Submarines in History

GUPPY - Between WW II and the Nuclear Age

Following the Second World War, it was recognized that
there was a need to improve the submerged speed, maneuverability, and endurance of our submarine force. The
Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program was instigated.

onds then reopen as the snorkel induction again cleared the

surface. The atmospheric pressure would return to normal in
the next few seconds. Then the head valve would shut as
another wave passed. This cycle would occur over and over
for days and days.

Like all programs in the military, some sort of name

needed to be applied that would attract and hold attention.
Since GUPPP didnt sound quite right, the third P was
dropped and a Y added. Thus was born the word GUPPY,
which had a far better ring to it since it did in fact sound
more like a fish. At this time all submarines were named
after undersea life.

The majority of the information about the operations of the

GUPPYs during the Cold War remains classified to this day.
However, without the conversion from the fleet boats of WWII
to the GUPPYs of the Cold War era, the operations that the
GUPPYs were responsible for would not have been possible.

After World War II, the Navy obtained two German Type
XXI boats. These were studied and tested extensively. The
lessons learned from their study led to a design that increased the battery capacity, streamlined the boats structure, added a snorkel, and added a better fire control system. This new design created was called the TANG Class.
The new boat was so much better that it made the existing
fleet boat obsolete. But, the new boat was expensive. The
Navy had to find a way to upgrade the existing fleet boats
to match the TANG classs ability.

The success of submarine cold war operations is directly

related to the crews and the GUPPY conversions. These submarines, and their crews, certainly Held the Line during the
Cold War until the SSNs and SSBNs took over to continue
the high tradition of the United States Submarine Service

FLEET SNORKEL

There were seven major conversion types: GUPPY I,

GUPPY IA, GUPPY IB, GUPPY II, GUPPY IIA, GUPPY
III, and the Fleet Snorkel.
The GUPPY bow dug deeply into the waves and the step
sail was little protection. Control during snorkeling was difficult at best and sometimes impossible. The snorkel induction, topped by the head valve, had to be kept out of
the water. If it ducked to the surface or below, or a wave
hit, it would automatically slam shut. The diesel engines
would keep running for a short time removing some sixteen thousand cubic feet of air from the boats internal
atmosphere per minute per engine.
It would take from ten to thirty seconds for the engines to
draw enough vacuum in the boat to shut down automatically after the snorkel induction head valve shut depending on whether the boat was running on one or two engines. This occurred at a vacuum of six inches of mercury below atmosphere, equivalent to a 6000-foot altitude.
Sometimes the head valve would shut for five or six sec-

U.S.S. Bergall (SS-320)

The Fleet Snorkel boats are often considered as GUPPYs.

The Fleet Snorkel is a special class of boat. These boats
were much like the GUPPY IIs except they didnt have some
of the internal modifications that the GUPPY IIs had. They
had two batteries and most still had closed cell ventilation and
four engines.
They had the distinctive sails of the conversion yard but they
retained their fleet bows. It was simply a fleet boat with the
snorkel induction and exhaust piping and masts, and an ECM
mast. Most had BQR-2 sonar in the chin mount and had
sonar in the space vacated by the magazine under the galley. The auxiliary engine was replaced with two air conditioning plants.

Page 10

The following were the Fleet Snorkel boats:

USS Sabalo (SS302), USS Sablefish (SS303), USS Bergall
(SS320), USS Charr (SS328), USS Bugara (SS331), USS
Carbonero (SS337), USS Carp (SS338), USS Cusk
(SS348), USS Kraken (SS370), USS Lizardfish (SS373),
USS Mapiro (SS376), USS Mero (SS378), USS Sterlet
(SS392), USS Scabbardfish (SS397), USS Segundo
(SS398), USS Sea Cat (SS399), USS Sea Owl (SS405),
USS Sennet (SS408), USS Piper (SS409), USS Torsk
(SS423), USS Argonaut (SS475), USS Runner (SS476),
USS Diablo (SS479), USS Medregal (SS480), USS Requin
(SS481), USS Irex (SS482).

