Built in 1943, the Becuna is a Balao-class submarine with a Greater Underwater Propulsive Power 1-A modernization — today, it’s the only remaining GUPPY 1-A submarine in the world.
After serving in World War II and as a training ship afterward, the USS Becuna was enhanced with a GUPPY 1-A conversion in 1951. The submarine carried out various peacetime missions, such as visiting the Arctic to conduct ice research, and continued to serve as a training ship until it was decommissioned in 1969.
I visited Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum in February to tour the singular submarine with Greg Williams, the museum’s manager of historic ships.
