USS Seahorse (SS-304)

USS Seahorse underway post-1943 in the Pacific Ocean
History
United States
NameSeahorse
BuilderMare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down1 July 1942
Launched9 January 1943
Commissioned31 March 1943
Decommissioned2 March 1946
Stricken1 March 1967
FateSold for scrap, 4 December 1968
General characteristics
Class & typeBalao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement
  • 1,526 long tons (1,550 t) surfaced
  • 2,424 long tons (2,463 t) submerged
Length311 ft 10 in (95.05 m)
Beam27 ft 4 in (8.33 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

USS Seahorse (SS-304), a Balao-class submarine, was the first submarine and second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seahorse, a small fish whose head and the fore part of its body suggest the head and neck of a horse.

Seahorse was laid down on 1 August 1942 by the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California. The vessel was launched on 9 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Chester C. Smith, and commissioned on 31 March 1943.