Barbel-class submarine: Difference between revisions

	The launch of USS Blueback in 1959
Class overview
Name	Barbel class
Builders	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine; Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi; New York Shipbuilding, Camden, New Jersey;
Operators	United States Navy
Preceded by	USS Darter
Built	1956–1959
In commission	1959–1990
Completed	3
Retired	3
Preserved	1
General characteristics
Typ	Attack submarine
Displacement	1,750 long tons (1,780 t) light; 2,146 long tons (2,180 t) full; 2,637 long tons (2,679 t) submerged; 402 DWT;
Length	219 ft 2 in (66.80 m) overall
Beam	29 ft (8.8 m)
Draft	29 ft (8.8 m) max
Propulsion	3 × Fairbanks-Morse Diesel engines (total 3,150 shp (2,350 kW)),; 2 × General Electric electric motors (total 4,700 shp (3,500 kW)),; 4 × 126-cell GUPPY IA batteries,; one shaft;
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced,; 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) snorkeling,; 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) submerged;
Range	14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance	90 minutes at full speed submerged,; 102 hours at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) submerged;
Test depth	700 ft (210 m)
Complement	8 officers, 69 enlisted
Sensors and ; processing systems	BQS-4 active sonar; BQR-2 passive sonar; MK 101 fire control system;
Armament	6 × 21-inch (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes, 22 torpedoes

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The Barbel-class submarines, the last diesel-electric propelled attack submarines built by the United States Navy, incorporated numerous, radical engineering improvements over previous classes. They were the first production warships built with the teardrop-shape hull first tested on the experimental USS Albacore, and the first to combine the control room, attack center, and conning tower in the same space in the hull. They were of double hull design with 1.5-inch thick HY80 steel. This class of submarine became part of the United States Navy's fleet in 1959 and was taken out of service 1988–1990, leaving the Navy with an entirely nuclear-powered submarine fleet.

The Barbel class' design is considered to be very effective.^[3] The Zwaardvis-class submarines of the Netherlands and the Hai Lung class of the Republic of China (designed and built in the Netherlands) were closely derived from the Barbel class design. The Japanese Uzushio class and its successors were also influenced by the Barbel class.

Design

Designed under project SCB 150,^[1] the class overall was a somewhat smaller diesel-powered version of the Skipjack-class nuclear submarines, the first of which entered service only three months after Barbel, having been laid down only 11 days later. Several features of the experimental Albacore were used in the Barbel-class design, most obviously the fully streamlined "teardrop" hull. Albacore's single-shaft configuration, necessary to minimize drag and thus maximize speed, was also adopted for the Barbels, Skipjacks, and all subsequent US nuclear submarines. This was a matter of considerable debate and analysis within the Navy, as two shafts offered redundancy and improved maneuverability.^[1] For the first time, the Barbels also did away with the conning tower, instead combining the functions of attack center and control room into the same space, another feature adopted for all subsequent US submarines. This was facilitated by the adoption of "push-button" ballast control, another feature of Albacore.^[1] Previous designs had routed the trim system piping through the control room, where the valves were manually operated. The "push-button" system used hydraulic operators on each valve, remotely electrically operated (actually via toggle switches) from the control room. This greatly conserved control room space and reduced the time required to conduct trim operations. The overall layout made coordination of the weapons and ship control systems easier during combat operations.

The torpedo tube arrangement of the Barbels was the same as the Skipjacks', with six bow tubes in a three-over-three configuration. These (and the Skipjack-derived George Washington-class SSBNs) were the only US Navy classes to have this configuration, as subsequent SSN designs used four angled midships torpedo tubes to make room for a large bow sonar sphere, and most SSBNs had four bow tubes.

The Barbels were built with bow mounted diving planes, but these were replaced by sail planes (aka fairwater planes) within a few years. This feature was standard on US Navy submarines until bow planes returned with the improved Los Angeles class, the first of which was launched in 1987.

Ships in class

Name	Hull number	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Period of service	Fate
Barbel	SS-580	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard	18 May 1956	19 July 1958	17 January 1959	4 December 1989	30.9	Decommissioned 4 December 1989, scrapping delayed due to asbestos insulation, expended as a target 30 January 2001
Blueback	SS-581	Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi	15 April 1957	16 May 1959	15 October 1959	1 October 1990	30.9	Decommissioned 1 October 1990, museum ship at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, Oregon from 1994.
Bonefish	SS-582	New York Shipbuilding, Camden, New Jersey	3 June 1957	22 November 1958	9 July 1959	28 September 1988	29.3	Not repaired following a fire that killed three on 24 April 1988, hulked 17 August 1989, hull acquired for tests by Northrop Grumman.

