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
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Rock (SS-274) (SSR-274) (AGSS-274)

Radio Call Sign: November - Whiskey - Lima - Golf
 Tactical Voice Radio Call: "RECORD RUN"
Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 23 December 1942, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.; Launched, 20 June 1943; Commissioned USS Rock (SS-274), 26 October 1943; Decommissioned, 1 May 1946, at New London, CT.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Converted to a Radar Picket Submarine at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; Reclassified, (SSR-274), 18 July 1952; Recommissioned, 12 October 1953, at Philadelphia, PA.; Reclassified Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-274), 31 December 1959; Decommissioned, 13 September 1969, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 13 September 1969; Final Disposition, designated for use as a target. Rock earned four 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, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gals., four General Electric main motors, HP 2740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.
Click On Image
For Full Size Image		SizeImage DescriptionSource
Rock51kRock (SS-274), about to start her way into the waters of the Manitowoc River at her launching June 20, 1943.
Editors Note: There are over 200 images submitted on these pages covering the following submarines that were constructed at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co, Manitowoc, WI,: SS-265 through SS-274, and SS-361 through SS-380.
None of them would have seen the light of day if it were not for the efforts of Curator, Asst. Director, Bill Thiesen of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and Larry Bohn, who sent them to NavSource for publication.
A special debt of gratitude is owed to these two men and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245) for allowing these photographs to be seen by the lovers of naval history worldwide.
Manitowoc55k Watercolor print by the artist Tom Denton of the side launching of a Manitowoc built boat. Courtesy of submarineart.com
Rock17kCommemorative post mark on the occasion of Rock's (SS-274) launching, 20 June 1943. Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Rock32kRock (SS-274), starboard view, undergoing sea trials in Lake Michigan, June 1943.Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.
Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245)
Rock23kRock (SS-274), undergoing sea trials in Lake Michigan, June 1943.Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.
Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245)
Rock63kRock (SS-274), officers and crew line the conning tower, June 1943.Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.
Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245)
Harry Berns485kPhoto of Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.
The photo of the Golet (SS-361) encased in snow appears on the wall above him on the upper right.
His obituary appears here. 		Photo courtesy of Susan Menk, Archives Assistant, Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Dee Anna Grimsrud,Reference Archivist, Wisconsin Historical Society, Steve Khail, CBC, Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, The Manitowoc Company, Inc. & William Young.
Rock209kStarboard beam view of the Rock (SS-274), underway probably during her trials on Lake Michigan during the summer of 1943. Her fairweather is partly open, lessening the surface silhouette. Courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org
Rock120k Port quarter view of the Rock (SS-274), underway in the Gulf of Panama, 27 December 1943. Courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org
Rock179kPort beam view of the Rock (SS-274), underway in the Gulf of Panama, 27 December 1943. Courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org
Rock179kRock's WWII battle insignia.Photo by Harry Berns, Official photographer of the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.
Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245)
Rock179kRock's WWII battle flag.Submitted by Larry Bohn, courtesy of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, Wisconsin, home of the Cobia (SS-245)
Bluegill 187k Photo of the decommissioning ceremonies aboard Bluegill (SS-242) 7 July 1952, for conversion to a Hunter-Killer Submarine. The Rock (SS-274) is behind her. Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel. US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Nereus 63k Nereus (AS-17) with nine submarines;
Tunny (SSG-282),
Cusk (SS-348),
Carbonero(SS-337),
Tilefish (SS-307),
Spinax (SSR-489),
Rock (SSR-274),
Remora (SS-487),
Catfish (SS-339),
Volador (SS-490)
and the Submarine Rescue Vessel Florikan (ASR-9) moored alongside at San Diego for Subron Five's Change of Command, date unknown.		 US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1955, courtesy of Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
Rock101k This picture shows the Rock (SSR-274) as a Radar Picket and was taken January 1956. Coming from San Diego and going under the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, to six months in dry-dock and overhaul at Mare Island,Calf., between commissioning and the 1956 overhaul at Mare Island when the nodding idiot was changed/upgraded. Photo & text courtesy of Francis Sullivan CS3-SS & Larry Derouin.
