History of the USS Puffer

Veterans & Mesothelioma > Asbestos on Navy Ships > Submarines of the United States Navy: (Post-World War II Era) > USS Puffer

USS Puffer SSN-652: History, Patrols, Crews

Commissioning

The USS Puffer, (SSN-652 submarine, nuclear-powered) was the tenth 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.

Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., received the contract to build the Puffer on March 26, 1963. Her keel was laid on Feb. 8, 1965. The submarine was launched on March 30, 1968, and given the motto “Pride in Perfection.” It officially joined the ranks of the Submarine Squadron 1 of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet when it was commissioned on Aug. 9, 1969.

Underway

After completing a shakedown cruise, the Puffer reached its homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on May 3, 1970. It began its first six-month patrol of the Western Pacific on March 17, 1971 and made stops at Adak, Alaska; Guam, M.I.; Yokosuka, Japan; Pusan, Korea; Buckner Bay, Okinawa; Subic Bay, Philippines; and Hong Kong.

In 1972, the Puffer became the first member of the Sturgeon class to be equipped with the new MK-48 torpedo. In early 1973, the Sturgeon also became the first submarine to test fire the torpedo at the Navy’s Torpedo Testing Range off the Hawaiian coast.

From July 1973 to October 1974, the Puffer was in dry dock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bermerton, Wash., undergoing an overhaul. After returning from its third Western Pacific tour in early 1976, the Puffer received her first Navy Unit Commendation. It would receive a second unit commendation and a “Battle E” (Battle Effectiveness Award) before the end of the year.

In 1978, the Puffer returned to Puget Sound for a second overhaul, which included major upgrades to its weapons firing systems. After the overhaul was completed, the Puffer was capable of firing the new Harpoon anti-shipping missile for the first time.

In 1981, the Puffer was the trendsetter for Submarine Squadron one, winning the Battle Efficiency "E", Engineering "E", and Supply "E". It would win a second consecutive Battle “E” in 1982, along with a fourth Navy Unit Commendation.

In early 1989, the Puffer’s homeport was changed to San Diego, Calif., where it became a member of Submarine Squadron 3. In 1990, she made her first of two voyages to the Arctic Circle; the Puffer would surface 25 times during this mission, including once at the North Pole.

In 1992, the Puffer test-fired the Tomahawk cruise missile, which had already seen successful use in Operation Desert Storm. That same year, the Puffer received Submarine Squadron 3’s Tactical "T" for Tactical Excellence as the submarine was declared the squadron’s "Top Torpedo and Missile Shooter".

Decommissioning

The Puffer was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Registry on July 12, 1996. It had entered the Navy’s Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on Oct. 20, 1995 and was declared scrapped the same day it was decommissioned.

Characteristics of the USS Puffer
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,
Motto: "Pride in Perfection"

Career:
Ordered: March 26, 1963
Laid down: Feb. 8, 1965
Launched: March 30, 1968
Commissioned: Aug. 9, 1969
Decommissioned: July 12, 1996
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: July 12, 1996

Timeline:
March 1963: Contract for construction of USS Puffer awarded
February 1965: Keel laid for the USS Puffer
March 1968: USS Puffer launched
August 1969: USS Puffer commissioned
March 1970: USS Puffer starts first Western Pacific patrol
1972: USS Puffer becomes first Sturgeon-class submarine to be equipped with MK-48 torpedoes
1976: USS Puffer wins two Battle “E”’s and the Navy Unit Commendation
1981: USS Puffer wins Battle “E,” Engineering “E” and Supply “E” for excellence
1989: USS Puffer is transferred to Submarine Squadron 3 and changes homeport to San Diego
July 1996: USS Puffer is decommissioned and scrapped

Crewmembers of the USS Puffer:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Puffer 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/ssn652.htm

Neal Hegge (served from 1974-November 1977): “Good folks, good places, long ago.”
Augie Abel (served from April 1975-May 1977): “My time on my first boat the Puffer was the best. The crew, the places we went on West Pac and the families. We had the best crew around.”
Kevin Ketter (served from January 1975-November 1978): “Great boat, good times and good friends.”
Paul Sorrow (served December 1975-July 1976): “Got to the boat in Hawaii at Pearl; we started our West Pac the next morning. We were the shortest staff division on the boat…We did all the cooking.”

Sources:
http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn652.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Puffer_(SSN-652)
http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&ship=SSN_652

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