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 31–35, 242. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 283. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
^ Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001. Dulles: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-57488-594-1, p. 215

Sources

Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001. Dulles: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-57488-594-1.
Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995, London: Conway Maritime Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.

External links

[FriedmanSubs1-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 31–35, 242. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.

[Register-2] Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 283. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[3] Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001. Dulles: Potomac Books. ISBN 978-1-57488-594-1, p. 215

[2]

[1]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Last class of diesel-electric submarine operated by US Navy}}
 {{Expand German|Barbel-Klasse|fa=yes|date=December 2009}}
 {|{{Infobox ship begin}}
 {{Infobox ship image
 |Ship image=[[File:Launch of USS Blueback (SS-581) at Ingalls in 1959.jpg|300px|The launch of USS Blueback]]
-|Ship caption=The launch of {{USS|Blueback|SS-581}} in 1959
+|Ship caption=The launch of {{USS|Blueback|SS-581|6}} in 1959
 }}
 {{Infobox ship class overview
@@ Line 10: / Line 11: @@
 *[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]], [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]]
 *[[New York Shipbuilding]], [[Camden, New Jersey]]
-|Operators=
+|Operators={{naval|United States}}
-|Class before=[[USS Darter (SS-576)|Darter class]]
+|Class before={{USS|Darter|SS-576|6}}
 |Class after=
 |Subclasses=
-|Built range=1956 – 1959
+|Built range=1956–1959
-|In commission range= 1959 – 1990
+|In commission range= 1959–1990
 |Total ships building=
 |Total ships planned=
@@ Line 30: / Line 31: @@
 |Header caption=
 |Ship type=[[Attack submarine]]
-|Ship displacement=*1,750&nbsp;[[long tons|tons]] (1,778&nbsp;[[tonne|t]]) light<ref name="Register">{{cite book |last=Bauer |first=K. Jack |author2=Roberts, Stephen S. |title=Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1991 |location=[[Westport, Connecticut]] |page=283 |isbn=0-313-26202-0}}</ref>
+|Ship displacement=*{{cvt|1750|LT|MT|lk=on}} light<ref name="Register">{{cite book |last=Bauer |first=K. Jack |author2=Roberts, Stephen S. |title=Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1991 |location=[[Westport, Connecticut]] |page=283 |isbn=0-313-26202-0}}</ref>
+* {{cvt|2146|LT|MT}} full
-*2,146 tons (2,180 t) full
-*2,637&nbsp;tons (2,679&nbsp;t) submerged<ref name="Register"/>
+* {{cvt|2637|LT|MT}} submerged<ref name="Register"/>
+* {{DWT|402}}
-*402 tons (408 t) dead
 |Ship length={{convert|219|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} overall<ref name="Register"/>
 |Ship beam={{convert|29|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Register"/>
@@ Line 49: / Line 50: @@
 *102 hours at {{convert|3|kn|km/h}} submerged
 |Ship test depth={{convert|700|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
-|Ship complement=8 officers, 69 men
+|Ship complement=8 officers, 69 enlisted
 |Ship sensors=*BQS-4 active sonar
 *BQR-2 passive sonar
 *MK 101 fire control system
 |Ship EW=
-|Ship armament=6 × [[American 21 inch torpedo|21 inch (533 mm)]] bow [[torpedo tube]]s, 22 [[torpedo]]es<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
+|Ship armament=6 × [[American 21-inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] bow [[torpedo tube]]s, 22 [[torpedo]]es<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
 |Ship notes=
 }}
 |}
-The '''''Barbel''-class submarines''' (affectionately known in the United States Navy's submarine force as the 'B-Girls'), the last [[Diesel-electric transmission|diesel-electric]] propelled [[attack submarine]]s built by the [[United States Navy]], incorporated numerous, radical engineering improvements over previous classes. They were the first production warships built with the teardrop-shape hull first tested on the experimental {{USS|Albacore|AGSS-569}}, and the first to combine the control room, attack center, and conning tower in the same space in the hull. This class of submarine became part of the United States Navy's fleet in 1959 and was taken out of service 1988–1990, leaving the Navy with an entirely nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
