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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Besugo (SS-321) (AGSS-321)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Alpha - Romeo
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 27 May 1943, at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT.; Launched, 27 February 1944; Commissioned USS Besugo (SS-321), 19 June 1944; Decommissioned, 21 March 1958; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Reclassified Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-321) in 1962; Recommissioned, 15 June 1965; Converted to Fleet Snorkel Submarine in 1966; Decommissioned and loaned to Italy, 31 March 1966; Returned to US Navy custody and struck from the Naval Register, 15 November 1975; Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to Nita Perillo Fedele & Alfonso SpA in Genoa for $ 69,001.00 on 16 April 1976. Besugo earned four battle stars for her World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves (of blessed memory)

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,526 t., Submerged: 2,242 t.; Length 311' 9"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2kts; Operating Depth, 400 ft; Complement 6 Officers, 60 Enlisted; Armament, ten 21" torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5"/25 deck gun, one 40mm gun, one 20mm gun, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear with four main generator engines, General Motors diesel engines, HP 5400, Fuel Capacity 118,000, four General Electric motors, HP 2,740, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
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For Full Size		SizeImage DescriptionSource
Besugo224kBesugo (SS-321) slides down the ways at Groton CT, 27 February 1944 at Electric Boat. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo11kCommemorative postal cover marking Besugo's (SS-321) launching, 27 February 1944 at Electric Boat. Courtesy of Jack Tretule.
Besugo349k Mrs. Peter J. Homer - Sponsor of the Besugo (SS-321) during her launching ceremony 27 February 1944. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo140k Mrs. Peter J. Homer - Sponsor of the Besugo (SS-321) during her launching ceremony 27 February 1944. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo315k First Commanding Officer of the Besugo (SS-321), Com. Thomas L. Wogan with his wife and their daughter Mary, during the boat's launching ceremony 27 February 1944. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo295k The Sponsor's family at the launching of the Besugo (SS-321), 27 February 1944. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo172kBesugo's (SS-321) Commander Wogan cutting the cake at the launch party 27 February 1944. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo178k Original crew of the Besugo (SS-321). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo112kBesugo (SS-321) launch Party. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo194kBesugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo280kBesugo (SS-321) moment of Christening. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo203kActual bottle and chest Mrs. Homer used to christen the Besugo (SS-321). The Bottle & Chest are in fine condition and in the possession of Ellen Heyniger, who is the sole surviving child of Mrs. Homer. These photos were taken January 14th, 2003. From the collection of Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo195kBesugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo186kBesugo (SS-321) launch Party, names unknown. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo236k Besugo's (SS-321) crew. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo191k Officers of the Besugo (SS-321). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo192kUS Postal Covers – Besugo (SS-321) – day of launch. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo1.0k Letter From Navy – Regarding Mrs. Homer's selection as Sponsor of Besugo (SS-321). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo355kBesugo (SS-321) Sec. Of Navy letter to Mrs Homer. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo211kBesugo (SS-321) crew and wives (Possibly original CPO's). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company, Mrs. Peter J. Homer & John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Besugo1.40k Newspaper article on launch of Besugo (SS-321). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo98k Original Invitation to Launching of Besugo (SS-321). Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo60kBesugo (SS-321) crew pose dockside in Fremantle, Austraila 1944. Official USN photo courtesy of tripod.com
Besugo4.07k Besugo (SS-321) Crossing the Equator May 1945. Photo courtesy of Steve Franklin.
Besugo382kNewspaper article about SUGIE - Besugo's (SS-321) mascot. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Insert photo courtesy of Steve Franklin.
Besugo1.4k Newspaper article – Besugo (SS-321) – Com Wogan. Official USN photo, from the collections of the Electric Boat Company & Mrs. Peter J. Homer.
Besugo58kOne of Besugo's (SS-321) battle flag, circa 44-45. Official USN photo courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
Besugo72kOne of Besugo's (SS-321) battle flag, circa 44-45. Official USN photo courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
Besugo53kBesugo (SS-321) entering Pearl Harbor, circa 44-45. Official USN photo courtesy of usssubvetsofwwii.org
Besugo 178k Japanese landing ship HIJMS No.151 underway during full speed trials off Yugeshima, on 20 April 1944. She was torpedoed and sunk on 23 November 1944 by the submarine Besugo (SS-321) 20 m W of Palawan Island (11 degrees 22' N, 119 degrees 07' E).Photo source unknown via Robert Hurst.
