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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on left contributed by Mike Smolinski, on right by Y.M.Umar, CPO (Ret.), Turkish Navy

Bumper (SS-333)

Radio Call Sign: November - Juliet - Romeo - Juliet
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 4 November 1943, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT.; Launched, 6 August 1944; Commissioned, USS Bumper (SS-333), 9 December 1944; In 1950, Bumper received Guppy I (snorkel) configuration and modifications. Under terms of the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, Bumper was a "Grant-in-Aid" transfer to the Republic of Turkey and Commissioned on 16 November 1950 at Izmir, Turkey. Struck from the U. S. Naval Vessel Registry (NVR), she was Commissioned TCG Canakkale (D-5) on 16 November 1950. Renumbered (S-21) 1955 and on 1959 accordance with the NATO pendant system, renumbered TCG Canakkale (S-333). Decommissioned on 8 November 1976 from Turkish Navy. Final disposition and fate unknown. Bumper received one battle star for her WWII service.
Researched by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret.) & Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired), Turkish Navy for NavSource.

As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,424 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 66; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, one 4"/50 or 5"/25 deck gun, one 40mm gun; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four main generator engines., GM diesel, HP 5400, fuel capacity, 118,000 gal., four main GE motors with 2,740 shp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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For Full Size		Size Image Description Source
Bumper 207k Bumper (SS-333) keel cachet, 4 November 1943, at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Electric Boat 140k Trains brought the building material for submarine construction at Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., circa summer 1943, possibly for the following boats:
Chub (SS-329),
Brill (SS-330),
Bugara (SS-331),
Bullhead (SS-332),
Bumper (SS-333),
Cabezon (SS-334),
Dentuda (SS-335),
Capitaine (SS-336), or
Carbonero (SS-337).
Photo from the Photo Essay How To Build A Submarine at Electric Boat Co. New London, Conn.
Photographer: Bernard Hoffman, courtesy of life.time.com
Electric Boat 493k Steel under giant rolls being shaped for submarine construction at Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., circa August 1943, probably for one of the following boats:
Chub (SS-329),
Brill (SS-330),
Bugara (SS-331),
Bullhead (SS-332),
Bumper (SS-333),
Cabezon (SS-334),
Dentuda (SS-335),
Capitaine (SS-336), or
Carbonero (SS-337).
NARA FILE #: 80-G-468488, photographed by Lt. Comdr. Charles Fenno Jacobs, USNR.
Photo # HD-SN-99-02475, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
Electric Boat 784k Welders work on hull of new submarine at Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn., circa August 1943. This sub is probably one of the following:
Chub (SS-329),
Brill (SS-330),
Bugara (SS-331),
Bullhead (SS-332),
Bumper (SS-333),
Cabezon (SS-334),
Dentuda (SS-335),
Capitaine (SS-336), or
Carbonero (SS-337).
NARA FILE #: 80-G-468489, photographed by Lt. Comdr. Charles Fenno Jacobs, USNR.
Photo # HD-SN-99-02474, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
Bumper 18k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of the Bumper (SS-333), 6 August 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Bumper 19k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the launching of the Bumper (SS-333), 6 August 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Bumper 630k Bumper (SS-333) slides down the ways at Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. 6 August 1944. USN photo # 80-G-448204 from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Bumper 21k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Bumper's (SS-333) commissioning, 9 December 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Bumper 1.41k 6 photo PDF history of Bumper (SS-333).
73 photo PDF history of Bumper's first two Pacific war patrols, Spring 1945. 		USN photos courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sea Fox 144k Sea Fox (SS-402) & Bumper (SS-333) nested at Subic Bay, Philippines, in September '45. Photo courtesy of Dan Goodell.
Bumper 204k Bumper (SS-333) with a home coming pennant flying from her mast. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Bumper 2.2.m Bumper (SS-333) off Mare Island on 16 October 1946. USN photo # 3830-10-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Bumper 297k Bow on view of Bumper (SS-333) departing Mare Island on 16 October 1946. USN photo # 3829-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Bumper 243k Broadside view of Bumper (SS-333) off Mare Island on 16 October 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 31 July to 30 October 1946. USN photo # 3831-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Bumper 226k Stern view of Bumper (SS-333) off Mare Island on 16 October 1946. USN photo # 3833-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Bumper 106k Bumper (SS-333), starboard side view underway, circa possibly 31 July to 30 October 1946. Courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Bumper 1.14k Stern view of the Bumper (SS-333) underway, circa possibly 31 July to 30 October 1946. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
330, 331 & 333 125k Brill (SS-330), Bugara (SS-331) & Bumper (SS-333), late 1940's. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
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 Canakkale (S-333)
Bumper 582k CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 16: Turkish ambassador Feridun C. Erkin shaking hands with American submarine base chief of staff after receiving the submarine Bumper (SS-333), to be renamed and put into service in the Turkish Navy.Photo by US Navy/US Navy/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images courtesy of gettyimages.com.
Bumper 197k Bumper (SS-333) underway, after conversion as a Guppy I and before transfer to Turkey, November 1950. USN photo.
Bumper 183k Bumper (SS-333) & Blower (SS-325) Decommissioning at New London, Conn. 16 November 1950.Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Bumper 153k Canakkale (S-333) in front of the Dolmabahce palace as she is welcomed to Turkey from USA on 19 December 1950. Behind her are the Destroyers Sultanhisar and Demirhisar. Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Cobbler23kAccompanied by a destroyer in the background, the Canakkale (S-333) makes her way through waters, circa 1953.Photo courtesy of Jane's Fighting Ships, & submitted by Robert Hurst.
Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel, Don Wagner & David Johnston. Photo i.d. courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
The Family 136k Turkish Family photo of Snorkeled Submarines June 1955. The boats were originally numbered with the letter D-#. After all the subs underwent snorkel conversion at Phila. Naval Ship Yard, their numerical was changed to S-#, which was still occurring when this photo was taken.
Submarines pictured from left to right outboard of their tender TCG Erkin:
Gur (S-20),
Cerbe (S-23),
I I.nönü (D-1) (1 or 2 days later (S-17)]
Canakkale (S-21),
Sakarya (S-19),
Preveze (S-22) &
Inonu (S-18).

In the background are two floating drydocks and in the far right are 4 Ellyson Class Destroyers:
Gaziantep (D-344), {ex-Landsdowne (DD-486)}
Giresun (D-345), {ex-McCalla (DD-488)}
Gelibolu (D-346), {ex-Buchanan (DD-484)}
Gemlik (D-347), {ex-Lardner (DD-487)} and the Yavuz (C-11), ex-German Battlecruiser Goeben. 		Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Bumper 171k The ex-Bumper (SS-333) after transfer to Turkey as Canakkale (S-333) appears in the harbor of Valetta in Malta, 12 April 1961. Courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org. Photo i.d. courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Sea Cat 660k Turkish and American submarines at M'sida, Malta prior to NATO Exercise 'Medflex Invicta', 16-21 April 1961. Along the portside of HMS Narvik (LST 3044), the temporary depot ship at Malta is: (outboard to inboard) Canakkale (S-333), Sea Cat (SS-399) and Trutta (SS-421).Source: Imperial War Museum British Post-1945 Official Classified Print Collection, Photo No. © IWM (HU 102632) via Mike Green.
Bumper 93k Canakkale (S-333) at Antalya, 1963. Photo courtesy of Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired),Turkish Navy.
Bumper 231k Canakkale (S-333) in 1970. Official Turkish Navy photo, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Bumper 100k Turkish submariners day party, Canakkale (S-333) CO, chiefs and their wives during the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
View the Bumper (SS-333)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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