Famous Ships and Boats in History

Sort by

American Submarines

Albacore, USS — American submarine
Research submarine that pioneered the teardrop hull of modern submarines. For more than two decades she provided the US Navy information and experience in making submarines faster, quieter, safer and more agile. LAUNCHED: 1953, August 18 → FATE: Decommissioned December 9, 1972. When being towed to a permanent display site in April 1984, she became stuck in the mud of Portsmouth Harbor. In 1985, she was dedicated there as a memorial.

Alligator — American submarine
First U.S. Navy submarine. The first American submarine, called Turtle (1776), never served in the U.S. Navy. The first commissioned U.S. submarine was the USS Holland in 1862. LAUNCHED: 1862, May 18 → FATE: Sank in bad weather off Cape Hatteras April 2, 1863.

B-39 — Russian foxtrot-class submarine
The Soviet Navy's largest non-nuclear submarines.. In 2012, she was used as a prop in the movie Phantom. Another B-39 is rusting in England (see Black Widow). LAUNCHED: 1967, April 18 → FATE: Decommissioned April 1994; now a museum ship at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, California.

Balao, USS — American submarine
Featured as the "pink submarine" in the 1959 movie Operation Petticoat, co-starring with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis. She served ten patrols in World War II, then in training exercises afterwards. Her conning tower and periscope are on display at the U.S.Navy Museum in Washington, D.C. LAUNCHED: 1942, October 18 → FATE: Sunk as a target off Florida on September 6, 1963.

Becuna, USS — American submarine
Designated a National Historic Landmark for her service in World War II, for which she earned four battle stars. She is credited with having sunk two Japanese tankers totaling 3,888 tons. LAUNCHED: 1944, January 30 → FATE: She serves as a museum ship at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cusk, USS — American submarine
The first submarine to launch a guided missile from her deck. She appeared in the 1950 movie The Flying Missile as the USS Bluefin. LAUNCHED: 1945, July 18 → FATE: Sold for scrap June 26, 1972.

Dolpin, USS — American V-class submarine
The penultimate design in the V-boat series and star in the movie Submarine D-1. The movie hi-lights the use of the Momsen lung for emergency submarine rescues as well as the training tank structures of New London, Connecticut submarine base. LAUNCHED: 1931, March 18 → FATE: Broken up in August 1946.

Page 2

Drum, USS — American Gato-class submarine
She is the oldest of Gato-class submarine still in existence, having received a total of 12 battle stars for her World War II service. She sank 15 ships for a total of 80,580 tons of Japanese shipping, eighth highest of all US submarines. LAUNCHED: 1941, May 18 → FATE: Currently a museum ship in Mobile, Alabama, at Battleship Memorial Park.

Fenian Ram — American submarine
The second experimental submarine built by Irish-born inventor and educator John P. Holland. In 1916, she was exhibited in Madison Square Garden to raise funds for victims of the Easter Rising. LAUNCHED: 1881 → FATE: On exhibit at the Paterson Museum in Paterson, New Jersey.

Halibut, USS — American attack submarine
Unique nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, adapted for spying operations. In the 1970s, she was used on secret underwater espionage missions by the US against the Soviet Union including the underwater tapping of a Soviet communication line (see Operation Ivy Bells). LAUNCHED: 1959, January 9 → FATE: Moth-balled 1976, dismantled in 1994.

Holland, USS (SS-1) — American submarine
First modern commissioned submarine for the US Navy. She proved valuable for experimental purposes in collecting data for submarines under construction or contemplation and for training officers and enlisted men. LAUNCHED: 1897, May 17 → FATE: On display in a park in Paterson, New Jersey until sold for scrap, 1932.

Hunley, H.L. — American Confederate submarine
During the American Civil War, the first submarine to sink a ship. She a ttacked by embedding a barbed spar torpedo into the foe's hull and detonating it as she backed away. LAUNCHED: 1863, July → FATE: Sank after attacking and sinking USS Housatonic in Charleston Harbor, February 17, 1864.

