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

Patch on left courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org, on right by Y.M.Umar, CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.

Caiman (SS-323)
Turkish Service

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Charlie - Charlie

To Additional Pages

U.S. Service
Decommissioning & Transfer

Balao Class Submarine: Originally named Blanquillo (name changed on 24 September 1942); Laid down, 24 June 1943 at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT; Launched, 30 March 1944; Commissioned USS Caiman (SS-323), on 17 July 1944. Entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA on 23 April 1951 for conversion to GUPPY (snorkel) configuration. Removed four main motors and reduction gear, and added two direct drive main motors.
Upon completion of upgrade in February 1952, Caiman departed for duties in the Western Pacific in support of United Nations forces in the Korean Conflict. She returned to San Diego after her 10th and final deployment in May 1972 for upkeep and training.
On 30 May 1971, Caiman Decommissioned; Transferred (sold) to the Republic of Turkey and was Commissioned in the Turkish Navy as TCG Dumlupinar (S-339) in ceremonies conducted at the U. S. Support Facility, Ballast Point in San Diego.
Dumlupinar was the 3rd Turkish submarine to bear the name of the last battle of the Turkish War of Independence (1919 - 1922). The ex-Blower (SS-325), also named Dumlupinar, was lost with 81 Turkish submariners in the treacherous Dardanelles on 4 April 1953.
(Note: the Dumlupinar also suffered a collision with the Soviet freighter Szik Vovilov just 28 nautical miles from where the ex-Blower was lost, however the crew managed to ground her before another tragic sinking and loss of life.) The Dumlupinar was salvaged and repaired and served in the Turkish Navy for 11 years before her Decommissioning as TCG Dumlupinar (S-339) on 6 February 1983. She was renamed Ceryan Botu (Y-1247) and served as a charging boat at Gölcük Navy Yard until she was scrapped on 15 September 1986.
Researched by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret.) & Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret), Turkish Navy for NavSource.

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.

TCG Dumlupinar (S-339)

Size	Image Description	Source
107k	The Turkish crew of the Dumlupinar (S-339).	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
109k	The Turkish crew of the Dumlupinar (S-339) make ready to bring the boat alive.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
348k	The Turkish national flag is raised aboard the Dumlupinar (S-339) at Ballast Point, San Diego 30 June 1972.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy. Photo added 09/13/09.
87k	Bow view of the newest addition to the Turkish Navy.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
125k	Double Commissioning Ceremony with the Dumlupinar (S-339) & Inonu (S-346), 24 Aug. 1972.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
156k	Double Commissioning Ceremony with the Dumlupinar (S-339) & Inonu (S-346), 24 Aug. 1972.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
164k	Sait Kucuk charging the Battery in the Maneuvering Room.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
93k	Port quarter view underway at Maltepe, Istanbul 1973.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
111k	After NATO Exercises, anchored in front of the Antalya, Turkey 1975.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
194k	Map showing the location of the Dumlupinar (S-339) following a collision with the Soviet freighter Szik Vovilov, 1 Sept. 1976.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
103k	Front page of Turkish newspaper with photos of the Dumlupinar (S-339) following a collision with the Soviet freighter Szik Vovilov, 1 Sept. 1976.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
158k	After the 1953 sinking of the first Dumlupinar (D-6), the Rescue buoy appears on the after deck of all Turkish submarines. Early 1970's photo of the Dumlupinar (S-339) with Sait Kucuk the 3rd to the right on deck.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.
48k	The Dumlupinar (Y-1247) at the dockside as a charging facility boat. Charging the TCG Atilay's (S-347) battery, circa 1986.	Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Ret),Turkish Navy.