USS Narwhal (SS-167)

Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine

United States | 1930

"USS Narwhal SS-167 was introduced for service in 1930 but managed a complete career through World War 2 - eventually being broken up and sold off."

Image from the United States Navy; Released to the Public Domain.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one sea-going vessel design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for USS Narwhal (SS-167).

2 x BuEng / MAN direct-drive diesel engines developing 2,350 horsepower each; 2 x BuEng / MAN auxiliary diesel generators developing 400 horsepower each; 2 x 120-cell Exide ULS37 battery pack; 2 x Westinghouse electric motors generating 800 horsepower each; 2 x Shafts.
Propulsion

14.0 kts
16.1 mph
Surface Speed

8.0 kts
9.2 mph
Submerged Speed

9,385 nm
10,800 miles | 17,381 km
Range

Structure
The bow-to-stern, port-to-starboard physical qualities of USS Narwhal (SS-167).

89
Personnel
Complement

349.0 ft
106.38 meters
O/A Length

33.3 ft
10.15 meters
Beam

16.1 ft
4.91 meters
Draught

2,770
tons
Displacement

4,000
tons
Displacement (Submerged)

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of USS Narwhal (SS-167).

6 x 21" (533mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow-facing; 2 stern-facing); 24 x Total torpedo reloads.
2 x 6" (152mm) /53 caliber Mark XII Mod. 2 deck guns.

Ships-in-Class (2)
Notable series variants as part of the USS Narwhal (SS-167) family line as relating to the V-5 (Narwhal)-class group.

USS Narwhal (SS-167); USS Nautilus (SS-168)

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/16/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The United States Navy (USN) continued its interest in attack submarine platforms well after World War 1 had ended in November of 1918. USS Narwhal (SS-167), the second boat to bear that name, became the lead ship of the small V-5 (SC-1) class to emerged in the late-1920s / early 1930s. She was built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery, Maine and saw her keel laid down on May 10th, 1927. The boat was launched on December 17th, 1928 and the vessel was formally commissioned on May 15th, 1930.

Design, Internals and Armament
At this point in history, it appeared that the major threat to United States interests, particularly in the Pacific region, was the Empire of Japan whose expansion would soon lead the Americans into World War 2. As such, it was decided that the USN required long-ranged boats that went far beyond what the earlier designs offered. The new boats - USS Narwhal and USS Nautilus - carried 2 x BuEng (MAN) 10-cylinder, 4-cycle direct-drive diesel engines of 2,350 horsepower (each) paired with 2 x BuEng (MAN) 6-cylinder, 4-cycle auxiliary diesel engines of 450 horsepower (each), the latter used to drive the Westinghouse electrical generators which, themselves, produced 800 horsepower. 2 x 120-cell Exide ULS37 battery banks were carried. Two propeller shafts were in play.

The boat could make headway at 14 knots when surfaced (trialed as fast as 17 knots) and about 8 knots when submerged. Range was out to 9,380 nautical miles when traveling at 10 knots. It could operate for up to 10 hours at 5 knots steady. The hull was tested down to depths of 300 feet.

Aboard was a crew of 89 personnel including nine officers, 10 petty officers and 70 enlisted sailors. As built, the boat exhibited an overall length of 349 feet, a beam of 33.3 feet and a draught of 16.11 feet. Armament was 6 x 21" (533mm) torpedo tubes with four being bow-facing and the remaining pair facing the stern. Twenty-four reloads were carried. For surfaced work, the boat was further armed with 2 x 6" (152mm) /53 caliber Mark XII Mod 2 deck guns, one mounted forward and one aft of the conning tower.

Service and War Patrols
USS Narwhal was used to train her new crews in 1930 off the New England coast and transited the Panama Canal to San Diego waters in early 1931. Following an overhaul, she conducted various operations and exercises concentrated along the American West Coast before being homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She resided there on the morning of the Japanese Attack - December 7th, 1941 - that began the American entry into World War 2.

Her first war patrol took part in February-March 1942 and she damaged Maju Maru with her first attack and managed to claim Taki Maru soon thereafter. She conducted a total of three war patrols from February 1942 into April 1943. Also in 1942 the boat was re-engined with 4 x General Motors Winton Model 16-278A 16-cylinder diesel-electric engines of 1,600 horsepower each. Fairbanks-Morse reduction gears were also added. The crew complement increased to 97.

Her 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th war patrols spanned April 1943 until December 1943 and were followed by war patrols 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th from January 1944 until July 1944. Her final outings were war patrols 13th, 14th, and 15th and lasted from August 1944 until May 1945.

Post-War Career
During her career, the boat was awarded 15 total Battle Stars for service in World War 2 as well as the American Defense Service Medal with FLEET clasp, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War 2 Victory Medal. Before the end, she became one of the most decorated fighting boats of the entire United States Navy.

Narwhal was formally decommissioned on April 23rd, 1945 and struck from the Naval Register that May 19th. Her hull was broken up on November 16th, 1945 and the remains sold for scrapping. Her two 6" deck guns were, however, saved and placed on display at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.

The USS Narwhal name was resurrected once more with the nuclear submarine SSN-671 in 1969.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global operator(s) of the USS Narwhal (SS-167). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national naval warfare listing.

[ United States (retired) ]

1 / 1

Image from the United States Navy; Released to the Public Domain.

Going Further...
USS Narwhal (SS-167) Diesel-Electric Attack Submarine appears in the following collections:

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)