SSBN-641

[darksythe]

This was the USS Simon Bolivar, my father served on board this fine ship and therefore i have decided that she deserves some special attention from me. I couldnt think of any other way to remember such as to share her with my friends.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0864199.jpg

USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641)

Career
Awarded: 1 November 1962
Laid down: 17 April 1963
Launched: 22 August 1964
Commissioned: 29 October 1965
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: 24 February 1995
General Characteristics
Displacement: 6494 tons
Length: 129.5 meters (425 feet)
Beam: 10 meters (33 feet)
Draft: 9.6 meters (32 feet)
Powerplant: S5W reactor
Speed: 16 knots surfaced, 21 knots submerged
Depth: 1300 feet
Complement: two crews of 14 officers and 126 enlisted men each
Armament: 16 missile tubes, four 21-inch torpedo tubes


USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641), a Benjamin Franklin-class submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Simón Bolívar, a hero of the independence movements of the former Spanish colonies in South America. Her keel was laid down on 17 April 1963 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 22 August 1964 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C. Mann, and commissioned on 29 October 1965 with Commander Charles H. Griffiths commanding the Blue Crew and Commander Charles A. Orem commanding the Gold.

In late December 1965 and most of January 1966, the submarine underwent demonstration and shakedown operations. The Gold Crew successfully fired an A-3 Polaris missile off the coast of Cape Kennedy on 17 January, and the Blue Crew completed a successful missile firing two weeks later. In February, the Gold Crew continued shakedown operations in the Caribbean Sea. The following month, her home port was changed to Charleston, South Carolina, and minor deficiencies were corrected during a yard availability period. Beginning in April, the Blue Crew prepared for and conducted the first and third regular Polaris patrols. The Gold Crew meanwhile entered the training period and later conducted the second patrol, finishing the year in a training status. Simon Bolivar completed her third deterrent patrol in January 1967, operating as a unit of Submarine Squadron (SubRon) 18.

This routine continued until 7 February 1971 when the submarine returned to Newport News, Virginia, for overhaul and conversion of her weapons system to Poseidon missiles.

Simon Bolivar departed Newport News on 12 May 1972 for post-overhaul shakedown operations and refresher training for the two crews which lasted until 16 September. The end of 1972 found the submarine back on patrol.

In October 1974 Simon Bolivar returned to Charleston, South Carolina, and SubRon18. The ship was awarded the Battle "E" for fiscal 1974 and also awarded the Providence Plantation Award for most outstanding fleet ballistic missile submarine in the Atlantic fleet. Simon Bolivar was also awarded the Battle "E" for 1975 and 1976. In February 1979, following her 40th patrol, Simon Bolivar entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery, Maine, for overhaul and conversion to C-4 Trident missiles. Upon completion of overhaul she returned to her homeport of Charleston in January of 1981. She continued to make patrols while being refit from Kings Bay, Georgia, and was awarded the Battle "E" for fiscal 1982. She successfully launched a test Trident missile in the summer of 1983.

Deactivated while still in commission in September 1994, Simon Bolivar was both decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 8 February 1995. She entered the Navy's Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 1 October 1994 on 1 December 1995 ceased to exist.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0864102.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0864105.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0863413.jpg
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Please give a moment of your time to remember her and all other boats which are no longer in service to our great nations.

[Bill Nichols]

Simon Bolivar was the first sub I ever set foot on :) I was just a college student, applying for the Navy's NUPOC (Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate) program. The Navy recruiters took me and a bunch of other students down to Charleston, SC for a tour, and dinner at the O-club.

[darksythe]

Thats very cool im glad to hear someone has a recolection of her.

[darksythe]

Now i know that i had linked images to here...... Where did they go.

[Kapitan]

USS daniel webster i know a guy who served on her great subs one of the 41 for freedom boats

[Bill Nichols]

Here's a little-known 'factoid' about USS Simon Bolivar:

On August 31, 1967 The USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641), armed with 16 Polaris missiles collided with the target ship USS Betelgeuse (T-AK-260) when practicing a torpedo attack, 70 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. No one was hurt, but the Bolivar suffered about $1 million damage to its periscope and communications antennae. The Navy told a press conference that the missiles aboard the Bolivar were not armed and there was no danger of explosion or nuclear radiation. The missiles were undamaged, the Navy emphasized. The Bolivar surfaced and the crew cut away a 4-foot-high, 15-foot-long section of the conning tower so the submarine could proceed to port.

Extensive damage to Betelgeuse's underwater hull caused immediate flooding in Number Three hold with resultant leaks into Number Two hold and the engine room. There were no personnel injuries and Betelgeuse was able to return to Charleston under her own power.

The collision happened because Simon Bolivar's OOD was observing Betelgeuse through the periscope in low power, but he thought he was using high power, instead. :o


For information on this, and other submarine accidents, see:

http://www.lostsubs.com/Neptune_Papers_3.pdf

[darksythe]

My dad had told me about this incident although i didnt know how it happened.(He wasnt onboard at the time.) He said the Bolivar has the highest non wartime tonage or at least did at that time :D

[sonar732]

What did you do know darksythe to deserve the lovely avatar? :rotfl:

[darksythe]

I wish i knew LOL the gods of the realm of SubSimius arent pleased with me this week lol :rotfl:

[MaHuJa]

Those avatars show up when the post count is right below some of the switch numbers, such as 200.

[boomer_killer]

i live in charleston, sc and things are alot different than it was then. the navy base has been closed. but the naval weapons station is still open.

[darksythe]

yeah i used to live down there the the bolivar was stationed there it was a nice place.

[boomer_killer]

it still is a great place. the population is really growing. and they finally replaced the cooper river bridge.