Commissioning
The USS Narwhal (SSN-671; submarine, nuclear powered) was the third ship in the U.S. Navy to be named after the gray and white arctic whale. The Narwhal is considered a unique vessel and fits into no specific submarine class, though it does share some of the same design characteristics of the Sturgeon-class of attack submarines.
The contract to build the Narwhal was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp.’s Groton (Conn.) Shipyard on July 28, 1964. Her keel was laid down on Jan. 17, 1966; she was launched on Sept. 9, 1967. The Narwhal was commissioned and joined the ranks of the Atlantic Fleet on July 12, 1969, with Commander W.A. Matson in command.
Underway
The Narwhal’s design was unlike any submarine of its time. Her power plant, engine room and forward compartments were all of a unique design. It was her propulsion system, however, that truly stood out. It incorporated a number of innovations, including a natural circulation reactor plant, main air injectors and a directly coupled main engine turbine. The design modifications to the Narwhal made her the quietest American submarine of her era.
Other adjustments to the design included a “turtleback” structure forward of the rudder that, it is speculated, could have been used for remote-controlled underwater vehicles or housing an experimental towed sonar array.
Perhaps due to its unique design and the possibility it was used on highly classified missions as a special operations boat, a great deal about the Narwhal’s career remains unknown. Some submarine analysts have said the Narwhal spent more time on the Soviet coast than ships of that nation’s navy, a testament to the vessel’s quiet running. It is known, however, that the submarine won a Navy Unit Commendation in 1972, four Meritorious Unit Commendations, five Battle Efficiency “E”s, four Engineering “E”s and an Anti-Submarine Warfare “A”, among other awards.
The Narwhal was lightly damaged by Hurricane Hugo when it struck Charleston, S.C., on Sept. 22, 1989. During the first half of the storm, the Narwhal broke away from the dock and floated out into the Cooper River. While the eye passed over Charleston, the Narwhal’s crew and several tugboats attempted to move her back to the pier; when that failed, the crew submerged her, riding out the storm underwater.
Decommissioning
The Narwhal was deactivated on Jan. 16, 1999. It was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on July 1, 1999 and entered the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bermerton, Wash., on Oct. 1, 2001. The submarine has yet to be scrapped, however, as an attempt has been made to transfer the shell of the Narwahl to the National Submarine Science Discovery Center in Newport, Ky. That plan appeared to fall apart in April 2006 when it was announced that the funds needed to move the Narwhal had not been raised and the exhibit was cancelled. The Narwhal’s final fate is now uncertain.
Characteristics of the USS Narwhal
Displacement: 4948 tons light, 5293 tons full, 345 tons dead
Length: 95.7 meters (314 feet)
Beam: 10 meters (33 feet)
Draft: 9.4 meters (31 feet)
Powerplant: S5G reactor
Complement: 12 officers, 95 men
Armament: 4 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes capable of ASROC, Mk 45, Mk 48 ADCAP, mines, Tomahawk and Harpoon launches
Career:
Ordered: July 28, 1964
Laid down: Jan. 17, 1966
Launched: Sept. 9, 1967
Commissioned: July 12, 1969
Fate: Uncertain
Stricken: July 1, 1999
Timeline:
July 1964: USS Narwhal ordered
January 1966: Keel of USS Narwhal laid
September 1968: USS Narwhal launched
July 1969: USS Narwhal commissioned
1969-1999: USS Narwhal part of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet
September 1989: USS Narwhal lightly damaged by Hurricane Hugo
July 1999: USS Narwhal decommissioned
Crewmembers of the USS Narwhal:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Narwhal 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 NavySite.de.
Mark Codding (served December 1975-December 1979): “Best in the fleet.”
Stuart Kelley (served 1976-80): “Two tours and still very fond of the old girl!”
Frank Wolf (served July 1977-October 1979): “Great boat, great captain, great times. I will always look fondly on my time aboard her.”
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Narwhal_(SSN-671)
