USS Sea Poacher

History
United States
NameUSS Sea Poacher
BuilderPortsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Laid down23 February 1944
Launched20 May 1944
Commissioned31 July 1944
Decommissioned15 November 1969
Stricken15 August 1973
IdentificationSS-406
FateTransferred to Peru, 1 July 1974
Peru
NameInitially BAP Pabellón de Pica, changed a few weeks later to La Pedrera
Acquired1 July 1974
Decommissioned1995
IdentificationS49
General characteristics
Class & typeBalao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced
  • 2,401 tons (2,440 t) submerged
Length311 ft 8 in (95.00 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 IA)
Class & typenone
Displacement
  • 1,830 tons (1,859 t) surfaced
  • 2,440 tons (2,479 t) submerged
Length307 ft 7 in (93.75 m)
Beam27 ft 4 in (8.33 m)
Draft17 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 ½ hour
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h) snorkeling
  • 3.0 knots (5.6 km/h) cruising
Range17,000 nautical miles (31,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (20 km/h)
Endurance36 hours at 3 knots (6 km/h) submerged
Complement
  • 10 officers
  • 5 petty officers
  • 64–69 enlisted men
Armament

USS Sea Poacher (SS/AGSS-406), a Balao-class submarine, was a vessel of the United States Navy named for the sea poacher, a slender, mailed fish of the North Atlantic.

Sea Poacher (SS-406) was built by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine; launched on 20 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. H. Spiller, wife of Commander Spiller, hull superintendent at the Navy Yard; and commissioned on 31 July 1944.