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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Sea Devil (SS-400) (AGSS-400)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Oscar - Yankee
Balao Class Submarine: Laid down, 18 November 1943, at Portsmouth Navy Yard, on Seavey Island in Kittery, Maine. Launched, 28 February 1944; Commissioned USS Sea Devil (SS-400), 24 May 1944; Decommissioned, in 10 September 1948; Laid up in the Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned on 2 March 1951; Decommissioned, 19 February 1954; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet; Recommissioned, 17 August 1957; Redesignated Auxiliary Research Submarine (AGSS-400), 1 July 1960; Decommissioned, 17 February 1964; Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1964; Final Disposition, was sunk by Volador (SS-490) during a weapons test with a MK-37-1 wireguided torpedo on 24 November 64.Sea Devil was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and received five battle stars for World War II service.
Partial data submitted by Yves Hubert.

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.
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SS-400
0840022		593k Mrs. S.S. Kennedy, Sponsor, and Mrs. H.H. Lupinski, Matron of Honor, for Sea Devil (SS-400), 28 February 1944. Image NH 64919 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
SS-400
0840021		572k John I. Janiak, Progressman, presents the Navy Yard Employees' gift to Mrs. S.S. Kennedy, ship's Sponsor, at the launching of Sea Devil (SS-400), Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, 28 February 1944. Rear Admiral Thomas Withers, USN, looks on. Image NH 64922 and text courtesy of history.navy.mil
Sea Devil 28k Commemorative postal cover on the occasion of the launching of the Sea Devil (SS-400) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 28 February 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Sea Devil 63k Commemorative launching tag of the Sea Devil (SS-400) at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 28 February 1944. Photo courtesy of Ron Toth, Jr.via Tom Kermen.
Sea Devil100kA cold day in February 1944 sees the Sea Devil (SS-400) launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Sea Devil 12k Sea Devil (SS-400) sinks her first boat of the war; the Japanese submarine I-364 some 250 miles east of the Boso Peninsula, Japan in position 34.30N, 145.23E. Photo & text courtesy of Great Circle Mapper - © Karl L Swartz / uboat.net.
Sea Devil93k2 December 1944: Sea Devil (SS-400) attacks convoy MI-29 enroute to the Philippines. Sea Devil sinks Hawaii Maru. She takes down 2,047 soldiers and crew including the IJA's 22nd Sea Raiding Battalion and its power boats. Text courtesy of combinedfleet.com/PhilippinesEMB.
Photo courtesy of Tommy Trampp.
Sea Devil 166k Stern view of Sea Devil (SS-400) off Mare Island in 14 March 1946. USN photo # 1075-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil 214k Broadside view of Sea Devil (SS-400) off Mare Island in 14 March 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 21 December 1945 to 3 April 1946. USN photo # 1077-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil 238k Bow on view of Sea Devil (SS-400) off Mare Island in 14 March 1946. USN photo # 1079-46, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil 87k Midships plan view with alterations circled, Sea Devil (SS-400) off Mare Island in 14 March 1946. USN photo # 1075-46, courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Sea Devil 765k Sea Devil (SS-400), entering Pearl Harbor possibly during the period from 26 July 1946 to 5 May 1947, she conducted operations in the Hawaiian area. USN photo provided by Capt. Ralph E. Styles, former CO of the boat, courtesy of wikipedia.org.
Text courtesy of DANFS.
Sea Devil83kCDR W. J. Rube reads his orders as he assumes command on the Sea Devil (SS-400) at Mare Island on 2 March 1951. USN photo # 8436-3-51, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil93kBow light of the Sea Devil (SS-400) at Mare Island on 15 March 1951.USN photo # 8598-3-51, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil128kSea Devil (SS-400) photographed 24 May 1953, probably off Pearl Harbor.USN CHINFO photo # 630713 courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Sea Devil281kAerial view of the Sea Devil (SS-400) off Mare Island on 8 December 1953. USN photo # 19538-12-53, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil56kLT S. M. Steen assumes command of Sea Devil (SS-400) from LCDR A. E. May at Mare Island on 15 December 1953. USN photo # 19589-12-53, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil 988k Sea Devil's (SS-400) re-commissioning from a News clipping from the Vallejo Times Herald in August 1957. YRB-16 is outboard of Sea Devil and the Catfish (SS-339) is forward of Sea Devil. Photo # 36224-8-57 TH from the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil82kCapt. John H. Turner is speaker at the re-commissioning of Sea Devil (SS-400) at Mare Island on 17 August 1957. USN photo # 36223-8-57, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
Sea Devil178kVarious views of the Sea Devil (SS-400) photographed 27 February 1961 during the start of her next to last 6 month Westpac - February-August 1961.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Sea Devil 68k Sea Devil (SS-400), port side view underway, 17 April 1963 near San Francisco. Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Sea Devil127kSea Devil (SS-400) photographed 18 June 1963 at the start of her last Westpac patrol before final decommissioning in February 1964.USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Pacific collection 214k A Pacific collection: From inboard to outboard: Sea Devil (SS-400), Redfish (SS-395), Baya (AGSS-318), Capitaine (SS-336) & Volador (SS-490).
This picture was taken sometime after January, 1964. At that time the Baya had emerged from a conversion that gave her the configuration that is shown here. This also correlates to the Guppy III in the background, the Volador. She was converted to this configuration in 1963. The rest of the boats have what is called the "Queenfish Mod", a minimal attempt at streamlining by removing all the deck guns and topside ammo lockers and cutting away small portions of the fairwater. 		Text courtesy of David Johnston. (USNR).
Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
Sea Devil 76k The Sea Devil (SS-400) explodes after being hit by a torpedo fired by the Volador (SS-490), commanded by LCDR Glenn M. Brewer USN, during a weapons test with a MK-37-1 wireguided torpedo on 24 November 1964. The photo was taken by a helo from NAS North Island, San Diego. Voladorwas in SUBDIV FIFTY-TWO [SUBFLOT ONE; SUBRON FIVE] at the time. Courtesy of Bill Parker. (USN Ret).
View the Sea Devil (SS-400)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ
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