So how deep did the u.s subs go max?

[oscar19681]

I know that the earlier class of us subs was about 90 meters of test depth . Later it was 120 meters . But could they go deeper then the test depth? Of was this just the depth at which they imploded . German u-boats had a test depth of 150 meters but could go much deeper . Was this the same with u.s subs?

[Hylander_1314]

Yes later subs could go 300 to 400ft, but there were cases where they went passed 600ft. Not too often as it was very dangerous to do.

[bookworm_020]

U.S.S Tang went to 600 feet during her first depth test. She went deeper when she went on patrol.

[Schatten]

Well technically they can go down all the way...but you probably wouldn't want to be on it.

I know that's not what you meant but I just couldn't resist. The actual depth varied from class to class and boat to boat, but the accepted max safe depths for the US subs were:

S-Class, Baracuda Class : ~200 feet
P-Class, Salmon, Sargo, Tambor, Gar Classes: ~250 feet
Gato Class: ~300 feet
Argonaut, Narwhal Classes: ~330 feet
Balao, Tench Classes: ~400 feet


I know the Gato, Tench and Balao classes were actually test dove to the figures given for them. The others I'm not sure if they were actually tested or if the figures were based on builders' specs. Also those were the "safe" depths, the subs could and did go deeper. The only people who found out the actual crush depth of a boat would never be able to tell.

[CCIP]

Yep, just remember that U-boats technically had a safe rated depth of 90m (300ft), whereas in actuality they'd go down to 200m (700ft) and deeper, with the deepest recorded dives being in the area of 270m (900ft). It'd only be fair to assume the relationship between tested and actual maximum dive depths would be about same for US subs. Just that they didn't push it as often as the U-boats.

[WilhelmSchulz.]

The Gato's had a Test depth of 315 feet but they could comonly go to 400+/- feet. The Balo and Trench classes could go down to 600 feet. They could of gon deeper but that was as far as the depth guage went.

[geetrue]

Well, it wasn't WWII that's for sure, but about twenty years after the war (1964)we took the USS Salmon SS-573 down to 650' in a hurry. Her test depth had been limited by Nav Ops to 450' due to the huge radar set up on her rear deck.

The Salmon had been built in 1956 as a radar picket boat SSR, but after the nuc's came out in 58 or so they didn't need her anymore. They took the radar off in 1961. She was the largest diesel submarine in the world (after they scrapped the ugly Jap seaplane boats that is).

She was 350' long/displacement 2,334 tons surface/3,168 tons submerged

We were out on special ops training Marine Commando's (pre seal) off of San Clemente Island ... We were suppose to surface in an old fashioned battle surface, but it had never been done in a boat this big.

I was on the stern planes and the OOD said, "Were going to do a battle surface"

I said, "Sir what is a battle surface?" He explained that I would go to full dive on the stern planes and that the bow planesman would go to full rise. Then they would blow the tanks at the same time.

He said that we should pop up like a cork and let our (now they are friends, but in those days it was more like well you know) Marine Commando's depart the sub as soon as they could on the rubber rafts they had brought with them.

We had about thirty of them up forward in the toroedo room waiting for their chance to do their thing.

Now understand you don't tell officers what to do, but in my mind I'm thinking if you put these planes on full dive she's going to go on full dive.

Following orders: "Battle surface" "Battle surface" and sure enough I put the stern planes on full dive and the bow planesman put his on full rise and they blew all of the tanks (except sanitary )

You guessed it ... we were at 400' and she went straight down ... We had really nice comfortable chairs with joy sticks and all of a sudden I was standing instead of sitting .

The controlerman back in the controller room goes all back full (on the battery is very dangerous) without recieving an order to go all back full. That alone saved us, because we were out of air. He didn't get in trouble later either.

We came up stern first of course exceeding test depth by over 200' with a real bad down angle. I was second man up with the captain coming up after me ... Just us three on the bridge as the Marines came out of the forward escape trunk to do their thing.

The OOD and the Captian and me all drew in a big gulp of air and looked at each other and started laughing ... We didn't say anything due to the seperation between officer's and enlisted men is real (know what I mean).

Later the Marines asked us if this was normal and we of course said, "Oh you bet we do it all the time"




USS Salmon SS-573

[Schatten]

Great story there Geetrue.

Every time you have 2 or more services operating together you get some opportuniies for those "Yeah of course we do it all the time" moments. They're always a hoot.

[Zero Niner]

I read in "Red Scorpion" that the USN had a safety factor of about 2.5x when it came to max depths for their boats. So if for instance a Balao class was rated for 400ft, in reality it could have been able to go to as deep as 800 ft safely.

[MadMike]

The USS Salmon (Salmon class) went to 500 feet when depth charged by the Japanese (then battle surfaced!)-

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=97573

And here's the link to the story of the USS Chopper (Balao/Guppy I)

http://www.usschopper.com/Chopper%20...e%20Report.htm

Yours, Mike

[TheSatyr]

Remember though that in alot of situations it isn't going to matter how deep your sub can go because you will be in water too shallow to need to worry about it,heh.

[Redwine]

I think so here we will have the same matter than in SH2 and SH3, max operative depths and max safe depths are not the same than crush depths.

[Safe-Keeper]

I took the liberty to run the feet through Google's calculator.

S-Class, Baracuda Class : ~200 feet = 60.96 meters
P-Class, Salmon, Sargo, Tambor, Gar Classes: ~250 feet = 76.2 meters
Gato Class: ~300 feet = 91.44 meters
Argonaut, Narwhal Classes: ~330 feet = 100.58400 meters
Balao, Tench Classes: ~400 feet = 121.92 meters

[Sailor Steve]

But those are only approved test depths. It's like saying a type VIIb can only go to 90 meters.

[Subnuts]

Originally Posted by Zero Niner

I read in "Red Scorpion" that the USN had a safety factor of about 2.5x when it came to max depths for their boats.

I wouldn't take an S-boat to 500 feet if I were you!