“USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Dolphin{{'}}s keel laid on 9 November 1962 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 8 June 1968, sponsored by Mrs. Maggie Shinobu Inouye, (née Awamura), wife of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, and commissioned on 17 August 1968 with Lieutenant Commander J.R. McDonnell in command. Despite a recent repair and upgrade, Dolphin was decommissioned on 15 January 2007 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on the same date. She is now a museum ship in San Diego Bay under the management of the San Diego Maritime Museum.

Design

The single most significant technical achievement in the development of Dolphin is the pressure hull itself. It is a constant diameter cylinder, closed at its ends with hemispherical heads, and utilizes deep frames instead of bulkheads. The entire design of the pressure hull was kept as simple as possible to facilitate its use in structural experiments and trials. Hull openings were minimized for structural strength and minimum hull weight, in addition to eliminating possible sources for flooding casualties. The submarine has no snorkel mast; her one hatch must be open while her diesels are running.

Use

Employed by both civilian and Navy activities, Dolphin was equipped with an extensive instrumentation suite that supported missions such as acoustic deep-water and littoral research, near-bottom and ocean surveys, weapons launches, sensor trials, and engineering evaluations.

Because she was designed as a test platform, Dolphin could be modified both internally and externally to allow installation of up to 12 tons of special research and test equipment. She has internal and external mounting points, multiple electronic hull connectors, and up to ten equipment racks for project use.

Service record

In August 1969, Dolphin launched a torpedo from the deepest depth that one has ever been fired.

In the late 1990s, Dolphin tested a new sonar system. As a result of Dolphins efforts, this new system will now be retrofitted into the fleet.

Fire and evacuation at sea

On 21 May 2002, at about 2330 PDT, while operating approximately {{convert|100|mi|km|-1}} off the coast of San Diego, California, Dolphin was cruising on the surface, recharging her batteries, when a torpedo shield door gasket failed, and the boat began to flood. Due to high winds and {{convert|10|to|11|ft|m|sing=on}} swells in the ocean, approximately 70 to 85 tons of seawater entered the ship, an amount perilously close to the boat's reserve buoyancy. The flooding shorted electrical panels and started fires.

Chief Machinist's Mate (SS) John D. Wise Jr. dove into the {{convert|57|F|adj=on}} water of the flooded pump room. With less than a foot of breathable space in the compartment, he ensured the seawater valves were lined up, allowing pumping out to commence. Once the valves were aligned, he remained in the pump room for more than 90 minutes in order to keep a submersible pump from becoming clogged. His courageous efforts prevented the loss of the ship and crew. Wise received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his efforts.

After 90 minutes, with fire and flooding beyond the ability of the crew to control, Commander Stephen Kelety, Dolphin's commanding officer, ordered the crew of 41 and two civilian Navy employees to abandon ship. The Oceanographic Research ship McGaw was operating in the vicinity and immediately responded to Kelety's call for assistance. They were evacuated by boat to McGaw after the hatches had been secured. All crewmembers were safely recovered with only a few minor injuries. Two were recovered from the water by United States Coast Guard helicopter during the transfer. McGaw transported the crew to San Diego. {{USS|Thach|FFG-43}} also came alongside Dolphin and rescued several crewman from the water but the seas were too rough for full recovery or towing operations.^[4]^[5]^[6]

The quick response of the crew placed the submarine in a stable condition. Submarine Support Vessel Kellie Chouest got underway from San Diego early on 22 May to assist in recovery. Dolphin was towed back to San Diego the following day.

Retirement

Dolphin underwent three and a half years of repairs and upgrades at a cost of $50 million, then completed sea-trials during the summer of 2005 and returned to her duties for one year.

In mid-2006, the Navy decided to retire Dolphin, citing the $18 million her operations cost annually. She was deactivated on 22 September 2006, and decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 January 2007. Her 38 year career was the longest in history for a US Navy submarine.

See also

References

1. ^¹²Lindsey, E.E., LCDR, USN "USS DOLPHIN (AGSS-555) – The Navy's New Deep Diver" in Naval Institute Proceedings Vol. 95 No. 9 September 1969 pp.138–141
2. ^{{Cite journal| last =Stillwell| first =Paul| title =The Last Diesel Boat| url= https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2008-02/looking-back| accessdate=2018-03-12|journal =Naval History magazine| issue =February 2008}}
3. ^{{cite news|author=Burge, Michael|title=Sub Dolphin Surfaces As Museum Piece|publisher=San Diego Union-Tribune|date=4 July 2009|page=B1|url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/04/sub-dolphin-surfaces-museum-piece/}}
4. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/navy-sub-catches-fire/|title=Navy Sub Catches Fire|last=Hancock|first=David|date=22 May 2002|work=CBS News/AP|access-date=2018-10-26|language=en}}
5. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=1766|title=Crew of Research Sub Safely Evacuated After Fire, Flooding|last=Submarine Force|first=Pacific Fleet Representative, West Coast|date=22 May 2002|work=Navy Press Release|access-date=2018-10-26|language=en}}
6. ^{{Cite news|url=https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=5397|title=Navy Recognizes USS Dolphin's Modest Hero|last=Hoehne|first=Trevor, Journalist 2nd Class|date=16 January 2003|work=Navy Region Southwest Public Affairs|access-date=2018-10-26|language=en}}
7. ^San Diego Maritime Museum

Construction and service