proceed to Pearl Harbor from where she would commence her 5th war patrol on 16 April 1944. She would finish the patrol in Fremantle, Australia from where she would operate until 1945. The Commander nearest the chef is the *Gurnard's* CO, Charles H. Andrews. The other officers and ladies are not identified. The Commander on the far left is not a *Gurnard* officer.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
160k	Forward plan view of the Gurnard (SS-254) departing Mare Island on 13 March 1944.	USN photo # 1707-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
155k	Aft plan view of the Gurnard (SS-254) departing Mare Island on 13 March 1944. The Howard W. Gilmore (AS-16) is in the background.	USN photo # 1708-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
91k	Gurnard (SS-254) departing Mare Island on 14 March 1944. The ammunition depot on the South end of Mare Island is in the background. *Gurnard* was in overhaul at the shipyard from 18 Jan to 25 Mar 1944.	USN photo # 1711-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
75k	Bow view of the Gurnard (SS-254), underway, off Mare Island CA., following an overhaul, 14 March, 1944.	USN photo # 1709-44, courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
140k	Stern view of the Gurnard (SS-254), underway, off Mare Island CA., following an overhaul, 14 March, 1944.	USN photo # 1713-44, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
210k	Gurnard (SS-254) after overhaul in Mare Island in 1944.	USN photo # 1712-44, from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
92k	The moving force behind the Gurnard (SS-254), "Penny" the mascot, taken late 1944 or early 1945.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
56k	The Gurnard (SS-254) underway, and what looks like the 4" gun forward, so this would date the photo mid-to-late 1944 or early 1945 since she is painted in one of the lighter camoflage schemes which replaced the dark coloration scheme she was painted in during her early 1944 Mare Island overhaul. Location unknown.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
49k	Benton E. Buell, young shaggy-haired sailor third from the right with the Japanese life preserver of an unknown Maru now resting on the bottom of the Pacific, celebrate Gurnard's (SS-254) latest handiwork, circa 1944.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
52k	The conning tower view was taken late 1944 or early 1945, before Gurnard's (SS-254) final major wartime overhaul. Note that she still has the 4" gun forward and the 20mm forward on the conning tower. During this time she was operating out of Australia, and this photo may have been taken there.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
80k	The awards ceremony aboard Gurnard (SS-254) on 27 February 1945 at Fremantle Australia. The presentation is being made by Captain Elliot H. Bryant, at the podium. The main recipient is Lt. Cdr. George S. Simmons III, the officer on the far left of the front rank. He is receiving the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Bronze Star. He would assume command of *Gurnard* the following week on 5 March 1945. MoMM1c Benton E. Buell, the shorter, grim-looking sailor in the second rank received a Letter of Commendation on the same date.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
202k	Gurnard (SS-254) awards ceremony agenda.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
109k	Gurnard (SS-254) on 27 February 1945, at Fremantle Australia. The two sailors are TM3c Charles Pencak, left, and my father, MoMM1c Benton E. Buell. Both men had just received Letters of Commendation at an earlier awards ceremony on board Gurnard. This picture was taken at the front of *Gurnard's* conning tower. The dog of course is "Penny", the boat's dog which was part of all functions, official or otherwise.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
123k	Photo of Gurnard's (SS-254) stern area as two sailors are going into the water. This is a tradition called "wetting down" where newly-promoted Chiefs, (my father in this case) get tossed into the nearest available body of water for a dunking. CWO 4 Benton E. Buell is the uppermost of the two sailors going into the water with his right foot still on the hull of *Gurnard*.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
44k	Gurnard's (SS-254) crew ham it up for the camera in this May 1945 photo. Benton E. Buell is the young Chief in the white shirt.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
71k	Getting the boat underway, the crew of the Gurnard (SS-254) are stowing items below through a hatch under the watchful eyes of Benton E. Buell, CWO USN. Since the antenna shown was removed during the 1945 overhaul, this was probably taken just before she began overhaul in mid 1945, possibly after her 9th war patrol. What looks like Diamond Head is in the center distance.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
100k	Some boats never did have their bridges completley cut down.Gurnard (SS-254) is pictured here at Mare Island on 23 July 1945. Note her gun access trunks fore & aft, to serve 5 in/25 guns in either position. Her port forward gun access trunk had been blanked off. The circled alteration on the periscope presumably indicates installation of the ST range-only radar there.	Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
94k	Some boats never did have their bridges completley cut down.Gurnard (SS-254) is pictured here at Mare Island on 23 July 1945. Note her gun access trunks fore & aft, to serve 5 in/25 guns in either position. Her port forward gun access trunk had been blanked off. The circled alteration on the periscope presumably indicates installation of the ST range-only radar there.	Photo & text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
233k	Stern view of Gurnard (SS-254), departing Mare Island on 26 July 1945. The other submarine in the background (right of *Gurnard) is either Sunfish* (SS-281) or Flounder (SS-251).	USN photo # 5462-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
193k	Bow on view of Gurnard (SS-254), departing Mare Island on 26 July 1945. She was in overhaul at the yard from 18 May to 11 Aug 1945.	USN photo # 5466-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
233k	Gurnard's (SS-254) WW II scorecard.	Courtesy of Darryl Baker.