There have been three submarines named Albacore that served the United States Navy.
The United State's Navy first vessel named the Albacore was a scout patrol boat that was on loan to the Navy in July 1917 to patrol the United States coast during World War I. Built in 1900 at San Diego, California by Howard Bros., the Abacore (SP-751) was acquired by the Navy from her owner, Bryant H. Howard. In 1919 she was returned to her owner.
The keel for the second vessel Albacore (SS-218) was laid in 1941 at Groton CT. She was a submarine, commissioned in 1942, that sunk at least eight Japanese ships. She was lost in November of 1944 when she apparently struck a mine and went down with all hands.
The third vessel, USS Albacore (AGSS-569) was a prototype submarine built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1952 and commissioned in 1953. She was an unusual shape, like a fish with a cod's head and a mackerel's tail. At the time she was the fastest submarine ever designed.
Some Statistics of the USS Albacore (AGSS-569):
Length: 203' 10″
Width: 27' 4″
Draft: 18' 7″
Displacement: 1242 tons surface, 1847 tons submerged
Speed: 15 knots surface, 30+ knots submerged
Armament: none carried
Complement: 5 officers, 50 enlisted
The design of the US Navy's modern, nuclear-powered subs have evolved from the Albacore's. She served until September of 1972 when she was decommissioned and moved to Philadelphia PA where she remained until 1984 when she was towed to Portsmouth.
In 1985 (this third) submarine was moved to her current location in Albacore Park, which is about a quarter of a mile inland at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Moving her to this location was quite a task, as she had to be moved under a railroad bridge and across a busy highway.
The Albacore is open to the public, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Their admission fees are very reasonable.
Janice
*Additional Reading*
–USS Albacore connects seacoast with its heritage–
–USS Albacore, Forerunner of the Future–