+The '''''Barbel''-class submarines''', the last [[Diesel-electric transmission|diesel-electric]] propelled [[attack submarine]]s built by the [[United States Navy]], incorporated numerous, radical engineering improvements over previous classes. They were the first production warships built with the teardrop-shape hull first tested on the experimental {{USS|Albacore|AGSS-569|6}}, and the first to combine the control room, attack center, and conning tower in the same space in the hull. They were of double hull design with 1.5-inch thick HY80 steel.  This class of submarine became part of the United States Navy's fleet in 1959 and was taken out of service 1988–1990, leaving the Navy with an entirely nuclear-powered submarine fleet.
-The ''Barbel'' class' design is considered to be very effective.<ref>Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). ''Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001''. Dulles: Potomac Books. {{ISBN|978-1-57488-594-1}}, p. 215</ref> The {{sclass-|Zwaardvis|submarine}} of the [[Royal Netherlands Navy|Netherlands]] and the {{sclass-|Hai Lung|submarine}} of the [[Republic of China Navy|Republic of China]] (built and sold by the Netherlands) were developments of the ''Barbel'' class design. The [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force|Japanese]] {{sclass-|Uzushio|submarine|4}} and its successors were also influenced by the ''Barbel'' class.
+The ''Barbel'' class' design is considered to be very effective.<ref>Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). ''Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001''. Dulles: Potomac Books. {{ISBN|978-1-57488-594-1}}, p. 215</ref> The {{sclass|Zwaardvis|submarine|1}}s of the [[Royal Netherlands Navy|Netherlands]] and the {{sclass|Hai Lung|submarine|4}} of the [[Republic of China Navy|Republic of China]] (designed and built in the Netherlands) were closely derived from the ''Barbel'' class design. The [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force|Japanese]] {{sclass|Uzushio|submarine|4}} and its successors were also influenced by the ''Barbel'' class.
 ==Design==
-The class overall was a somewhat smaller diesel-powered version of the {{sclass-|Skipjack|submarine|0}} [[nuclear submarine]]s, the first of which entered service only three months after ''Barbel'', having been laid down only 11 days later. Several features of the experimental {{USS|Albacore|AGSS-569|2}} were used in the ''Barbel''-class design, most obviously the fully streamlined "teardrop" hull. ''Albacore''{{'}}s single-shaft configuration, necessary to minimize drag and thus maximize speed, was also adopted for the ''Barbel''s, ''Skipjack''s, and all subsequent US nuclear submarines. This was a matter of considerable debate and analysis within the Navy, as two shafts offered redundancy and improved maneuverability.<ref name="FriedmanSubs1" /> For the first time, the ''Barbel''s also combined the functions of conning tower, attack center, and control room in the same space, another feature adopted for all subsequent US submarines. This was facilitated by the adoption of "push-button" ballast control, another feature of ''Albacore''.<ref name="FriedmanSubs1" /> Previous designs had routed the trim system piping through the control room, where the valves were manually operated. The "push-button" system used hydraulic operators on each valve, remotely electrically operated (actually via toggle switches) from the control room. This greatly conserved control room space and reduced the time required to conduct trim operations. The overall layout made coordination of the weapons and ship control systems easier during combat operations.
+Designed under project [[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 150]],<ref name="FriedmanSubs1" /> the class overall was a somewhat smaller diesel-powered version of the {{sclass|Skipjack|submarine|0}} [[nuclear submarine]]s, the first of which entered service only three months after ''Barbel'', having been laid down only 11 days later. Several features of the experimental {{USS|Albacore|AGSS-569|2}} were used in the ''Barbel''-class design, most obviously the fully streamlined "teardrop" hull. ''Albacore''{{'}}s single-shaft configuration, necessary to minimize drag and thus maximize speed, was also adopted for the ''Barbel''s, ''Skipjack''s, and all subsequent US nuclear submarines. This was a matter of considerable debate and analysis within the Navy, as two shafts offered redundancy and improved maneuverability.<ref name="FriedmanSubs1" /> For the first time, the ''Barbel''s also did away with the conning tower, instead combining the functions of attack center and control room into the same space, another feature adopted for all subsequent US submarines. This was facilitated by the adoption of "push-button" ballast control, another feature of ''Albacore''.<ref name="FriedmanSubs1" /> Previous designs had routed the trim system piping through the control room, where the valves were manually operated. The "push-button" system used hydraulic operators on each valve, remotely electrically operated (actually via toggle switches) from the control room. This greatly conserved control room space and reduced the time required to conduct trim operations. The overall layout made coordination of the weapons and ship control systems easier during combat operations.
