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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch on left courtesy of the US Navy Historical Center, photo # NH 65258-KN, others courtesy of Mike Smolinski

Torsk (SS-423) (AGSS-423) (IXSS-423)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Sierra - Tango
Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 7 June 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 6 September 1944; Commissioned USS Torsk (SS-423), 16 December 1944; Snorkel conversion completed in 1952; Decommissioned, 4 March 1968; Placed in service as a Naval Reserve Training vessel at the Washington Navy Yard,; Redesignated Auxiliary Submarine (AGSS-423) in May 1968; Reclassified Miscellaneous Submarine (IXSS-423) in June 1971; Placed out of service and simultaneously struck for the Naval Register, 15 December 1971; Final Disposition, turned over to the state of Maryland to be used as a museum in the Inner Harbor at Baltimore, 26 September 1972. Torsk received two battle stars for World War II service.

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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Torsk 223k Rear Admiral Thomas Withers, USN, Commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard stands with Mrs Allen B. Reed (on the right in the photo), Torsk's (SS-423) sponsor, and Mrs Reed's daughters Mrs. Lane C. Kaley and Miss Katherine Reed who acted as her assistants. Admiral Withers presented a bouquet of roses to Mrs Reed and corsages to each of the daughters. USN photo & text courtesy of usstorsk.org.
Torsk 243k LT (JG) Paul P. Galliger, USNR, Navy Yard Chaplain, offers a prayer before Torsk (SS-423) is launched. USN photo & text courtesy of usstorsk.org.
Torsk 243k Mrs Allen B. Reed christens Torsk (SS-423). USN photo & text courtesy of usstorsk.org.
Torsk589k The Torsk (SS-423) slides into the Piscataqua River during her launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 6 September 1944. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Torsk28kCommemorative launch day badge from Torsk's (SS-423) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 6 September 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.
Torsk19k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Torsk's (SS-423) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME., 6 September 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Torsk83kTorsk (SS-423) in Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, January 1945. Courtesy of Erminio Bagnasco's book, "Submarines of WW II", submitted by Aryeh Wetherhorn.
Torsk 830k Two hundred feet above the Torsk (SS-423) on 12 February 1945 en route from New England to Florida. USN photo # 80-G-304559 & 80-G-304560 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Torsk 2.58k Four photo PDF of Torsk (SS-423) underway off the U.S. east coast, en route from New England to Florida, 16 February 1945. Photographed from a NAS Richmond, FL. aircraft. USN photos # 80-G-313788, 789, 790,791 from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Torsk99kTorsk (SS-423), maneuvering in line abreast formation during exercises off Block Island, Rhode Island, in April 1947. Nearest submarine is Sarda (SS-488). Torsk is next. Both are fitted with 5"/25 deck guns fore and aft. US National Archives photo # 80-G-704269,from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Sea Leopard 387k Med cruise summer in 1950 Naples Harbor: Sea Leopard (SS-483), Torsk (SS-423), and Sea Robin (SS-407). Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Augusta Bay, Sicily2.20kThe destroyer tender Yellowstone (AD-27) at Augusta Bay, Sicily, May - October 1950.
Ships alongside to starboard; Sea Robin (SS-407), Torsk (SS-423), Sea Leopard (SS-483), Burrfish (SS-312).
To port; John R Pierce (DD-753), Barton (DD-722), Shea (DM-30), and in the background Bauer (DM-26).		US National Archives photo # 80-G-428712, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Torsk96kTorsk (SS-423), underway in May 1952, shortly after her "fleet snorkel" conversion. She is still fitted with a 5"/25 deck gun, aft of her sail. USN photo # USN 1079481, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Torsk13kTorsk (SS-423) coming alongside the New (DD-818) which became the first US navy destroyer to refuel a sub underway, 1953. Photo by Tom Nau, courtesy of Rick Palmer.
Torsk117kTorsk (SS-423) underway 30 July 1954. US National Archives photo # 80-G-669954, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Torsk107k8000th dive of the Torsk (SS-423) on 25 August 1955.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Torsk265kView of the Torsk's (SS-423) periscope after a collision with the destroyer Johnston (DD-821). USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Torsk267kTorsk (SS-423) shows the flag in 1958.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Torsk 1.40k Nitro (AE-23) at anchor in the Mediterranean Sea with Torsk (SS-423) alongside, in 1960. USN photo courtesy of Richard Miller, BMCS USNR, Ret. via Gary Priolo.
Torsk41kThe Torsk (SS-423) coming alongside USCGC Courier in 1960.Photo by LT. Robert Haldi & submitted by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Torsk204kTorsk (SS-423), departing Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME., 16 August 1965. USN photo # USN 1112857, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Torsk134kTorsk (SS-423) in Hampton Roads, 28 September 1965. USN photo # KN 14050, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
Torsk652kGuess who? Torsk (SS-423) when she was the Reserve boat at Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C., sometime in the late 1960's. Photo courtesy of Charles Thompson.
Torsk616kTorsk (SS-423) when she was the Reserve boat at Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C., sometime in the late 1960's. Photo courtesy of Charles Thompson.
Billfish 42k Torsk (SS-423), Billfish (SS-286) & Carp (SS-338) moored together in Spring/Early Summer of 1968 @ Boston Navy Yard after Torsk's Decommisioning and before she was towed to Washington D.C. for use as a Reserve Trainer. Billfish or Carp was the training boat in Boston at the time. Photo i.d. courtesy of Larry Derouin.
USN photo.
Torsk220kPress release of Torsk's (SS-423) departure from the DC Navy Yard, 8 February 1972. Photo courtesy of Charles Weaver EM2 via Tommy Trampp.
Torsk47kTorsk (SS-423), ship's control panel. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Torsk75kTorsk (SS-423) radio room: Black unit left side full frontal is RBS receiver next to it is Patch panel; Large silver unit on right is URC-32 Transceiver (main hf transmitter).Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Torsk519k Torsk (SS-423) in drydock before the hull was sandblasted. The boat is currently in drydock in Sparrows Point, Maryland for hull cleaning, steel repair, and new bottom paint. She will be in drydock through early March 2011. This is her first drydocking since 1997. Photo courtesy of Gilbert M Bohannon Jr,
USS Torsk SS-423 Historian.
Torsk523k Torsk (SS-423) in drydock after sandblasting and primer has been applied. Photo courtesy of Gilbert M Bohannon Jr,
USS Torsk SS-423 Historian.
Torsk591k311 feet from here is the Torsk's (SS-423) bow. Photo courtesy of Gilbert M Bohannon Jr,
USS Torsk SS-423 Historian.
Torsk392kStern view of the Torsk (SS-423) in drydock, February 2011. Photo courtesy of Gilbert M Bohannon Jr,
USS Torsk SS-423 Historian.
View the Torsk (SS/AGSS/IXSS-423)
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
USSTorsk SS 423
Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide - Torsk SS-423
Baltimore Maritime Museum
Guppy Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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