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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left courtesy of USS Thornback (SS-418) web site, on right by Sait Kucuk CPOS (Ret.) Turkish Navy

Thornback (SS-418)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Sierra - Bravo

Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 5 April 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 7 July 1944; Commissioned USS Thornback (SS-418), 13 October 1944; Decommissioned, 6 April 1946, at New London, CT.; Decommissioned at New London, CT on 6 April 1946 and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Reactivated for GUPPY IIA conversion at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Re-commissioned after upgrade on 2 October 1953. On 6 November 1954 conducted a first for submarines - snorkeling in the Mississippi River.
Between the years of 1954 and 1971, she was based at either Key West, FL or Charleston, SC and conducted operations in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Mediterranean as a unit of the U. S. Sixth Fleet.
Placed in a reduced manning status on 14 April 1971 in accordance with the Mutual Assistance Program. Thornback was Decommissioned on 1 July 1971 and transferred (lease) to the Republic of Turkey. Re-named and re-numbered TCG Ulucalireis (S-338), she transited the Panama Canal and underwent overhaul at Philadelphia Navy Yard until January 1972. Arriving in Turkey, she was Commissioned in a dual ceremony with TCG Orureis (S-337), (ex-Pomfret (SS-391)) on 3 May 1972.
Pursuant to the Foreign Military Sales Act, the ex-Thornback was permanently transferred (sold) to Turkey and simultaneously struck from the U. S. Naval Vessel Registry (NVR).TCG Ulucalireis served in the Turkish Navy until she was Decommissioned on 7 August 2000. Still under ownership of the Turkish Navy, the ex-Thornback was moved to moorings at the Rahmi M. Koc Museum of Transport, Communications and Industry in Istanbul, Turkey were she is currently open to the public.
Thornback received one battle star for her World War II service.
Research by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret) for NavSource.

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.

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	7.76m	32 page PDF showing General Plans for the Thornback (SS-418).	US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	309k	Mrs. Peter K. Fischler christens the Thornback (SS-418) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; 7 July 1944.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	145k	A fully crewed Thornback (SS-418) is launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; 7 July 1944.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	45k	Commemorative launching tag of the Thornback (SS-418) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; 7 July 1944.	Photo courtesy of Ron Toth, Jr. via Tom Kermen.
	481k	Overhead view of the Thornback (SS-418) possibly during her trials or shake down cruise off the New England coast.	USN photo courtesy of Ed Zajkowski.
	35k	Thornback (SS-418) in March 1945 wearing Ms 32/3SS-B camouflage scheme.	Photo & text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
	174k	Thornback's (SS-418) battleflag flies from the periscope shears sometime before she was decommissioned at New London on 6 April 1946.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	107k	Canvas Print of the Thornback (SS-418).	Photo courtesy of veramor arts / cgi.ebay.com.
	61k	Thornback (SS-418) in the Cooper River with Charleston in the background. The Steeple is ST. Philip's church and the large building to the right is the United States Custom House. The year is 1956. The *Thornback* was just overhauled with a sonar dome added just forward of her sail.	Text courtesy of Robert Hall. US Navy photo.
	1.70k	Pompon (SSR-267) and Thornback (SS-418) next to Saratoga (CV-62) for replenishment - 17 August 1958.	Photo # USN 1038277 scanned by Ryan Crierie, via flickr, courtesy of Stephen Gower. Photo added 11/01/11.
	268k	Thornback (SS-418) & Trigger (SS-564) share a pier side time in Oct. 1962.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	651k	Birds of a feather not all flocking together: Mackerel (SST-1), Thornback (SS-418), Clamagore (SS-343) & Chivo (SS-341) with the Howard Gilmore (AS-16) in the distance.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	260k	Free parking at Key West, Florida during 1959; the Thornback (SS-418) is inboard.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	681k	A whopping Thornback (SS-418) in Genoa during the 1960's.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	261k	Does Santa slide down periscope shears? The crews of the Thornback (SS-418) & Odax (SS-484) wait to find out; Xmas 1959 in Charleston, S.C.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	308k	Diving Planes & Control room of the Thornback (SS-418) in the 1960's.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	334k	Amberjack (SS-522) & Thornback (SS-418) side by side in later life. Longwire antenna on *Thornback* attached to after torpedo loading hatch (lower end).	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
	276k	Certificate of delivery of the Thornback (SS-418) to Turkey as the Ulucalireis (S-338) on 2 July 1971.	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
TCG Ulucalireis (S-338)
	121k	Bow view of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	520k	Overhead view of the ex-Thornback (SS-410), now the Ulucalireis (S-338) underway.	Photo courtesy of Cuneyt Demir.
	303k	Ulucalireis (S-338) underway.	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	37k	Aft engine room of Thornback (SS-418) as the Ulucalireis (S-338), in Istanbul, Turkey.	Courtesy of Historic Naval Ships Association.
	34k	Thornback (SS-418) as the Ulucalireis (S-338), in Istanbul, Turkey.	Courtesy of Historic Naval Ships Association.
	99k	Thornback (SS-418) as the Ulucalireis (S-338) in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 2003.	Courtesy of Uri Dotan-Bochner, Webmaster Dolphin-Israel submariners association, www.dolphin.org.il
	114k	Thornback (SS-418) as Ulucalireis (S-338) in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 2003.	Courtesy of Uri Dotan-Bochner, Webmaster Dolphin-Israel submariners association, www.dolphin.org.il
	77k	Ticket for museum to see the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	653k	The Ulucalireis (S-338) surrounded by a sea of colored houses while dockside.	Photo courtesy of Cu"neyt Demir.
	263k	Interior view of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	290k	Interior view of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	271k	Interior view of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	170k	Galley of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
	331k	Forward torpedo room of the Ulucalireis (S-338).	Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.

View the Thornback (SS-418)
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
Thornback SS-418
USS Thornback SS-418
Tench Class Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ

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