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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

WW II Battle flag, USNHC # NH 98818-KN on left, patches in center contributed by Mike Smolinski, on right by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Bang (SS-385)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Alpha - Mike

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 30 April 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 30 August 1943; Commissioned USS Bang (SS-385), 4 December 1943; Decommissioned, 12 February 1947; Recommissioned, 4 October 1952, after Guppy conversion; Decommissioned, 1 October 1972, and loaned to Spain under terms of the Security Assistance Program, Commissioned into the Spanish Navy as Cosme Garcia (S-34); Simultaneously sold outright to Spain, and struck from the Naval Register, 18 November 1974. Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by the Spanish government 30 Sept. 1982. Bang received six battle stars for World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,391 t.; Length 311' 8"; 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., Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity 116,000, four Elliot Motor Co. electric motors, HP 2,740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
27k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the Bang's (SS-385) commissioning, 4 December 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.	Courtesy of petloveshack.com.
15k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the Bang's (SS-385) first day in commission, 4 December 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
113k	Bang (SS-385), underway starboard view, circa 1943-45, place unknown.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
83k	Proteus (AS-19) at Midway Naval Base between 14 and 28 May 1944. The submarines alongside are (from left to right): Bang (SS-385); Pintado (SS-387); and Pilotfish (SS-386).	U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph, NH # 93498.
354k	Unknown boat along side pier, Argonaut (SS-475), and outboard boat is Bang (SS-385), circa 1945.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
81k	Bang (SS-385), in port, dressed with flags, circa 1945-1946.	U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph, NH # 83676. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.
73k	1952 Recommissioning ceremony onboard the Bang (SS-385). LDCR Perry Hall reading the orders as commanding officer.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
81k	1952 Recommissioning ceremony onboard the Bang (SS-385) with her CPO's.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
113k	1952 Recommissioning ceremony onboard the Bang (SS-385) with her officers and crew.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
73k	Officers of the Bang(SS-385) pose at her 1952 Recommissioning ceremony.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
100k	Bang (SS-385), underway in a harbor during the 1950s, following her "GUPPY" conversion.	U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph, NH # 78978. Courtesy of Commander Donald J. Robinson, USN(MSC), 1974.
85k	Bang (SS-385), underway on 6 June 1958.	U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph, USN # 1035973.
59k	Bang (SS-385), underway, place unknown. Photo from Subron 10 Cruise Book for 1964-1965.	Courtesy of Fred Willshaw.
61k	Halfbeak (SS-352), (second from right) immediately astern of Fulton (AS-11) at the Connecticut State Pier, New London, CT. Other submarines astern of *Fulton, include (far right) Nautilus* (SSN-571), (third from right) Bang (SS-385), and outboard of *Bang* , (fourth from right) is Tusk (SS-426). Moored to *Fulton's* starboard side are three additional submarines. The outboard boat on the starboard side is the Skipjack (SSN-585) & the other two are unidentified.	Photo from Subron 10 Cruise Book for 1964-1965, courtesy of Fred (Doc) Gardner xHM1(SS) / FMF USS Skipjack SSN 585 - SN(SS) (1964-1965) and Fred Willshaw.
326k	The Bang (SS-385) as seen from the Springfield (CLG-7) at Naples,Italy in 1965.	Photo courtesy of William C. Swisher CTR3 USN '62/'66 via Tom Bateman. Photo added 02/14/08.
117k	Bang (SS-385), tied up alongside State Pier in Nion, CT. 1965. Photo by John Hummel.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
64k	Bang (SS-385), underway, place unknown.	US Navy photo courtesy of George M. Arnold.
45k	Bang (SS-385) approaching pier at St Thomas 1967.	Photo courtesy of Mike Cappucci.
110k	Bang (SS-385) "Stands out" in San Juan harbor, Puerto Rico, prior to coming alongside at the San Juan Naval Station, during Operation "Springboard". A U.S. Coast Guard SA-16 "Albatross" is on the water beyond *Bang's* stern. Photograph by PHC "CJ" Wiitala, USN, released 14 March 1968 by Tenth Naval District Public Affairs Office.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98699 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
114k	Bang (SS-385) preparing to tie up alongside Chivo (SS-341) at San Juan Naval Station, Puerto Rico, during Operation "Springboard". *Bang's* Commanding Officer, Commander R.J. Carlin, is giving orders from atop her sail. Photograph by PHC "CJ" Wiitala, USN, released 14 March 1968 by Tenth Naval District Public Affairs Office. The bow of a Canadian *Ojibwa class* submarine is visible in the lower left, and a U.S. Coast Guard SA-16 "Albatross" amphibian is flying low in the center background.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98697 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
124k	Bang (SS-385) comes alongside Chivo (SS-341) at San Juan Naval Station, Puerto Rico, during Operation "Springboard". A Canadian *Ojibwa class* submarine is in the foreground. Photograph by PHC "CJ" Wiitala, USN, released 14 March 1968 by Tenth Naval District Public Affairs Office.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98698, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
116k	"Seaman R.L. Weber, the Bang's (SS-385) cook, and Interior Communications Fireman T.F. Prendergast prepare cheeseburgers in the sub's small galley. Officers and crew eat the same food, all of which is prepared in this galley." (quoted from the original caption, released 14 March 1968 by Tenth Naval District Public Affairs Office) Photograph and text by PHC "CJ" Wiitala, USN.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98801, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
92k	"Torpedoman Third Class J.T. Spinger points out the indicator panel for gas build-up in torpedos to Lieutenant C.M. Clark. This is Spinger's final qualification test for his silver enlisted 'dolphins'." (quoted from the original caption, released 14 March 1968 by Tenth Naval District Public Affairs Office) Photograph and text by PHC "CJ" Wiitala, USN.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98802, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
109k	Crew members of the Bang (SS-385) recover a torpedo, following an exercise with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, circa 1968. This photograph was received by "All Hands" magazine on 6 November 1968.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98803, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
104k	"Every man has a job to perform as Bang (SS-385) recovers at torpedo following an exercise with the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean." (quoted from the original caption) This view, taken circa 1968, shows the torpedo being struck below after recovery. This photograph was received by "All Hands" magazine on 6 November 1968.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98804, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
82k	Bang (SS-385), underway, May 1972.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98697, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
16k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the Bang's (SS-385) last day in commission, 1 October 1972.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
1.9m	Four page PDF history of the Bang (SS-385).	Photo courtesy of Mike Keating.
87k	Bang (SS-385), pulling out of New London, CT. on Nov. 1972 on her way to join the Spanish Navy as the Cosme Garcia (S-34).	Photo courtesy of Bob Redden.
89k	Bang (SS-385), pulling out of New London, CT. on Nov. 1972 on her way to join the Spanish Navy as the Cosme Garcia (S-34).	Photo courtesy of Bob Redden.