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Patch created by Ray Young of Manitowoc, WI, contributed by William Young.

Menhaden (SS-377)
Keel Laying - Decommissioning

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Lima - Juliet
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Keel Laying - Decommissioning

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 21 June 1944, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI.; Launched, 20 December 1944; Commissioned USS Menhaden (SS-377), 22 June 1945; Decommissioned, 31 May 1946, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Mare Island; Recommissioned, 7 August 1951; Decommissioned, 13 August 1952, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., for Guppy IIA conversion; Recommissioned, 6 March 1953; Decommissioned, 13 August 1971; Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1973; Final Disposition, used as a tethered underwater target at Keyport, WA. In 1988 sunk due to a leaking main ballast tank vent valve when she was being cut up for scrap, when the tide came in, the Menhaden (SS-377) was not able to float fast enough to avoid being flooded through all of the holes cut through her pressure hull. The city of Everett, Washington, eventually finished scrapping the abandoned hulk.

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 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; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four General Motors main generator engines, 5,400hp, Fuel Capacity 118,000 gals., four General Electric main motors with 2,740hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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Menhaden119k Re-commissioning ceremonies aboard Menhaden (SS-377) at Mare Island on 7 Aug 1951.US Navy photo # 10056-8-51, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Menhaden958kRADM Charles (Swede) B. Momsen, COMSUBPAC, speaks at the commissioning of Menhaden (SS-377) at Mare Island on 6 March 1953. Left to right: Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz is to the far left, RADM Leon S. Fiske, Mare Island Area Commander, RADM Armand M. Morgan, Commander Mare Island Shipyard, and an unknown officer. Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
Menhaden686kLCDR Richard Werner, Commanding Officer of Menhaden (SS-377) reads his orders during the commissioning of the ship at Mare Island on 6 March 1953. Left to right: Fleet Admiral Chester W, Nimitz is to the far left, RADM Charles (Swede) B. Momsen, COMSUBPAC, RADM Leon S. Fiske, Mare Island Area Commander, RADM Arman M. Morgan, Commander Mare Island Shipyard, and an unknown officer.Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
Menhaden863kFleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz arrives aboard Menhaden (SS-377) for the commissioning of the ship at Mare Island on 6 March 1953. Left to Right: LCDR James Osborn, CO-Tunny (SSG-282), LCDR Richard Werner, CO – Menhaden, Unknown officer and RADM Leon S. Fiske follows Fleet Admiral Nimitz.Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
Menhaden808kLCDR Richard Werner, Commanding Officer of Menhaden (SS-377), Mrs. Richard Werner, Mrs. Russell F. O’Hara, Mrs. Douglas Y Munnikhuysen, LT Douglas Y. Munnikhuysen, Executive Officer of Menhaden at the commissioning reception for Menhaden at Mare Island on 6 March 1953.Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
Menhaden961kMenhaden (SS-377) and Tunny (SSG-282) during re-commissioning ceremony at Mare Island on 6 March 1953.Photo courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
MINSY 71k Photo of Fleet Admiral Chester A. Nimitz at the commissioning ceremonies of Menhaden (SS-377), forward section of sail visible to the right, and Tunny (SSG-282), outboard of Menhaden, at Mare Island on 9 March 1953. From left to right: Elizabeth A. Murphy, Fleet Adm Nimitz, Harry J. Murphy, and RADM L. S. Fiske (Mare Island Area Commander).
USN photo # 16473-3-53, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Menhaden88kMenhaden (SS-377) was recommissioned on 7th August 1951, under the command of Lieutenant Commander R. G. Johns. She was assigned to Submarine Squadron 5 in San Diego, and participated in local operations until 13th August 1952, when she was again placed out of commission at Mare Island.Photo & text courtesy of Al Riebolt, QMSN, Menhaden, 6/52-8/52 via Ron Reeves.
