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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Catfish (SS-339)

Radio Call Sign: November - Juliet - Romeo - Victor
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 January 1944, at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 19 November 1944; Commissioned USS Catfish (SS-339), 19 March 1945; Decommissioned, 10 December 1948 for Guppy II conversion; Recommissioned; unknown date; Decommissioned, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred (sold) to Argentina, 1 July 1971, renamed Santa Fe; Final Disposition, in 1982 during the Falklands War Santa-Fe was hit by British forces. Deemed too costly to economically repair as a war prize she was sunk in Grytvyken Sound, South Georgia. Catfish was awarded 1 battle star for World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

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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Catfish 17k Catfish Silurus glanis. Courtesy of freshwater-fishing-guide.com.
Catfish 563k A sliding Catfish (SS-339) slips down the launching ways at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., 19 November 1944. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Catfish 16k Commemorative postal cover marking the launching of Catfish (SS-339) at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., 19 November 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Catfish 239k Catfish's (SS-339) WW II plaque. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Catfish 3.00k Catfish (SS-339) submerged in the Columbia River for Navy Day. Courtesy of CDR Chester C. Culp Jr & submitted by Chris Culp, son of the EB "official" boat photographer of the Catfish (SS-339) from 1945-1953.
Catfish 2.10k Catfish (SS-339) swims at Portland Oregon, 27 October 1946. Courtesy of CDR Chester C. Culp Jr & submitted by Chris Culp, son of the EB "official" boat photographer of the Catfish (SS-339) from 1945-1953.
Catfish 1.00k Catfish (SS-339) spawns a trail of boats behind her as they exercise outside of Pearl Harbor; viewed from the aft "terrace". Courtesy of CDR Chester C Culp Jr & submitted by Chris Culp, son of the EB "official" boat photographer of the Catfish (SS-339) from 1945-1953.
Catfish 235k Armed and dangerous crew of the Catfish (SS-339) during practice.. Courtesy of CDR Chester C Culp Jr & submitted by Chris Culp, son of the EB "official" boat photographer of the Catfish (SS-339) from 1945-1953.
Catfish 709k Catfish (SS-339) with a 40mm bite. Courtesy of CDR Chester C Culp Jr & submitted by Chris Culp, son of the EB "official" boat photographer of the Catfish (SS-339) from 1945-1953.
Catfish 886k 1946 sailing list for the Catfish (SS-339). PDF courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 157k Bow view of the Catfish (SS-339) post WW II taking on fuel from a tender. Courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Catfish 482k Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on 9 June 1947. USN photo # 1105-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 110k Stern view of Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on 9 June 1947. USN photo # 1102-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 129k Broadside view of Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on 9 June 1947. She was in overhaul at the yard from 17 February to 17 June 1947. USN photo # 1110-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 121k Bow on view of Catfish (SS-339) departing Mare Island on 9 June 1947. The submarine in the background to the left is either Chivo (SS-341) or Chopper (SS-342). They were nested together forward of the decommissioned APAs and logs are unclear who was outboard. USN photo # 1106-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 158k Bow on view of Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on trials during her Guppy II conversion on 19 April 1949. USN photo # 3421-4-49, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 135k Stern view of Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on trials during her Guppy II conversion on 19 April 1949. USN photo # 3425-4-49, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 239k Amidships looking aft plan view of Catfish (SS-339) at Mare Island on 28 April 1949. The tanks aft of fairwater are battery water tanks. USN photo # 3510-4-49, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
SubRonFive 2.48k Note that the last 2 submarines positions are incorrectly labeled in the photo, but are listed correctly here.
SubRonFive picture 30 December 1949 featuring from upper left corner to right: Florikan (ASR-9), Pomodon (SS-486), Volador (SS-490), Catfish (SS-339), Cusk (SS-348), Diodon (SS-349), Carp (SS-338), Carbonero (SS-337), & Nereus (AS-17).		 Text I.D. courtesy of John Spivey.
USN photo courtesy of usscusk.com.
Catfish 651k Catfish (SS-339) starboard view, underway, during her visit to the Far East, March 1956. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Catfish 782k Catfish (SS-339) starboard view, underway, probably in Pearl Harbor, HI. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
Catfish253k Catfish (SS-339), port side view underway, circa sometime after 1948-60. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Catfish148k Breeches buoy exercise with Catfish (SS-339). Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Catfish 203k Catfish (SS-339) port side view underway, circa sometime after 1948-1960. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofworldwarii.org.
