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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive


Patch on left contributed by Mike Keating, on right courtesy of naviosdeguerrabrasileiros.hpg.ig.com.br

Grampus (SS-523)

Radio Call Sign: November - Yankee - Kilo - India

Tench Class Submarine: Laid down, 8 February 1944, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.; Launched, 16 December 1944; Commissioned USS Grampus (SS-523), 26 October 1949; Decommissioned, and simultaneously struck from the Naval Register, 13 May 1972; Transferred (sold) under the Security Assistance Program to Brazil; renamed Rio Grande Do Sul; Final Disposition, Sold 18 June 1981 to Verlome Shipyard, Angra Dos Reis, Brazil.
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 single 20mm guns; two /30 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four main generator motors, Fairbanks-Morse diesel engines, UP 5,400. Fuel Capacity, 113,510 gal., Elliot electric motors, HP 2,740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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Amberjack & Grampus 214k Sections of the pressure hulls of Amberjack (SS-522) and Grampus (SS-523) under construction in the Structural Shop of the Boston Navy Yard ca. 1944. Note: The original print is a Navy copy print which did not include the bottom line of the caption. U.S. Navy photo from the National Park Service, Boston National Historical Park, cat. no. BOSTS-10259, courtesy of Stephen P. Carlson, Preservation Specialist, Boston NHP,Charlestown Navy Yard.
Grampus 525k Commissioning of the Grampus (SS-523), 26 October 1949 at the Boston Navy Yard. A.P. Wire by Paul A. Queenan courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
Photo added 03/01/13.
Grampus 293k Commissioning of the Grampus (SS-523), 26 October 1949 at the Boston Navy Yard. Photo courtesy of ussgrampus.com.
GUPPY 222k Broadside view of a cutout of a GUPPY design. Photo courtesy of ussgrampus.com.
GUPPY 182k Overhead view of a cutout of a GUPPY design. Photo courtesy of ussgrampus.com.
Grampus 76k LCDR Eugene Columbus Barnhardt III was the Commanding Officer of the Grampus (SS-523) from October 1951 to January of 1954. Photo courtesy of the National Historical Center via Bill Gonyo.
Grampus 88k Portside view of the Grampus (SS-523) underway, 27 May 1953. USNI / USN Photo.
Grampus 112k Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa 1950's. Courtesy of George M. Arnold.
Grampus 300k Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa 1950's. USN photograph courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
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).
Grampus 88k Grampus (SS-523), coming into the Philadelphia Navy Yard for overhaul, circa early 1960. Courtesy of John Hummel.
Grampus 887k Grampus (SS-523) as seen from the Orion (AS-18)), circa 1960-61. Official US Navy photo courtesy of John Crawley.
Grampus 83k Grampus (SS-523) with a fiberglass deficiency at the Norfolk Navy Yard for overhaul, circa mid 1960's. The Redfin (SS-272) is behind her at the D&S Piers in Norfolk.Orion (AS-18) in background with other subs from Subron 6. Courtesy of John Hummel.
Grampus 758k Eight page PDF Welcome Aboard the Grampus (SS-523), circa mid 1960's. US Navy photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
PDF added 03/01/13.
Grampus 46k Starboard side view of the Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa mid-late 1960's. Courtesy of Ron Duffy, IC2(SS), Grampus (SS-523) 1966-68.
Grampus 314k Port side view of the Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa mid-late 1960's. Courtesy of Ron Duffy, IC2(SS), Grampus (SS-523) 1966-68.
Grampus 76k Starboard side view of the Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa mid-late 1960's. Notice a large dent in the superstructure aft of the engine outboards. That was caused by a practice ASROC missile that was supposed to go under us - but didn't! Photo & text courtesy of Ron Duffy, IC2(SS), Grampus (SS-523) 1966-68.
Rio Grande Do Sul (S-11)
Grampus 33k ex-Grampus (SS-523) as the Rio Grande Do Sul (S-11), underway probably off the coast of Brazil. Brazilian Navy photo by SRPM, via José Henrique Mendes, courtesy of naviosdeguerrabrasileiros.hpg.ig.com.br, & submitted by Valdo Novaes.
Grampus 34k ex-Grampus (SS-523) as the Rio Grande Do Sul (S-11), awaiting to be scrapped by Verolme Estaleiro, 18 June 1981. Brazilian Navy photo by Renato Gaschler via naviosdeguerrabrasileiros.hpg.ig.com.br, & submitted by Valdo Novaes.

View the Grampus (SS-523)
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
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
Guppy Submarines
ussgrampus.com

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