Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster.
Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patch on left courtesy of Cully Middleton & submitted by Gary Carlson, others by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN (ret.)

Segundo (SS-398)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Papa - Quebec

Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 14 October 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, on Seavey Island in Kittery, Maine. Launched, 5 February 1944; Commissioned USS Segundo (SS-398), 9 May 1944; Converted to a Fleet Snorkel Submarine in 1951, at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point; Decommissioned, 1 August 1970; Struck from the Naval Register, 8 August 1970; Final Disposition, sunk as a target by Salmon (SS-573). Segundo received four battle stars for World War II service and one for the Korean War.

As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced 1,526 t., Submerged 2,391 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 3"; Draft 15' 3"; Speed, Surfaced 20.25 kts, Submerged 8.75 kts; Cruising Range, 11,000 miles surfaced at 10 kts; Submerged Endurance, 48 hours at 2 kts; 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 single 40mm gun mount, one single 20mm gun mount, two .50 cal. machine guns; Patrol Endurance 75 days; Propulsion, diesel-electric reduction gear, Fairbanks Morse diesel engines, 5,400 HP, Fuel Capacity, 116,000 gal., four Elliot Motor Co. electric main motors with 2,740 shp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.

Size	Image Description	Source
112k	Segundo (SS-398) was sponsored by the wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Mrs. John L. Sullivan on 5 February 1944. Sullivan was appointed Secretary of the Navy upon James Forrestal's installation as the first Secretary of Defense. Sullivan's major contributions to the Navy's future directions include the advent of naval nuclear propulsion. In 1947, then-Captain Hyman G. Rickover went around his chain-of-command and directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, by chance also a former submariner, to pitch his ideas for creating a nuclear-powered warship. Nimitz immediately understood the potential of nuclear propulsion and recommended the project to Sullivan, whose endorsement to build the world's first nuclear-powered vessel, Nautilus (SSN-571), later caused Rickover to state that Sullivan was "the true father of the Nuclear Navy." Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Sr., Commander, Task Force 38, (left) with John L. Sullivan, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air, on board Shangri-La (CV-38), during Sullivan's visit to combat force in the western Pacific, July 1945.	Text courtesy of en.wikipedia.org Official U.S. Navy Photograph (# 80-G-343854), now in the collections of the National Archives.
17k	Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Segundo's (SS-398) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 February 1944.	Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
50k	Commemorative launching tag of the Segundo (SS-398) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 February 1944.	Photo courtesy of Ron Toth, Jr. via Tom Kermen.
234k	Officers and crew salute the colors as the Segundo (SS-398), slides down the launching ramp at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 5 February 1944.	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
960k	10 photo PDF of history & article of boarding & capture of Japanese submarine *I-401* by the Segundo (SS-398).	Photos of courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
95k	Proteus (AS-19) with submarines of Submarine Squadron 20 alongside in Tokyo Bay, on VJ-Day, 2 September 1945. Names of the submarines present, their commanding officers and the commanding officers of SubRon20 and *Proteus* are printed at the bottom of the image: Archerfish (SS-311), Cavalla (SS-244), Gato (SS-212), Haddo (SS-255), Muskallunge (SS-262), Pilotfish (SS-386), Razorback (SS-394), Runner (SS-476), Segundo (SS-398), Sea Cat (SS-399), and Tigrone (SS-419).	Courtesy of Captain Joseph F. Enright, USN(Retired), 1979. USN photo # NH 95019, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.
64k	WW II battleflag of the Segundo (SS-398).	USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
181k	Subron 5 family photo fall/winter (1945) in Guam, from left to right, Segundo (SS-398), Sea Cat (SS-399), Blenny (SS-324), Blower (SS-325), Blueback (SS-326) & Charr (SS-328).	Photo by Lt. Herb Hanson, courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
2.72k	The crew of the Segundo (SS-398) on 29 January 1946 as she arrives at Mare Island for an overhaul.	USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
168k	Stern view of Segundo (SS-398) departing Mare Island on 24 April 1946.	USN photo # 1621-46,courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
234k	Broadside view of Segundo (SS-398) off Mare Island on 24 April 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 29 January to 10 May 1946.	USN photo # 1623-46,courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
