NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
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| Click On Image For Full Size Image | Size | Image Description | Contributed By | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 103k | Keel Plate of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686), 26 June 1971, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). | |
 | 118k | Authenticating of Keel of L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686), 26 June 1971, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). | |
 | 90k | Keel Laying of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686), 26 June 1971, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). | |
 | 253k | Newport News, Virginia. Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Chief of Naval Operations, speaks during the keel-laying ceremony for L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686). Photographed 26 June 1971. | USN photo # 428-GX-USN 1148942 courtesy of National Museum of the U.S. Navy via flickr.com. Photo added 11/17/16. | |
 | 102k | Keel Laying Ceremony Program of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686), 26 June 1971, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). | |
 | 359k | Christening of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) by Mrs. Margaret Eastman and Mrs. Lois Ravenel, daughters of the ship's namesake. | UPI photo courtesy of Dale Hargrave. | |
 | 828k | Ten page PDF Welcome Aboard the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686). | USN photos courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. PDF added 11/17/16. | |
 | 251k | The crew of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) salute the colors prior to her launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA., 2 June 1973. | Official USN photo courtesy of Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr. | |
 | 1.16k | Pre-commissioning photo of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) underway, off the coast of Virginia, 12 July 1974. | USN photo# NPC K-105715 courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 | 43k | Oil on canvas painting by the artist Jim Christley entitled "Trailing". During the Cold War the US Naval Submarine Force was tasked with keeping tabs on Soviet Naval movements in particular, the Soviet Submarine Force. Submarines of the Sturgeon Class were well suited to this task and often trailed Soviet submarines for days reporting on their movements and recording noise signatures. In this image, such a trailing has turned into a close aboard encounter as a Soviet Viktor III Class has turned to port to check his baffles (to listen to see if anyone is immediately astern). A trailing Sturgeon has stopped his screw and gone quiet. Extending far behind the US submarine is its towed array sonar which assists in giving a clear picture of the ocean's acoustics. | Photo & text courtesy of subart.net. | |
 | 145k | Submerged submarines in tandem. | USN photo courtesy of Robert Hall. | |
 | 465k | A port bow view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) moored at a pier at Port Canaveral, Florida, 1 August 1993. | Official USN photo # DN-SC-93-05792 by OS2 John Bouvia, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 506k | A port quarter view of the nuclear-powered attack submarine L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) moored at a pier at Port Canaveral, Florida, 1 August 1993. | Official USN photo # DN-SC-93-05793 by OS2 John Bouvia, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 271k | The yard tugboat Nanticoke (YTB-803) assist the nuclear-powered attack submarine L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) in docking at the Naval Station Rosey Roads during the fleet exercises on 20 October 1995. | Official USN photo # DN-SC-97-00446 by PH3 Sheri Dinger Starr, from the Department of Defense Still Media Collection, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil & submitted by Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 374k | Dry-Dock shelter doors are open on the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) on 01-03-1996. | Courtesy of Author's collection. | |
 | 72k | L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) without Dry Deck Shelter in Gibraltar 2nd April 1998. (You can just see the Dry Deck Shelter on land behind the Sub). | Contributed by Daniel Ferro. | |
 | 174k | L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) with the French Frigates Acont (F-713) & sister in Backgr in Toulon, France, 13 July 1999. | Photo courtesy of Guy Schaeffer, from the collection of Paolo Marsan. | |
 | 308k | L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) at La Spezia, Italy on 26 July 1999. | Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli. | |
 | 174k | The sail of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) is pictured against the backdrop of the sun silhouetting the barren wastelands of the Arctic ice, 15 October 2000. | USN photo courtesy of US Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory & csp.navy.mil. | |
 | 13k | Commemorative post mark of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) at the North Pole, 15 October 2000. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 21k | Commemorative post mark of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) arrival at Puget Sound Naval Base, 29 November 2000. | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 53k | L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) underway, date and place unknown. | USN photo courtesy of the ComSubGru Nine web site. | |
 | 1.72k | Twenty page PDF on the Inactivation Ceremony of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686), 28 July 2000. | USN photos courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. PDF added 11/17/16. | |
 | 36k | Commemorative post mark of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) honoring her 26 years of service and keeping the peace, 1 March 2001, after finishing the NPSSRP (Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program). | Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory). | |
 | 465k | Plaque of the L. Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) on display at the Naval and Maritime Museum at Patriots Point, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. | Courtesy of Robert Hall. | |
| Commanding Officers | |||
| 01 | CDR. Wolfe, Roderic Leighson, USN | 01.02.1975 - 16.04.1977 First Date in Commission | |
| 02 | CDR. Jones Jr., Raymond George, USN (USNA 1960) :RADM | 16.04.1977 - 30.07.1979 | |
| 03 | CDR. Jordan Jr., John Frank, USN | 30.07.1979 - 07.12.1982 | |
| 04 | CDR. Holden, Hollis Ward, USN | 07.12.1982 - 06.11.1985 | |
| 05 | CDR. Bagaglio Jr., Mario Joseph, USN (USNA 1969) | 06.11.1985 - 18.11.1988 | |
| 06 | CDR. Pickett, Russell Ames, USN | 18.11.1988 - 24.08.1991 | |
| 07 | CDR. Mauney, Carl Vandiver, USN :VADM | 24.08.1991 - 10.04.1994 | |
| 08 | CDR. McDonald, Bradford Norbury, USN | 10.04.1994 - 21.10.1996 | |
| 09 | CDR. Petro, George Michael, USN (USNA 1980) | 21.10.1996 - 15.02.1999 | |
| 10 | CDR. Portner, David Anthony, USN (USNA 1981) | 15.02.1999 - 10.05.2001 Last Date in Commission | |
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