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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Turbot (SS-427)

Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Tango - India

Turbot (SS-427) a Balao-class submarine, was laid down on 13 November 1943 at Philadelphia, Pa., by the Cramp Shipbuilding Co., but the contract for her construction was cancelled on 12 August 1945. Her partially completed hulk was later launched & transported to the Severn river at the naval station 12 June 1950 & then at the Naval ship research and development center (NSWC) DTRC David Taylor Research Center and moved eventually a short distance to Carrs creek before eventually being sold for scrap. The Turbot was used for research and development in connection with the control and reduction of machinery noise in submarines.
Final Disposition: Sold 24 March 1993 to Seawitch Salvage Co., Baltimore, MD for $ 42.590.00. Sale # 31-3364. The sub had to be lightened up, cutup to be moved out of the shallows of Carrs creek and moved to Baltimore for scrapping.
While doing research for my Balao / Tench class project, I discovered that the Turbot (SS-427) and Ulua (SS-428) both built by Cramp and delivered to the Navy incomplete, were actually Balao class boats, not Tenches. These boats were at the tail end of the boats contracted to Cramp, which built its submarines using plans supplied by Portsmouth. Even though Portsmouth had already begun building subs to the Tenches plans, it was decided that all of Cramp's boats would be Balaos. Cramp had experienced considerable difficulties in building its' assigned boats, mostly due to problems in hiring experienced workers and difficulties in getting all the necessary parts from subcontractors. It was felt that having Cramp shift over to the Tenches plans would only exacerbate the problems. Thus hulls 425-428, even though the numbers fell out of sequence, were built to Balao plans.

Partial data submitted by Ron Reeves (of blessed memory), Matthew Mitchell & David Johnston.

The following info was provided from an article that appeared in: www.maritime.org

Turbot (SS-427) was about eighty percent complete when the war ended and she was never finished. Instead she was used as a test platform for developing technology for a number of years. When she was of no further use the Navy allowed us to bring in a crew and remove over ten tons of items missing from Pampanito (SS-383) and spare parts and equipment. We removed the ammunition scuttle, the main supply blower motor for the ventilation system and the high pressure impulse flasks for the forward torpedo tubes and installed them on Pampanito. Also removed was a wealth of spare parts that have enabled several restoration projects. In addition many key spare parts are now available from storage. This process continues as we gather the items Pampanito will need in the future.

