NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive
Patches on left & center contributed by Carl Nye
Patch on right courtesy of Mike Smolinski.
Blenny (SS-324) (AGSS-324)
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.
| Click On Image For Full Size | Size | Image Description | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1.56k | Keel of the Blenny (SS-324), 8 July 1943, at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15073 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 | 175k | Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Blenny's (SS-324) keel laying, 8 July 1943, at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT. | USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 |
552k | Looks like the start of another work day as E.B. employees climb up the stairwell past the "No Swimming at this site" sign near the new North Yard. An officer on deck of the soon to be launched Blenny (SS-324) looks across the opposite ways at the construction of a prefabricated section of the Cochino (SS-345). The pace of construction progresses quickly as a worker tightens the bolts on part of her hull. The Cochino's keel would officially be laid 13 April. Construction of the boat will be moved over to the soon to be vacated way that the Blenny now occupies. By early 1944, most of the building yards were forced to adopt some measure of pre-fabrication in order to expedite the building process. Manitowoc was the acknowledged master of this art and it allowed them to complete boats quickly in a limited amount of building space. (Manitowoc built their boats to EB plans). While EB did not go to the same extent as Manitowoc, even they pre-fabricated some sections and attached them to the keel once it was laid. The date of the photo is probably around the first week of April 1944. The Blenny would be launched on the 9th. Note the Blenny's open outer torpedo door shutters still need to be affixed. |
NARA FILE # 80-G-468517, photographed by Lt. Comdr. Charles Fenno Jacobs, USNR. Photo # HD-SN-99-02479, courtesy of dodmedia.osd.mil, Defense Visual Information Center. Photo i.d. courtesy of John Hummel, Ric Hedman & David Johnston. Partial text courtesy of David Johnston | |
 0832410 | 1.19k | A woman shipyard worker studies a blueprint atop the hull frames of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15065 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832416 | 1.02k | Men cutting holes in hull plates with gas torches, during the construction of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. Her keel had been laid on 8 July 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15085 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832401 | 1.06k | Workmen aligning hull sections inside the pressure hull of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15066 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832426 | 1.01k | Workman on scaffolding in the upper pressure hull of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15067 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832427 | 1.45k | Men installing hull sections inside the pressure hull of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15069 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832428 | 919k | Men working on the hull of Blenny (SS-324), circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15071 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 0832429 | 1.03k | Workman guides crane operator as a hull section is lowered into place on the submarine's building way, circa summer 1943. | Photographed by Commander Edward Steichen, USNR. USN photo # 80-G-K-15089 courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command |
|
 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. | |
 | 75k | Commemorative post mark on the occasion of Blenny's (SS-324) launching at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., 9 April 1944. | USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 | 668k | Six photo PDF of Commemorative post marks on Blenny's (SS-324) keel laying, launching & commissioning. | Photos courtesy of Russ Wilson. | |
 | 72k | The Blenny (SS-324) sliding down the launching ways at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT., 9 April 1944. | Courtesy of Frank Toon. Coquille, Oregon, webmaster / webenet.net. | |
 | 382k | Blenny's (SS-324) crew at the boat's commissioning party at Polly's Inn, Norwich, CT. Polly's Inn burned down (total loss) during the night of 5 March, 1947. See the attached newspaper article (Front page, bottom right under FLASHES!). | USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. Polly's Inn insert courtesy of Joshua Blodgett. |
|
 | 393k | Lieutenant Commander W. H. Hazzard, Blenny (SS-324) CO, reading his orders during the boat's commissioning on 27 July 1944 at Electric Boat Company, Groton, CT. | USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 |
771k | Blenny (SS-324) seen at 250 feet by the airship ZP-12 on 24 August 1944. | USN photo # 80-G-282689, from National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), College Park, Maryland, courtesy of Sean Hert. | |
 |
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. | |
 | 130k | Stern view of Blenny (SS-324) off Mare Island on 4 November 1947. | USN photo # 2135-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 100k | Broadside view of Blenny (SS-324) off Mare Island on 4 November 1947. She was in overhaul at the yard from 16 August to 22 November 1947. | USN photo # 2137-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 | 103k | Bow on view of Blenny (SS-324)in the Mare Island channel departing the yard on 4 November 1947. | USN photo # 2139-47, courtesy of Darryl L. Baker. | |
 0832414 |
742k | The Blenny (SS-324) in dry dock getting TLC. | USN photo courtesy of Author's collection. | |
 | 47k | Capt. Frederick L. Taeusch was the Commanding Officer of the Blenny (SS-324) from July 1947 to December 1949. | Official photograph of the U.S. Navy courtesy of Bill Gonyo. | |
 | 283k | The Blenny (SS-324) makes her way up the Thames river after 1951 conversion to a GUPPY class. | USN photo courtesy of ussubvetsofwwii.org. | |
 | 299k | Nothing like going on a vacation to Bermuda. The Blenny (SS-324), Grouper (SS-214) & Cavalla (SS-244) appear here sometime after 1953. | Photo courtesy of John Hummell. | |
 | 124k | Blenny (SS-324) was the test ship for the BQG-4 PUFFS sonar. This picture shows her carrying the first engineering development model and was taken in November, 1960. She was later refitted with a fully mature system, the only Guppy to have PUFFS other than the Guppy III's. Grouper (AGSS-214) also conducted tests of the PUFFS system, but never carried an operational version. | Photo courtesy of Ric Hedman. Text info courtesy of David Johnston | |
 |
143k | Mixed bag of boats from different bases moored together possibly at the Key West Naval Base or at Roosevelt Roads, P.R.