Rock170kBow on view of Rock (SS-274) departing Mare Island on 9 May 1956. She was in overhaul at the yard from 6 January to 23 May 1956. US Navy photo # 29247-5-56, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Rock139kStern view of Rock (SS-274) departing Mare Island on 9 May 1956. She was in overhaul at the yard from 6 January to 23 May 1956. US Navy photo # 29251-5-56, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Rock488kOn 23 July 1954, Rock (SSR-274) departed San Diego for the western Pacific area and a 6-month tour on the Taiwan Strait Patrol. She subsequently alternated deployments to WestPac with operations off the Pacific coast. She made 6-month deployments to WestPac in 1956 and during the winter of 1958-59. She is seen here on 19 Oct. 1957.Text courtesy of DANFS.
US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Rock1.7kBroadside view of the Rock (SSR-274) off Mare Island on 28 July 1958.Photo # 80-G-1042365 scanned by Ryan Crierie, via flickr, courtesy of Stephen Gower.
Rock1.80kSurface stern view of the Rock (SSR-274) on 28 July 1958 at Mare Island. Photo # NY9-40347-7-58 scanned by Ryan Crierie, via flickr, courtesy of Stephen Gower.
Rock478kBow view of Rock (SSR-274), departing Mare Island on 28 July 1958.US Navy photo # 40344-7-55, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. The photo is off a negative from the Vallejo Naval Historic Museum.
Rock126k Rock (SSR-274) around the clock.
Broadside, starboard quarter, & close up of the sail in 1/192 scale, solid cast resin, (circa 1958-1959).		Model & photo courtesy of Mel Douyette & coldwarsubmarines.com
Rock310k Rock (SS-274) underway, circa 1960's. US Navy photo courtesy of Ed Zajkowski & John Hummel.
Rock198kRock (SS-274) underway, circa 1960's. US Navy photo courtesy of Ed Zajkowski & John Hummel.
Rock61kPort beam view of the Rock (SS-274), underway circa 1960's.Courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org
Rock69kStarboard view of the Rock (SS-274), underway circa 1960's.Courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org
Ballast Point 81k Ballast Point Nest 1967: Volador (SS-490), Redfish (SS-395), Salmon (SS-573) & Rock (SS-274). Photo by J.D. Decrevel EM2(SS).
Rock22kRock (AGSS-274), at Naval Station Subic Bay, PI, May 1968.Photo by John Jazdzewski, Boston (CAG-1).
Rock22kRock (AGSS-274), at Naval Station Subic Bay, PI, May 1968.Photo by John Jazdzewski, Boston (CAG-1).
Cusk1.30kLCDR Thomas F. Arnold, Commanding Officer Cusk (SS-348) receives the submarine's commissioning pennant during her decommissioning at Mare Island on 24 September 1969. Rock (SS-274) is just visible to the far left. USN photo # 94514-9-69, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Cusk652kDecommissioning ceremonies for the Picking (DD-685) at Reserve Fleet, Mare Island on 1 June 1970.
The submarines from left to right in the background are: Cusk (SSG-348), Rock (SS-274), Bashaw (SS-241), Spinax (SSR-489). 		Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel.
USN photo courtesy of Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Fred Willshaw & Darryl L. Baker.
Photo added 02/23/13.
MINSY430k Seven inactive submarines at Mare Island on 30 April 1971.
Left to right: Cusk (SS-348), Rock (SS-274), Bashaw (SS-241), Spinax (SSR-489), Pomodon (SS-486), Medregal (SS-480), and Diodon (SS-349).
Photo by Ted Stone and negative given to the shipyard in 1995. 		USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
View the Rock (SS/SSR/AGSS-274)
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
USS Rock SS/SSR/AGSS-274
USS Rock (SS 274) links
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
Manitowoc Built Submarines
Back To The Main Photo IndexBack To the Submarine Index
Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster
This page is created by Michael Mohl, and maintained by Michael Mohl
©1996 - 2013, NavSource History All rights reserved.