Menhaden59kMenhaden (SS-377), underway for Guppy IIA conversion surface trials, March, 1953.Courtesy of Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden50kMenhaden (SS-377),stern view underway for Guppy IIA conversion surface trials, March, 1953.Courtesy of Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden100kStern view on Menhaden (SS-377) departing Mare Island on 4 May 1953. US Navy photo # 17317-5-53, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Menhaden62kMenhaden (SS-377) is shown off Mare Island on her bay trials after conversion to Guppy IIA on 4 May 1953. USN photo # 17314-5-53, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Menhaden 99k Segundo (SS-398), Razorback (SS-394), and Menhaden (SS-377), in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.
 Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the Perch (SS-313).
Bashaw 111k Bashaw (SSK-241), with Bream (SSK-243),Segundo (SS-398), Razorback (SS-394), and Menhaden (SS-377), in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.
 Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the Perch (SS-313).
Menhaden264kStern view of Pomodon (SS-486) and Menhaden (SS-377) holding open house at Mare Island on 18 September 1954 during the Shipyards' Centennial Celebration. USN photo # 23882-12-54, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
Menhaden153k "...the date is 1956. Menhaden (SS-377), the Rodgers (DD-876), a P5M-1 and a Casablanca Class Carrier in the background. Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman.
Menhaden451kMenhaden (SS-377) in the Pacific, 9 July 1957.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Menhaden51kMenhaden (SS-377), underway, starboard view, circa 1961.Courtesy of Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden204kStarboard side view of the Menhaden (SS-377) underway, circa 1961. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
Bream & Menhaden 156k Starboard view of the Bream (SS-243), with the Menhaden (SS-377) outboard, as they appeared from the cigarette deck of the Archerfish (AGSS-311) in Pearl Harbor in late August 1963. Photo courtesy of Fred Firks and submitted by Ken Henry.
Menhaden961kBroadside view of the Menhaden (SS-377), date and place unknown. DarrylPhoto courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl Baker.
Photo added 04/18/12.
Who Am I?360kBallast Point: It is circa 1968. Identifiable are the submarine tenders Sperry (AS-12) moored next to Nereus (AS-17), with the 2nd boat outboard of her is the Bream (SS-243). In the left foreground is the Menhaden (SS-377). All of the submarines in the photo have had some type of "Guppy" conversion.
USN photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri. Text i.d. courtesy of Sait Kucuk.
Menhaden66kMenhaden (SS-377), entering or leaving the area of Hospital Point which borders the channel entering Pearl Harbor, circa 1970.Text courtesy of Joel Staggs, ETCM (SS) Silent Service Retired. Menhaden (SS-377) crew member 67-68. Photo courtesy of Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden30k Les Guille, Menhaden (SS-377) last commanding officer, salutes the crew and colors at the decommissioning ceremony 13 August 1971.Courtesy of Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden40k In December of 1976, Menhaden (SS-377) was towed from California to the state of Washington to begin a new career as the "Yellow Submarine." The boat, stripped of her engines and painted yellow, was operated by the Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering Station in Keyport, Washington. Menhaden, affectionately referred to as "The Hulk," served as a remotely controlled, unmanned acoustic test vehicle capable of submerging to moderate depths in support of undersea weapons testing, and as a target ship to train Trident submarine crews off the coast of Washington. Text courtesy of Dave Carpenter. Clipping from Navy Times Magazine about the Menhaden (SS-377), submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USN, Retired.
Menhaden40kMenhaden (SS-377) at the Explosive Handling Wharf, Naval Submarine Base, Bangor, Washington, in the early 1980's. Text courtesy of Dave Carpenter. Photo courtesy of Les Guille.
Menhaden36k Menhaden (SS-377) being scrapped in Everett, Washington. Photo courtesy of Bill "Stretch" Osberg, FTG2(SS), Segundo (SS-398), 1962-66) and Dave Carpenter.
Menhaden823kMenhaden (SS-377) in the last stages of her existence, 25 January 1990.USN photo # DN-SC-90-03977 courtesy of defenseimagery.mil via Stephen Gower.
View the Menhaden (SS-377)
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
History of the USS Menhaden by Dave Carpenter
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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