USS Ray SSN-653: History, Patrols, Crews
Commissioning
The USS Ray, (SSN-653 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the eleventh member of the Sturgeon class of nuclear fast attack submarines. It was the second U.S. Navy vessel, and second submarine, named after the aquatic animal.
The Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock Company of Newport News, Va., received the contract to build the Ray on March 26, 1963. Her keel was laid on Jan. 4, 1965. The submarine was launched on June 21, 1968 and was commissioned on April 12, 1967, with Commander Albert L. Kelln in command of the crew.
Underway
The Ray joined the Atlantic Feet and made its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, a very short distance from Newport News. After shakedown training, the Ray began her first Atlantic patrol on Oct. 6, 1967. She would deploy off the coast of Europe and the North Atlantic, monitoring Soviet submarines, three more times before entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in December 1970 for a 14-month refitting and overhaul.
After her refitting was complete, the Ray took part in two NATO exercises in 1972. The Ray was attached to the 6th Fleet and patrolled the waters of the Mediterranean Sea for more than half of 1973, though she had returned to Norfolk by the time the 1973 Arab-Israel war broke out in October.
Another deployment to the Mediterranean left the Ray severely damaged. On Sept. 20, 1977, the Ray stuck a coral mountain while submerged. Though the crew suffered no casualties, the Ray’s sonar equipment was completely destroyed and its backup diesel engine was knocked from its mounts. The Ray limped back to the U.S. and spent a year in dry dock at the Charleston (S.C.) Naval Shipyard undergoing repairs.
More than a decade later, the Ray was attached to the 6th Fleet for another six-month cruise. Part of the USS Forrestal battlegroup, she took part in operations that took her below Mummar Kaddafi’s “Line of Death” in the Gulf of Sidra from October 1989 to April 1990.
The Ray was deactivated on July 24, 1992. At that time, she was the most decorated submarine in the Atlantic Fleet, with five Navy Unit Commendations and six Meritorious Unit Commendations.
Decommissioning
The Ray was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on March 16, 1993. It had entered the Navy’s Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on March 15, 2002 and was declared scrapped on July 30, 2003.
Characteristics of the USS Ray
Displacement: 3978 tons light, 4272 tons full, 294 tons dead
Length: 89 meters (292 feet)
Beam: 9.7 meters (32 feet)
Draft: 8.8 meters (29 feet)
Propulsion: S5W reactor
Complement: 14 officers, 95 men
Armament: Mk 48 Torpedo, Mk 48 ADCAP Torpedo, Tomahawk Missile (Nuclear, Anti-Ship, Land-Attack, Bomblet), Harpoon Missile, Mk 60/61/67 Mines,
Career:
Ordered: March 26, 1963
Laid down: Jan. 4, 1965
Launched: June 21, 1966
Commissioned: April 12, 1967
Decommissioned: July 12, 1996
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: July 12, 1996
Timeline:
March 1963: Contract for construction of USS Ray awarded
January 1965: Keel laid for the USS Ray
June 1966: USS Ray launched
April 1967: USS Ray commissioned
October 1967: USS Ray begins first Atlantic patrol
September 1977: USS is severely damaged after striking coral mountain in Mediterranean Sea.
July 1992: USS Ray is deactivated
July 1996: USS Ray is decommissioned
July 2003: USS Ray is scrapped
Crewmembers of the USS Ray:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Ray 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/ssn653.htm
William “Doc” Seay (served June 1988-February 1992): “What a life…Did not know how good I had it. What a great time.”
Richard Van Remmen II (served September 1989 – July 1990): “Assigned just before Hurricane Hugo. Survived the 89-90 Med run…Also known as the “Cancelled Port Tour.”
Jeff Underwood (served January 1982-1985): “There ain’t no slack in Fast Attack!”
Stewart Smith (served 1972-75): “Some of the best and smartest people I’ve ever known were stationed with me on the Ray.”
Sources:
http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn653.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ray_(SSN-653)
http://www.esryle.com/coblinks/links/653LINKS.html
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=SSN_653
