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NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Radio Call Sign: November - Juliet - Bravo - Hotel

Growler (SSG-577)

Grayback Class Submarine: Laid down, 15 February 1955, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.; Launched, 5 April 1958; Commissioned, USS Growler (SSG-577), 30 August 1958; Decommissioned, 25 May 1964, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island Group; Struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1980; Final Disposition, on permanent display, 29 September 1988, as a museum ship, Intrepid Park, New York, NY.

Specifications: Displacement, Surfaced, 2,670 t. Submerged, 3,650; Length 317'; Beam 25'; Test Depth 700': Complement 9 Officers, 75 Enlisted; Armament, four Regulus I missiles, or two Regulus II missiles, or two Regulus Is and one Regulus II, six 21" torpedo tubes, one Regulus launcher; Propulsion, diesel-electric, twin propellers.

Click On Image For Full Size	Size	Image Description	Source
0857711	727k	Being readied for launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, 5 April 1958. View of port side of bow poppet of Growler (SSG-577).	Photo NH-53791 courtesy history.navy.mil
0857729	627k	View of the launching ways at the launching, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire, just prior to Growler's (SSG-577) launching, 5 April 1958.	Photo NH-53799 courtesy history.navy.mil
0857728	799k	Growler (SSG-577) being readied for launching, at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, New Hampshire, 5 April 1958.	Photo NH-53789 courtesy history.navy.mil
0857727	727k	Left to Right: Captain Warren C. Hall, Jr., Mrs. Hall, Matron of Honor, Mrs. Robert L. Moore, Jr., Rear Admiral Robert L. Moore, Jr., Commander of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Mrs. Albert G. Mumma, Mrs. Robert K. Byerts, sponsor, and Rear Admiral A. G. Mumma, chief of Buships, who delivered the principal address at the launching, of Growler (SSG-577), 5 April 1958 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire.	Photo NH-53797 courtesy history.navy.mil
	467k	Mrs. Robert K. Byerts, widow of Comdr. Thomas B. Oakley, Jr., who commanded the third Growler (SS-215) on her 9th, 10th, and fatal 11th war patrols sponsors the new Growler (SSG-577) on the launching ways on 5 April 1958 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	Text courtesy of DANFS. Photo courtesy of Dale Hargrave.
	870k	The Growler (SSG-577) on the launching ways on 5 April 1958 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	Photo courtesy of Dale Hargrave.
0857726	558k	Mrs. Robert K. Byerts christening the Growler (SSG-577).	Photo courtesy of Dale Hargrave.
	1.20k	The Growler (SSG-577) slides down the launching ways on 5 April 1958 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, ME.	USN photo # USN 1039790, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
0857725	NR	ANOTHER MISSILE-LAUNCHING SUB The Growler (SSG-577), the Navy's latest submarine to launch and direct missiles, is commissioned at a colorful ceremony at the Naval shipyard at Portsmouth, N. H. The *Growler* is the second sub deisgned to launch both Regulus I and Regulus II missiles. Its prospective commanding officer is Lt. Comdr. Charles Priest, Jr., USN.	AP Wirephoto. PDF Image and text provided by Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Photo from Evening Star [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 31 August 1958, Image 7 via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
	172k	Stern view of the Growler (SSG-577) on 28 November 1958.	USN photo # USN 1039790, courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	226k	Growler (SSG-577), cut out detailing her Regulus missile and launcher guise, circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	920k	Growler (SSG-577) looking over her bulbous missile hanger, underway, with a Regulus missile in the launcher pod. Circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	17k	Growler (SSG-577) launching a Regulus missile at sea, circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	43k	Growler (SSG-577) with a Regulus missile and launcher appearing in front of the sail, circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	177k	Growler (SSG-577) with a Regulus missile and launcher appearing in front of the sail, circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	170k	Growler (SSG-577) in her Regulus missile and launcher guise, circa 1959-60.	Courtesy of Nick Spark.
