USS Trepang SSN 674: History, Patrols, Crews

USS Trepang SSN 674- The Beginning

The USS Trepang, (SSN-674: submarine, nuclear-powered), was named after the trepang, an animal commonly called a "sea slug" or "sea cucumber", and was the second submarine to carry that name (the first was a Balao-class sub that served from 1943 to 1967). Trepang was part of the United States Navy's Sturgeon class of nuclear attack submarines, the twenty-fifth boat in the class. The Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation won the contract to build the sub in July of 1966 and laid down her keel on October 28, 1967. The submarine launched on September 27, 1969 and was commissioned on August 14, 1970. Trepang's crew carried ninety-five enlisted men and twelve officers, commanded by CDR Dean R. Sackett, Jr.

USS Trepang SSN 674- Moving Along

After completing local operations from its port in New London, Connecticut, Trepang moved to the Arctic during the first few months of 1971. From late February to late March, the nuclear attack submarine ran below the polar ice cap, carrying out comprehensive trials to furnish data for her weapons systems in addition to implementing scientific experiments pertaining to the apparent movement, makeup, and geologic chronicle of the cap itself.

Once she had returned to New London via Faslane, Scotland, Trepang soon deployed to more welcoming waters. She departed from her homeport in April for the Caribbean, making port at Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands. From there, she underwent tests for weapons systems acceptance and evaluation trials. She came back to New London later that summer for local operations, then headed south again for more trials. That November, she undertook independent operations in the North Atlantic.

After returning to New London in February of 1972, she went through standdown and upkeep, in addition to type training and equipment preparation in areas concerning local operations. At this point, Trepang carried out a second deployment into the northern Atlantic from late July to late September 1972. She came back to New London via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Trepang maneuvered off the US eastern seaboard between New London and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for the rest of the year.

Trepang sat in dry dock for four weeks at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Naval Shipyard before the start of operations for 1973. From there, the attack sub sailed south for weapons tests off the coast of Florida. She finished a month-long upkeep period on April 22 as well as a Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection prior to returning to New London. Once she was back in her homeport, she completed an Operational Reactor Safeguards examination in May. June 8, 1973, saw Trepang leave New London for deployment with the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. She took part in numerous special operations with this Fleet as the tension in the Middle East grew during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973. Trepang sailed back to her homeport in late November of 1973 for maintenance and standdown leave period.

After completing her upkeep, Trepang sailed again in February of 1974 for a special assignment, which lasted for nearly two months. She spent three days in port at Holy Loch, Scotland, before returning for New London. She carried out local operations and training near the east coast until she was assigned to her new home port of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in October 1974, where she spent the rest of the year in drydock for overhaul.

Trepang received a new assignment to Submarine Squadron 10 in March 1975. From April to August, she continued the overhaul and implemented crew training and re-certification. After completing sea trials in late October, Trepang came back to New London in November for an intense post-overhaul maintenance period beside submarine tender FULTON (AS-11). She left New London on December 1 and carried out post-overhaul acceptance testing on her weapons systems at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, as well as acoustic trials off Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands. She left St. Croix on December 17 and came back to New London on December 22.

During the first part of 1976, Trepang readied for a long cruise. She sailed for the Mediterranean for deployment with the 6th Fleet starting in June. She made for New London in November after completing the deployment and maintained post-deployment standdown through the rest of the year.

Trepang took part in Exercise "CARIBEX 77" during January 1977. That spring saw Trepang successfully complete several inspections, including an Operational Readiness Inspection, a Mk-48 Torpedo Proficiency Inspection, and a Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection (NTPI). From May to early June of that year, she underwent a sweeping refit, which included drydocking. After the successful refit, she began orientation cruises for Midshipmen. In September, Trepang took on pre-deployment work-up and certification. The fast-attack nuclear submarine operated in a training mission in the Atlantic from mid-October to mid-December, returning to Groton in time for Christmas.

The new year of 1978 saw Trepang completing a post-deployment standdown. The remainder of the first three months was dedicated to type training and involvement in NATO Exercise "Safepass." During the summer months, Trepang prepared for a regular Mediterranean deployment. The ship's engagement in a special CNO project forced that deployment to be cancelled. Trepang spent the rest of 1978 evaluating the equipment associated with the project, along with alternating between cruises and times in port dedicated to equipment maintenance. Trepang left Groton in late November to finish the year at sea as she continued to take part in in the special project.

USS Trepang SSN 674- The End of an Era

Trepang was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Register on June 1, 1999. The ship entered in the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington on January 4, 1999 and ceased to exist in April 2000.

