USS Blueback Technical Specifications
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USS Blueback Submarine
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USS BLUEBACK TECHNICAL SPECS

Hull Dimensions

Length (LOA)

219 feet 1 1/8 inches

Width (beam):

29 feet 0 inches

Height (draft):

29 feet 3 3/8 inches

Hull Design

  • Double hull
  • HY 80 steel (1.5 inches thick)
  • First class of submarine to use teardrop or "albacore" hull. This type of hull was first experimented with on the U.S.S. Albacore (SS 569).

Displacement

Surface (light):

1745.56 tons

Surface (normal):

2153.85 tons

Surface (maximum):

2316.64 tons

Submerged:

2644.45 tons

Complement

Officers:

8

Crew:

77

Total:

85

Design Depth

Maximum Operating:

712 feet

Collapse:

1050 feet

Diving time to periscope depth:

60 seconds

Actual Speed

Surface:

15 knots (17 mph)

Submerged (snorkel):

12 knots (14 mph)

Submerged (battery):

21 knots (24 mph)

Surface Propulsion

3 Fairbanks-Morse 38d(8 1/8)x10 diesel engines

Designed SHP continuous:

3150

Designed RPM:

162

1 shaft, 1 propeller

Fuel capacity:

112,000 gallons

Cruising Distance:

19,000 miles without refueling

Submerged Propulsion (Snorkel)

Designed SHP:

2400

Designed RPM:

152

Submerged Propulsion (Battery)

2 General Electric motors

Designed SHP:

4800

Designed RPM:

198

Maximum safe astern RPM:

110

Endurance at full speed:

0.5 hours

Endurance at 3 knots:

102.0 hours

Weapons

6 21 inch torpedo tubes (bow)

18 torpedo capacity including 6 loaded

Sensors

2 periscopes, active sonar, passive sonar, radar, ECM

Stores

Chilled:

30 days

Frozen:

60 days

Dry Provisions:

75 days

Class of Submarine

Barbel class

Members of class in order of commissioning:

  • U.S.S. Barbel (SS 580)
  • U.S.S. Bonefish (SS 582)
  • U.S.S. Blueback (SS 581)
USS Blueback Hotline: 503.797.4624