USS Shark (SSN-591) 753624 219288467 2008-06-14T14:24:09Z Dawkeye 1524731 update infobox, add sections {|{{Infobox Ship Begin}} {{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image= [[Image:USS Shark SSN 591.jpg|300px|USS Shark underway in the early 1980s]] |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox Ship Career |Hide header= |Ship country= |Ship flag= {{USN flag|1990}} |Ship name=USS ''Shark'' |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered=[[31 January]] [[1957]] |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=[[Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company]] |Ship original cost= |Ship laid down=[[24 February]] [[1958]] |Ship launched= [[16 March]] [[1960]] |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= [[9 February]] [[1961]] |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= [[15 September]] [[1990]] |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= [[15 September]] [[1990]] |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honors= |Ship fate=Entered the Submarine Recycling Program on [[1 October]] [[1995]] |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= {{sclass|Skipjack|submarine}} |Ship type= |Ship displacement= {{convert|2880|LT|t|lk=on|abbr=on}} surfaced<br /> {{convert|3500|LT|t|abbr=on}} submerged |Ship length= {{convert|252|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{convert|32|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draft= {{convert|30|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion= 1 × [[S5W reactor]]<br />2 × Westinghouse steam turbines, 15,000 shp (11 MW)<br />1 shaft |Ship speed= {{convert|16|kn|mph km/h|lk=on}} surfaced<br />More than {{convert|20|kn|mph km/h}} submerged |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship complement= 83 |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=6 × {{convert|21|in|mm|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes |Ship notes= }} |} {{otherships|USS Shark}} '''USS ''Shark'' (SSN-591)''', a [[Skipjack class submarine|''Skipjack''-class]] [[submarine]], was the seventh ship of the [[United States Navy]] to be named for the [[shark]], a large predatory fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton, a streamlined body plan, dermal denticles covering the body to protect from parasites, and rows of replaceable teeth in the mouth. Her keel was laid down on [[24 February]] [[1958]] by the [[Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company]] in [[Newport News, Virginia]]. She was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on [[16 March]] [[1960]] sponsored by Mrs. Louis Shane, Jr., and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on [[9 February]] [[1961]] with Lieutenant Commander John F. Fagan, Jr., in command. After preliminary testing and fitting out, ''Shark'' sailed to the [[Caribbean Sea]] in May for her shakedown cruise. The [[submarine]] returned to her building yard for post-shakedown repairs and final acceptance by the Navy. ==Operational history== ===1960s=== ''Shark'' sailed for the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and duty with the [[US 6th Fleet|Sixth Fleet]] on [[12 August]]. This was the first such deployment for a nuclear submarine, and ''Shark'' was deployed until [[14 November]] [[1961]]. On [[29 January]] [[1962]], the submarine steamed to [[Bermuda]] in the [[British West Indies]], for two weeks of type training. She was next deployed to the North Atlantic from [[15 March]] to [[23 May]]. During this period, ''Shark'' paid a one-week visit to [[Portsmouth]], [[England]]. On [[25 August]], she departed for another two months in the North Atlantic. On her return trip to [[Norfolk, Virginia]], she underwent an availability period that lasted until [[7 January]] [[1963]]. ''Shark'' participated in SUBFALLEX in the North Atlantic from [[7 August]] to [[24 October]], with a week spent in [[Faslane]], [[Scotland]]. The remainder of 1963 was either spent in port, in local operations, or conducting antisubmarine warfare exercises in the Caribbean. On [[22 March]] [[1964]], ''Shark'' departed Norfolk to participate in SUBSPRINGEX and returned on [[21 May]]. On [[25 June]] [[1964]], she sailed to [[Charleston, South Carolina]], for her first shipyard overhaul which lasted until [[7 June]] [[1965]]. On [[7 April]] [[1965]], at the shipyard, ''Shark'' was presented the [[Navy Unit Commendation]] for meritorious service from [[5 April]] to [[9 May]] [[1964]], a period in which she "achieved results of great value and importance to the United States Navy in the field of antisubmarine warfare capabilities." The submarine put to sea for sea trials on [[7 June]]. One month later, she suffered damage to the forward oxygen system which necessitated additional repairs at [[Charleston, South Carolina]]. On [[9 October]], she passed her sea trials and sailed to [[Key West, Florida]], for two weeks of torpedo tube tests and a wire-guided torpedo development project. ''Shark'' returned to Norfolk on [[25 October]] [[1965]] and conducted type training, individual ship exercises, and antisubmarine warfare exercises until [[8 January]] [[1966]]. The boat then operated in the Caribbean until [[7 February]]. She was there again for further trials in July and October. ''Shark'' stood out of Norfolk on [[7 January]] [[1967]] for the North Atlantic and conducted special operations until [[24 March]]. Two weeks of this period were spent at [[Holy Loch]], [[Scotland]]. On [[12 April]], she was presented her second [[Navy Unit Commendation]] for operations in 1966 in which "''Shark'' contributed significantly to the knowledge of the [[United States Navy]] in the field of antisubmarine warfare." ''Shark'' departed Norfolk on [[16 May]] for [[City of Halifax|Halifax, Nova Scotia]], which was the first visit of a nuclear ship to a [[Canada|Canadian]] port. The submarine operated with [[Royal Canadian Navy]] ASW units before returning to her home port. On [[11 June]] [[1967]], ''Shark'' prepared for her first refueling period at the [[Norfolk Naval Shipyard]] and did not put to sea again until March 1968. The remainder of 1968 and 1969 was spent performing local or special operations. ===1970s=== ''Shark'' was in drydock at Norfolk from [[1 January]] [[1970]] to [[9 August]] [[1971]]. The remainder of the year and 1972 was spent in refresher training and undergoing various trials along the East Coast, with the exception of a deployment to the [[US 6th Fleet|Sixth Fleet]] from [[31 May]] to [[19 November]] [[1972]]. <!--14 years of operational history go here--> ==Decommissioning== ''Shark'' was deactivated, in commission, on [[16 October]] [[1986]] and formally decommissioned and stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on [[15 September]] [[1990]]. She entered the Nuclear Powered [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] in [[Bremerton, Washington]], on [[1 October]] [[1995]] and on [[28 June]] [[1996]] ceased to exist. == See also == See http://www.btrosper.com/ALLSHARK/index.html for additional history and recycling photos at Bremerton, 600+ crew list, Paris Match article about SSN-591; and historical comments, photos and links regarding the six proceeding USS ''Shark''s. == References == {{DANFS}} {{Skipjack_class_submarine}} [[Category:Skipjack class submarines|Shark]] [[Category:United States Navy nuclear ships|Shark, USS]]