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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Blower (SS-325)

Radio Call Sign: November - Juliet - Romeo - Alpha
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 15 July 1943, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 23 April 1944; Commissioned, USS Blower (SS-325), 10 August 1944; Modernized in Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from March to September 1950 to Guppy I (Fleet snorkel) configuration. Arrived New London, CT to embark core Turkish Navy crew on 27 September 1950. Under terms of Mutual Defense Assistance Program, Blower sailed for Izmir, Republic of Turkey and Decommissioned on 16 November 1950. Struck from USNaval Vessel Registry (NVR) and Commissioned TCG Dumlupinar (D-6) in the Turkish Navy.
Final Disposition: At 0200 on 4 April 1953, Dumlupinar was rammed by Swedish M/V Naboland off Nara Point, Dardanelles while returning to her home port from NATO exercise "Blue Sea". Struck on her starboard bow while on the surface, Dumlupinar was holed in her forward torpedo room and sank. Eighty-one Turkish submariners perished in the accident while only 5 of the 7 bridge personnel survived the collision. Seven bridge personnel initially were spread out on the water. Two of them swam to the then stopped propeller of the M/V Naboland. Once the vessel started its propeller they were killed by the impact.
Researched by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret.), Ron Reeves (of blessed memory) & Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired), Turkish Navy for NavSource.

As built to the 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.
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Blower
0832552		624k The Blower (SS-325) was sponsored by Mrs. Richard F. J. Johnson, wife of Captain Johnson, who helped establish the military structure of the North Alantic Treaty Organization. Image courtesy of findagrave.com
Text provided by washingtonpost.com
Blower 20k Commemorative postal cover issued on the occasion of Blower's (SS-325) launching at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT., 23 April 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Blower 20k Commemorative postal cover issued on the occasion of Blower's (SS-325) commissioning, 10 August 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Blower 482k Blower (SS-325) underway, starboard side view, during her shakedown period off the New England coast, 24 October 1944. USN photo # 80G-286090 courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Blower 611k There she blows at 100 feet: Blower (SS-325) underway, port side view, during her shakedown period off the New England coast, 13 November 1944. USN photo # 80G-289822, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor
Blower 627k Starboard view of Blower (SS-325), possibly during her shakedown period off the New England coast, 13 November 1944.Photo # 80G-419810 from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Blower 96k Commanding Officer of Blower (SS-325) exploding a surfaced mine with rifle fire, circa 44-45. Courtesy by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 44k Blower (SS-325) in dry dock, circa 44-45. Photo by Lt. Herb Hanson, courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 43k Starboard quarter bow view of the Blower (SS-325), circa 44-45. Photo by Lt. Herb Hanson, courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 32k Blower (SS-325) in Sydney Harbor. After engine room hatch open. 5" 25 on after deck. Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 178k Blower (SS-325) in Tokyo Bay next to a captured Japanese submarine I-400, circa September 1945. USN photo courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org.
Subron 5 181k Subron 5 family photo fall/winter (1945)in Guam, from left to right, Segundo (SS-398), Sea Cat (SS-399), Blenny (SS-324), Blower (SS-325), Blueback (SS-326) & Charr (SS-328). Photo by Lt. Herb Hanson, courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 51k Blower (SS-325) in dry dock, probably when she was in overhaul at the Mare Island yard from 17 June to 28 September 1946.
This is a good view of shutter doors on forward torpedo tubes. The shutter doors keep sea junk from getting into the muzzle door of the tubes. They move in towards the center line and expose the end of the torpedo tubes They don't have them aft, because subs don't go backwards at sea much. 		Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 104k Blower (SS-325), bow view in drydock, possibly on 1 August 1946 at Mare Island. Courtesy by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Blower 263k Blower (SS-325) docked in (ARD-32) at Mare Island on 1 August 1946. YD-33 is aft of Blower while Eldorado (AGC-11) is to the right. USN photo # 2786-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Blower 233k Bow on view of Blower (SS-325) departing Mare Island on 17 September 1946. USN photo # 3297-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Blower 244k Broadside view of Blower (SS-325) off Mare Island on 17 September 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 17 June to 28 September 1946. USN photo # 3299-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Blower 75k Port side view of the Blower (SS-325) probably when she was in overhaul at the Mare Island yard from 17 June to 28 September 1946. USN photo.
Fremantle 365k This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
TCG Dumlupinar (D-6)
Bumper 183k Bumper (SS-333) & Blower (SS-325) Decommissioning New London, Conn. 16 November 1950.Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Blower 79k Preparation for anchoring in front of Dolmabahçe Palace Istanbul, 1953. Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Blower 105k Port side view. Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
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0832517		 616k Early 1950's photo of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Bilal Zeybekoglu.
Blower 129k After torpedo room of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 37k MCPO's and CPO's that were part of the Dumlupinar's (D-6) 81 man crew that was lost with her following the sinking on 4 April 1953. Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 49k Captain Hakk Burak, Commanding officer of the 1st Submarine Division of which the Dumlupinar (D-6) was assigned to at the time of her loss.
He perished with 80 other officers and crew.		 Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 132k Illustration of M/V Naboland ramming the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 71k The M/V Naboland. Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 63k Commemorative drawing of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Cüneyt Demir.
Blower 374k Cover of documentary film detailing the loss of Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 322k Remembrance ceremony for the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Dumlupinar 72k Buoy marker for the Dumlupinar (D-6) also contained a telephone to contact the boat. Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Dumlupinar 313k Telephone buoy of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Dumlupinar 313k Hello! Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Blower 187k Rescue plan for the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 74k A diver is made ready to descend to the wreck of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 51k A diver is brought up from the wreck of the Dumlupinar (D-6). Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Blower 73k Approximate location of the sinking of the Dumlupinar (D-6). She lies at about 96 meters below the surface.
About 8km/5mi north of Çanakkale is Nara, on Nara Burun, which is believed to occupy the site of ancient Nagara. The cape is the second narrowest point (1,450m/1,590yd) on the Dardanelles, which here turn south. In ancient times, when this was the narrowest part of the Dardanelles, some 1,300m/1,420yd wide, it was known as the Heptastadion (Seven Statia) and was crossed by a ferry. It was here that Xerxes, Alexander the Great and the Turks (1356) crossed the straits into Europe.		 Photo courtesy of Google Earth. Text courtesy of planetware.com.
View the Blower (SS-325)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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