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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Burrfish (SS-312) (SSR-312)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Victor - Delta

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 24 February 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 18 June 1943; Commissioned USS Burrfish (SS-312), 14 September 1943; Decommissioned, 10 October 1946, at Sub Base New London, CT.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London Group; Recommissioned, 2 November 1948 and assigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for conversion to Radar Picket Submarine; Redesignated (SSR-312), 27 January 1949; Decommissioned, 17 December 1956, at Sub Base New London; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, New London Group; Recommissioned, 17 January 1961 as (SS-312); Decommissioned, 11 May 1961, and loaned to Canada, renamed HMCS Grilse (SS-71); Returned to US Navy custody and struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1969; Final Disposition, sunk as a target off San Clemente Island, CA., 19 November 1969. Burrfish earned five battle stars for her World War II service.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 t.; Length 311' 10"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2kts; Operating Depth Limit, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one 40mm gun, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesels-electric reduction gear with four Fairbanks-Morse main generator engines., 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 94,400 gal., four Elliot Motor Co., main motors with 2,740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	122k	Officers and crewmen salute the colors as the Burrfish (SS-312) slides into the Atlantic at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 18 June 1943.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
	60k	Burrfish (SS-312) starboard view entering Pearl Harbor, circa 1943-45.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
	55k	The destroyer tender Yellowstone (AD-27) at Augusta Bay, Sicily, 1950. Ships alongside to starboard; Sea Robin (SS-407), Torsk (SS-423), Sea Leopard (SS-483), Burrfish (SS-312). To port; John R Pierce (DD-753), Barton (DD-722), Shea (DM-30) , and in the background Bauer (DM-26).	Paul Roggeman Sea Robin (SS-407) Web Site.
	166k	Burrfish (SS-312), ship's officers, 1950. The contributor's father, Commander E.J. Levin, sailed on the first 4 patrols of the Harder (SS 257) and is second from the left in the back row.	Courtesy of John Levin.
	61k	Burrfish (SS-312) 1950's Thansgiving Day menu.	Courtesy of John Levin.
	266k	The Burrfish (SS-312) most likely on her way down the Thames River near New London, CT, circa 1950.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
	38k	Between February 1950 and June 1956 Burrfish (SSR-312) completed three tours with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean; participated in several major type and inter-type exercises; and operated along the eastern seaboard as a radar picket ship. She appears here circa 1953.	Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst. Text courtesy of DANFS.
	139k	Redfin (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. Photographed and contributed by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	254k	British subs visits Norfolk circa middle 1950's plus. Submarines lined up on the pier from outboard to inboard are: Cutlass (SS-478) and Sea Leopard (SS-483) with step sails. Followed by the Sealion (SS-315) & several SSR's which might be the Tigrone (SSR-419) and Burrfish (SSR-312). Both boats are in the Migraine I SSR version. If the last SSR is indeed the *Burrfish, then this picture would have been taken sometime in the late spring of 1956. The USN sailors are in dress whites (indicating the springtime changeover to whites), and the Burrfish* departed Norfolk for the last time on 5 June 56, headed for New London and decommissioning. The tender is Sierra (AD-18), which was always located at the next pier down from the sub pier.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel. Photo i.d. & text courtesy of David Johnston (USNR).
	156k	Burrfish (SSR-312) appears here circa shortly before being decommissioned & laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in late 1956.	US Navy photo courtesy of David Buell.
HMCS Grilse (SS-71)
	51k	[ex-Burrfish (SS-312)] approaches the dock at Grand Isle, LA., after she was given to Canada as HMCS Grilse (SS-71) in 1961.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
	36k	[ex-Burrfish (SS-312)] off Grand Isle, LA., after she was given to Canada as HMCS Grilse (SS-71).	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
	58k	[ex-Burrfish (SS-312)] now as the HMCS Grilse (SS-71) makes her way through Canadian waters in 1968.	Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
	108k	HMCS Grilse (SS-71) [ex-Burrfish (SS-312)], arrives at Mare Island on 26 September 1969 for decommissioning and return to the US Navy. In the background are two barges, one of which appears to be *YFR-369*.	US Navy Photo # 94526-9-69, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
	154k	A prayer is being given during the decommissioning ceremonies aboard HMCS Grilse (SS-71) [ex-Burrfish (SS-312)] at Mare Island on 2 October 1969.	US Navy Photo # 94690-10-69, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
	115k	The colors and commissioning pennant are lowered during the decommissioning ceremonies aboard HMCS Grilse (SS-71) [ex-Burrfish (SS-312)] at Mare Island on 2 October 1969.	US Navy Photo # 94691-10-69, courtesy of Darryl Baker.