USS Halfbeak

History
United States
NameUSS Halfbeak
BuilderElectric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down6 July 1944
Launched19 February 1946
Commissioned22 July 1946
Decommissioned1 July 1971
Stricken1 July 1971
FateSold for scrap, 13 June 1972
General characteristics
Class & typeBalao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced
  • 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion
Speed
  • 20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced
  • 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
Range11,000 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 depth400 ft (120 m)
Complement10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament
General characteristics (Guppy II)
Class & typenone
Displacement
  • 1,870 tons (1,900 t) surfaced
  • 2,440 tons (2,480 t) submerged
Length307 ft (93.6 m)
Beam27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)
Draft17 ft (5.2 m)
Propulsion
  • Snorkel added
  • Batteries upgraded to GUPPY type, capacity expanded to 504 cells (1 × 184 cell, 1 × 68 cell, and 2 × 126 cell batteries)
  • 4 × high-speed electric motors replaced with 2 × low-speed direct drive electric motors
Speed
  • Surfaced:
  • 18.0 knots (20.7 mph; 33.3 km/h) maximum
  • 13.5 knots (15.5 mph; 25.0 km/h) cruising
  • Submerged:
  • 16.0 knots (18.4 mph; 29.6 km/h) for ½ hour
  • 9.0 knots (10.4 mph; 16.7 km/h) snorkeling
  • 3.5 knots (4.0 mph; 6.5 km/h) cruising
Range15,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Endurance48 hours at 4 knots (5 mph; 7 km/h) submerged
Complement
  • 9–10 officers
  • 5 petty officers
  • 70 enlisted men
Sensors &
processing systems
  • WFA active sonar
  • JT passive sonar
  • Mk 106 torpedo fire control system
Armament

USS Halfbeak (SS-352), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the halfbeak.