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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Perch (SSP-313)
(ASSP-313) (APSS-313) (LPSS-313) (IX-313)
Recommissioning - Korean War Service - Decommissioning

Radio Call Sign: November - Zulu - Alpha - Quebec

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Construction - Decommissioning 1943 - 1947

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 January 1943, at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 12 September 1943; Commissioned USS Perch (SS-313), 7 January 1944; Decommissioned, 15 January 1947; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Converted to a Submarine Transport, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Recommissioned USS Perch (SSP-313), 20 May 1948; Redesignated Transport Submarine (ASSP-313), 31 January 1950; Redesignated Submarine Transport (APSS-313), 24 October 1956; Decommissioned, 31 March 1960, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island; Recommissioned, 11 November 1961; Reclassified Amphibious Transport Submarine, (LPSS-313), 22 August 1968; Reclassified Unclassified Miscellaneous Submarine (IXSS-313), 30 June 1971; Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1971; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Levin Metals Corp., San Jose, CA for $ 37,528.00 Scrapped in San Pedro, CA. 15 January 1973. Perch received four battle stars for her World War II service and one battle star for Korean War service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,242 t.; Length 311' 9"; 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, 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, one 20mm gun, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four main generator engines, General Motors diesel engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity 118,000, four General Electric motors, HP 2,740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
127k	Commissioning ceremonies of Perch (SS-313), at Mare Island on 20 May 1948. Officers are from left to right: LCDR J. R. Ragan (Executive Officer), LT D. T. Morse (Engineer Officer), LCDR O. H. Payne (Commanding Officer & speaker), ENS E. R. Ettner (Supply Officer) and Capt. H. C. Fish (Commander, Mare Island Group Reserve Fleet).	US Navy photo # 872-5-48, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
210k	Forward plan view of the Perch (SS-313) at Mare Island near the completion of conversion to a troop transport on 13 Aug 1948. Her conversion started on 20 May and was completed on 17 August 1948.	US Navy photo # 1375-8-48, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
191k	Aft plan view of the Perch (SS-313) at Mare Island near the completion of conversion to a troop transport on 13 Aug 1948.	US Navy photo # 1376-8-48, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
79k	Perch (ASSP-313) preparing to launch an LVT amphibious tractor during a 1949 exercise. The vehicle could be carried in the cargo hangar and launched by flooding down the submarine.	USN photo and text from The American Submarine by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
381k	Perch (SSP-313) shown at Mare Island Naval Shipyard shortly after a collision with the Orleck (DD-886) on 23 March 1949. Both vessels were participating in maneuvers off San Diego when the collision occured. No one was killed, but both ships required repairs at Mare Island. The *Perch* suffered damage to her periscope shears, snorkel, and hangar.	AP Wirephoto and text courtesy of David Johnston (USNR). Photo added 10/17/09.
16k	Deep freeze is given Perch (APSS-313), by a covering of ice off Cape Seniavin, Bristol Bay, Alaska. The ice was successfully removed by taking the submarine down. Circa 1951.	Courtesy of All Hands Magazine, Oct. 51, submitted by Stan Svec.
46k	Perch (APSS-313), Polar Icecap, 1952-53.	US Navy photo courtesy of Arctic Submarine Laboratory.
23k	Perch (APSS-313), entering harbor at Kodiak, Alaska, 1952-53.	Courtesy of All Hands Magazine, Oct. 51, submitted by Stan Svec.
117k	Perch (SS-313), aft view in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.	Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the *Perch*.
237k	Bow on view of Perch (ASSP-313) departing Mare Island on 6 May 1954.	US Navy photo # 21033-5-54, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
119k	Broadside view of Perch (ASSP-313) off Mare Island on 6 May 1954. She was under going repairs at Mare Island from 8 December 1953o 13 May 1954.	US Navy photo # 21035-5-54, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
272k	Stern view of Perch (ASSP-313) departing Mare Island on 6 May 1954.	US Navy photo # 21037-5-54, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
258k	Broadside view of Perch (ASSP-313) off Mare Island on 11 September 1956. She was under going repairs at Mare Island from 7 May to 26 September 1956.	US Navy photo # 31053-9-56, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
62k	Perch (ASSP-313), surface view, 45 degrees off centerline, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
71k	Perch (ASSP-313), surface view, 135 degrees off centerline, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
81k	Perch (ASSP-313), bow view, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
57k	Perch (ASSP-313), stern view, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
100k	Perch (ASSP-313), port view bow, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
110k	Perch (ASSP-313), plan view amidships looking forward, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 11 Sept. 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
230k	Perch (ASSP-313), alongside of the Nereus (AS-17), possibly at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 1956.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
86k	Perch (ASSP-313),during exercises with reconnaissance troops from the 1st Marine Division off the coast of California. In addition to many internal changes, the *Perch's* conning tower structure had been extended and additional masts and shears added by January 1957, when this photo was taken.	USN photo and text from The American Submarine by Norman Polmar, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
55k	Perch (ASSP-313), underway, 4 December 1961, place unknown.	US Navy photo from DANFS, contributed by Joe Radigan, MACM, USN Ret.
39k	Perch (APSS-313), Subic Bay, PI, 27 June 1966. Note Arlington (AGMR-1) in background. Note: "During January 1966, *Perch* landed UDT personnel for beach survey work in South Vietnam as part of operation "Double Eagle." She then provided services at Legaspi, P.I. to train Filipino and American UDT personnel. Between local training operations in the Subic Bay area, *Perch* worked with Chinese Special Forces at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and with Army Special Forces at Keelung, Taiwan. In July, *Perch* participated in operation "Deck House II" on the coast of South Vietnam. Again in August, *Perch* conducted several independent beach surveys with UDT personnel along the coast of South Vietnam. For operation "Deck House IV" in September, *Perch* landed UDT personnel on five successive nights for preinvasion beach reconnaissance.	Photo © Richard Leonhardt.
564k	Submarine are from left to right: Halibut (SSGN-587), Pickerel (SS-524), Perch (LPSS-313), Unidentified and Tunny (APSS-282) at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor on 12 April 1967.	U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
97k	Perch (ASSP-313), off Pearl Harbor, date unknown.	Courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
94k	Perch (LPSS-313) , moored at the San Diego Inactive Ship Facility in 1971.	Photo courtesy of L. Cole. from Warship Boneyards, by Kit and Carolyn Bonner.