Thanks to my good friend, Sid Busch, Senior Chief USN (Ret.) for giving me this tour of the submarine, Clamagore. Sid not only volunteers there, he served aboard the Clamagore. He has run over 180 marathons, many of which are dedicated to wounded warriors. Sid chose the Victory at Sea music for the slide show. He's a true patriot.
I thought it was interesting, as he showed me the various equipment on the sub, that he still knew how to dive and surface. He said everyone was taught how to do that, just in case they were ever in a situation when their lives depended on it. In the video you will see names painted on the engines. It was the custom for each new crew to name them.
The CLAMAGORE (SS-343) was built as a Balao-class submarine by Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. Commissioned too late to see action in World War II, CLAMAGORE would serve the next 30 years during the Cold War. In 1948, CLAMAGORE underwent GUPPY II conversion to improve underwater performance. GUPPY was the term used by the Navy for its Greater Underwater Propulsion Program.
CLAMAGORE was one of only nine submarines converted to GUPPY III (1962-63). A 15 foot (55 ton) section was added (forward of the control room) to accommodate upgrades in technology. This would be the ultimate upgrade for World War II era diesel-powered submarines. CLAMAGORE was decommissioned in June 1975.
Added to the Patriots Point fleet in 1981, CLAMAGORE is the only GUPPY III submarine preserved in the United States. In 1989, CLAMAGORE was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Displacement: 1,975 tons Length: 322 ft 5 in (98 m) Beam: 27 ft 4 in (8.3 m) Draft: 16 ft (4.9 m) Propulsion: four 5400 hp diesel engines; four 2740 hp (2.0 MW) electric motors; two propellers
Speed: 17.2 knots (31.85 km/h) surface; 14.5 knots (26.85 km/h) submerged (30 minutes)
Range: 15,900 nm (29,400 km) at 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h) on surface Endurance: 36 hours at 3 knots (5.6 km/h) submerged Complement: 8 officers, 72 enlisted Armament: 10 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes, (6 forward, 4 aft), 24 torpedoes Above specifications circa 1962 (GUPPY III)
