USS Sand Lance SSN-660: History, Patrols, Crews
Commissioning
The USS Sand Lance, (SSN-660 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the twelfth member of the Sturgeon class of nuclear fast attack submarines. It was the second U.S. Navy vessel, and second submarine, named after the fish. The first USS Sand Lance (SS-381) served with distinction in World War II.
The contract for construction of the Sand Lance was awarded to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine on Oct. 23, 1963. Her keel was laid Jan. 15, 1965. She was launched on Nov. 11, 1969 and commissioned on Sept. 25, 1971 with Commander William A. Kennington at the helm.
Underway
After completing its shakedown cruise, the Sand Lance entered its homeport of Charleston, S.C., for the first time and was attached to Submarine Squadron 4 of the Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. For the better part of the next three decades, the Sand Lance would quietly follow the activities of Soviet and Russian submarines in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
In 1973, the Sand Lance took part in several classified special operations missions in the North Atlantic. The last of those missions was completed in August, when the submarine docked at Faslane Naval Base in Scotland.
In 1994, the Sand Lance nearly sank while docked in Charleston. During routine maintenance, a main seawater hull valve was removed in the engine room. The plates, also called blanks, were placed over the wrong main seawater openings by divers, allowing the ship to flood. By the time the flooding was controlled, most of the engine room, lower level, was submerged.
In 1995, the Sand Lance left Charleston and found a new homeport in Groton Connecticut, where she became a member of Submarine Squadron 2.
In 1996, the Sand Lance was sent on a patrol to the Arctic Circle. While there, the submarine surfaced through the polar ice cap at the North Pole on July 12.
Decommissioning
The Sand Lance had entered the Navy’s Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on April 1, 1998 and was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on Aug. 7 of the same year. It was declared scrapped on Aug. 30, 1999.
Characteristics of the USS Sand Lance
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: Oct. 24, 1963
Laid down: Jan.15, 1965
Launched: Nov. 11, 1969
Commissioned: Sept. 25, 1971
Decommissioned: Aug. 7, 1998
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: Aug. 7, 1998
Timeline:
October 1963: Contract for construction of USS Sand Lance awarded
January 1965: Keel laid for the USS Sand Lance
June 1966: USS Sand Lance launched
April 1967: USS Sand Lance commissioned
October 1967: USS Sand Lance begins first Atlantic patrol
September 1977: USS is severely damaged after striking coral mountain in Mediterranean Sea.
July 1992: USS Sand Lance is deactivated
July 1996: USS Sand Lance is decommissioned
July 2003: USS Sand Lance is scrapped
Crewmembers of the USS Sand Lance:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Sand Lance 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/ssn660.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 Sand Lance.”
Sources:
http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn660.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sand_Lance_(SSN-660)
