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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Steelhead (SS-280)

Radio Call Sign: November - Bravo - Kilo - Whiskey
Gato Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 June 1942, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 11 September 1942; Commissioned USS Steelhead (SS-280), 7 December 1942; Decommissioned, 29 June 1946, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Group; Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training Vessel in 1947,; Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1960; Final Disposition, fate unknown. Steelhead earned six battle stars for service during World War II.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,410 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 4"; 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 Fairbanks Morse main generator diesel engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity, 94,400 gals., four General Electric main motors, HP 2740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, twin propellers.
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PNY1.03kPortsmouth Navy Yard: Scamp (SS-277), on left & Scorpion (SS-278) in middle & Steelhead (SS-280) on right, under construction on building ways. Stern views looking forward from after catwalk, 7 July 1942.
Directly to the left of the Scamp, there is apparently an empty way. However, if you look closely enough, you can just barely see a small section of Balao (SS-285). She filled the way vacated by Sawfish (SS-276) on 23 June 42.
Over on the far left is Snook (SS-279). You can see her conning tower and covered wagon ribs and some portions of her bow. The numbering system for the ways at Portsmouth was quite odd at the time. They were out of numerical sequence. From left to right, they are Ways #2, 4, 3, 1A, & 1. The construction shed was widened in 1941 and two ways were added. Way #1A was crammed in between the others in 1942 and Scorpion was the first to be built on it.		Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedmen, John Hummel, Dave Johnston (USNR) & Robert Morgan.
US National Archives photo # 19LCM 757-42, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com.
Photo added 11/06/11.
Steelhead 18k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the Steelhead's (SS-280) lauching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 11 September 1942. Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
Steelhead 39k Steelhead (SS-280) is shown here shortly after her lauching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 11 September 1942. USN photo courtesy of subvetsofwwii.org.
Steelhead 85k Steelhead (SS-280) getting ready to get underway after completing her last war time refit. This photo was taken at Hunters Point Shipyard. The circles indicate the changes made in this view. along the top edge of the superstructure are a series of holes between the frames to let trapped air escape during diving. USN Archives photo. Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Steelhead 68k Steelhead (SS-280) photographed circa 1945, after she had been refitted with a 5"/25 deck gun. This image has been retouched by wartime censors to remove radar antennas atop Steelhead's periscope sheers. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, USNHC # NH 98501, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Steelhead 23k Steelhead (SS-280), probably after WW II. USN Archives photo courtesy of Bill Tennison submitted by Joe Radigan, USNR.
Mare Island Reserve Fleet137kReserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. This photo is a Berthing list identifying the ships in the picture. Photo commemorating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Mare Island Reserve Fleet453kPhoto of the Reserve fleet at Mare Island, circa Jan 1946. There are 52 submarines and 4 Sub Tenders in this photo. Whether coincidental or on purpose, the number of boats in the photo is the same as that which were lost in WW II.
From back to front and left to right, first group of 12 boats:
Sandlance (SS-381)
Tunny (SS-282)
Aspro (SS-309)
Lionfish (SS-298)
Guvania (SS-362)
Sunfish (SS-281)
Macabi (SS-375)
Gurnard (SS-254)
Pampanito (SS-383)
Mingo (SS-261)
Guitarro (SS-363)
Bashaw (SS-241)
From back to front and left to right, second group of 12 boats:
Sealion (SS-315)
Hammerhead (SS-364)
Bream (SS-243)
Seahorse (SS-304)
Tinosa (SS-283)
Pintado (SS-387)
Mapiro (SS-376)
Pipefish (SS-388)
Moray (SS-300)
Batfish (SS-310)
Hackleback (SS-295)
Bluegill (SS-242)
From back to front and left to right, third group of 12 boats:
Hawkbill (SS-366)
Menhaden (SS-377)
Perch (SS-313)
Loggerhead (SS-374)
Barbero (SS-317)
Baya (SS-318)
Hardhead (SS-365)
Spadefish (SS-411)
Springer (SS-414)
Devilfish (SS-292)
Kraken (SS-370)
Dragonet (SS-293)
From back to front and left to right, fourth group of 12 boats:
Lamprey (SS-372)
Piranha (SS-389)
Manta (SS-299)
Pargo (SS-264)
Rancador (SS-301)
Archerfish (SS-311)
Mero (SS-378)
Sawfish (SS-276)
Spot (SS-413)
Lizardfish (SS-373)
Jallao (SS-368)
Icefish (SS-367)
From back to front and left to right, last group of 4 boats:
Steelhead (SS-280)
Puffer (SS-268)
Stickleback (SS-415)
Trepang (SS-412)
From back to front, Submarine Tenders group of 4 ships:
Pelias (AS-14)
Aegir (AS-23)
Euryale (AS-22)
Griffin (AS-13)
Photo commemorating 50 years, U. S. Submarine Veterans of WW II 1996 calendar, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Steelhead 181k Steelhead (SS-280) underway off San Diego, California, 1946. Point Loma is in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, courtesy of David Buell.
Mare Island dry dock #1325k Four submarines in Mare Island's dry dock #1 on 14 Feb 1947. Front row: Sawfish (SS-276) and Pargo (SS-264); back row Puffer (SS-268) and Steelhead (SS-280). U.S. Navy photo # 374-47, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Steelhead 155k April 11, 1958 article from the NTC San Diego Hoist about Steelhead's (SS-280) tenure as a training submarine near the base. Photograph courtesy of David Buell.
View the Steelhead (SS-280)
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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