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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Toro (SS-422) (AGSS-422)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Sierra - Quebec
Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 May 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 23 August 1944; Commissioned USS Toro (SS-422), 8 December 1944; Decommissioned, 7 February 1946, at New London, CT.; Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Thames River, New London, CT.; Recommissioned, 13 May 1947; Redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-422) in July 1962; Decommissioned 11 March 1963, at the Atlantic Reserve Fleet Philadelphia Group; Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1963; Final Disposition, Sold for scrapping to North American Smelting Co. in Bordentown, NJ. in April 1965. Toro received two battle stars for her World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves (of blessed memory) & Yves Hubert.

As built to the 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.
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Toro 1.09k Mrs. Alan G. Kirk, Sponsor, Rear Admiral Thomas Withers, U.S. Navy, and Mrs. James D. Grant, Matron of Honor, at Launching of Toro (SS-422) at Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 23 August 1944. USN photo courtesy of media.nara.gov
Toro 632k Mrs. Alan G. Kirk Christening the Toro (SS-422) at Launching, Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 23 August 1944. USN photo courtesy of media.nara.gov
Toro 693k Presentation of Navy Yard Employees Gift to the Sponsor Mrs. Alan G. Kirk by Mr. Robert J. McIntyre, Shop 06 at the launching of the Toro (SS-422) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 23 August 1944. USN photo courtesy of media.nara.gov
Toro 420k Toro (SS-422) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 23 August 1944. USN photo # 80-G-1226 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Toro 34k Commemorative launch day badge from Toro's (SS-422) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 23 August 1944. Courtesy of James A Munroe in remembrance of his father Raymond L. Munroe Sr. who worked at the yard during WW II and the Korean wars as a chauffeur.
Grant 161k CDR. James Donald Livingston Grant was the commanding officer of the Toro (SS-422) from 8 December 1944 to August 1945. With her trials and initial training completed Toro arrives at Key West from New London for training at the sound school and additional training in the Panama Canal zone. Having completed training she heads to Pearl Harbor. Commander Grant took the Toro on two war patrols before the end of hostilities. Photo from the Alaska (CB-1) cruise book & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
Toro 948k Toro (SS-422) viewed off the Isles of Shoals at 900 feet on 30 December 1944.
Five more photos can be viewed here in this PDF.		 USN photo # 80-G-295469 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Toro 80k Toro (SS-422), port side view underway, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Toro 468k Toro (SS-422) was recommissioned on 13 May 1947, and she reported for duty to Submarine Squadron 2, Atlantic Fleet, on the 28th. Text courtesy of DANFS.
USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Toro 501k Five photo PDF of the U-530 being torpedoed by Toro (SS-422) on 20 or 21 November, 1947 USN Photos # 80-G-704668 / 704672, courtesy of uboatarchive.net
Toro 35k Postwar view of the Toro (SS-422). All deck guns have been removed and a few new pieces of electronic gear. USN photo courtesy of subnet.
Toro 75k Postwar view of the Toro (SS-422). USN photo.
Toro 29k Commemorative postal cover issued with a picture of the Toro (SS-422) in the inset, 1952. Courtesy of James A Munroe in remembrance of his father Raymond L. Munroe Sr. who worked at the yard during WW II and the Korean wars as a chauffeur.
Toro 1.18k On 28 January 1950, she joined Submarine Development Group 2, and her operations helped to refine submarine tactics, weapons, and equipment....
Toro (SS-422) is pictured here on 5 May 1952.		 Text courtesy of DANFS.
USN photo # USN 442172, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Groton 226k Busy piers at lower base in Groton shows a few SSKs, 1957.
From left to right, unidentifed sub,
Toro (SS-422),
Irex (SS-482),
unidentifed sub,
Trout (SS-566),
Bergall (SS-320),
Sea Owl (SS-405),
Cavalla (SS-244),
& Sea Robin (SS-407), & Piper (SS-409).
The rest of the subs are too far away for positive identification. 		Text courtesy of David Johnston. Photo i.d. courtesy of Mike Brood. USN photo courtesy of Submarine Force Library, courtesy of Ken Hart.
Toro
0842220		 573k CDR. Robert I. Boland Jr. Who skippered the Toro (SS-422) in New London from 1958-1960 training submariners. This is a picture that was used in a Norwich newspaper in 1958 and shows my father giving his approval of a dive. Photo courtesy of Ted Boland, CDR Boland's son.
Toro
0842221		 573k Change of command ceremony in New London, CDR. Robert I. Boland Jr. inspects the crew & is at the podium returning the salute.
Note Y.D. 201 in the background. 		Photos courtesy of Ted Boland, CDR Boland's son.
Toro 302k Four page Welcome Aboard PDF of the Toro (SS-422), circa 1961. Photos courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Toro 292k Toro (SS-422) worked in the Atlantic and Caribbean until July 1952, when she reported to Submarine Squadron 2 at New London and assumed new duties training submariners. During the next 10 years, she combined these activities with type training and services to ships and aircraft engaged in antisubmarine warfare exercises. She also participated in Operation "Springboard" and made one Mediterranean cruise.
She appears here in Genoa on 5 August 1962.		 Text courtesy of DANFS.
Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Toro 153k The Toro (SS-422) moored dockside at Pier 8, West of the Boston Naval Shipyard. She is zebra-striped and prepared for sinking after the nuclear-submarine Thresher (SSN-593) was lost in 1963. The ship on the opposite side of Pier 8 is Leahy (DLG-16).
It was hoped that by observing the fall of the Toro, the Navy scientists could better understand the movement of a submarine falling out of control through the depths. All wooden deck structure, cables, and other materials that might break loose were cut away. However, she was not used in the experiment and was later sold for scrapping. 		USN photo courtesy of The American Submarine, by Norman Polmar & submitted by Robert Hurst. Photo identity courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist,Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.
Toro 104k The Toro (SS-422) moored dockside at Pier 8, West of the Boston Naval Shipyard. The ship on the opposite side of Pier 8 is Leahy (DLG-16). USN photo # 14452-1, from the Boston National Historical Park Collection, NPS Cat. No. BOSTS-14452, courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.
Toro 128k The Toro (SS-422) moored dockside at Pier 8, West of the Boston Naval Shipyard. USN photo # 14452-3, from the Boston National Historical Park Collection, NPS Cat. No. BOSTS-14452, courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.
Toro 98k Bow view of the Toro (SS-422) at Pier 8 West of the Boston Naval Shipyard. USN photo # 14452-2, from the Boston National Historical Park Collection, NPS Cat. No. BOSTS-14452, courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.
Toro 269k The Toro (SS-422) moored next to Billfish (SS-286) at Pier 1W at the South Boston Annex in March 1964. USN photo # 16255-165, from the Boston National Historical Park Collection, NPS Cat. No. BOSTS-16255, courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston.
View the Toro (SS-422)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
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U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
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Tench Class Submarines
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