USS Halfbeak

History
United States
Name	USS Halfbeak
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down	6 July 1944
Launched	19 February 1946
Commissioned	22 July 1946
Decommissioned	1 July 1971
Stricken	1 July 1971
Fate	Sold for scrap, 13 June 1972
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced; 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged;
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion	4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators; 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries; 4 × high-speed Elliott electric motors with reduction gears; two propellers ; 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced; 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged;
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced; 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged;
Range	11,000 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 depth	400 ft (120 m)
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 6 forward, 4 aft; 24 torpedoes; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun; Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;
General characteristics (Guppy II)
Class and type	none
Displacement	1,870 tons (1,900 t) surfaced; 2,440 tons (2,480 t) submerged;
Length	307 ft (93.6 m)
Beam	27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)
Draft	17 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;
Range	15,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)
Endurance	48 hours at 4 knots (5 mph; 7 km/h) submerged
Complement	9–10 officers; 5 petty officers; 70 enlisted men;
Sensors and ; processing systems	WFA active sonar; JT passive sonar; Mk 106 torpedo fire control system;
Armament	10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; (six forward, four aft); all guns removed;

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

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.
^ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261–263
^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.

[FriedmanSubs1-dates-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.

[FriedmanSubs1-specs-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

[Register-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[Register_275–280-4] Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.

[FriedmanSubs1-engines_261–263-5] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 261–263

[FriedmanSubs1-specs_305–311-6] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

[FriedmanSubs2-specs-7] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h U.S. Submarines Since 1945 pp. 242

[FriedmanSubs2-chap2-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Friedman, Norman (1994). U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 11–43. ISBN 1-55750-260-9.

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History

United States
Name	USS Halfbeak
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut^[1]
Laid down	6 July 1944^[1]
Launched	19 February 1946^[1]
Commissioned	22 July 1946^[1]
Decommissioned	1 July 1971^[1]
Stricken	1 July 1971^[1]
Fate	Sold for scrap, 13 June 1972^[1]
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao-class diesel-electric submarine^[3]
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced^[3] 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged^[3]
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)^[3]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)^[3]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum^[3]
Propulsion	4 × Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ 10-cylinder opposed piston diesel engines driving electrical generators^[4]^[5] 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries^[6] 4 × high-speed Elliott electric motors with reduction gears^[4] two propellers ^[4] 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced^[4] 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged^[4]
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced^[2] 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged^[2]
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)^[2]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged^[2] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)^[2]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted^[2]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes^[6] 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun^[6] Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
General characteristics (Guppy II)
Class and type	none
Displacement	1,870 tons (1,900 t) surfaced^[8] 2,440 tons (2,480 t) submerged^[8]
Length	307 ft (93.6 m)^[7]
Beam	27 ft 4 in (7.4 m)^[7]
Draft	17 ft (5.2 m)^[7]
Propulsion	Snorkel added^[8] Batteries upgraded to GUPPY type, capacity expanded to 504 cells (1 × 184 cell, 1 × 68 cell, and 2 × 126 cell batteries)^[8] 4 × high-speed electric motors replaced with 2 × low-speed direct drive electric motors^[8]
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^[8]
Range	15,000 nm (28,000 km) surfaced at 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)^[7]
Endurance	48 hours at 4 knots (5 mph; 7 km/h) submerged^[7]
Complement	9–10 officers 5 petty officers 70 enlisted men^[7]
Sensors and processing systems	WFA active sonar JT passive sonar Mk 106 torpedo fire control system^[7]
Armament	10 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four aft)^[7] all guns removed^[8]