	76k	Grayback (SSG-574) and Growler (SSG-577) alongside each other at Mare Island shortly before both boats were decommissioned on 25 May 1964 and were placed in reserve.	Photo courtesy of Robert Hurst. Photo i.d. courtesy of Darryl L. Baker
	497k	Grayback (SSG-574) and Growler (SSG-577) alongside each other.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	1.30k	Regulus Deterrent Patrols by the following submarines from September 1959 to July 1964: Tunny (SSG-282), Barbero (SSG-317), Grayback (SSG-574), Growler (SSG-577),& Halibut (SSGN-587).	Photograph courtesy of Ron Phillipi.
	464k	Transfer at sea between the Growler (SSG-577) to Barbero (SSG-317), circa 1959-60.	Photograph courtesy of Ron Phillipi.
	71k	Oil on canvas by the artist John Meeks entitled Growler (SSG-577).	Photo & text courtesy of subart.net.
	94k	Growler (SSG-577), underway, port side view, circa early 60's.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	4.12k	Aerial photo of the Mare Island Reserve Fleet taken 25 November 1966 shown Growler (SSG-577), six old fleet boats, Bass (SSK-2), Bonita (SSK-3), Grayback (SSG-574) and another fleet boat. The Pelias (AS-14) is the sub tender located with the submarines.	Photograph courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
	133k	Stern view of the Growler (SSG-577) underway.	USN photo courtesy of Robert Hurst.
	145k	Bow view of an unknown Guppy, approximately 1970 at Mare Island. The boat to the left of the Guppy is the Growler (SSG-577). The boat to the right of the Guppy most likely Raton (SSR-270). Other ships identifiable in the background are the Canberra (CA-70), Litchfield County (LST-901), and Sedgwick County (LST-1123).	Text info courtesy of David Johnston USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org.
0832135	1.15k	Sail of the Growler (SSG-577), 3 March 1971 in the Inactive Reserve Fleet at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Other than *LST 1123* & *LST 901*, the destroyers, destroyer escorts and submarines are unknown. I had no luck finding a list of the ships in the reserve at Mare Island.	USN photo # MINSY 102739-3-71, from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.
	219k	In 1988, my father-in-law was in the ocean transport business based in Tampa, Florida. He had many friends and business associates at Tampa Shipyard. One day I got a call from him and he told me that we had a sub in at the shipyard, and would I like to go and see her. Of course I said yes. The Growler (SSG-577) had just been towed in the other day and no work had been done on her yet. We were able to tour her topside and below decks. As I recall, there was no power attached to the boat; we entered the interior of the sub with hard hats and hand held flashlights. The conditions made interior pictures impossible. With all that said, here is a 6 photo PDF as well as an interior photo of the bow.	Photos courtesy of Jay Milewski.
	80k	The Tugboat Hackensack (YTM-750) pushing the Ex-Growler (SSG-577) up to the Intrepid Museum in 1988. Fresh from the refit at Tampa Ship.	Photo courtesy US Navy, ussnewyork.com & subpride via Scott Koen.
	248k	The Tugboat Hackensack (YTM-750) pushing the Ex-Growler (SSG-577) up to the Intrepid Museum in 1988. Fresh from the refit at Tampa Ship.	Photo courtesy US Navy, ussnewyork.com & subpride via Scott Koen.
	83k	Ship Dry Dock flooding.	Photos courtesy US Navy, ussnewyork.com & subpride via Scott Koen.
	378k	Intrepid Museum complex 1996; Intrepid (CVA-11), Growler (SSG-577), *Slater, Edson, Tamaroa, Nantucket, Hackensack*.	USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com.
	79k	Growler (SSG-577), at Intrepid Park, New York, circa post 1988.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	131k	Growler (SSG-577) control room passageway, circa post 1988.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	78k	Growler (SSG-577) forward torpedo room, circa post 1988.	Courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired).
	266k	Growler (SSG-577) and the Intrepid (CV-11) moored at N.Y. City harbor, 2006.	Photo courtesy of Michael Carey.
	80k	The Growler (SSG-577) being tugged up the East River 25 September 2009, on its way to GMD Shipyard Corp. facilities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The *Growler* is in dry dock for a hull scrape, some minor exterior repairs and a full, historically accurate paint job that will see the sides painted grey and the top painted black.	Photo courtesy of Jen Carlson & gothamist.com via thesubreport.com.

View the Growler (SSG-577)
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
Regulus; U.S. Navy's first nuclear missile submarines.
USS Growler SSG-577

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