222k	Bow on view of Segundo (SS-398) departing Mare Island on 24 April 1946.	USN photo # 1625-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
161k	Broadside view of the Segundo (SS-398) on 24 April 1946. After WW II she was assigned to Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 3 in San Diego and began operations from there. The submarine made a three-month cruise to Australia and China in 1946 and a four-month cruise to China in 1948.	Text courtesy of DANFS. USN photo # 1624-46, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
345k	1947 photo from GMC Bill Wise of Segundo's (SS-398) after 40 mm with blimp overhead.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
112k	Segundo's (SS-398) crew photo at San Diego, CA, 1949, as part of Submarine Squadron 3.	Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman, & dedicated to the memory of Master Chief Petty Officer Charles (Monty) M. Montgomery. Thanks to Chief Petty Officer Joe Phoenix.
169k	Segundo (SS-398) underway in the Mare Island channel on 8 August 1949. She was in overhaul at Mare Island from 16 May to 24 August 1949.	USN photo # 4154-8-49, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
208k	Aft plan view looking forward of Carbonero (AGSS-337) at Mare Island on 18 February 1952. She is outboard of Diodon (SS-349) and Segundo (SS-398) is forward. Note Loon launcher on the after deck.	USN photo # 12023-2-52, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
775k	LCDR H. S. Howard (right) relieves LCDR H. G. Johns, Jr. as Commanding Officer of the Segundo (SS-398) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 6 July 1953.	Photo from the files of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
146k	The crew of Segundo (SS-398) are inspected during her change of command at Mare Island on 6 July 1953.	USN photo # 18022-7-53, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
99k	Segundo (SS-398), Razorback (SS-394), and Menhaden (SS-377), in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.	Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the Perch (SS-313).
111k	Bashaw (SSK-241), with Bream (SSK-243),Segundo (SS-398), Razorback (SS-394), and Menhaden (SS-377), in San Diego Harbor, circa 1953.	Courtesy of Phil Gulick, former 1st Amphib Recon Company member aboard the Perch (SS-313).
683k	Real Photo Post Card of the Segundo (SS-398) postmarked San Diego 31 March 1953.	Photo courtesy of David Wright.
1.19k	Segundo (SS-398) with Charr (SS-328) to the right of *Segundo* in Mare Island's dry dock 4 on 8 August 1955.	Photo # 261X1-8-55 TH from the files of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
968k	CDR James C. Gibson (CO of Segundo (SS-398)) talks with two Mare Island marine machinists (Shop 38) repairing main ballast tank vent valves on 8 August 1955. Left to right: Arthur Buckley and W. M. Joseph.	Photo # 261X2-8-55 TH from the files of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
742k	Navy PAO photo of Segundo (SS-398). Date and place not listed but she looks like she in Subic Bay?	Photo # 261X3-8-55 TH from the files of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
177k	The crew of Segundo (SS-398) is being addressed during her change of command at Mare Island on 18 October 1955.	USN photo # 26848-10-55, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
459k	Segundo (SS-398) off Mare Island on 28 November 1955.	USN photo # 272828-55, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
691k	Segundo (SS-398) is under the covering for outer hull sandblasting on 14 February 1962 at berth 18. It is not clear to me how the yard keep the sandblasting grit out of the river.	Photo # 277X1-1-46 TH, courtesy of Mare Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
358k	Segundo's (SS-398) Commanding Officer LCDR J. K. McConeghy; Commanded May 1961 to July 1963.	Photo # 99514-8-70 TH, courtesy of Mare Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
301k	Segundo's (SS-398) after battery and mouldering laundry room in the early 1960's.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
288k	Segundo (SS-398) at sea in 1964.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
90k	In 2000, Russ Noragon, a machinist's mate aboard the Segundo (SS-398), mentioned his failed mission to rescue the Pueblo (AGER-2) after its capture by North Korea on 23 January 1968.	Photograph & PDF courtesy of Bill Streifer.
361k	View of the decommissioning of the three submarines at Mare Island on 1 August 1970. Left to right: Pomodon (SS-486), and Medregal (SS-480) outboard of Segundo (SS-398).	Photo # 99510-8-70 TH, courtesy of Mare Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
426k	The colors are lowered for the final time aboard Segundo (SS-398) with Medregal (SS-480) outboard.	Photo # 99514-8-70 TH, courtesy of Mare Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum via Darryl L. Baker.
267k	The end (literally) of the Segundo (SS-398) after being struck by a torpedo from the Salmon (SS-573) on 8 August 1970.	USN photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).