USS Requin SS-481

USS Requin SS-481
Country	USA
Class and type	Tench-class diesel-electric submarine
Launched	1 January 1945
Decommissioned	2 December 1968

USS Requin (SS/SSR/AGSS/IXSS-481), a Tench-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named after the requin, French for shark. Since 1990 it has been a museum ship at The Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her keel was laid down on 24 August 1944 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 1 January 1945 sponsored by Mrs. Slade D. Cutter, and commissioned on 28 April 1945 with Commander Slade D. Cutter in command.

Source: USS Requin on Wikipedia

USS Requin Walk Around
Photographer	Bill Maloney
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	225

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General Characteristics and Role

The USS Requin (pronounced “RAY-kwin”), French for “shark,” is a Tench-class diesel-electric submarine of the United States Navy. Commissioned late in World War II, the Requin arrived in the Pacific after hostilities ended and therefore did not see combat. It is famous for its unique service life, being the first U.S. Navy submarine converted to a radar picket (SSR-481) under Project Migraine in 1946. In this role, it was equipped with advanced radar to detect aircraft at long range, operating as an early warning station during the Cold War. It underwent another conversion in 1959 to a Fleet Snorkel submarine (SS-481). The Requin is now preserved as a museum ship at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Property	Typical Value (As Built – Tench Class)
Class & Type	Tench-class Diesel-Electric Submarine
National Origin	United States
Builder	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine
Commissioned	28 April 1945
Displacement (Surfaced)	1,570 long tons (1,595 t)
Displacement (Submerged)	2,414 long tons (2,453 t)
Length Overall	95.02 m (311 ft 9 in)
Beam	8.33 m (27 ft 4 in)
Test Depth	126 m (412 ft)
Complement	10 officers, 71 enlisted men

Powerplant and Performance

Powerplant (Main): 4 x Fairbanks-Morse Model 38D8-⅛ opposed-piston diesel engines driving electrical generators.
Propulsion: 2 x Elliott electric motors driving two propeller shafts.
Shaft Horsepower: 5,400 shp (Surfaced); 2,740 shp (Submerged).
Maximum Speed: 20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced; 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged.
Range: 11,000 nautical miles at 10 knots surfaced.
Endurance: 75 days on patrol; 48 hours submerged at 2 knots.

Armament and Conversions

Armament (As Built): 10 x 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (6 bow, 4 stern), carrying 28 torpedoes. Initially carried a heavier-than-standard armament including a 5-inch deck gun, 40 mm, and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.
Radar Picket Conversion (SSR-481): Aft torpedo tubes, deck guns, and aft anti-aircraft guns were removed. A large mast housing surface and air-search radar was installed, along with a Combat Information Center (CIC) in the stern room.
Fleet Snorkel Conversion (SS-481): The radar picket equipment was removed, and a modernized snorkel breathing apparatus was installed, allowing diesel engine operation at periscope depth.
Museum Status: Decommissioned in 1968. Has been a museum ship in Pittsburgh, PA since 1990.