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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

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

Gurnard (SS-254)
Decommissioning

To Additional Pages

Keel Laying - WW II Service
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
152k	This photo was identified as being a mail call in Mare Island on 15 September 1945 after Gurnard (SS-254) returned to Hunter's Point shipyard on 11 September from Midway and Pearl Harbor, before she could begin another war patrol after her May-August major overhaul at Mare Island. She had left the states on 11 August to start another war patrol out of Pearl Harbor, but this was interrupted by the end of the war on 14 August 1945. She went to Midway from Pearl, but departed Midway 1 September for her voyage back to the states. Benton E. Buell, CWO USN, is the smiling Chief just to the right of the 40mm gun muzzle holding mail envelopes.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
714k	Gurnard (SS-254) Welcome Aboard pamphlet issued on Navy Day 1945. 4 page pdf article.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
77k	This is the aft port side corner of the Aft Engine Room. You can see the Main room cubical through the door.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel & Dave Johnston.
69k	The Gurnard's (SS-254) Control Room, with diving plane indicator lights at lower center.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
83k	Main Propulsion Control panel in the Gurnard's (SS-254) Maneuvering Room.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell.
80k	Gurnard (SS-254) in drydock, at Hunters Point with the Pampanito (SS-383) on her port side. The DE in background could be Creamer DE-308 which was built and launched at Mare Island but never completed. There were 3 Mare Island DE's not completed and two were cut in half and pulled onto the large building ways at the yard and scrapped. It makes sense that the third one could have gone to Hunters Point for its appointment with the cutting torch. *Gurnard* came to Mare Island on 11/26/45 and was placed into Reserve on 11/27/45.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo i.d. courtesy of Darryl Baker.
197k	Gurnard (SS-254) arriving at Hunters Point, San Francisco, on 11 September 1945, back from the war. Photo credit is San Francisco Examiner, and it appeared with an article about returning veterans in the 12 September 1945 edition of the Examiner. CMoMM Benton E. Buell USN, is the Chief with his right knee up under the *Gurnard* scoreboard. He and the then-CO of *Gurnard*, Lt. Cdr. George S. Simmons were the only two remaining plankowners of the boat when she went out of commission less than three months later.	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 November 1945, during the decommissioning ceremony. The last CO of *Gurnard*, Lt. Cdr. George S. Simmons, USN is the smiling officer under the boat's number in the row of officers. Note that the preservation process is not completed-workmen are still aboard conducting the layup process.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
255k	A newspaper article from the time of Gurnard's (SS-254) decommissioning, 27 November 1945. This shows the last CO, Lt. Cdr. G. S. Simmons, and my father, CMoMM B. E. Buell, on decommissioning day. My father was given this flag, the last one flown over *Gurnard*. The caption shows the optimism typical of the wartime claims of all submarines. Although a submarine with a good record, six successful patrols, she did not sink an aircraft carrier as the caption suggests. Postwar investigation downgraded virtually all of the US submarine claims of damage and sinking. In spite of this optimism and the early-war torpedo problems, our submarines played the critical role in attrition of the Japanese empire.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
113k	Photo of the remaining crew of Gurnard (SS-254), was taken at the decommissioning party on 25 November 1945 in San Francisco. The *Gurnard* would be decommissioned at Mare Island two days later. *Gurnard's* last CO, Lt. Cdr. George S. Simmons III, is sitting on the floor in the first row. CWO 4 Benton E. Buell is sitting to his immediate right.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
54k	Invitation to the decommissioning party of Gurnard (SS-254), which has the names of all officers and crew on board at the time of her decommissioning on 27 November 1945.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
87k	The decommissioning crew roster of Gurnard (SS-254).	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
73k	Bow view of the Gurnard (SS-254) in drydock.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
83k	The after half of Gurnard (SS-254) in drydock undergoing work for inactivation.	Photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.
123k	Gurnard (SS-254) in drydock with Pampanito (SS-383) as they are prepared for inactivation to the reserve fleet in October-November 1945. *Pampanito* was inactivated and decommissioned with *Gurnard. Pampanito* actually decommissioned after *Gurnard, in early December 1945. The sailor in the photo is from Gurnard*, TM2c Bill Parks.	USN photo from the collection of CWO 4 Benton E. Buell, USN, courtesy of David Buell. Photo added 01/23/08.