Nautilus, USS — American nuclear submarine
World's first nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to cross under the North Pole. Also the namesake of another U.S. submarine that served in World War II. LAUNCHED: 1954, January 18 → FATE: On exhibit at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

Scorpion, USS — American Skipjack-class nuclear submarine
Went missing at sea with 99 crewmen, one of two nuclear submarines the U.S. Navy has lost, the other being USS Thresher (SSN-593). She carried two nuclear-tipped torpedoes. In November 2012, the submarine veterans asked the US Navy to reopen the investigation on the sinking. LAUNCHED: 1959, December 18 → FATE: Sank on May 22, 1968 in the Atlantic Ocean southwest of the Azores.

(Another )

Sea Tiger, USS — American submarine
A fictional U.S. Navy submarine in the 1959 movie Operation Petticoat during the opening days of World War II. Stand-in boats were USS Balao painted pink for exterior shots and USS Archerfish with the standard colors of gray and black for interior and some exterior shots. LAUNCHED: 1959 → FATE: Inconclusive.

Page 3

Silversides, USS — American Gato-class submarine
One of the most successful submarines in the Pacific Theater of World War II, with 23 sinkings totalling more than 90,000 tons. She was used to depict the fictional submarine USS Tiger Shark in the 2002 film Below LAUNCHED: 1941, August 18 → FATE: Currently serves as a museum ship at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum in Muskegon, Michigan, and is a National Historic Landmark.

Tang, USS — American Balao class submarine
Credited with sinking 31 enemy ships totaling 227,800 tons, unequaled among American submarines during World War II. When she was sunk by a circular run of her final torpedo, several crew escaped the sinking boat with a Momsen lung, the only known occasion of its use. 78 men were lost and the nine survived. LAUNCHED: 1943, August 18 → FATE: Sunk by her own torpedo in the Taiwan Strait October 24, 1944.

Thresher, USS — American nuclear submarine
Lost at sea during deep-diving tests in 1963 with 129 crew. She was the lead ship of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines and one of two nuclear submarines the U.S. Navy has lost, the other being USS Scorpion, SSN-589. LAUNCHED: 1960, July 18 → FATE: Sunk April 10, 1963.

Tigerfish, USS — American attack submarine
Fictional submarine in the movie Ice Station Zebra. She was portrayed in the movie by the diesel-electric submarine USS Ronquil when seen on the surface. LAUNCHED: 1968, movie release → FATE: Inconclusive.

X-craft submarine — American miniature submarine
Deployed September, 1943 against German warships based in Norway. These midget subs would be towed to their target area by a full-size submarine. Of the 20 built, seven were lost, 12 scuttled or scrapped. LAUNCHED: 1943 → FATE: Only one has survive and is on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum.

The number of American Submarines listed is 20

The contents of this page are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL).

For a full list of all ships, select HERE

First Ship on each page
Page	Ship Name (Country and Type)
1.	Alligator (American submarine)
2.	Drum, USS (American Gato-class submarine)
3.	Silversides, USS (American Gato-class submarine)

American Submarines
1.	Alligator American submarine
2.	B-39 Russian foxtrot-class submarine
3.	Balao, USS American submarine
4.	Becuna, USS American submarine
5.	Cusk, USS American submarine
6.	Dolpin, USS American V-class submarine
7.	Drum, USS American Gato-class submarine
8.	Fenian Ram American submarine
9.	Halibut, USS American attack submarine
10.	Holland, USS (SS-1) American submarine
11.	Hunley, H.L. American Confederate submarine
12.	Nautilus, USS American nuclear submarine
13.	Scorpion, USS American Skipjack-class nuclear submarine
14.	Sea Tiger, USS American submarine
15.	Silversides, USS American Gato-class submarine
16.	Tang, USS American Balao class submarine
17.	Thresher, USS American nuclear submarine
18.	Tigerfish, USS American attack submarine
19.	X-craft submarine American miniature submarine

Famous Ships and Boats

In history, movies, books, on exhibit

War ships, ship tragedies, steam ships, yachts, and more

with Images and Information

American Submarines