Decommissioning the USS Darter (SSN-576)

My Grandfather was part of the 'DECOM' crew that decommissioned the 2nd submarine USS Darter (SS-576) in 1989. This is video taken inside the vessel as it was making its final voyage out to sea.



The boat was named after the SS-227 Darter, which Grandpa sailed on. (For those new to this blog, Darter was the diesel-electric sub in World War II that was famous for a daring surprise attack on the Japanese fleet in the Philippines. On the night before the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, the boat ran aground after its daring attack, and was stranded overnight until it was rescued by the sister sub USS Dace.) Hugh was personally involved in the rescue of Darter's crew, and he was decorated for valor. Hugh served proudly in the Navy until 1953.  He attended many boat commissionings, sailor memorials and Navy Sub Vets reunions thru the 1980s and early 1990s until his death in 1995.

As one of the surviving crew of the SS-227, Hugh received a special invitation to aid in retiring the SS-576 on its final day of service, 30 years after he had seen her commissioned in 1956. This is camcorder video taken inside the control room as SS-576 went out to sea for the last time. Later in the tape, WWII veterans (some of them Hugh's former crewmates) are sharing stories in the officer's galley. As stated before, this video dates from 1989.

All the WWII veterans on this tape are now deceased. Thanks for watching and salute to our United States Navy veterans and submariners, past and present!

Some information about SS-576:
(source: https://designed4submariners.com/USS_Darter__SS-576_.html)

Grandpa's SS-576 Decom Crew hat.

 USS Darter (SS-576)

Overview

USS Darter (SS-576), was a unique submarine based on the Tang Class, but incorporating many improvements, she was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the darter, a type of small American fresh-water fish closely related to the perch.

The keel for Darter was laid down on 10 November 1954. She was launched on 28 May 1956 sponsored by Mrs. G.L. Russell, and commissioned on 20 October 1956, with Lieutenant Commander Ralph R. Blaine in command.

Darter was used to experiment with numerous innovations including a three-man helmsman-planesman station using aircraft-style stick controls.

Service history

Designed with sophisticated acoustic, electronic and fire control gear, Darter was intended to serve as a new generation of post-war ASW submarines, similar to Tang (SS-563). Upon commissioning Darter operated on various training exercises in the Atlantic, both locally from her home port of Newport, R.I. and on cruises to the West Indies or to Europe for NATO operations. Following an overhaul at Portsmouth, N.H., in 1959 she changed home port to Charleston, S.C., on 1 August 1959) and began training missions in support of the newly commissioned fleet ballistic submarines, providing ASW services for surface units in the West Indies and off Key West and serving as a platform for various CNO projects. In between these regular operations, Darter deployed to the Mediterranean for cruises in 1963 and 1967. She also received a major modernization overhaul in 1965, receiving a 16-foot hull extension, new engines, new safety gear and better electronic gear.

In September 1985, Darter was involved in a collision with the merchant ship Kansas Getty which disabled her.

Darter was decommissioned on 1 December 1989 and struck from the Navel Vessel Register on 17 January 1990. On 7 January 1992, ex-Darter was sunk as a target by Tautog off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The History of the USS Delaware (SSN-791): Video

Construction & Launching of the SSN-791 USS Delaware:

The arrival of the SSN-791 in Wilmington:

State of Delaware Commissions New Nuclear Sub - Apr 2, 2022

 Today I had the privilege to (virtually) witness a commissioning of a new nuclear submarine called the USS Delaware in my home city. The ceremony was attended by Senator Tom Carper, Governor John Carney, County Executive Chris Coons, the Secretary of the Navy, President Joseph R. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.



The last time the United States Navy had a vessel called USS Delaware was more than a hundred years ago.  The last USS Delaware (BB-28) was a Dreadnought class battleship that served in World War 1. She was launched in 1910 and decommissioned in 1924. There were a few other USS Delaware ships, one that defended the Delaware River in 1776, another that replaced her after she was sunk a year or so later. One that served in the Civil War launched in 1861, another in 1868.  The 1861 vessel was built and launched by the Harlan & Hollingsworth steamship company right here in Wilmington. Her other namesakes served with distinction in the Navy of their time.

The previous USS Delaware.

Amusingly enough, it was a librarian who chose the name. A local librarian in Newark was a scholar of naval history and he saw that no ship had sailed named after Delaware for almost a century. So he wrote letters to the Secretary of the Navy, to Senator Tom Carper and First Lady Jill Biden asking if one of a series of new nuclear attack submarines under construction could bear the name. After a few months, the librarian's request was obliged.

The commissioning ceremony was originally scheduled for April 2020. The event was an mainly invitation for government officials and the crew's families. Only a limited number of public tickets were available. I wanted to attend in Hugh's memory, but sadly I learned about it a month after the tickets sold out. I started writing a letter to the authorities asking for an appeal to attend, but received no reply. As it turned out, it was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Delaware received her true commissioning at sea, while she was submerged. A first in Navy history.

I wanted to be present for this ceremony because my Grandpa attended several boat commissions in his life. He was an honorary guest when the SS-576 boat was dedicated in 1956, named Darter after his diesel boat from WWII. And he was on the crew that decommissioned her, thirty years later. (One of these days I will get around to uploading the video he had inside the control room as they were taking her out to sea one last time)

I know if he were still alive today, he would have come down here to see them off. And I hope he would be proud of me for wanting to be there.

This USS Delaware was built by General Dynamics and the Electric Boat Company, which has been building submarines since World War II.

As soon as a decent video of the live webcast is posted to Youtube, I will embed the video in this blog post.

They couldn't have picked a better day to do it. It was a beautiful sunny day here in Wilmington, with a clear blue sky and a warm breeze.  Fair winds and following seas, to the crew of the SS-791!