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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 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.
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 117k Grampus (SS-523), underway, circa mid 1960's. Courtesy of George M. Arnold.
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 65k 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.
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. Photo added 07/31/06.
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
Full Fathom Five, U.S. Submarine War Against Japan
Guppy Submarines
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