GUPPY I

half of a battery was put into the forward end of the pump
room. Two complete batteries were placed in the after battery well.
- The battery cells (GUPPY Battery) had more, thinner
plates and would generate higher amps for a longer time.
However, this battery had a shorter life span, longer charging time, and required cooling water to be circulated through
the battery terminals and termination bars.
- Sonar was increased to include the BQR-2 or 2A with
hydrophones mounted under the forefoot in a chin mount
and inboard electronics housed in the forward torpedo room.
- Two or four high speed motor and reduction gear configuration were replaced by slow speed motors.
- The batteries could be connected in series or parallel and
the combination possible from this arrangement gave a wide
speed range.
- All open front switchboards were replaced with enclosed
units.
- 120 volt 60 Hz AC and 120 volt 400 Hz electrical systems
were introduced for lighting and electronics.
The following were the GUPPY I boats:
USS Odax (SS484), USS Pomodon (SS486)

GUPPY IA
U.S.S. Odax (SS-484)

The GUPPY I boats had these changes:

Externally:
- Deck guns and associated containers were removed.
- Entire bridge/shears structure was streamlined to reduce
drag.
- The periscope and radar mast support structure was
enclosed.
- The faired structure which now contained the Conning
Tower and mast support was now called the Sail.
- The top of the sail was bulged out to the side to make
room for SV-radar screen.
- Capstans and deck cleats were made retractable and
deck rail stanchion supports were inset in the deck. All deck
railings were removed when the boat rigged for dive.
- The Fleet Boat bow was removed and a rounded bow
replaced it. The GUPPY Bow.
Internally:

U.S.S. Caiman (SS-323)

Because of the expense of the GUPPY II program, the

GUPPY IA program was devised and it provided an interim
measure which saw such special features as Greater underwater propulsion power, Sargo II batteries, streamlined
sail and super-structure, new masts, snorkel, and equipment updated and rearranged. These equipment changes
were not as drastic as those performed on the GUPPY IIs.

These were the GUPPY IA boats:

- Ammunition magazine was removed from under the galley and the chill and freeze boxes were moved to the after USS Becuna (SS319), USS Blackfin (SS322), USS Caiman
battery upper level.
(SS323), USS Blenny (SS324), USS Chivo (SS341), USS
- Battery power was increased with installation of 4 126 cell Chopper (SS342), USS Atule (SS403), USS Sea Poacher
batteries. One and one-half of the batteries were put in the
(Continued on GUPPY, page 12)
forward well in the lower level of the forward battery. OnePage 11

(continued from GUPPY, page 11)

(SS406), USS Sea Robin (SS407), USS Tench (SS417).

GUPPY IB

U.S.S. Hawkbill (SS-366)

The GUPPY IB program was another interim conversion

which converted four boats for transfer to foreign navies.
These boats had snorkels and were somewhat like the
GUPPY IA except that they were not equipped with the
latest sonar, fire control systems and ESM.
The GUPPY IB boats and where they were sent:
USS Barb (SS220) (sent to Italy), USS Dace (SS247)
(sent to Italy), USS Hawkbill (SS366) (sent to the Netherlands), USS Icefish (SS367) (sent to the Netherlands),
USS Jallao (SS368) (sent to the Netherlands.)

