USS Torsk

Career
USS Torsk
Ordered:
Laid down:	June 7, 1944

Launched:	September 6, 1944

Commissioned:	December 16, 1944

Decommissioned:	March 4, 1968

Fate:	Museum ship

Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	1570 tons surfaced, 2416 tons submerged

Length:	311 feet

Beam:	27 feet

Draught:	15 feet 5 inches

Propulsion:
Speed:	18 knots surfaced, 9 knots submerged

Range:
Complement:	80 men

Armament:	1 5"/25cal. gun, 2 40mm cannons, 10 21" Torpedo Tubes, 24 Torpedos

Aircraft:	none

Motto:

The USS Torsk (SS-423) is one of several Tench Class submarines still located inside the United States. The Torsk was commissioned on December 16, 1944 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The ship saw action in the Pacific during World War II and is responsible for firing the last torpedo, sinking an enemy vessel, in the war.

After the war, in 1952, Torsk was outfitted with a snorkel system to allow the diesel engines to be run underwater. The snorkel was a retractable tube which allowed venting of exhaust and intake of fresh air. Torsk is the only submarine floating today that still has the snorkel.

In 1962 Torsk was sent to Cuba as part of the naval blockade around the island nation to prevent Soviet nuclear missiles from entering the country as part of the Cuban Missile Crisis. For her service there, the Torsk was given the Navy Commendation Medal.

After obtaining an all-time record of career dives, at 11,884, Torsk was retired as an active duty ship and was used as a crew trainer. The ship was moved to Baltimore's Inner Harbor to become part of the Baltimore Maritime Museum