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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left contributed by Bob Shouse, others by Mike Smolinski.

Plunger (SSN-595)

Radio Call Sign: November - Alpha - Kilo - Victor

Thresher Class Attack Submarine: Laid down, 2 March 1960, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Launched, 9 December 1961; Commissioned, USS Plunger (SSN-595), 21 November 1962; Decommissioned, 3 January 1990; Struck from the Naval Register, 2 February 1990; Laid up at Bremerton Naval Shipyard; Final Disposition, entered the NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 5 January 1995 and completed 8 March 1996.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 3,540 t., Submerged: 4,200 t.; Length 278' 5"; Beam 31' 8"; ; Speed, Surfaced 15 kts, Submerged 28+ kts; Operating Depth 400'; Complement, 143; Sensors, Raytheon BQS-6A or -6B active/passive systems BQQ-1 and the Edo BQR-7 passive, conformal array, TB-26 Towed Sonar Array; Armament, four 21" torpedo tubes, forward, MK 48 torpedoes, UUM-44A SUBROC, UGM-84A/C Harpoon, MK 57 deep water mines, Mk 60 CAPTOR mines; Propulsion System, one S5W nuclear reactor, two Westinghouse steam turbines, one propeller 15,000 shp..

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
179k	Submarine Silhouettes of 1960: Nautilus (SSN-571), Seawolf (SSN-575), Skate (SSN-578), Skipjack (SS-585), Triton (SSRN-586), Halibut (SSGN-587), Thresher (SSN-593), Tullibee (SSN-597), George Washington (SSBN-598), & Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) classes.	U.S. Navy Photograph submitted by Ron Titus, courtesy of Ingersoll-Rand. Corp.
187k	Nuclear Submarine Profiles 1960: Nautilus (SSN-571), Seawolf (SSN-575), Triton (SSRN-586), Skate (SSN-578) & Skipjack (SS-585) classes, Halibut (SSGN-587) & Tullibee (SSN-597) classes, George Washington (SSBN-598) & Thresher (SSN-593) classes.	US Navy photo courtesy of Ron Titus courtesy of Ingersoll-Rand. Corp. Photo i.d. courtesy of Dave Johnston.
126k	This picture appeared in the commissioning program of the Plunger (SSN-595). The photo's caption reads; "Shipyard Commander RADM L. V. Honsinger (right) officially lays *Plunger's* keel as previous Plunger (SS-179) Commanding Officer's Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (center) and RADM G. L. Russell (left, Commandant, 12th Naval District) look on. *Plunger* was the 500th ship constructed at the shipyard.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
201k	This photo shows the christening of the Scamp (SSN-588) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 8 Oct 1960. The first hull section of Plunger (SSN-595) can be seen on the building ways to the left on the Scamp (SSN-588).	U.S. Navy photo # MSA 49204-10-60, contributed by Darryl Baker.
312k	Starboard side view of Scamp (SSN-588) ready for launching with speaker at the microphone at Mare Island on 8 Oct 1960. Keel of the Plunger (SSN-595) is to the left.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
170k	Section #3 (aft bulkhead section) of the Plunger (SSN-595) is lifted onto the building ways on 20 Oct 1960 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The after sections of the ship were transported to the ways and but in place by the shipyard's 150 ton floating crane.	USN photo # NY9-49317-10-60, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
206k	Section #14 of the Plunger (SSN-595) is shown on trailer used to transport the section from the southern hull fabrication area to the building ways on 5 Jan 1961 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard.	USN photo # NY9-49997-1-61, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
262k	The Plunger (SSN-595) takes shape on the building ways at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 6 Jul 1961. This is a progress photo taken from the bow looking aft.	USN photo # NY9-51960-7-61, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
76k	The crew of the Plunger (SSN-595) stand at attention around the boat's sail on the building ways at Mare Island Naval Shipyard just prior to launching on 9 December 1961.	USN photo # NY9-53381-12-61 courtesy of Tracy White. Photo added 06/20/08.
127k	Elevated bow view of the Plunger (SSN-595) on the building ways at Mare Island Naval Shipyard just prior to launching on 9 December 1961.	USN photo # NY9-53337-12-61 courtesy of Tracy White. Photo added 06/20/08.