From left to right & front to back: From New London with the eight ball plaque of subron 8; Blenny (SS-324); from Key West with the subron 12 plaque: Grenadier (SS-525); from Norfolk with the subron 6 plaque; Carp (SS-338) & again from Key West; the Balao (SS-285) tied up to the pier. Behind them and from Charleston with subron 4 is the Trigger (SS-564) and an unidentified boat. Grenadier received her high sail in an overhaul in 1961-62. I found a picture of Blenny that showed her with a high sail that was dated 18 Apr 1966. All of the boats in the photo were known to have been based in, or operating out of, Key West in the period of 1962-1966. Therefore, I can reliably conclude that this photo was taken between 1962 and 1966. Grenadier and Balao (SS-285) participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade in October, 1962. In November, Grenadier was one of several ships that participated in a maritime rights show of force exercise off Cuba. It is conceivable that these other boats were dispatched to the area as backup in case this exercise went south. So it's possible that this photo was taken during late 1962 during the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis. |
Photo by Tim "T-Spoon" Spoon & submitted by John Hummel, USN (Retired). Text I.d. courtesy of John Hummel, Mike Keating & David Johnston (USN, retired) | |
 | 59k | The Blenny (SS-324) in one of her final configurations, with the shark fin arrays with the standard BQG-4 PUFFS system. This photo was taken on 18 April 1966. | USNI Photo & I.d. courtesy of David Johnston | |
 | 49k | From left to right, Sea Robin (SS-407), Tusk (SS-426), Sea Owl (SS-405), Sablefish (SS-303), Halfbeak (SS-352), Blenny (SS-324) & Becuna (SS-319) at New London CT, in 1968 during change of command. | Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. | |
 | 84k | Blenny (SS-324) and Becuna (SS-319) still in commission, but in the Philadelphia Naval Yard to decommission about 1969. Dogfish (SS-350) in background in for over haul. | Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. | |
 | 683k | Twenty page Welcome Aboard PDF of the Blenny (SS-324) & other photos. | USN photo courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com. | |
 | 31k | Sub Ron 8: Clamagore (SS-343),(front) Cobbler (SS-344) on her starboard side Corporal (SS-346) on her port side, Blenny (SS-324) bringing up the rear. Circa 1968-71, location unknown. | Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. | |
 | 323k | Sub Ron 8 from a different perspective: Corporal (SS-346) is on the port side of the diamond, Cobbler (SS-344) is on starboard side Clamagore (SS-343) up front and Blenny (SS-324) brining up the rear, circa 1968-71, location unknown. | Photo courtesy of John Hummel, USN (Retired). | |
 | 28k | Clamagore (SS-343) against pier, Tiru (SS-416), Blenny (SS-324) & Albacore (AGSS-569), circa early 80's at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. | Photo courtesy of John Hummel, (USN) retired. Photo I.d. submitted by Ron Reeves (of blessed memory) | |
 | 985k | Albany (CG-10) & other decommissioned warships in Norfolk harbor in November 1983. The submarine on the right is the Blenny (AGSS-324). Decommissioned in 1969, she was initially moored in the Reserve Fleet in Philadelphia. She was moved to Portsmouth, VA in the early 1970's and subsequently to Norfolk on 3 July 1979 where she remained until her donation to the state of Maryland for use as an artificial reef. This submarine is obviously a Guppy fleet boat with the three shark-fins of the AN/BQG-4 PUFFS sonar. To big to be a Tang class or the Darter, her sail is also too small to be the Sailfish or the Salmon. The only fleet boats to have PUFFS were the GUPPY III's, but all had been transfered to other navies or disposed of by the date of the photo. The only other Guppy to have PUFFS was the Blenny, a Guppy IA. | Text courtesy of David Johnston Photo i.d. courtesy of Ric Hedman, John Hummel & David Johnston. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org via Stephen Gower. |
|
 | 22k | Blenny (SS-324), sunk as part of an artificial reef off Ocean City, NJ. | Courtesy of Frank Toon. Coquille, Oregon, webmaster / webenet.net. | |
 |
365k | This plaque was unveiled 20 March 1995 by His Excellency Major General P.M. Jeffery OA MC, Governor of Western Australia to commemorate the sacrifices made by Allied submarines that operated out of Fremantle, Western Australia during WW II. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reeves (of blessed memory). | |
 | 266k | Blenny (SS-324) 1m resolution multibeam with coordinates. | Photo courtesy of bathymetricresearch.com by Gary Fabian. | |
 | 184k | Blenny (SS-324) profile view with water depths. | Photo courtesy of bathymetricresearch.com by Gary Fabian. | |
 | 351k | Blenny (SS-324) 3D perspective view. | Photo courtesy of bathymetricresearch.com by Gary Fabian. | |
| Back To The Main Photo Index | Back To the Submarine Index |
| Problems and site related matters, E-mail Webmaster |
| This page is created by Gary Priolo and maintained by Michael Mohl All Pages © 1996 - 2024 NavSource History All rights reserved. |
