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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive


Patch on right courtesy of Sait Kucuk CPOS (Ret.),Turkish Navy. Other patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Trutta (SS-421)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Tango - Foxtrot

Tench Class Submarine: Originally named Tomatate, name changed on 24 September 1942. Laid down, 22 May 1944 at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME; Launched 18 August 1944; Commissioned USS Trutta (SS-421) on 14 November 1944. Decommissioned in March 1946 at New London/Groton, CT and laid up at Thames River Group of Atlantic Reserve Fleet.Re-Commissioned on 1 March 1951; Decommissioned again on 4 May 1952 for GUPPY IIA (snorkel) modernization at Charleston Naval Shipyard, SC.
Commissioned after conversion on 2 January 1953, she joined Submarine Squadron 4 based at Key West, FL and operated in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico with occasional deployments to the U. S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean.
In June, 1972 Trutta embarked and commenced training the turnover crew of the Turkish Navy pursuant to the Security Assistance Program.
On 1 July 1972, she was simultaneously Decommissioned; struck from the United States Naval Vessel Registry (NVR); Transferred (sale) to the Republic of Turkey and Commissioned TCG Cerbe (S-340) at Key West Naval Station, FL. Cerbe participated joint Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training before departing for Izmir, Turkey and arriving there on 27 August 1972.
Cerbe was assigned patrol duties during the 20 July 1974 Cyprus "Peace Operations" and remained active in the Turkish submarine forces until her Decommissioning on 23 July 1999 at the Golcuk Navy Yard, Turkey. Final disposition, sold for scrap.
Researched by CTRC Donald J. Wagner, USN (Ret.), Sait Kucuk, CPOS (Retired), Turkish Navy & Yves Hubert for NavSource. Trutta received two battle stars for her World War II service.

