USS Triton (SSRN-586)

The USS Triton ( SSN-/SSRN-586 ) was a nuclear submarine of the United States Navy and a Einschiffklasse. The Triton, named after a Greek sea god, was the first submarine, which succeeded a circumnavigation of the world under water.

History

The submarine was laid in May in 1956 Electric Boat in Kiel in 1958 and ran from the stack. Introduced in late 1959, the U.S. Navy officially in service. The name was previously for the diesel-electric submarine USS Triton (SS -201 ) was used ( 1940-1943 ), which had opened after Pearl Harbor was the first American warship opened fire on a Japanese ship.

The boat was designed as a nuclear- powered radar picket submarine ( SSRN for Ship Submersible radar Nuclear, called radar picket nuclear submarine ) planned and built and should be the lead ship of a whole class of boats that should support the aircraft carrier battle groups in the U.S. Navy in this function. However, the whole concept of the radar picket submarine soon turned out to be obsolete, so the Triton remained a single ship and even their original task not long filled (see below).

The Triton was able to drive under water with about 27 kn (50 km / h) top speed.

Weltumkreisung

On February 16, 1960, the USS Triton (SSN -586 ) began her maiden voyage. Eight days later, when the boat reached the St. Peter and St. Paul's rocks, the crew learned that a Weltumkreisung was planned. This lasted until April 25, when the boat again the St. Peter and St. Paul's rocks sighted. It appeared on the Triton only once. This was done only from a medical necessity as a crew member on the basis of kidney stones had to be removed from the aircraft. For this first Unterwasserumkreisung the earth, the boat received the Presidential Unit Citation, Commander Edward L. Beach, Jr., the Legion of Merit.

Subsequent operations

Following a first overhaul took place, as is standard after the maiden voyage (Post- Shakedown Availability ). In August 1960, the Triton was transferred to NATO exercises in European waters, among others visited the submarine and Bremerhaven. 1961 was followed by further exercises in the Atlantic. In the same year, her designation was changed from SSRN in SSN (Ship Submersible Nuclear ), 1962 it was converted into the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for hunting submarines. In her Shipyard followed until 1964 a new filling of the reactor and other overhauls. From Norfolk, Virginia from the Triton went on further trips in the Atlantic.

Decommissioning

After budget cuts in 1967 a planned overhaul was placed on ice and the Triton from October 1968 disabled. In 1969 the official decommissioning. Until 1980, the submarine remained in Norfolk, followed in 1986 by a transfer to Bremerton, Washington, where she was scrapped as part of the Ship - Submarine Recycling Program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 2007. On 30 November 2009 the scrapping was officially declared over.