USS Becuna

USS Becuna (SS-319)

History
United States
Namesake:	Becuna
Ordered:	10 April 1942
Builder:	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down:	29 April 1943
Launched:	30 January 1944
Sponsored by:	Mrs. George C. Crawford, wife of Commander Crawford
Commissioned:	27 May 1944
Decommissioned:	7 November 1969
Struck:	15 August 1973
Motto:	Tiger of the Sea
Honors and awards:	4 Battle Stars
Status:	Museum ship at Philadelphia, 21 June 1976
Badge:
General characteristics As built
Class and type:	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement:	1,500 long tons (1,500 t) surfaced 2,080 long tons (2,110 t) submerged
Length:	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam:	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft:	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion:	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears two propellers 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged
Speed:	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
Range:	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance:	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged 75 days on patrol
Test depth:	400 ft (120 m)
Complement:	10 officers, 72 enlisted
Armament:	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
General characteristics Guppy IA
Class and type:	none
Displacement:	1,830 tons (1,859 t) surfaced 2,440 tons (2,479 t) submerged
Length:	307 ft 7 in (93.75 m)
Beam:	27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
Draft:	17 ft (5.2 m)
Propulsion:	Snorkel added Batteries upgraded to Sargo II
Speed:	Surfaced:17.3 knots (32.0 km/h) maximum 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h) cruising Submerged: 15.0 knots (27.8 km/h) for  1⁄2 hour 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h) snorkeling 3.0 knots (5.6 km/h) cruising
Range:	17,000 nmi (31,000 km; 20,000 mi) surfaced at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Endurance:	36 hours at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged
Complement:	10 officers 5 petty officers 64–69 enlisted men
Armament:	10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (6 forward, 4 aft) all guns removed
USS Becuna (SS-319)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Location	Penn's Landing, Delaware Ave. & Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Area	less than one acre
Built	1944
Built by	Electric Boat Co.
Architectural style	Other, Balao-class submarine
NRHP reference #	78002458
Added to NRHP	29 August 1978

USS Becuna (SS/AGSS-319), a Balao-class submarine, is a former ship of the United States Navy named for the becuna, a pike-like fish of Europe. She was designated a National Historic Landmark for her service in World War II, for which she earned four battle stars. She presently serves as a museum ship at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Becuna (SS-319) was launched 30 January 1944 by Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut; sponsored by Mrs. George C. Crawford, wife of Commander Crawford, and commissioned 27 May 1944, Lieutenant Commander H. D. Sturr in command.

Becuna departed New London 1 July 1944 and arrived at Pearl Harbor 29 July. Her war operations extended from 23 August 1944 to 27 July 1945. During this period she completed five war patrols in the Philippines, South China Sea, and the Java Sea. Becuna is credited with having sunk two Japanese tankers totaling 3,888 tons.

The submarine arrived at Subic Bay, Luzon, from her last war patrol 27 July 1945. In September 1945 she arrived at San Diego.

Becuna received four battle stars for her World War II service.

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Wikipedia