COC 1.34k This unusual view shows eleven vessels of Submarine Squadron Five (nine submarines, a submarine rescue vessel and a submarine tender) moored side by side for a recent change of command ceremony at San Diego, California. Captain Eugene B. Fluckey, USN, Medal of Honor recipient, relieved Captain Francis B. Scanland, USN, as Commander, Submarine Squadron Five on 1 August 1955. Nested alongside the submarine tender Nereus (AS-17) are: Tunny (SSG-282), Cusk (SS-348), Carbonero (SS-337), Tilefish (SS-307), Spinax (SSR-489), Rock (SSR-274), Remora (SS-487), Catfish (SS-339), and Volador (SS-490), and the submarine rescue vessel, Florikan (ASR-9). Photograph released 3 August 1955. Photo # USN 681919 courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, via flickr.com
COC 681k Nereus (AS-17) with nine submarines;
Tunny (SSG-282),
Cusk (SS-348),
Carbonero (SS-337),
Tilefish (SS-307),
Spinax (SSR-489),
Rock (SSR-274),
Remora (SS-487),
Catfish (SS-339),
Volador (SS-490)
and the Submarine Rescue Vessel Florikan (ASR-9) moored alongside at San Diego.		 USN photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1955, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Sea Devil 988k Sea Devil's (SS-400) re-commissioning from a News clipping from the Vallejo Times Herald in August 1957. YRB-16 is outboard of Sea Devil and the Catfish (SS-339) is forward of Sea Devil. Photo # 36224-8-57 TH from the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish 973k Catfish (SS-339) exercising on 1 May 1962 with the HMAS Melbourne (R21). The airplane overhead is a Royal Australian Navy Fairey Gannet A.S.1 from No. 816 Squadron, based aboard HMAS Melbourne, during the SEATO exercise "Sea Devil", in April-May 1962. RAN Navy Image Archive website ref. 02103 courtesy of Stephen Gower & Robert Hurst.
Catfish 1.30k Catfish (SS-339) is 1962, in San Diego. USN photo courtesy of Wayne Buescher PH3 via Lonnie Whittaker Webmaster WWW.USS-BENNINGTON.ORG
Catfish 204k A Catfish (SS-339) in Vancouver, 11 October 1963. Walter E. Frost Photographer; Source: City of Vancouver Archives, Photo No. CVA 447-3903, courtesy of Mike Green.
Photo added 07/18/17.
Catfish 145k Catfish (SS-339) on 19 August 1966. USN photo # NPC 1118352 courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Salmon 383k Photo taken 5 July 1967 At Yokosuka…boats are inboard to outboard: Catfish (SS-339), Bashaw (SS-241), Redfish (SS-395), Diodon (SS-349), Salmon (SS-573) and Bream (SS-243). Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Catfish 376k Four page PDF Welcome Aboard the Catfish (SS-339), circa 1960's. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Catfish 3.10k Catfish (SS-339) off Mare Island on 22 August 1969. Attached here is a PDF of the Officer Roster, March 1969. USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Catfish148k Checking out what the Catfish (SS-339) had for dinner in 1970. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Santa Fe (S-21)
Catfish 233k The ex-Catfish - Santa Fe (S-21) coming to the surface on all cylinders. Photo courtesy of histarmar.com.ar via Robert Hurst.
Catfish 319k The Santa Fe (S-21) underway. Photo courtesy of histarmar.com.ar via Robert Hurst.
Catfish 212k Santa Fe (S-21) tied up pierside. Photo courtesy of histarmar.com.ar via Robert Hurst.
Catfish 112k Undated photo of Santa Fe's four stern torpedo tubes & her six bow torpedo tubes and sonar installation while in drydock at the Tanandor Shipbuilding and repair yard, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo courtesy of histarmar.com.ar via Robert Hurst.
Catfish 114k A helicopter hovers over the Santa Fe (S-21) after she was beached and abandoned by her crew at the British Antarctic Survey base, Grytvyken, South Georgia, April 1982, after being attacked by Royal Navy helicopters in Cumberland Sound. Photo & text courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Catfish 130k View of the sail following the British-Argentine war of Spring 1982. Deemed too costly to economically repair as a war prize, Santa Fe (S-21) was sunk in Grytvyken Sound, South Georgia. Courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Catfish 104k Bow on view of the Santa Fe (S-21) lying wrecked in the harbor before she was sunk in Grytvyken Sound, South Georgia. Courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Catfish 41k View of the sail following the British-Argentine war of Spring 1982. Note the inscription on the sail by the crew of the HMS Endurance (which sank her) warning all to stay clear. Courtesy of Larry Derouin.
Catfish 49k Abandoned trawlers and the Santa Fe (S-21) lie askew in the harbor following the British-Argentine war of Spring 1982. Courtesy of Larry Derouin.
Catfish 167k Close-up of the conning tower of Santa Fe (S-21), Grytvyken, South Georgia. Photo taken for the MoD (Ministry of Defence) by Royal Navy photographer Jim Fletcher. Photo & partial text courtesy of ArmadaArgentina courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Catfish 25k Santa Fe (S-21) being raised by the salvage vessel Salvageman circa 1985. This was Salvageman's last and only successful attempt of raising the Santa Fe (S-21), after which the submarine was towed into deep water and scuttled. Ministry of Defense photo taken from "Admiralty Salvage: In Peace and War 1906-2006," by Tony Booth, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
View the Catfish (SS-339)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
World War II Submarine Warfare - rare footage
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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