Characteristics of the USS Trepang
(*Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trepang_(SSN-674))

USS Trepang -
Career in the United States Navy
Namesake: Trepang aka "sea slug"
Ordered: 15 July 1966
Builder: General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division
Laid down: 28 October 1967
Launched: 27 September 1969
Commissioned: 14 August 1970
Struck: 1 June 1999
Fate: Ship-Submarine Recycling Program USS Trepang -
General characteristics
Displacement: 4250 tons surfaced, 4700 tons submerged
Length: 292 ft (89 m)
Beam: 31.7 ft (9.65 m)
Draft: 29.2 ft (8.9 m)
Propulsion: S5W2 reactor
Speed: 15 knots (27.8 kph) surfaced
30 knots (55.6 kph) submerged
Test depth: 700 ft (210 m)
Complement: 12 officers, 95 enlisted
Armament: four 533 mm torpedo tubes for Mk-48 torpedoes, Harpoon, Tomahawk, and SUBROC missiles, ability to lay mines

Historical Timeline of the USS Trepang

The following are some of the USS Trepang historical milestones during the life of the ship from 1967 through 1999: (a complete list can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trepang_(SSN-674))

October 1967 - USS Trepang keel laid down
September 1969 - USS Trepang launched
August 1970 - USS Trepang commissioned
March 1971 - USS Trepang operated under polar ice cap
April 1971 - USS Trepang departed New London for St. Croix, Virgin Islands, for weapons systems acceptance and evaluation trials
November 1971 - USS Trepang conducted independent operations in the North Atlantic
February 1972 - USS Trepang returned to New London for standdown and upkeep
July 1972 - USS Trepang conducted a second extended deployment into North Atlantic
September 1972 - USS Trepang returned to New London via Halifax, Nova Scotia
April 1973 - USS Trepang completed four-week upkeep period and Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection
May 1973 - USS Trepang completed Operational Reactor Safeguards examination
June 1973 - USS Trepang departed for deployment with US Sixth Fleet in Mediterranean Sea
November 1973 - USS Trepang returned to New London for upkeep and standdown leave
February 1974 - USS Trepang sailed on special operation
April 1974 - USS Trepang spent three days in Holy Loch, Scotland
October 1974 - USS Trepang home port changed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire
March 1975 - USS Trepang reassigned to Submarine Squadron 10
April 1975 - USS Trepang underwent overhaul and crew training and re-certification
August 1975 - USS Trepang completed overhaul
October 1975 - USS Trepang underwent sea trials
November 1975 - USS Trepang returned to New London for post-overhaul upkeep
December 1975 - USS Trepang conducted post-overhaul weapons systems acceptance testing at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico and five days of acoustic trials off Frederiksted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
June 1976 - USS Trepang departed for deployment with US Sixth Fleet in Mediterranean Sea
November 1976 - USS Trepang returned to New London for post-deployment standdown
January 1977 - USS Trepang participated in Exercise "CARIBEX 77."
April 1977 - USS Trepang successfully completed an Operational Readiness Inspection, a Mk-48 Torpedo Proficiency Inspection, and a Nuclear Technical Proficiency Inspection (NTPI)
May 1977 - USS Trepang drydocked for refit
September 1977 - USS Trepang conducted pre-deployment work-up and certification
October 1977 - USS Trepang conducted Atlantic training mission
December 1977 - USS Trepang returned to Groton for holiday leave
January 1979 - USS Trepang completed post-deployment standdown
March 1979 - USS Trepang participated in NATO Exercise "Safepass"
Summer/Fall 1979 - USS Trepang participated in special CNO project
November 1979 - USS Trepang departed Groton and continued on special project
June 1999 - USS Trepang decommissioned and stricken from Naval Vessel Register
April 2000 - USS Trepang ceased to exist

Crews of the USS Trepang

An unofficial list of crewmembers that served on the USS Trepang 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/crew.php?action=ship&ship=SSN_674.

Ken Duell: (Served from July 1969 - April 1971) "onboard prior to shipyard delivery, delivery, and 1st under ice trip"

Rickey Dick: (Served from April 1973 - March 1974) "Transferred from decommissioned diesel boat in Key West. Was on board for Trepangs first Med run. Great boat Great crew lots of memories and would love to hear form some of the crew and buddy's of this period."

Jack Power: (Served from January 1978 - August 1979) "Learned so much! young, saw the world literally, great memories.."

Dennis Rutowski: (Served August 1981 - July 1985) "Loved the ICEX and Med Run. Anyone remember the Puddledock in Portsmouth, NH? Would love to hear from Chip Tucci or Tom Lord"

Rick Horan: (Served December 1991 - February 1994) "Shipmates! What great times we had. The Med run in "93" was the best deployment ever. I did have a great WestPac in "03" aboard the USS Greeneville, but the crew of the Trepang will always be remembered as the best. Going Deep! OUT."

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