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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Tench (SS-417) (AGSS-417)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Romeo - Yankee

Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 1 April 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 7 July 1944; Commissioned USS Tench (SS-417), 6 October 1944; Decommissioned in March 1946; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; Converted to a Guppy IA submarine and recommissioned, 1 October 1950, at Norfolk, VA.; Reclassified Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-417), 1 October 1969; Decommissioned, 8 May 1970, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia Group; Struck from the Naval Register, 16 August 1973; Transferred (sold) under terms of the Security Assistance Program, to Peru, 7 September 1976; Final Disposition, sold for stripping only to Peru for $ 81,600.00. Tench was awarded three battle stars for her World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,570 t., Submerged: 2,416 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 2"; 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 Fairbanks Morse main generator diesel engines, 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 113,510 gals, two General Electric main motors, 2,740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
50k	Tinca Tinca tench.	Courtesy of freshwater-fishing-guide.com.
49k	Commemorative launching tag of the Tench (SS-417) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 7 July 1944.	Photo courtesy of Ron Toth, Jr. via Tom Kermen.
258k	Three dimensional cutaway of the Tench (SS-417).	Photo courtesy of unlimiteddetails.com
31k	Rear Admiral William Bernard “Barney” Sieglaff was a member of the Naval Academy graduating class of 1931 with a degree in Engineering. He also received a Master’s Degree from MIT in Naval Engineering prior to the war. On submarines during WWII he was the commanding officer of the Tautog (SS-199) from 28 November 1942 to 8 April 1944 and the Tench (SS-417) from 6 October 1944 to March 1945. His record in the Pacific gained him two Navy Crosses, three Silver Stars, and two Legions of Merit.	USN photo courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
49k	Oil on canvas by the artist Jim Christley entitled "Night Run" shows a Guppy submarine similiar to the Tench (SS-417). The deck was cleared of protrusions such as antenna supports and deck guns. The bow and superstructure were smoothed and a fairing built around the bridge and the support structure for the antennas and periscopes. A snorkel system was added to allow the boat to run on its diesel engines while submerged. Most of the time, however, the boats transited on the surface where their speed could be used to advantage.	Photo & text courtesy of subart.net.
31k	Tench (SS-417) on her way to the Artic Circle, 1960.	USN photo courtesy of Artic Submarine Laboratory.
24k	Blenny (SS-324), in between the Tench (SS-417) (alongside pier)and Becuna (SS-319) at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. Boats are in for de-commissioning, 7 November 1969. This photo was taken at Pier "D" in the back channel of PNSY probably about the same time they are being prepared to be put on the marine railway which is on the left & out of the picture to be closed up.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. Text I.d. submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)
144k	Becuna (SS-319), in drydock with the Tench (SS-417) in Phila., 1970. The Paint Shop X-71, and the Riggers X-72 are getting the boats ready for sandblasting in Drydock # 1. The sailors you see are from the INACSHIPS doing guard duty. You'll note the DH shelters abaft the conning towers painted yellow.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. Text I.d. submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)
46k	Tench (SS-417) underway, date and place unknown.	US Navy photo courtesy of George M. Arnold.
54k	Tench (SS-417) underway, stern view.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.

View the Tench (SS-417)
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
Tench Class Submarines
Victory at Sea: Full Fathom Five 2 of 3
HISTORIC SUBMARINE DOCUMENTARY AND TRAINING FILMS

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