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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left courtesy of Cully Middleton & submitted by Gary Carlson, center courtesy of Bill Hughes, on right by Mike Smolinski

Pomfret (SS-391)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - November - Lima

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 14 July 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 27 October 1943; Commissioned USS Pomfret (SS-391), 19 February 1944; The 39th President of the United States, James "Jimmy" E. Carter qualified and served in Pomfret between 29 December 1948 and 1 February 1951. Decommissioned in April 1952 for GUPPY IIA upgrade at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. Re-Commissioned on 5 December 1952 and operated locally from her home port of San Diego, CA and periodic Western Pacific deployments with the U. S. Seventh Fleet.
In April, 1971 Pomfret embarked the prospective Turkish Navy crew at San Diego for training and on 1 July 1971, she was transferred to the Republic of Turkey and renamed TGC Oruc Reis (S-337). After transiting the Panama Canal, she underwent an overhaul at the Philadelphia Navy Yard until January 1972. (Note: Oruc Reis was the name of an Ottoman Empire Admiral that, with his brother Hizar Reis, took control of Algeria from Spain in 1506).
Before departure for Turkey, Oruc Reis (S-337) participated in joint ASW exercises around Key West, FL. She arrived at Izmir, Turkey and was Commissioned into the Turkish Submarine Forces on 3 May 1972. Pursuant to the Foreign Military Sales Act of 1968, the ex-Pomfret was sold to the Republic of Turkey on 1 August 1973; concurrently struck from the U. S. Naval Vessel Registry and the title transferred. TGC Oruc Reis (S-337) was Decommissioned on 15 September 1986. Final Deposition and fate unknown. Pomfret received five battle stars for World War II service.
Researched by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret) for NavSource.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced 1,526 t., Submerged 2,391 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 10 kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2 kts; 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 single 40mm gun mount, one single 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear, four Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, 5,400 HP, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gal., four Elliot Motor Co. electric main motors with 2,740 shp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
13k	Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of Pomfret's (SS-391) commissioning, 19 February 1944.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
76k	Plankowner Officers and crew of the Pomfret (SS-391) celebrate at her commissioning party, 19 February 1944.	Photo courtesy of Wayne Shepherd.
56k	Plankowner Officers of the Pomfret (SS-391) celebrate at her commissioning party, 19 February 1944.	Photo courtesy of Wayne Shepherd.
93k	Officers of the Pomfret (SS-391) pose beneath one of the boat's 40-mm guns, circa August 1945, possibly at Guam.	Partial text i.d. courtesy of John Hummel, photo courtesy of Wayne Shepherd.
44k	The crew of the Pomfret (SS-391) crowd the boat's rails near their tender, possibly the Sperry (AS-12), circa August 1945, possibly at Guam.	Photo courtesy of Wayne Shepherd.
128k	Stern view of the Pomfret (SS-391) entering Pearl Harbor, circa late 40's, early 50's. The Greenfish (SS-351) is off to *Pomfret's* port side.	Text courtesy of John Hummel. USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
117k	Pomfret (SS-391), underway in 1951, prior to her "Guppy IIA" modernization.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 80-G-1042402, courtesy of the USNHC.
176k	Photo of the re-commissioning of Pomfret (SS-391) at Mare Island after her Guppy IIA conversion on 5 December 1952.	US Navy Photo # 15538-12-52, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Photo added 11/24/06.
165k	Broadside view of Pomfret (SS-391) off Mare Island after her Guppy IIA conversion on 27 January 1953. She was under conversion at the yard from 15 April 1952 to 4 March 1953.	US Navy Photo # 16009-1-53, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Photo added 11/24/06.
272k	Aerial view of Pomfret (SS-391) off Mare Island on 23 May 1957. She was in overhaul at the yard from 5 January to 27 May 1957.	US Navy Photo # 24425-5-57, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Photo added 11/24/06.
81k	Pomfret (SS-391), off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, in January 1953, following her "Guppy IIA" modernization.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 90865, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center, courtesy of Jack Howland, 1980.
77k	Pomfret (SS-391), off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, in January 1953, following her "Guppy IIA" modernization.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 90866, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center, courtesy of Jack Howland, 1980.
78k	Pomfret (SS-391), off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, on 27 January 1953, following her "Guppy IIA" modernization.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 90867, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center, courtesy of Jack Howland, 1980.
94k	The Pomfret (SS-391) in 1955 between coastal operations out of San Diego and WestPac deployments.	US Navy photo, text courtesy of DANFS.
10k	Pomfret (SS-391), surfaced and underway, circa 1960's, place unknown.	US Navy photo courtesy of George M. Arnold.
40k	Pomfret (SS-391), overhead, surfaced and underway, circa 1960's, place unknown.	Courtesy of John Hummel.
70k	Pomfret (SS-391), off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, on 9 August 1962.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98633, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
63k	Pomfret (SS-391), off the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, on 9 August 1962.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98634, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
208k	Pomfret (SS-391), underway during the 1960s.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
62k	Starboard side view of the Pomfret (SS-391), underway during the 1960s.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
114k	Pomfret (SS-391), port side view underway during the 1960s.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
82k	Pomfret (SS-391), underway during the 1960s.	Courtesy of Commander Donald J. Robinson, USN(MSC), 1974. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, # NH 78984, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
87k	Pomfret (SS-391), underway in the Pacific, 18 October 1968. Photographed by PHC R.G. Dawson, of squadron VC-3.	Official U.S. Navy Photograph # NH 98635, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.