GUPPY II

square windows and a sharper lower forward edge. It was

put on all boats which used the government plans for the
conversion.
The EB sail had a straight trailing edge, round windows, a
wider top and a more rounded forward edge. Some boats
with a Portsmouth sail had the SV-radar with the large screen.
Those boats needed extra room to house the antenna, thus
had a bulge at the sail top. Later mods put the SS or SS2
radars on these and other boats which had a smaller antenna and had an indicator with interlocks which allowed the
mast to be housed only with the antenna in certain angular
positions.
All boats converted during the GUPPY II program which
had high speed drive motors with reduction gear had these
replaced with low speed direct drive motors of 2500 hp per
shaft.
The battery wells were enlarged to accept 504 GUPPY cells
in four batteries. The boats had their bows replaced and the
entire superstructure streamlined.
The conversion to the GUPPY II models started in 1947 and
lasted for 5 years.
The following were the GUPPY II boats:
USS Catfish (SS339), USS Clamagore (SS343), USS Cobbler (SS344), USS Cochino (SS345), USS Corporal
(SS346), USS Cubera (SS347), USS Diodon (SS349), USS
Dogfish (SS350), USS Greenfish (SS351), USS Halfbeak
(SS352), USS Tiru (SS416), USS Trumpetfish (SS425), USS
Tusk (SS426), USS Cutlass (SS478), USS Sea Leopard
(SS483), USS Odax (SS484), USS Sirago (SS485), USS
Pomodon (SS486), USS Remora (SS487), USS Volador
(SS490), USS Amberjack (SS522), USS Grampus (SS523),
USS Pickerel (SS524), USS Grenadier (SS525)

GUPPY IIA

U.S.S. Corporal (SS-346)

The GUPPY II conversion was generally similar to the

GUPPY I with the major difference being the sail.
The addition of three new masts, snorkel induction, snorkel
exhaust and ESM mast, required more room in the upper
portion of the sail. The structure was changed to support
the new masts.

U.S.S. Razorback (SS-394)

Much like the GUPPY II, the IIA streamlined the boat, inThere were two different sails approved by BuShips. The stalled a new sail, a GUPPY bow, and new motors where
Portsmouth Sail had a thinner top, curved trailing edge,
Page 12

necessary.
One of the forward engines was removed. In this space, air
conditioning plants and refrigeration units were installed.
Some boats had the high pressure air compressors relocated to the lower level of the forward engine room.
The chill box and freeze boxes were moved to the forward
end of the after battery under the galley. Sonar was moved
to the space now available in the forward end of the pump
room.
The GUPPY IIA had the same outward appearance as the
GUPPY II, except the IIA had only three diesel exhaust outlets and the II had four.
These were the GUPPY IIAs:

date the Mk 101 fire control system and Mk 37 director.

The GUPPY III conversion was accomplished as a part of
the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program.
These four-battery, four-engine boats became GUPPY III.
The Northern Sail was also added, as it was on other
classes of GUPPYs, in order to get the bridge higher which
allowed it to be manned in severe weather.
USS Tiru retained its three engine arrangement.
The GUPPY III boats:
USS Clamagore (SS343), USS Cobbler (SS344), USS
Corporal (SS346), USS Greenfish (SS351), USS Tiru
(SS416), USS Trumpetfish (SS425), USS Remora (SS487),
USS Volador (SS490), USS Pickerel (SS524).

USS Entemedor (SS340), USS Diodon (SS349), USS Hardhead (SS365), USS Jallao (SS368), USS Menhaden
(SS377), USS Picuda (SS382), USS Bang (SS385), USS
Pomfret (SS391), USS Razorback (SS394), USS Ronquil
(SS396), USS Sea Fox (SS402), USS Threadfin (SS410),
USS Stickleback (SS415), USS Thornback (SS418), USS
Trante (SS420), USS Trutta (SS421), USS Quillback (SS424)

(continued from ORPHANAGE, page 9)

GUPPY III

Ben and other volumteers doing some much needed

repairs.

U.S.S. Corporal (SS-346)

(after GUPPY III conversion)

A problem that became evident in the mid-1950 operations

was the increasing amount of electronic equipment that was
required on a submarine. The ESM equipment, the sonar
equipment and the new fire control computer took up a lot
of space.
Certain boats, which already had the majority of the GUPPY
conversion work done (GUPPY II) and in decent condition,
were taken into the shipyard. There, they were cut in half
and lengthened with a new 15 foot section.
The extension was in the forward end of the control room
and created a new space for sonar. (USS Tiru was only
lengthened 12.5 feet instead of 15.) The Conning Tower
was renewed with an additional 5 foot section to accommoPage 13

The entrance to the orphanage. How is your Spanish?

Any translations?