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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left contributed by Mike Smolinski, on right by Christopher J. Pauli.

Nautilus (SSN-571)
Decommissioning

Radio Call Sign: November - Whiskey - Charlie - Lima

To Additional Pages

Keel Laying - Commissioning
Actice Service
Present Day

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Presidential Unit Citation (Courtesy of Christopher J. Pauli) - National Defense Service Medal

Nautilus Class Submarine: Laid down, 14 June 1952, at Electric Boat Co., Division of General Dynamics Corp., Groton, CT.; Launched, 21 January 1954; Commissioned, USS Nautilus (SSN-571), 30 September 1954; left Groton in 1979 under her own power and arrived at Mare Island in preparation for Decommissioning on 3 March 1980. Final Disposition; In May 1985 boat was towed back to Groton for use as a Museum, and was opened to the public on 11 April 1986 as a museum ship. Nautilus is located at the Historic Ship Nautilus & Submarine Force Museum, NAVSUBASE, New London, Groton, CT. Nautilus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Ref. No. 79003652, and was designated a National Historic Landmark on 20 May 1982.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves, HTC, USNR (ret.)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 3,533 t., Submerged: 4,092 t.; Length 323' 9"; Beam 27' 8"; Draft 18' 7"; Speed, Surfaced 22 kts, Submerged 20+ kts; Complement 105; Armament, 6 21" torpedo tubes forward; Propulsion, nuclear, double propeller.(Courtesy of Ken Hart).

Size	Image Description	Source
326k	Nautilus (SSN-571) is seen in dry dock 2 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard being inactivated. Photo was taken between 12 June and 3 Nov 1979. The structure behind the sub's sail is the refueling house used to remove her nuclear fuel. She was inactivated between 11 June 1979 and 29 Feb 1980. She was then converted to a historical ship between 28 Sep 1981 and 30 Aug 1982 at the yard. She was stored at Mare Island until she started her tow to Groton, Conn. on 28 May 1985.	US Navy photo # 161269, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
101k	The Nautilus (SSN-571) is seen in dry dock #4 at Mare Island between 19 Nov 1979 and 30 Jan 1980 for bottom paint job.	US Navy photo # 164750, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
276k	Front cover of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571), which was held on board the ship at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 3 March 1980. There are twelve pages in all, including the front and back covers.	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
127k	Page 1 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
154k	Page 2 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
154k	Page 3 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
165k	Page 4 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
108k	Page 5 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
65k	Page 6 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
71k	Page 7 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571), Officers & CPO's.	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
91k	Page 8 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571), enlisted crewmen.	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
91k	Page 9 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571), total statistics.	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
58k	Page 10 of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571), former CO's of the boat.	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
271k	Back cover of the Decommissioning Ceremony Program for the Nautilus (SSN-571).	Photo courtesy of Robert M. Cieri.
196k	Nautilus (SSN-571), and Long Beach (CGN-9) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 31 Jan 1980. *Nautilus* was at the shipyard for inactivation.	US Navy photo # MSA 163841-1-80, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
63k	Photo of the lowering of the Commissioning Pennant aboard Nautilus (SSN-571) at Mare Island on 3 March 1980.	US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
65k	Photo of the speaker stand (speaker is unknown) Nautilus (SSN-571) during her decommissioning at Mare Island on 3 March 1980.	US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
67k	Photo of the crew at quarters aboard Nautilus (SSN-571) during her decommissioning at Mare Island on 3 March 1980.	US Navy photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
380k	The decommissioned Nautilus (SSN-571) await her historic ship conversion at Mare Island in May 1980.	US Navy photo # 167954, courtesy of Darryl Baker. Photo added 05/10/08.
185k	The Nautilus (SSN-571) is seen in San Francisco Bay circa 1981 just prior to inactivation at Mare Island. Treasure Island is to the left and Yerba Buena Island is to the right.	US Navy photo # MSA 157560-6-82, courtesy of Darryl Baker.