Besugo 103k Type IXC/40 boat U-183 on the surface, location unknown. U-183 was torpedoed and sunk on 23 April 1945 by the submarine Besugo (SS-321) in the Java Sea.Photo source wikimapia.org via Robert Hurst.
Besugo394k Aft plan view of Besugo (SS-321) at Mare Island on 29 January 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 31 October 1945 to 9 February 1946. USN photo # 324-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Besugo156k Forward plan view of Besugo (SS-321) at Mare Island on 29 January 1946. The Spadefish (SS-411) and Barbero (SS-317) are aft of Besugo. USN photo # 325-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Bergall 104k 3 photo PDF of the Bergall (SS-320), Besugo (SS-321), Caiman (SS-323) & unknown boat alongside their tender circa late '46 to early '47. Photo i.d. courtesy of Mike Brood.
Photos courtesy of Steve Franklin.
321
0832130		792kBesugo (SS-321) in 1947 while docked at Tsingtao (Qingdao) in the Shantung (Shandong) Province of China, which served as headquarters of the US Western Pacific Fleet from 1945 until June of 1949, showing as the torpedo they are loading, eases into place. The Besugo made a Far Eastern tour from 10 June to 21 Sept 1947 during which this photo was taken. Photo taken by Earle Falvey USN, who enlisted in 1942 and mustered out in the fall of 1947 after serving on Flasher (SS-249) and Besugo.Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst
Besugo340kBesugo (SS-321) underway while armed with two 5"/25 deck guns, circa the later 1940s or early 1950s. Official USN photo # NH 98360, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Besugo128kBesugo (SS-321) underway, circa the early or middle 1950s, while armed with one 5"/25 deck gun. This image was received by the Naval Photographic Center on 30 June 1959. Official USN photo # NH 98361, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Tiru 597k The Tiru (SS-416) & Besugo (SS-321) in living color, 1954-57 at Pearl Harbor. Photo courtesy of John Hummell.
Besugo85kBesugo (SS-321) underway off Point Loma, San Diego, California, 16 October 1957. All her deck guns had been removed by this time. Official USN photo, # NH 98362, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
321 & 381
0832135		2.49kArmed Forces Day crowd visit the ships in the Inactive Reserve Fleet at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 21 May 1960. Besugo (SS-321) is inboard of the Sand Lance (SS-381) in the photo's foreground, while Lewis (DE-535) is forward of the submarines and would decommission on 27 May 1960. APL-3 is to the far left.Photo # MISNY 45X01-5-60, from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Besugo10.6k116 page PDF of the Besugo's (SS-321) WW II History & War Patrols.PDF courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Fremantle 365k This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II. Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
Francesco Morosini (S-508)
Italian boats228kFive Italian boats at Naples in 1968. From top to bottom:
Pietro Calvi (S-503), a former boat of WWII vintage – Italian built,
Alfredo Cappellini (S-507), ex-Capitaine (SS-336),
Francesco Morosini (S-508), ex-Besugo (SS-321),
Leonardo Da Vinci (S-510), ex-Dace (SS-247), &
Evangelista Torricelli (S-512), ex-Lizardfish (SS-373). 		Photo courtesy of Maurizio Brescia Collection.
Besugo134k Francesco Morosini (S-508), ex-Besugo (SS-321) at Naples on 4th November 1968, taking part in the Naval Review held for the 50th anniversary of the end of WW II. Erminio Bagnasco Collection courtesy of Maurizio Brescia.
Besugo350k Francesco Morosini (S-508) in La Spezia, 5 October 1969.Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Besugo355k Francesco Morosini (S-508) in La Spezia, 5 October 1969.Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
Besugo568k Francesco Morosini (S-508) in Genoa, 15 December 1972.Photo courtesy of Carlo Martinelli.
View the Besugo (SS-321)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
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