Commissioning
The USS Grayling, (SSN-646 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the fourth member of the Sturgeon class of nuclear fast attack submarines. It was the fifth vessel in U.S. Navy history named in honor of the fish, which is similar to the trout. It was the second submarine to carry the name; the first USS Grayling (SS-209) was lost during World War II.
The contract for USS Grayling was awarded to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on Sept. 5, 1962. Her keel was laid on May 12, 1964. The submarine was launched on June 22, 1967. It was sponsored by Lori Brinker, daughter of Lieutenant Commander Robert Brinker, who commanded the previous USS GraylingTemplate:WP Ships USS instances when she was lost in September 1943.
Underway
The Grayling officially joined the ranks of the U.S. Navy on Oct. 11, 1969, with Commander Charles R. Baron in command of the vessel. The Grayling, intended to stalk Soviet ballistic missile submarines (known as “Boomers”), served without incident through the Cold War and collapse of the USSR. Among its notable patrols were a visit to the North Pole and service during Operation Desert Storm (1991). It is not known whether the Grayling fired any of its Tomahawk cruise missiles at targets in Iraq or Kuwait during the conflict.
It was after the fall of the Soviet Union that the Grayling drew the most attention. On March 20, 1993, the Grayling and the Russian Delta III-class ballistic missile submarine K-407 “Novomoskovsk” collided in the Barents Sea. An investigation indicated the Grayling had been monitoring the K-407, which had been undergoing weapons exercises, from a distance of between six and seven miles. When the K-407 reversed its northerly course and headed south, the Grayling lost contact with the submarine and sped to the location of last sonar contact at a speed between 8 and 15 knots.
Twenty-five minutes after first changing course, the K-407 reported a collision and hearing another submarine in the area. The two submarines had been approaching each other on a head-on course; the Grayling had reacquired contact with the K-407 when the two were less than a kilometer apart. The Grayling’s commanding officer ordered his submarine take evasive action and surface, but it was too late to prevent a collision. The quick thinking, however, prevented a direct hit and the Grayling only struck the upper part of the K-407.
The incident infuriated newly inaugurated President Bill Clinton, who did not know the Navy was still monitoring Soviet “Boomers” at close range before the incident occurred.
The Grayling, though damaged, was repaired and returned to active duty with the Atlantic Fleet. It took part in the NATO exercise TAPON 96 before being deactivated on March 1, 1997.
Decommissioning
The Grayling was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register when it entered the Navy’s Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Wash., on July 18, 1997. The submarine ceased to exist on March 31, 1998, though her sail is now a memorial at the Portsmouth Naval Ship Yard.
Characteristics of the USS Grayling (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Type: Nuclear-powered fast attack submarine
Displacement: 3,860 t. surfaced (3,920 t), 4,640 t. submerged (4,600 m³)
Length: 292 ft 3 in (89.1 m)
Beam: 31 ft 8 in (9.7 m)
Draft: 28 ft 8 in (8.7 m)
Propulsion: one S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, one propeller, 15,000 shp. (11.2 MW)
Speed: 15 kt. surfaced, (28 km/h), 25 kt. submerged (46 km/h)
Test depth: 1,300 ft (400 m)
Crew Complement: 109
Armament: four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; Mark 48 torpedoes, UUM-44A SUBROC Harpoon Missiles, Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles
Career:
Name: USS Grayling (SSN-646)
Namesake: The Grayling fish
Awarded: Sept. 5,1962
Laid down: May 12, 1964
Launched: June 22, 1967
Commissioned: Oct. 11, 1969
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: July 18, 1997
Timeline:
September 1962: Contract for USS Grayling awarded
May 1964: Keel of USS Grayling laid
June 1967: USS Grayling launched
March 1993: USS Grayling collides with Russian Delta III-class submarine K-407
March 1997: USS Grayling deactivated
July 1997: USS Grayling decommissioned
March 1998: USS Grayling scrapped
Crewmembers of the USS Grayling:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Grayling can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following web address: http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn646.htm
John Kronz (served from 1992-94): “What was that thump?”
Doc Armistead, (served July 1992-January 1996): “Great crew, great time!”
Chuck Mote (served from October 1992-October 1996): “Best group of men in the entire plant!”