As built to the specifications: Displacement, Surfaced: 1,570 t., Submerged: 2,416 t.; Length 311' 8"; Beam 27' 2"; 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 Fairbanks Morse main generator diesel engines, 5,400 hp, Fuel Capacity, 113,510 gals, two General Electric main motors, 2,740 hp, two 126-cell main storage batteries, two propellers.
Note: All boats (GUPPY I, II & III)after snorkel modification had their reduction gear removed. They had two direct drive electric main motors.
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Size Image Description Source
Trutta 70k The brown trout, Salmo trutta.Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.
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NR Mr. Edward C. Magdeburger & Mrs. Elviria Magdeburger with their daughter Alice, and son, Robert, are spending the week end in New York City. Friday, Mrs. Magdeburger was sponsor for the submarine, Trutta (SS-421), at the Navy Yard at Portsmouth, N. H. Miss Magdeburger was the maid of honor for the launching ceremonies. Edward C. Magdeburger is a prominent Navy Dept. executive. onlinelibrary.wiley.com Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC & University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Insert PDF Montgomery County Sentinel, [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 25 July 1961, Image 5.
Photo from the Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 20 August 1944, Image 28, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Trutta 275k Trutta (SS-421) is launched at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME, 18 August 1944. USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Trutta124kCommemorative launch tag on the occasion of Trutta's (SS-421) launch at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Portsmouth, N.H., 18 August 1944. Photo courtesy of Bill Gonyo.
Trutta 22k Commemorative post mark from Trutta's (SS-421) launching at Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, ME, 18 August 1944. Courtesy of Jack Treutle (of blessed memory).
Tirante461kTrutta (SS-421) one of the last submarines to go on patrol before Japan surrendered, anchored off Guam, Marianas Islands, 12 August 1945.
L to R: Captain E.B. McKinney, USN, & Lt. Cmdr. Eugene McCaine.
L to R: Lt. Cmdr. Eugene McCaine, Capt. of the sub, Capt. E. W. Grenfell, USN, & Captain E.B. McKinney, USN coming aboard the sub.
USN photo # 80-G-1157 / 58 & 59 by Lt. Dewey Wrigley, from NARA, College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert.
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0842122
581k 4 page PDF history of the Trutta (SS-421). USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Trutta 135k Broadside view of the Trutta (SS-421) circa late 1940's. USN photo courtesy of David Buell.
Richard Boyer Laning
0842151
119k Richard Boyer Laning was the CO of the Trutta (SS-421) from 01.03.1951 04.05.1952.
He appears here while CO of the Proteus (AS-19) in 1961.
Partial text via Wolfgang Hechler.
Photo courtesy of mediastorehouse.com.au
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0842124
NR Waltz Time
MRS. DONALD MINNER, whose husband commands the Trutta (SS-421), was chairman of SubRon wives and of the successful dance given by her group. She is taking time out for a waltz with Lieut. A. B. Taylor, USN, who is attached to the Sea Poacher (SS-406).
Image and text provided by University of Florida.
Photo from the The Key West Citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 10 December 1953, Image 3, via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
Trutta 79k Trutta (SS-421), underway, circa 1950's (?) USN photo.
Tirante237kTrutta (SS-421) on 27 January 1955. USN photo # USN 658188, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
Trutta & Bergall 65k Trutta (SS-421), & Bergall (SS-320), dockside in Florida, home from Med Cruise 1958. Photo courtesy of Jack Tretule.
Trutta 205k Ceremony for 4 boats at a pier in sea major.
Sealion (APSS-315), centre, with Trutta (SS-421), at left, alongside unidentified tender, and Sea Cat (SS-399), at right. The small boat at the other pier is the Mackerel (SST-1).
I believe this to be a Change of Command for the Commanding Officer of the submarine squadron, not just the Sealion. All of the boats have their crews topside and in whites, including the tender on the far left of the photo. This indicates something larger than just the Sealion. They used her deck to set up the podiums because she has the largest deck aft of the conning tower. Her deck was expanded during her amphibious conversion.
The Sealion would have left Key West not long after this photo was taken, for decommissioning in Philadelphia, so it is unlikely that she would be having a CoC at that time.
Photo i.d. & text courtesy of Ric Hedman & David Johnston
Photo # MM00041228x by Don Pinder from the Ida Woodward Baron Collection in the Florida Keys Public Library via flickr.com courtesy of Robert Hurst.
Trutta & Sea Cat 103k Broadside view of the Trutta (SS-421) during a hi-line transfer of Squadron 12 CO to the Sea Cat (SS-399) in Med Sea, April 1961, Pics taken from my station in top of Sea Cat's sail. Photo courtesy of Alan Hurlbut via Larry Lutjens.
Trutta & Sea Cat 88k On the upslide from the Trutta (SS-421) during a hi-line transfer of Squadron 12 CO to the Sea Cat (SS-399) in Med Sea, April 1961. Photo courtesy of Alan Hurlbut via Larry Lutjens.
Sea Cat 660k Turkish and American submarines at M'sida, Malta prior to NATO Exercise 'Medflex Invicta', 16-21 April 1961. Along the portside of HMS Narvik (LST 3044), the temporary depot ship at Malta is: (outboard to inboard) Canakkale (S-333), Sea Cat (SS-399) and Trutta (SS-421).Source: Imperial War Museum British Post-1945 Official Classified Print Collection, Photo No. © IWM (HU 102632) via Mike Green.
Trutta 121k Trutta (SS-421) ties up to the dock in Key West, Florida, in 1964. Courtesy of Charlie Chace.
Tirante154kTirante (SS-420) and the Trutta (SS-421) alongside the pier at the Naval Station Key West C 1960's. Photo from the Ida Woodward Baron Collection in the Florida Keys Public Library via flickr.com courtesy of Steven Gower.
Trutta 88k Trutta (SS-421) at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, June 1967. © Richard Leonhardt
Tirante237kAn AF-2 and AF-2W of Anti-Submarine Squadron Thirty One (VS-31) from Naval Air Station Quonset Point, RI, are overflying the Trutta (SS-421) in an undated photo. US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No.1996.253.6225, courtesy of Mike Green.
Marlin349kCutlass (SS-478), Trutta (SS-421), Odax (SS-484),Tirante (SS-420), Marlin (SST-2) & Mackerel (SST-1), alongside for inspection. Wright Langley Collection. Florida Keys Public Libraries. Photo # MM00046694x. via Robert Hurst.
Trutta 104k Trutta (SS-421), underway in port, date and location unknown. Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
TCG Cerbe (S-340)
Trutta 148k The Cerbe (S-340) underway circa early 1970's.Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Sea Fox 92k The ex-Razorback (SS-394) as the Muratreis (S-336) is the second boat on the left, middle boat is the Cerbe (S-340), ex-Trutta (SS-421), the ex-Sea Fox (SS-402) as the Burak Reis (S-335) (2nd from right), with other Turkish subs; one of which is the ex-Tang (SS-563) as the Pirireis (S-343) and the other as ex-Gudgeon (SSAG-567), now the Hizirreis (S-342).Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Trutta 234k The Cerbe (S-340) underway in a 1990's view.Photo courtesy of Y.M.Umar,CPO (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Trutta877k The sail of the Cerbe (S-340) on display as a memorial tower since 27 July 2001. Photo courtesy of Cuneyt Demir. Photo i.d. courtesy of Sait Kucuk CPOS (Ret.),Turkish Navy.
Trutta212k The sail of the Cerbe (S-340) on display as a memorial tower. Photo courtesy of Cuneyt Demir. Photo i.d. courtesy of Sait Kucuk CPOS (Ret.),Turkish Navy.

There is no DANFS History currently available for Trutta (SS-421) at the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.
Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Guppy Submarines
Tench Class Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ

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