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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Contributed by Lester Palifka, left, center and right by Mike Smolinski.

Requin (SS-481) (SSR-481)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Echo - Charlie
Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 24 August 1944, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, NH; Launched, 1 January 1945; Commissioned USS Requin (SS-481), 28 April 1945; Converted to a Radar Pickett Submarine at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH in 1946; Reclassified, (SSR-481) on 20 January 1948; August of 1959, converted to the Fleet Snorkel configuration, at Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, SC; Reclassified (SS-481), 15 August 1959; Decommissioned, 3 December 1968; Placed in service and assigned St. Petersburg, FL., as a Naval Reserve Training Ship; Requin was reclassified (AGSS-481) on 29 June 1968 and (IXSS-481) on 30 June 1971 (Friedman, Bauer).
Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 20 Deceimber 1971; Final Disposition; Sold 13 June 1972 to Nicolai Joffe for $ 83,710.00. Sale Cancelled & Trans. to Tampa Florida Chamber of Commerce for tourist attraction until 1986. Removed 24 May 1990 & towed to Pittsburgh, PA. Arrived 4 September 1990 at Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA, in 1990, and again open for public viewing.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves (of blessed memory) & Yves Hubert.

As built to the 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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For Full Size		Size Image Description Source
Requin532k Mrs. Mary Dondero, first woman mayor in New Hampshire, greeting the sponsor Mrs. Slade D. Cutter at launching of the Requin (SS-481) at Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H. 1 January 1945. National Archives Identifier: 12563131
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
Requin612kLaunching of the Requin (SS-481) at Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H. 1 January 1945. National Archives Identifier: 12563010
Photo courtesy of catalog.archives.gov
Requin 25k Commemorative launch day badge from Requin's (SS-481) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 1 January 1945.
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.
Requin 35k Commemorative post mark on the occasion of the Requin's (SS-481) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 1 January 1945. Courtesy of petloveshack.com.
229 & 481148kRequin (SS-481) and Flying Fish (SS-229) berthed at the Baltimore Inner Harbor for Navy Day activities, 20-27 October 1945. From the collection of Henry V Roberts, USS Schroeder, submitted in honor of her father by Gail Roberts McGinn via John Chiquoine.
Requin 525k President Harry S. Truman at a ceremony aboard U-2513 on 5 December 1947.
The submarines Sea Leopard (SS-483) and what looks to be the Requin (SS-481) are moored alongside as well as their unidentified tender. 		Source: USN Photos # 59-1330-3 & 59-1330-1 (insert) courtesy of trumanlibrary.org.
Requin 284k President Harry S. Truman (center, wtih cane) during a tour of the submarine base at Key West, Florida on 28 February 1948, with Assistant Press Secretary Eben Ayers (left) and Captain Robert Dennison, Naval Aide to the President (right). Others are unidentified (as are the submarines). Source: USN photo # 77-1955 & text courtesy of trumanlibrary.org.
Requin 1.24k President Truman receiving the salute of the crew as he leaves the Requin (SSR-481) following his inspection of the submarine, on 28 February 1948. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Office of Presidential Libraries from trumanlibrary.org. ARC Identifier (NARA) - 200491.
Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Requin 1.37k Crew members aboard the Requin (SSR-481), a submarine at the U.S. Naval Base in Key West, Florida, lined up for inspection during a visit by President Truman, on 28 February 1948. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Office of Presidential Libraries from trumanlibrary.org. ARC Identifier (NARA) - 200488.
Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Requin 289k Crew members aboard the Requin (SSR-481), a submarine at the U.S. Naval Base in Key West, Florida, standing at attention for inspection during a visit by President Truman, on 28 February 1948. Source: USN photo # 77-1956 & text courtesy of trumanlibrary.org.
Requin 61k In 1953 Requin (SSR-481) maintained her schedule of 2d and 6th Fleet operations, but at the end of the year put into Philadelphia for an extensive modernization overhaul. She is pictured here as an SSR. Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Text courtesy of DANFS.
Requin 633k Port quarter view of & broadside view the Requin (SSR-481), circa 1949 - 59. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Requin 367k Requin (SS-481) passing Block Island (CVE-106) in channel at Hampton Roads, VA., 22 January 1952. USN photo # 80-G-440704, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
Redfin139kRedfin (SS-272) with the Grampus (SS-523) and other subs alongside AS-18 Orion was taken between 1953-55. The "Nodding idiot" on Redfin was converted to the electronic version in 1956. The other 3 boats are from outboard in Migraine II Requin (SS-481) and Migraine I Burrfish (SS-312) and Tigrone (SS-419). The order of the last 2 might be reversed. Text contributed by Larry Derouin.
