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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Besugo (SS-321) (AGSS-321)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Alpha - Romeo

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 May 1943, at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 27 February 1944; Commissioned USS Besugo (SS-321), 19 June 1944; Decommissioned, 21 March 1958; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-321) in 1962; Recommissioned, 15 June 1965; Converted to Fleet Snorkel Submarine in 1966; Decommissioned and loaned to Italy, 31 March 1966; Returned to US Navy custody and struck from the Naval Register, 15 November 1975; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Nita Perillo Fedele & Alfonso SpA in Genoa for $ 69,001.00 on 16 April 1976. Besugo earned four battle stars for her World War II 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
224k	Besugo (SS-321) slides down the ways at Groton CT, 27 Feb. 1944 at Electric Boat.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
11k	Commemorative postal cover marking Besugo's (SS-321) launching, 27 Feb. 1944 at Electric Boat.	Courtesy of Jack Tretule.
349k	Mrs. Peter J. Homer - Sponsor of the Besugo (SS-321) during her launching ceremony 27 Feb. 27, 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
140k	Mrs. Peter J. Homer - Sponsor of the Besugo (SS-321) during her launching ceremony 27 Feb. 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
315k	First Commanding Officer of the Besugo (SS-321), Com. Thomas L. Wogan with his wife and their daughter Mary, during the boat's launching ceremony 27 Feb. 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
295k	The Sponsor's family at the launching of the Besugo (SS-321), 27 Feb. 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
172k	Besugo's (SS-321) Commander Wogan cutting the cake at the launch party 27 Feb. 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
178k	Original crew of the Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
112k	Besugo (SS-321) launch Party.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
194k	Besugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
280k	Besugo (SS-321) moment of Christening.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
195k	Besugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
186k	Besugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
236k	Besugo's (SS-321) crew.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
191k	Officers of the Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
192k	US Postal Covers – Besugo (SS-321) – day of launch.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
1.4k	Newspaper article – Besugo (SS-321) – Com Wogan.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
1.0k	Letter From Navy – Regarding Mrs. Homer’s selection as Sponsor of Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
355k	Besugo (SS-321) Sec. Of Navy letter to Mrs Homer.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
211k	Besugo (SS-321) crew and wives (Possibly original CPO's).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company, Mrs. Peter J. Homer & John Hummel.
1.4k	Newspaper article on launch of Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
98k	Original Invitation to Launching of Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
60k	Besugo (SS-321) crew pose dockside in Fremantle, Austraila, 1944.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of tripod.com web site.
781k	Official History of Besugo (SS-321).	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
160k	Newspaper article about SUGIE - Besugo's (SS-321) mascot.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
58k	One of Besugo's (SS-321) battle flag, circa 44-45.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
72k	One of Besugo's (SS-321) battle flag, circa 44-45.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
53k	Besugo (SS-321) entering Pearl Harbor, circa 44-45.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
394k	Aft plan view of Besugo (SS-321) at Mare Island on 29 Jan 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 31 Oct 1945 to 9 Feb 1946.	U.S. Navy photo # 324-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
156k	Forward plan view of Besugo (SS-321) at Mare Island on 29 Jan 1946. The Spadefish (SS-411) and Barbero (SS-317) are aft of *Besugo*.	U.S. Navy photo # 325-46, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
129k	Besugo (SS-321) underway while armed with two 5"/25 deck guns, circa the later 1940s or early 1950s.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98360, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
128k	Besugo (SS-321) underway, circa the early or middle 1950s, while armed with one 5"/25 deck gun. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center on 30 June 1959.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98361, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
94k	Besugo (SS-321) circa 1957.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
85k	Besugo (SS-321) underway off Point Loma, San Diego, California, 16 October 1957. All her deck guns had been removed by this time.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 98362, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
228k	Five Italian boats at Naples in 1968. From top to bottom: Pietro Calvi (S-503), a former boat of WWII vintage – Italian built, Alfredo Cappellini (S-507), ex-Capitaine (SS-336), Francesco Morosini (S-508), ex-Besugo (SS-321), Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510), ex-Dace (SS-247), & Evangelista Torricelli (S-512), ex-Lizardfish (SS-373).	Photo courtesy of Maurizio Brescia Collection. Photo added 04/21/08.
134k	Francesco Morosini (S-508), ex-Besugo (SS-321) at Naples on 4th November 1968, taking part in the Naval Review held for the 50th anniversary of the end of WW I).	Erminio Bagnasco Collection courtesy of Maurizio Brescia. Photo added 04/21/08.
203k	Actual bottle and chest Mrs. Homer used to christen the Besugo (SS-321). The Bottle & Chest are in fine condition and in the possession of Ellen Heyniger, who is the sole surviving child of Mrs. Homer. These photos were taken Jan 14th, 2003.	From the collection of Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
108k	The Besugo (SS-321), drawn by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.	Photo courtesy of Navy Yard Associates.
106k	The Besugo's (SS-321) plaque drawn by the renowned graphic illustrator John Barrett with the text written by naval author and historian Robert F. Sumrall. Their company Navy Yard Associates offers prints of most destroyers, destroyer escorts, submarines and aircraft carriers in various configurations during the ship's lifetime. The prints can be customized with ship's patches, your photograph, your bio, etc. If you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource.	Photo courtesy of Navy Yard Associates.