Tench class submarine

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Tench class attack submarine

Class Overview
Class Type	Diesel-Electric Submarine
Class Name	Tench (a type of fish)
Preceded By	Balao-class attack submarine
Succeeded By	Barracuda-class submarine
Ships of the Class:	See below for a complete list of Tench-class submarines

Tench class submarines were an evolutionary improvement over the Gato and Balao classes, only about 35 to 40 tons larger, but more strongly built and with a slightly improved internal layout. Further improvements were made beginning with SS-435, which are sometimes referred to as Corsair class.

Initial plans called for 146 to be built, but 115 were cancelled in 1944 and 1945 when it became apparent that they would not be needed to defeat Japan. The remaining 31 were commissioned between October 1944 (Tench) and February 1951 (Grenadier).

[edit] General characteristics

Displacement: 1570 tons surfaced, 2428 tons (except SS.417-424 2416 & SS.475-515 2414) submerged
Length: 307ft (93.6m) waterline, 311ft 9in (95 m) overall
Beam: 27 ft 9in (8.2 m)
Draft: 15 ft 3in (4.6 m)
Test Depth: 400 ft (122 m)
Speed: 20.25 knots (37.5km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged
Armament: •10x21in (53cm) torpedo tubes (6 forward, 4 aft, 24 torpedoes)
• 1 x 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber gun
• 2 x 40 mm cannon
Crew: 80-90 officers and men
Powerplant: •4 x 1350 hp (1 MW) diesel engines (10cyl Fairbanks-Morse 38D-1/8 (16cyl General Motors 278A in SS.435-474)
•2 x 1370 hp (1020kW) electric motors (General Electric in SS.417-424, 435-474; Elliott Motor in SS.425-434, 475-520; Westinghouse in SS.521-550) (two 126-cell Exide main storage batteries) except SS.424, 475, 476, 478, 480-483, 485, & 488 Gould
• two shafts
Range: •12,000 nm at 10 knots (22,200 km at 18.5 km/h) surfaced;
•100nm at 3 knots (185km at 5.6kph) (maximum) submerged
Submerged Endurance: 48 hours