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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Hake (SS-256) (AGSS-256)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Charlie - Juliet

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 November 1941, at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 17 July 1942; Commissioned USS Hake (SS-256), 30 October 1942; Decommissioned, 13 July 1946, at New London, CT.; Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel at Philadelphia, PA.; Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-256), 6 November 1962; Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 19 April 1968; Final Disposition; Used as test ship at Little Creek, VA 1968-1972 by COMSERVLANT as a moored diving target in Plantation Flats area of Virginia's Eastern Shore for SUBSALVEX's. Sold 12-5-72 to Gural Marine salvage Co., Rahway, NJ for $ 18,067.00. Removed in early 1973. Hake received 7 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
18k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the Hake's (SS-256) keel laying, 1 November 1941.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
20k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the Hake's (SS-256) commissioning, 30 October 1942.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
73k	Starboard side view of the Hake (SS-256) under way after undergoing overhaul at Mare Island, CA., 26 November 1943.	US Navy photo # 7869-43 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
120k	Starboard side view of the Hake (SS-256) under way after undergoing overhaul at Mare Island, CA., 26 November 1943.	US Navy photo # 7854-43 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
132k	Plan view forwards and amidships of the of the Hake (SS-256) after undergoing overhaul at Mare Island, CA., 30 November, 1943.	US Navy photo # 7995-45 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
66k	Bow view of the Hake (SS-256) at Mare Island, CA., November 1943.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
75k	Stern view of the Hake (SS-256) at Mare Island, CA., November 1943.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
110k	Stern view of Hake (SS-256) off Mare Island on 26 Nov 1943.	US Navy photo # 7867-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
105k	Bow on view of Hake (SS-256) off Mare Island on 26 Nov 1943. She was in overhaul at the yard from 1 Oct. to 6 Dec. 1943.	US Navy photo # 7871-43, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
193k	Stern view of Hake (SS-256) off Mare Island on 29 May 1945.	US Navy photo # 4103-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
177k	Broadside view of Hake (SS-256) off Mare Island on 29 May 1945. She was in overhaul at the shipyard from 23 March until 7 June 1945.	US Navy photo # 4105-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
209k	Bow on view of Hake (SS-256) off Mare Island on 29 May 1945.	US Navy photo # 4107-45, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
283k	Hake (SS-256) underway, starboard broadside view off Mare Island, California, 29 May, 1945.	US Navy photo # 4104-45, contributed by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
73k	Plan view forwards and amidships of the of the Hake (SS-256) after undergoing overhaul at Mare Island, CA., 30 May, 1945.	US Navy photo # 4113-45 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
120k	Submarines also sprouted radar detectors. Hake (SS-256) is shown here at the end of a Mare Island refit, 30 May 1945. Several short ESM whip antennas are visible: one facing forward on the periscope shears, one facing up among the shears, one angled aft alongside the bridge structure; and another mounted on the rail forward of the twin 20-mm cannon. New ammunition passing scuttles have been cut to serve the forward 5in/25 gun, and the deck has been sponsoned out aft for a second such weapon. As in many other submarines at this time, a new mast has been provided for the SD air search radar. It cleared the conning tower, thus considerably reducing congestion within.	US Navy photo # 4112-45 courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. Text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press.
172k	Hake (SS-256) underway, starboard view, circa 1942-46.	Contributed by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
44k	Officers on the deck of the Hake (SS-256) while in Tokyo Bay during the surrender ceremonies. From L to R: LT Fred Maier USNR - #3 LTjg Ted Snyder USN - #6 LT Charlie Knapp USNR - #4 LT Bob Heysinger USNR - #5 CDR Frank Haylor USN - Commanding LCDR Jack Edmands USNR - Executive Officer LTjg Dick Metzger USNR - #7 with a beard of seven weeks growth which was removed enroute the USA. Dick had more fleet boat war patrol experience than any one else in the photo. He had just completed seven consecutive war patrols of which five were deemed successful for the submarine combat insignia. After six patrols he had finally moved up from #8 to #7. After five patrols, Ted had finally moved up from #7 to #6 - he was senior to Dick by seven days.	Contributed by Henry (Hank) Knebes, former crewmember, submitted by Kenn McCarty.
120k	Battleflag of the Hake (SS-256), 1945.	US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
46k	Portside view of the Hake (SS-256), probably in the Delaware Bay as a Reserve Training Ship for 4th Naval District at Philadelphia, PA, circa 1950's, early 60's. Note that all her deck guns have been removed.	Text courtesy of John Hummel & subnet.com. US Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
98k	Angler (SSK-240) & Hake (SS-256) at the Phila. Navy Yard, summer of 1968.	US Navy photo courtesy of John Hummel.
28k	The Hake (SS-256) as she wallows on the surface amidst pontoons, after being intentionally sunk and then raised in a 1969 salvage exercise off the Atlantic coast to evaluate new salvage techniques and train diving and salvage.	Photo by Hal Stoelzle & taken from The American Submarine, by Norman Polmar & submitted by Robert Hurst. Photo added 04/17/08.
72k	John Hummel poses near the Angler's (SSK-240) door, with the & Hake (SS-256) moored nearby at the Phila. Navy Yard in the early 1970's.	US Navy photo courtesy of John Hummel.