141k	Elevated stern view of the Plunger (SSN-595) on the building ways at Mare Island Naval Shipyard just prior to launching on 9 December 1961.	USN photo # NY9-53338-12-61 courtesy of Tracy White. Photo added 06/20/08.
122k	The officers & crew of the Plunger (SSN-595) stand at attention as the boat is waterborne on 9 December 1961.	USN photo # NY9-533359-12-61 courtesy of Tracy White. Photo added 06/20/08.
135k	The Plunger (SSN-595) is launched at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 9 December 1961.	Courtesy subnetcom.
104k	A thrashing Plunger (SSN-595) is tethered pierside at her outfitting berth at Mare Island.	USN photo # NY9-533359-12-61 courtesy of Tracy White. Photo added 06/20/08.
241k	Forward plan view of Permit (SSN-594) at her outfitting berth at Mare Island on 15 Jan 1962. The Plunger (SSN-595) is aft of *Permit*.	U.S. Navy photo # 53561-1-62, contributed by Darryl Baker.
173k	Plunger (SSN-595) at sea 9/1962 during her trials after construction at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. The *Plunger* is noted as the 500th ship built by the shipyard. Note: Area above sail was be touched-up to erase the ship's masts. This photo was used on the cover on her commissioning program.	USN photo # 56803, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
101k	Plunger (SSN-595) glides past Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 12 Jan 1963. This was her first deployment after commissioning at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 21 Nov 1962.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl Baker.
170k	The Plunger (SSN-595),underway off the coast of Oahu Hawaii, during her shakedown cruise to Pearl Harbor 15 January 1963.	USN offical photo # 1067832, by PHCS Carlisle, courtesy of David Buell.
106k	Plunger (SSN-595) off the coast of Hawaii during her first fleet deployment in 1963.	USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
147k	CDR Will M Adams, USN, Commanding Officer of the Plunger (SSN-595) is seen crossing the brow on 13 Sep 1963. *Plunger* was at Mare Island from 13 Sep 1963 to 8 Feb 1964 for a restrictive availability.	USN photo # 60503, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
39k	The Plunger (SSN-595), tied-up alongside the Scamp (SSN-588) with the Permit (SSN-594) behind, c1964, probably at Pearl Harbor. The submarine tender Sperry (AS-12) is tied-up on the other side of the jetty.	USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
85k	Plunger (SSN-595) underway off the coast of Hawaii, 1973.	USN photo courtesy of USNI.
40k	Bow on view of the Plunger (SSN-595) underway, probably off the coast of Hawaii, 1973.	USN photo courtesy of tripod.com.
1.0m	A starboard bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Plunger (SSN-595) underway off the Southern California coast, 2 Apr 1976.	USN photo # DN-SC-85-06050, by PHCS R. L. Lawson, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil.
267k	The large harbor tug *YTB-826* nudges the nuclear-powered attack submarine La Jolla (SSN-701) into its berth at San Diego, circa 1983. In the background is the submarine tender Dixon (AS-37). I am pretty sure that *594-class* sub pier side is the Plunger (SSN-595).	US Navy photo # DN-ST-83-10231 by PH2 Randy Hays, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil. & submitted by Bill Gonyo.
74k	Plunger (SSN-595) entering San Diego, 1985.	USN photo courtesy of Bob Shouse.
48k	An Oil on masonite painting by the artist John Charles Roach, entitled "Ballast Point, San Diego", depicts sub base with subs and tenders at the pier in San Diego during mid 1986. The tenders were possibly the: McKee (AS-42) for Subron 7 & Dixon (AS-37) for Subron 3. Among the subs were the: Dolphin (AGSS-555): Gudgeon (SS-567): Albacore (AGSS-569): Barbel (SS-580): Blueback (SS-581): Permit (SSN-594): Plunger (SSN-595): Pollack (SSN-603) Haddo (SSN-604): Guardfish (SSN-612): Haddock (SSN-621): Sturgeon (SSN-637): Gurnard (SSN-662) : Hawkbill (SSN-666): Pintado (SSN-672): Drum (SSN-677): William H. Bates (SSN-680): La Jolla (SSN-701): Portsmouth (SSN-707) & Salt Lake City (SSN-716).	Ballast Point, San Diego John Charles Roach 1986.5 Oil on masonite, 1986, courtesy of the USNHC, # 88-163-CR. Text contributed by OMC J. Reid Pallady USNR-RET & QM2(SS) David Johnston, USNR.
