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Balao class submarine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|
| United States |  |
|---|---|
| Operators: |  United States Navy |
| Preceding class: | Gato class |
| Following class: | Tench class |
| Ships in Class | |
| General Characteristics | |
| Class type: | diesel-electric submarine |
| Displacement: | 1,526 tons (1550 t) surfaced 2424 tons (2460 t) (except SS.285-291 2414 and SS.3308-312 & SS.381-404 2391 and SS.405-410 2401 tons) submerged |
| Length: | 307 ft (93.6 m) waterline, 311 ft 9 in (95 m) overall |
| Beam: | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m) |
| Draft: | 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m) |
| Propulsion and power: | •four 1,350 hp (1010 kW) 16-cylinder General Motors 278A diesel engines (except SS.292-312 and SS.381-416 10cyl Fairbanks-Morse 38D-1/8) •two 1,370 hp (1,020 kW) General Electric electric motors (except SS292-312 and SS381-416 Elliott Motor) (two 126-cell Exide main storage batteries) (except SS.292-298, 300-303, 312, 361-364, 367-369, 377-380, & 410 Gould) • two shafts |
| Speed: | 20.25 knots (37.5 km/h) surfaced 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged |
| Range: | 11,800 nm at 10 knots (21,900 km at 19 km/h) surfaced 100 nm at 3 knots (185 km at 5.6 km/h) (maximum) submerged |
| Endurance: | 48 hours submerged |
| Test depth: | 400 ft (122 m) (except SS361-364, 300 ft {91m}) |
| Complement: | 80 – 85 officers and men |
| Armament: | • 10 × 21 in (53 cm) torpedo tubes (6 forward, 4 aft, 24 torpedoes) •1 × 4 in (102 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun (in SS.285-291) = 1×5 in (12.7 cm) / 25 cal (in rest) •1×40 mm AA cannon (except in SS.361-364) 1 × 3 in (76 mm) / 50 cal AA gun (in SS.361-364) • 1×20 mm AA cannon (SS.313-360 & SS.365-416 only) • 2×0.5" (12.7 mm) machine guns (except SS.361-364) • 2×0.3" (7.62 mm) machine guns (in SS.361-364) |
The Balao class was a successful design of United States Navy submarine used during World War II. An evolutionary improvement over the earlier Gato class, the boats had slight internal differences. The most significant improvement was the use of higher yield steel in the pressure hull, which increased their test depth to 400 feet (122 m). There were 132 submarines ordered in this class (ten cancelled toward the end of World War Two).[1]
- ^ Lenton, H.T. American Submarines. Doubleday, 1973
- USS Ling Photos on board the Balao Class Submarine USS Ling (SS-297)
- USS Lionfish Photos on board the Balao Submarine USS Lionfish (SS-298)