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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Argonaut (SS-475)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Delta - Hotel
Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 28 June 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 1 October 1944; Commissioned USS Argonaut (SS-475), 15 January 1945; Converted to a Fleet Snorkel Submarine at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA. in 1952; Decommissioned, struck from the Naval Register, and Transferred (sold) to Canada, 2 December 1968, renamed HMCS Rainbow (SS-75); Decommissioned by the Canadian navy, 31 December 1974; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 March 1977, to Zidell Ship Dismantlers, Portland, OR. for 215,000.00. Argonaut received one battle star for World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,570 t., Submerged: 2,414 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 4"; 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 7 Officers 69 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, two 20mm guns, two .30 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four Fairbanks Morse main generator engines, 5,400HP, Fuel Capacity, 113,510 gal., two Elliot Motor Co. main motors with 2,740HP, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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Argonaut 76k Argonaut (SS-475), while in the Panama Canal Zone, May 1945, for training. USN Archive photo. Photo and text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak.
Argonaut 354k Unknown boat along side pier, Argonaut (SS-475), and outboard boat is Bang (SS-385), circa 1945. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Balboa Sub Base 125k Aboard Amberjack (SS-522) at the Balboa Sub Base at Cristobal, Canal Zone. One of the boats in the background is the Argonaut (SS-475), seen here during her shakedown cruise, Spring / early Summer 1946. Photo courtesy of Jim Carroll and submitted by Mike Keating.
Argonaut 66k Argonaut (SS-475), port side view underway as she makes her way up the Thames River in CT., In late 1946 she became a unit of Submarine Squadron 2 based at New London Conn.
This photo was probably taken between then and before July 1952 went she went to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, during which she received a snorkel system and a streamlined conning tower.		 Photo courtesy of John Hummel. Text courtesy of DANFS.
Argonaut 152k Post 1953 photo of the Argonaut (SS-475). Photo courtesy of R.J. Rutkowski & submitted by Mike Smolinski. Photo added 07/20/07.
Argonaut 81k Argonaut (SS-475), underway, post mid 1950's - middle 1960's. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Argonaut 24k Argonaut (SS-475) still armed with a deck gun in this starboard side view underway, post mid 1950's - middle 1960's.
Argonaut operated from New London CT.,until July 1955, when she was reassigned to Submarine Squadron 6 at Norfolk, Va. Following this move, Argonaut was converted to a guided-missile submarine armed with a Regulus I missile.		 USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst. Partial text courtesy of DANFS.
Argonaut 38k Argonaut (SS-475), starboard side view underway, post mid 1950's - middle 1960's. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Argonaut 37k Argonaut (SS-475), starboard side view underway, post mid 1950's - middle 1960's. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Argonaut 22k Argonaut (SS-475), in 1965 at Norfolk, Va. Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
Redfin, Runner, Requin & Argonaut44kRedfin (SS-272) inboard of Runner (SS-476), Requin (SS-481) and Argonaut (SS-475) with other subs of SubRon 6, circa mid-late 1960's, location unknown.
 Contributed by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Argonaut 38k The ex-Argonaut (SS-475) now as the HMCS Rainbow (SS-75) sometime during the 6 year period between 1968 - 1974 when she served in the Canadian Navy. Photo courtesy of saoc-central.com.
View the Argonaut (SS-475)
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
HMCS Rainbow SS 75
Tench Class Submarines
Full Fathom Five, U.S. Submarine War Against Japan
HISTORIC SUBMARINE DOCUMENTARY AND TRAINING FILMS
Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Submarine Index

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