Click On Image For Full Size	Size	Image Description	Source
	538k	Psetta maxima, a Turbot.	Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org.
0832442	NR	Admiral King's Daughter Sponsors Sub Blenny (SS-324) Miss Florence King, daughter of Admiral Ernest J King, commander in chief of the United States Fleet, yesterday sponsored the submarine *Blenny, which slid down the ways at the Electric Boat Co. at Groton,Conn. The Blenny* was the seventh submarine launched at the Groton yards this year. Miss King, who is in her 20s, lives at Quarters A, Naval Observatory, Massachusetts avenue N W. She is employed by the Pan-American Airways handling priorities.	Photo courtesy of findagrave.com Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 10 April 1944, Image 15, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
0842724	NR	Launching # 2! Admiral King's Daughter To Sponsor Submarine Miss Florence King, of this city, daughter of Admiral E. J. King, commander in chief of the United States Fleet and chief of naval operations, has been selected by Secretary of Navy Frank Knox to sponsor the submbarine Turbot (SS-427). The ship is under construction at the Cramp Shipbuilding Co.	Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 07 January 1944, Image 26, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
	138k	Ulua (SS-428) & Tusk (SS-426) being built at the Cramp Shipbuilding Co. in Philadelphia on 2 July 1945. The *Ulua* has not received her superstructure main deck or bridge. The *Tusk* is just about complete. Diesel intakes (induction) are visible on board the *Ulua. They trunk up into the main induction just abaft the conning tower pressure vessel. The starboard branch feeds the forward engines, the port branch, whose 22-in pipe is visible under the flat boards, feeds the after engines. When snorleks were installed postwar, their intakes connected to the main induction visible here. Exhaust piping is also visible. The bow of the Turbot* (SS-427) is just visible behind the stern of the *Ulua*.	Photo and partial text courtesy of The Floating Drydock, "Fleet Subs of WW II", by Thomas F. Walkowiak. Partial text courtesy of U.S. Submarines Through 1945, An Illustrated Design History by Norman Friedman. Naval Institute Press, & The Fleet Submarine in the U.S. Navy: A Design and Construction History, by John D. Alden, Commander USN (Retired).
0842713	326k	Turbot (SS-427) on the building ways at Cramp shipyards, 2 July 1945 before cancellation.	Photo courtesy of John Hummel.
0842716	NR	Mrs. Walter Anderson To Christen Submarine Mrs. Walter S. Anderson, 2301 Connecticut avenue N.W., will christen the submarine Turbot (SS-427), which will be launched at Philadelphia Sunday. Mrs. Anderson is the wife of Rear Admiral Anderson, president of the Board of Inspection and Survey in the Navy Department. The *Turbot* is named after a large European flatfish. Note: She also christened the Grenadier (SS-210) (below) if you want to imagine how her christening party might have looked.	Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 22 August 1945, Image 18, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
	1.23k	Ship's Sponsor, Mrs. Walter S. Anderson, with other members of the launching party, during Grenadier's (SS-210) christening ceremonies at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine, 29 November 1940. Those present include, in the front row, left to right: Captain Henry F.D. Davis, Navy Yard Industrial Manager; Rear Admiral Walter A. Anderson, Director of Naval Intelligence; Rear Admiral John D. Wainwright, Navy Yard Commandant; Mrs. Walter S. Anderson; Miss. Patricia Crosley of New York City; Captain John J. Brown; and Lieutenant H.K. Leslie, Aide to RAdm. Wainwright. Second row, left to right: Mrs. John D. Wainwright; and Mrs. G.B. Crosley. Third row, left to right: Commander A.I. McKee, Navy Yard Planning Officer; Mrs. Henry F.D. Davis; Mrs. John J. Brown; and Lieutenant Hale. Mr. Joseph F. Flanagan is in the top center.	Photo NH 91225 courtesy of history.navy.mil
	521k	1950 photo of the Turbot (SS-427) at the seawall of the naval station Annapolis, small craft and former navy seaplane deck. In the background is the Annapolis Naval Academy and the ship for housing the *Reina Mercedes*.	Text i.d. courtesy of Matthew Mitchell. USN photo courtesy of dt.navy.mil.
	820k	The Turbot (SS-427) on sound trials, circa 1950.	Photo from the personal collection of Ric Hedman.
	411k	The Turbot (SS-427) tied up to the wharf at the United States Naval Engineering Experiment Station (North Severn) in Annapolis. Photo circa 1952.	Photo i.d. via David Gendell. Photo courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD (Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division) via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	376k	The Turbot (SS-427) which was used as a floating laboratory for machine noise investigations. Hydrophones are placed in the water near the submarine to pick up the noise transmitted through the hull. Photo circa 1952.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
0842715	1.05k	Silencing Our Submarines. At anchor in the Severn River, the Navy submarine Turbot (SS-427) is a testing ground for engineers trying to silence noisy machinery. Technicians are lowering a hydrophone alongside to pick up operating sounds......	Insert image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 15 August 1954, Images 129 & 130, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
0842714	NR	Submarine Up a Creek. ODD as it may look, the hulk you see above is the submarine Turbot (SS-427), and it's up a creek. Carr Creek, off the Severn River near Annapolis, to be exact. Why? Noise. Seems the *Turbot's* a testing ship used by noise-conscious engineers at the Naval Engineering Experiment Station in Annapolis. Big project of the station's Wave Mechanics Labor atory is finding ways of cutting out noises aboard a submarine. Water's a noisy element, anyway. Such things as diesel engines and gears meshing can create an underwater racket......	Insert image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo & text by Evening Star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 12 February 1956, Image 165, courtesy of chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
	563k	Article from the Navy News, 21 May 1976 regarding the Turbot's (SS-427) contribution to the Navy.	Courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	175k	Invitation for DOD Sales bid for the Turbot (SS-427), 24 March 1993.	Courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	275k	Invitation for DOD Sales bid for the Turbot (SS-427), 24 March 1993. Note that Cramp is misspelled as Crump.	Courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	166k	This photo & the following four were taken during aboard Turbot (SS-427) while being scrapped at Boston Metals, 1993. Formerly what was the forward compartments.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	136k	Forward Engine Room looking forward.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). Photo I.d. & text courtesy of LCDR R.J. Hansen, USNR (Retired),Former TM2 (SS).
	160k	ME # 4.starboard side.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).
	179k	After Torpedo Room. You can see the torpedo tubes and the aft access ladder to After Torpedo Room deck hatch.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). Photo I.d. & text courtesy of LCDR R.J. Hansen, USNR(Retired), Former TM2(SS).
	159k	Aft torpedo room.	Courtesy of Tom Warring, Public Affairs, NSWCCD via Ron Reeves (of blessed memory).

View the Turbot (SS-427)
DANFS history entry located on the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not applicable to this ship.
Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Turbot lives in San Francisco
San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, Bringing Maritime History to Life Since 1950
Guppy Submarines
Tench Class Submarines
Ep-21 (1) - Victory At Sea ~ Full Fathom Five - HQ

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