USS Spadefish SSN-668: History, Patrols, Crews
Commissioning
The USS Spadefish, (SSN-668 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the twentieth member of the Sturgeon class of nuclear fast attack submarines. It was the second U.S. Navy vessel, and second submarine, named after a spiny-finned fish found in the Atlantic Ocean. The first USS Spadefish (SS-441) served with distinction in World War II and was struck in 1967.
The contract to build the Spadefish was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Va., on March 9, 1965. Her keel was laid down on Dec. 21, 1966. The Spadefish was launched on May 15, 1968; she was commissioned and joined the ranks of U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet on Aug. 14, 1969, with Lt. Commander George M. Henson in command of the crew. The Spadefish was given the motto “Tenacious Attacker.”
Underway
For the better part of the next three decades, the Spadefish patrolled the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. While its primary mission would be to track the submarines and surface vessels of the Soviet (and later, Russian) Navy, the Spadefish would also take part in expeditions to the North Pole and protect U.S. ships operating off the coasts of Iran and Iraq.
After a shakedown cruise, the Spadefish arrived at its home port of Norfolk, Va., and joined the Atlantic Fleet’s Submarine Squadron Six. Its first Atlantic patrol began in October 1970 and completed a number of others, visiting Faslane and Holy Loch Scotland and Isle of Portland, England in the process, before entering the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for an overhaul in Septembe 1973.
The Spadefish would continue her career largely without drawing outside attention until the late 1990s. It would, however, take three trips to the North Pole, in 1984, 1992 and 1993. On May 7, 1992, the Spadefish broke through the polar ice cap and surfaced at the pole.
Though late in its service life, the Spadefish was deployed to the hot zone of the Middle East in 1995 and 1996. With its complement of Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Spadefish was able to defend the U.S. fleet or take offensive action if necessary. Both patrols ended without incident, however, with the 1996 deployment ending in Bermerton, Wash., at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
The Spadefish appears in the 2003 novel Final Bearing, by George Wallace and Don Keith, but is misidentified as SSN-637.
Decommissioning
The Spadefish was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on April 11, 1997. She had entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on Oct. 1, 1996 and was declared scrapped on Oct. 24, 1997.
Characteristics of the USS Spadefish
Displacement: 3995 tons light, 4291 tons full, 296 tons dead
Length: 89 m (292 ft)
Beam: 9.7 m (32 ft)
Draft: 8.8 m (29 ft)
Propulsion: S5W reactor
Complement: 14 officers, 95 men
Armament: 4 × 21 in (533 mm) Vickers Torpedo Tubes capable of launching torpedoes, SubRoc, Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles, and mines. Motto: Tenacious Attacker
Career:
Ordered: March 9, 1965
Laid down: Dec. 21, 1966
Launched: May 15, 1968
Commissioned: Aug. 14, 1969
Decommissioned: April 11, 1997
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: April 11, 1997
Timeline:
March 1965: USS Spadefish ordered
December 1966: USS Spadefish’s keel is laid
May 1968: USS Spadefish launched
August 1969: USS Spadefish commissioned
September 1970: USS Spadefish makes first deployment to the North Atlantic
September 1973: USS Spadefish begins 10-month overhaul
1984: USS Spadefish takes part in expedition to the North Pole
May 1992: USS Spadefish surfaces at the North Pole
1995: USS Spadefish begins first of two deployments to the Persian Gulf
April 1997: USS Spadefish is decommissioned
October 1997: USS Spadefish is scrapped
Crewmembers of the USS Spadefish:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Spadefish 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 at Navysite.de.
Joshua Richardson (served April 1993-May 1994): “’Spadedog was a good boat and a great crew.”
Jim Thompson (served June 1993-June 1994): “Crew was great, command was the problem. Most professional crew you could want. Too bad the CO wasn’t worth a damn.”
Aaron Quick (served May 1993-April 1997): “Wow, miss the friendships, the port calls, the parties and good times.”
Jim Thompson (served June 1993-July 1994): “Great ship, great crew.”
Sources:
http://www.esryle.com/coblinks/links/668LINKS.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Spadefish_(SSN-668)
