Boat History - USS Haddo SSN 604
Also the SS255
“Give
me a strong ship and the men to sail her, for I intend to go in harm’s way.”
John Paul Jones
A distinguished name in the United States Submarine
history, HADDO carries forth a rich legacy of achievement. The SS-255 one of World War II’s
“HERO” ships with ten war patrols and numerous sinkings, and the SSN 604 with
deployments to the far reaches of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as
their adjoining seas, have each in their own fashion gone “in harm’s way” and
have served their country well.
U.S.S. HADDO (SSN 604)
Ship’s History
USS HADDO (SSN 604) was built by New York Shipbuilding
corporation, Camden, New Jersey.
Her Keel was laid on 9 September 1960 and she was launched on 18 August 1962
under the sponsorship of Mrs. Henry M. Jackson, wife of United States Senator
from the state of Washington. On 16
December 1964, HADDO was placed in commission and became a member of Submarine
Squadron FOUR.
During the summer of 1965 HADDO became the first ship of her class to be
deployed to the Mediterranean Sea with the U.S. Sixth Fleet. For operations during a period in
1966, HADDO was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and was awarded the
Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations conducted during a period in 1967. As a result of the outstanding
teamwork and many long hours of training and operations during fiscal years 1968
and 1969, HADDO was awarded the Battle Efficiency “E” for Excellence. HADDO received an eighteen-month
“subsafe” overhaul at Charleston Naval Shipyard from August 1969 to April 1970. Following overhaul, HADDO’s home
port changed to New London, Connecticut, where she became a member of Submarine
Squadron TEN. HADDO operated out of
New London from 1971 to 1973. In
the spring of 1972, HADDO completed the first six-month Mediterranean deployment
for an SSN. In the fall of 1972, she again deployed to the Med, returning just prior to Christmas.
From August 1973 until December 1975, HADDO underwent an extensive refueling
overhaul at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. In February of 1976, HADDO’s
homeport shifted to San Diego, California and joined the Pacific Fleet as a
member of Submarine Squadron THREE.
The transit required HADDO to pass through the Panama Canal.
In
the spring of 1977, HADDO departed for the Western Pacific, returning in the
fall after an arduous six-month deployment.
During the first three months of 1978, HADDO accomplished an intensive
Selected Restricted Availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton,
Washington. In December 1978, HADDO
again deployed to the Western Pacific, visited New Zealand and returned in 1979.
HADDO arrived in Mare Island Naval Shipyard for another intensive Selected
Restricted Availability in February 1980.
In August of the same year she deployed to the Indian Ocean, visited
Australia and returned to San Diego in February 1981.
In
July of 1981, HADDO deployed to the Western Pacific, visited Japan and returned
to San Diego in late October 1981.
HADDO arrived at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in April of 1982 and underwent an
extensive modernization and overhaul in January 1984, returning to San Diego.
From February to August 1985, HADDO again deployed to the Western Pacific
visiting Japan and Hong Kong. As a
result of her successful deployment, and superb operational reliability, HADDO
was again awarded the Battle Efficiency “E” for Excellence for 1985. HADDO underwent and intensive
Selective Restricted Availability in October 1985 in San Diego. HADDO then deployed to the Western
Pacific from August 1986 to February 1987, again visiting Japan and Hong Kong. She completed several months of
successful local operations before undergoing her last Selected Restricted
Availability in San Diego from January to March 1988.
HADDO conducted a two-month ASW operation in June and July 1988. From February 1989 until February
1990, HADDO was deployed from San Diego over 300 days, conducting intensive
operations in support of the National Defense, including a six-month deployment
to the Western Pacific visiting Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. During her last of six WESTPACs, she
also completed the longest continuously submerged period in her 25-year history. In the fall-winter of 1989 and 1990, HADDO participated in the largest Pacific Fleet naval exercise since
1945, PACEX-89, and conducted a two-month ASW operation in the northern Pacific.
COMMANDING OFFICERS
16 Dec 1964 - 11 Dec
1965
CDR John G. WILLIAMS, Jr.