82k	Plunger (SSN-595) in Sasabo, 1986.	USN photo courtesy of Bob Shouse.
636k	Ex-Plunger (SSN-595), awaits towing to Puget Sound for scraping after inactivation at Mare Island in April 1990. Note: Her sonar dome has been removed and there is an emergency diesel after of her sail.	MINSY # 239208-4-1990 NS, US Navy Photo # 239208, courtesy of Darryl Baker.
291k	"Sign of the times." March 1994 photo of Nuclear submarines at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard waiting in line for scrapping. Top row left to right are Ethan Allen (SSBN-608), Seawolf (SSN-575), Plunger (SSN-595), Shark (SSN-591), Nathanael Greene (SSBN-636), Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) alongside Sperry (AS-12), with Triton (SSRN-586) across the pier from the *Sperry* . Bottom row, from left to right Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610), Skipjack (SS-585), Snook (SSN-592), Henry Clay (SSBN-625), Lapon (SSN-661), Dace (SSN-607), Skate (SSN-578), Swordfish (SSN-579), Sargo (SSN-583) , Seadragon (SSN-584). Across the pier are Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618), and not in view, Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), George Washington (SSBN-598),Barb (SSN-596) & Sea Devil (SSN-664). There are so many submarines at PSNSY that the yard is running out of pier space.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle.
569k	Sealed reactor compartments are shipped by barge out of Puget Sound Naval Base down the coast and along the Columbia River to the port of Benton. There the radioactively-contaminated hull sections are transferred to special multiwheeled high-load trailers for transport to the Hanford Reservation in Washington State. Pictured below is the burial ground for spent fuel of the following 77 nuclear reactor submarines as of March 2003: Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), Snook (SSN-592), George Washington (SSBN-598), Scamp (SSN-588), Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601), Thomas Jefferson (SSBN-618), Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600), Dace (SSN-607), John Adams (SSBN-620), Abraham Lincoln (SSBN-602), Barb (SSN-596), Ethan Allen (SSBN-608), Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610), Pollack (SSN-603), Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685), James Monroe (SSBN-622), Skipjack (SS-585), Nathan Hale (SSBN-623), Plunger (SSN-595), Shark (SSN-591), Lafayette (SSBN-616), Sam Houston (SSBN-609), Jack (SSN-605), Haddo (SSN-604), Tinosa (SSN-606), Guardfish (SSN-612), Permit (SSN-594), Queenfish (SSN-651), Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631), John Marshall (SSBN-611), George C. Marshall (SSBN-654), Flasher (SSN-613), Guitarro (SSN-665), Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617), George Washington Carver (SSBN-656), Tecumseh (SSBN-628), Halibut (SSGN-587), Will Rogers (SSBN-659), Henry L. Stimson (SSBN-655), Daniel Boone (SSBN-629), Greenling (SSN-614), John C. Calhoun (SSBN-630), Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633), Skate (SSN-578), Sargo (SSN-583), Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657), Sturgeon (SSN-637), Benjamin Franklin (SSBN-640), Swordfish (SSN-579), Seadragon (SSN-584), Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634), Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641), Hammerhead (SSN-663), Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658) , Tullibee (SSN-597), Lewis & Clark (SSBN-644), Pargo (SSN-650), Seahorse (SSN-669), Gurnard (SSN-662), Flying Fish (SSN-673), Gato (SSN-615), Puffer (SSN-652), Seawolf (SSN-575), Baton Rouge (SSN-689), Bergall (SSN-667), Whale (SSN-638), Henry Clay (SSBN-625), James Madison (SSBN-627), Finback (SSN-670), Spadefish (SSN-668), Sunfish (SSN-649), George Bancroft (SSBN-643), Grayling (SSN-646), Pintado (SSN-672), Tunny (SSN-682), Archerfish (SSN-678), & Woodrow Wilson (SSBN-624).	USN photo & partial text courtesy of home.flash.net/~tomj/tunny/chop/rx. & submitted by Jack Treutle.