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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on left contributed by John Hummel. Other patches contributed by Mike Smolinski.

Redfin (SS-272) (SSR-272) (AGSS-272)
Post WW II

Radio Call Sign: November - Whiskey - Golf - Charlie
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Construction - WW II Service

Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 3 September 1942, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, WI.; Launched, 4 April 1943; Commissioned USS Redfin (SS-272), 13 August 1943; Decommissioned, 1 November 1946, at New London, CT.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London Group; Towed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA. for conversion to a Radar Picket Submarine; Recommissioned, USS Redfin (SSR-272), 9 January 1953; Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine, (AGSS-272), 28 June 1963; Decommissioned, 15 May 1967, and placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel at Baltimore, MD.; Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1970; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 3 March 1971, to North American Smelting Co., Wilmington, DE. Redfin received 6 battle stars for World War II service.

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 General Motors main generator engines, 5,400HP, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gal., four General Electric main motors, 2,740HP, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.
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Redfin92k "Naval engineers and shipyard workers at the PNS met the problem of installing a large amount of new electronic equipment in a submarine with typical Yankee ingenuity.
Instead of jamming the gear into the subs Ray (SS-271) & Redfin (SS-272), already snugly packed, like all subs-they cut the subs in two and inserted a prefabricated section.
The round the sub cut was made with acetylene burners. It was done just a little forward of amidships. The inserted section was 30 feet long, making the sub's length 342 feet.
Four other Fleet-type subs are scheduled for the same operation. The six boats will be "an entirely new type of underseas weapon"-all that can be disclosed at the present".
Cut in two, Redfin has her bow section pulled forward on greased rails to allow for the installation of a new 30-foot section.
Submitted by Stan Svec from the October 1951 issue of All Hands Magazine.
Redfin94k Redfin (SSR-272) in Drydock at the Phila. Naval Yard, 1951, cut in two & waiting for the Navigational Information Center to be placed between control and forward battery.
Note the battleship South Dakota (BB-57) in the background. 		Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. Photo I.d. courtesy of Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)
Redfin25kRedfin's (SS-272) control Room.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin28k Conning tower, (helm) of the Redfin (SS-272).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin33kRedfin's (SS-272) forward torpedo room. (Note small Japanese flags on ventelation line, flags were painted by Jim Gradless TM1(SS).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin38k Forward torpedo room of the Redfin (SS-272).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin29kRedfin's (SS-272) radio room.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin25kAfter battery (mess hall) of the Redfin (SS-272).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin383kRedfin (SS-272) chow hall (after battery, 1953).Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Photo added 07/15/11.
Redfin284kYoung skipper of Redfin (SS-272) (1953).Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Photo added 07/15/11.
Redfin141kRedfin's (SS-272) chiefs,(1953).Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Photo added 07/15/11.
Redfin215kInspection time for the crew of the Redfin (SS-272) (1953).Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Photo added 07/15/11.
Redfin139kRedfin (SS-272) with the Grampus (SS-523) and other subs alongside Orion (AS-18) was taken between 1953-55. The "Nodding idiot" on Redfin was converted to the electronic version in 1956. The other 3 boats are from outboard in Migraine II Requin (SS-481) and Migraine I Burrfish (SS-312) and Tigrone (SS-419). The order of the last 2 might be reversed.
Text contributed by Larry Derouin. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin113kRedfin (SSR-272) with large radar in SSR guise.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin151k Redfin (SSR-272) underway, circa 1953-57.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Picuda 176k Redfin (SSR-272), Tench (SS-417), Picuda (SS-382) at San Juan, P. R., 14 March 1954. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Ray56kRay (SS-271) & Redfin (SS-272), 1957 at Lorient France.Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin119k At Marseille, France for 1958, Christmas. The Tirante (SS-420) and the Redfin (SS-272) are pictured from outboard to inboard.
Submitted by Laurent LaMarche.
Redfin53k Redfin (SS-272) underway, 14 Jan. 1959 at Genoa Italy.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin57k Redfin (SS-272) underway circa late 1950's, early 1960's.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Thresher57kNavy ships circle in the vicinity of the site of Thresher's (SSN-593) sinking, 15 April 1963, five days after her loss.
Ships are (left to right): Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618); Sunbird (ASR-15); Warrington (DD-843), group flagship; and Redfin (SS-272). Photographed by PHCS Parker.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 97555, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Redfin83kRedfin (SS-272) underway VA., capes op area 1963.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin139kRedfin (SS-272) in 1963.
Photograped by the Enterprise (CVN-65) and submitted by John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin268k MK-14 Torpedo fired by the James Madison (SSBN-627), being recovered by the crew of the Redfin (SS-272), August 1964.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
James Madison75k Photo from the deck of the Redfin (SS-272) in the VA. CAPES OP area off Virginia, August 1964. The James Madison (SSBN-627) crosses Redfin's (SS-272) bow. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Redfin144k August 1964 photo of the Redfin (SS-272) with the TBT close up, and Ralph Nelson Whistler on left (Redfin's CO 1964/65).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin49kRedfin (AGSS-272) in Drydock at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA 1965.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin76k Port side view of the Redfin (SSR-272) underway in 1965. The head under the bubble is the Engineering officer. The thing on the bow is the insides of the MK 48 torpedo...we were running test to see how wave motion effected the fish.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin, Runner, Requin & Argonaut44kRedfin (SS-272) inboard of Runner (SS-476), Requin (SS-481) and Argonaut (SS-475) with other subs of SubRon 6, circa mid-late 1960's, at Norfolk pier #22 D&S.
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Shark, Triton, Redfin & Requin 127k Shark (SSN-591), in port at San Juan, PR., 1965. Triton (SSN-586) on left, you just see her topside. Redfin, (SS-272) and Requin (SS-481) are outboard of her. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin145kRedfin's (SS-272) bell and clapper.
Photo courtesy of Jack March via John Hummel.
View the Redfin (SS/SSR/AGSS-272)
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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