USS Clamagore SS-343
Patriots Point, SC
Thanks to my good friend Sid Busch, Senior Chief USN (Ret.), for giving me this tour of the Clamagore. Sid not only volunteers there — he served aboard her. He has run over 180 marathons, many dedicated to wounded warriors, and he 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 where 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, she would serve the next 30 years during the Cold War. In 1948 she underwent GUPPY II conversion to improve underwater performance. GUPPY was the Navy’s term 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 — the ultimate upgrade for WWII-era diesel-powered submarines. She 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 she 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 5,400 hp diesel engines; four 2,740 hp electric motors; two propellers |
| Speed | 17.2 knots surface; 14.5 knots submerged (30 min.) |
| Range | 15,900 nm at 8.5 knots on surface |
| Endurance | 36 hours at 3 knots submerged |
| Complement | 8 officers, 72 enlisted |
| Armament | 10 × 21 in torpedo tubes (6 fwd, 4 aft); 24 torpedoes |
| Specifications circa 1962 (GUPPY III) | |
Click the video below for the slide show with Sid Busch’s tour narration.