11 Dec 1965 - 08 Sep
1967
CDR Robert W. CHEWNING
08 Sep 1967 - 24 Jul 1971
CDR Gerald W. MUENCH
24 Jul 1971 - 30 Jan
1976
CDR Richard H. SCALES
30 Jan 1976 - 11 Jul
1978
CDR Fredrick W. CARTER
11 Jul 1978 - 31 Jul
1980
CDR Norman W. MIMS, Jr.
31 Jul 1980 - 30 Jul
1983
CDR James R. ROUSE
30 Jul 1983 - 26 Feb
1986
CDR Richard D. RAAZ
26 Feb 1986 - 14 Oct
1988
CDR William H. JUDD, III
14 Oct 1988 - Through
Decommissioning CDR
Gregg D. LARSON
U.S.S. HADDO (SS 255)
Ship’s Heritage
USS HADDO (SSN 604) is the second U.S. Naval submarine to
bear the name HADDO. The keel of
her predecessor, USS HADDO (SS 255), was laid 1 October 1941 at Electric Boat
Company, Groton, Connecticut.
Launching ceremonies were held on 21 June 1942 with Mrs. Charles S. Russel, wife
of the then Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel, as the
ship’s sponsor. After commissioning
on 9 October 1942 and completing dock and acceptance trials, USS HADDO (SS 255)
left on her first war patrol 9 April 1943 with Lieutenant Commander W.A. Lent,
USN as her first skipper. During
her World War II career she made three war patrols in the
European-African-Middle area followed by seven in the Asiatic-Pacific area. Commander John Corbus, USN, was
skipper for the third and fourth patrols and was relieved in command by
Lieutenant Commander Chester S. Nimitz, Jr., USN, for the next three patrols. It was during the last of these,
HADDO’s seventh patrol, that she earned the Navy Unit Commendation “For
outstanding heroism in action… off the Philippines… sending to the bottom two
destroyers and a patrol vessel with another destroyer lying crippled in the
water before her torpedoes were expended”.
Following this patrol, Commander Nimitz was relieved in
command by Lieutenant Commander Frank Lynch, USN, who served as Commanding
Officer until decommissioning.
HADDO’s tenth and final war patrol terminated in Tokyo Bay in September 1945
when she participated in the occupation of Japan. On 9 October 1945, exactly three
years after commissioning USS HADDO (SS 255) returned to the Submarine Base at
New London for decommissioning.
During her war patrols she had fired 93 torpedoes and logged nearly 200,000
miles in three years searching for the enemy.
She was officially credited with sinking 44,000 tons of shipping and
damaging 14,500 more. In this brief
career the officers and men of her crew earned two Navy Crosses, seven Silver
Stars, ten Bronze Stars and twelve Letters of Commendation. USS HADDO (SS 255) herself was
awarded the Submarine Combat Insignia for four outstanding war patrols as well
as the Navy Unit Citation.
THE COMMISSIONING PENNANT
At the moment the commissioning pennant is broken, a ship
becomes the responsibility of the Commanding Officer, who together with the
ship’s officers and men, has the duty of making her ready for any service
required by our nation, whether we be at peace or at war.
The commissioning pennant has for centuries been the symbol
of a man-o-war. It is believed to
date from the 17th century, when the Dutch were at war with the
English. Dutch Admiral Maarten
Harpertzoon Tromp hoisted a broom at his masthead to symbolize his intention to
sweep the English from the sea.
This gesture was answered by British Admiral William Blake, who hoisted a
horsewhip indicating his intention to chastise the Dutch. The victorious British thus set the precedent for a long narrow commissioning pennant to symbolize the
original horsewhip as the distinctive symbol of a ship of war.
The modern U.S. Navy commissioning pennant is blue at the
hoist with a union of seven white stars and a horizontal red and white stripe at
the fly.
Prior to the decommissioning of a ship, an inactivation
ceremony is held. This ceremony
symbolizes a tribute to the ship preparing for her decommissioning, the
time-honored end of a ship’s life.
During the ceremony, as if decommissioning, the ship’s colors and commissioning
pennant are hauled down and the watches secured.
This solemn ceremony where the commissioning pennant, ensign and jack are
hauled down for the last time is a dedication to the total operational success
of the ship and the men who sailed her.
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