History of the USS Permit SSN 594

USS Permit SSN-594: History, Patrols, Crews

Commissioning

The USS Permit, (SSN-594 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the second member of the Tresher class of attack submarines but became the became the lead ship of her class when the Thresher was lost on April 10, 1963. She was the second ship of the U.S. Navy, and second submarine, to be named for the permit, a food fish, often called "round pompano," found in warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

The contract to build the Permit was awarded to Mare Island (Calif.) Naval Shipyard on Jan. 27, 1958. Her keel was laid on May 1, 1959; she was launched on July 1, 1961. The Permit was commissioned and joined the ranks of the Pacific Fleet on May 29, 1962, with Lt. Commander Robert H. Bount in command.

Underway

After completing her shakedown cruise, the Permit arrived at her home port of San Diego. On March 28, 1963, the Permit became the first submarine to successfully launch a SUBROC rocket-propelled depth charge. On June 6, 1963, the Permit was part of a naval demonstration for President John F. Kennedy.

In October 1965, during a deployment to the Western Pacific, the Permit took up a position on “Yankee Station,” off the coast of Vietnam. It would be the first of two such deployments, the second coming in August 1970. In July 1966, the Permit would win its first of two Navy Unit Commendation awards for outstanding operations; the second would be awarded in March 1969.

In July 1969, the Permit’s homeport changed to Pearl Harbor. It continued normal operations in the Pacific until January 1971, when it arrived at Mare Island for a refueling overhaul. After the overhaul was completed, the Permit’s homeport reverted back to San Diego on March 16, 1973.

On Nov. 20, 1974, the Permit became the first submarine of its kind to test-fire the new Harpoon anti-surface ship missile. In July 1975, the Permit won the Battle Efficiency “E” for outstanding combat preparedness and the Engineering “E”. In 1980, the Permit won the Meritorious Unit Commendation; it would win a second one in August 1987.

In February 1986, the Permit would be one of the first submarines to undergo upkeep operations at Adak, Alaska since the end of World War II. In June 1990, it would become the first submarine to visit Ketchikan, Alaska.

With its career winding down, the Permit received its greatest claim to fame in April 1990. It served as one of the submarines in the movie, “The Hunt for Red October.”

Decommissioning

The Permit was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on July 23, 1991. The Permit entered the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Wash., on Sept. 30, 1991 and was declared scrapped on May 20, 1993.

Characteristics of the USS Permit
Displacement: 3700 tons surfaced, 4300 tons submerged
Length: 278 feet 5 inches
Beam: 31 feet 7 inches
Draft: 25 feet 2 inches
Propulsion: S5W reactor
Speed: 20+ knots
Armament: four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; SUBROC
Complement: 105 officers and men

Career:
Ordered: Jan. 27, 1958
Laid down: May 1, 1959
Launched: July 1, 1961
Commissioned: May 29, 1962
Decommissioned: July 23, 1991
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: July 23, 1991

Timeline:
January 1958: Contract to build USS Permit awarded
May 1959: Keel of USS Permit laid
July 1961: USS Permit launched
May 1962: USS Permit commissioned
March 1963: USS Permit becomes first submarine to fire SUBROC depth charge
October 1965: USS Permit takes up position on “Yankee Station” off of Vietnam
July 1966: USS Permit wins Navy Unit Commendation
November 1974: USS Permit test fires Harpoon anti-ship missile
1980: USS Permit is awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation
April 1990: USS Permit plays role in the filming of “The Hunt for Red October”
July 1991: USS Permit is decommissioned

Crewmembers of the USS Permit:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Permit 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.

Gary Mallo (served June 1979-June 1982): “Enjoyed my time on the Permit and in San Diego.”
Thomas Sherwood (served September 1980-September 1984): “Made first and diver on second boat USS Grayling, Grayling was nothing compared to the 594. We made some history on Permit. I would do it all again.”
Mike Walker (served March 1980-July 1986): “Excellent memories, really miss the crew.”

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Permit_(SSN-594)
http://www.navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=SSN_594
http://usspermit.com/hilites.htm

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