Photographed and contributed by John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Cusk1.82k Requin (SS-481) during 1954 put into Philadelphia for an extensive modernization overhaul.Text courtesy of DANFS.
Photo # USN 1042967 scanned by Ryan Crierie, via flickr, courtesy of Stephen Gower.
Requin 447k Requin (SSR-481) off Philadelphia after an extensive modernization overhaul, 26 July 1954. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Requin 200k Returning to Norfolk in late January 1958, Requin (SS-481) conducted local operations and cruised off the east coast and into the Caribbean until 7 January 1964.
She is seen here on 24 October 1963. 		USN photo # NPC 1087576, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
481845kEight page Welcome aboard the Requin (SS-481) PDF. Photos courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Sailfish 886k Orion (AS-18) at Naval Station Norfolk, VA. during a change of command ceremony with the following submarines alongside.
Inboard to outboard:
Sailfish (SSR-572),
probably Cutlass (SS-478),
Runner (SS-476),
Cobbler (SS-344),
Argonaut (SS-475),
unidentified,
Requin (SS-481) & Barbero (SSG-317).		 US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 92321 courtesy of Robert Hurst via Gary Priolo.
481 & 406
0848107		 1.80k Requin (SS-481) & Sea Poacher (SS-406), April 1964. Photo by Manuel Galilea. Courtesy of Museu Marítim de Barcelona via Fabio Pena.
Shark, Triton, Redfin & Requin 127k Shark (SSN-591), in port at San Juan, PR., 1965.Triton (SSN-586) on left, you just see her topside. Redfin, (SSR-272) and Requin (SS-481) are outboard of her. Photograped and contributed courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Cubera138kLoading torpedo aboard Cubera's (SS-347) date 1965, location unknown. The Requin (SS-481) is outboard.Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Redfin, Runner, Requin & Argonaut44kRedfin (SSR-272) inboard of Runner (SS-476), Requin (SS-481) and Argonaut (SS-475) with other subs of SubRon 6, circa mid-late 1960's, at Norfolk pier #22 D&S. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired.
Redfin760kFrom R to L: Sealion (SS-315), Argonaut (SS-475), Requin (SS-481), Runner (SS-476) & Redfin (SSR-272).
Orion (AS-18) is on the other side of the pier together with other boats, end of year holidays in 1966.
Behind these five boats are four more Guppy diesel boats, and behind them at the end of the pier is a Skipjack class SSN moored next to the big nuclear boat Triton (SSN-586), formerly SSRN, and the flagship of the Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet (SUBLANT). On the other side of the pier from Triton is another Skipjack class SSN and directly behind the tender are three more diesel Guppies.		Text I.d. courtesy of David Johnston
Photo courtesy of Richard Simpson via Authur Rebman IC1(SS).
Requin 70k Requin (SS-481), Souda Bay, Crete, June 1967. © Richard Leonhardt
Requin 822k Requin (SS-481) dockside at Genoa Italy, 1 July 1967. Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Requin 473k Busy port scene as the Requin (SS-481) fills the picture with a broadside view, dockside at Genoa Italy, 1 July 1967. Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Requin 620k Requin (SS-481) in the Mediterranean Sea circa 1967 launching members of the US Army 10th Special Forces Group in a RB 15 (rubber boat) during training exercise. Green Berets also exited through Requin's torpedo tubes. Photo courtesy of Don Gordon, 10th Special forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces. (This is a public document in my private collection taken 1967 using government personnel and equipment, no copyright).
Requin 261k Requin (SS-481) underway, date and location unknown. Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Requin 118k Port side view of the Requin (SS-481), moored on the Ohio River in front of the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh PA. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Requin 164k Forward torpedo tubes aboard the Requin (SS-481). Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Requin 166k Requin's (SS-481) after battery & crew's mess, 29 September 2006. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Requin 214k Forward engine room looking aft into after engine room of the Requin (SS-481), 29 September 2006. Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Requin 1.58k Four photo PDF of the Requin (SS-481) between 2007-2013. Photos courtesy of Robert Hurst.
View the Requin (SS-481)
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
Carnegie Science Center - USS Requin SS-481 Exibit
Historic Naval Ships Association
Tench Class Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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