 The [[torpedo tube]] arrangement of the ''Barbel''s was the same as the ''Skipjack''s{{'}}, with six bow tubes in a three-over-three configuration. These (and the ''Skipjack''-derived [[George Washington-class submarine|''George Washington''-class SSBNs]]) were the only US Navy classes to have this configuration, as subsequent SSN designs used four angled midships torpedo tubes to make room for a large bow sonar sphere, and most SSBNs had four bow tubes.
-The ''Barbel''s were built with bow mounted [[diving plane]]s, but these were replaced by sail planes (aka fairwater planes) within a few years. This feature was standard on US Navy submarines until bow planes returned with the improved {{sclass-|Los Angeles|submarine|4}}, the first of which was launched in 1988.
+The ''Barbel''s were built with bow mounted [[diving plane]]s, but these were replaced by sail planes (aka fairwater planes) within a few years. This feature was standard on US Navy submarines until bow planes returned with the improved {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|4}}, the first of which was launched in 1987.
 ==Ships in class==
@@ Line 79: / Line 80: @@
 !Launched
 !Commissioned
+!Decommissioned
+!Period of service
 ! width="35%" | Fate
 |-
@@ Line 87: / Line 90: @@
 |19 July 1958
 |17 January 1959
+|4 December 1989
+|30.9
 |Decommissioned 4 December 1989, scrapping delayed due to asbestos insulation, expended as a target 30 January 2001
 |-
@@ Line 95: / Line 100: @@
 |16 May 1959
 |15 October 1959
+|1 October 1990
+|30.9
 |Decommissioned 1 October 1990, museum ship at the [[Oregon Museum of Science and Industry]] in [[Portland, Oregon]] from 1994.
 |-
@@ Line 103: / Line 110: @@
 |22 November 1958
 |9 July 1959
-|Not repaired following a fire that killed three on 24 April 1988, decommissioned 28 September 1988, hulked 17 August 1989, hull acquired for tests by [[Northrop Grumman]].
+|28 September 1988
+|29.3
+|Not repaired following a fire that killed three on 24 April 1988, hulked 17 August 1989, hull acquired for tests by [[Northrop Grumman]].
 |-
 |}
-==Notes==
+== References ==
+=== Citations ===
 {{Reflist}}
-==References==
+=== Sources ===
+{{refbegin}}
 * Polmar, Norman and Moore, K. J. (2004). ''Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945–2001''. Dulles: Potomac Books. {{ISBN|978-1-57488-594-1}}.
-* Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1947–1995'', London: Conway Maritime Press, 1995. {{ISBN|1-55750-132-7}}.
+* Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995'', London: Conway Maritime Press, 1995. {{ISBN|1-55750-132-7}}.
+{{refend}}
-==External links==
+== External links ==
 {{Commons category|Barbel class submarines}}
-*[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ss-580.htm ''Barbel'' class at globalsecurity.org]
+* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/ss-580.htm ''Barbel'' class at globalsecurity.org]
-*[http://www.omsi.edu/submarine Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) page on USS ''Blueback'']
+* [http://www.omsi.edu/submarine Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) page on USS ''Blueback'']
-*[http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08idx.htm NavSource.org Postwar Diesel Submarines photo gallery index]
+* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08idx.htm NavSource.org Postwar Diesel Submarines photo gallery index]
-*[http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/post-wwii-boats.htm On Eternal Patrol postwar index page with ''Bonefish'' fire]
+* [http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/post-wwii-boats.htm On Eternal Patrol postwar index page with ''Bonefish'' fire]
 <!-- non-breaking space to keep AWB drones from altering the space before the navbox-->
+{{-}}
-{{Barbel class submarines}}
+{{Barbel class submarine}}
+{{US submarine classes after 1945}}
 [[Category:Submarine classes]]

v t e US submarine classes after 1945
Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines - SSBN	George Washington class Ethan Allen class Lafayette class James Madison class Benjamin Franklin class Ohio class Columbia class
Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines - SSGN	Halibut^S Ohio class
Nuclear-powered attack submarines - SSN	Nautilus^S Seawolf^S Skate class Skipjack class Tullibee^S Permit class Sturgeon class Narwhal^S Glenard P. Lipscomb^S Los Angeles class Seawolf class Virginia class SSN(X) class
Conventional-powered cruise missile submarines - SSG	Grayback class
Conventional-powered attack submarines - SS or SSK	Barracuda class Tang class Darter^S Barbel class
Radar picket submarines - SSR or SSRN	Sailfish class Triton^S
Auxiliary submarines - AGSS or SSA	T-1 class Albacore^S Dolphin^S NR-1^S
S Single ship of class
List of submarines of the United States Navy List of submarine classes of the United States Navy