USS Clamagore facts for kids
class="infobox " style="float: right; clear: right; width: 315px; border-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;"
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; line-height: 1.5em;" | 
|} The USS Clamagore (SS-343) was a special type of submarine called a Balao-class. It served in the United States Navy and later became a museum ship. From 1979 to 2022, you could visit it at the Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Clamagore was built in 1945. Even though World War II was ending, it was still used for training. Its name, Clamagore, comes from a type of fish called the blue parrotfish. This submarine was very important because it was the last one of its kind, a GUPPY III submarine, to still exist. It was even named a National Historic Landmark. Sadly, in October 2022, the Clamagore was taken apart and sent to be recycled.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
|
| Name | Clamagore |
| Namesake | Clamagore |
| Builder | Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut |
| Laid down | 16 March 1944 |
| Launched | 25 February 1945 |
| Sponsored by | Miss M. J. Jacobs |
| Commissioned | 28 June 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 12 June 1975 |
| Stricken | 27 June 1975 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 2022 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics (World War II) | |
| Class and type | Balao-class diesel-electric submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.0 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.3 m) |
| Draft | 16 ft 10 in (5.1 m) maximum |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) surfaced at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Endurance |
|
| Test depth | 400 ft (122 m) |
| Complement | 10 officers, 70–71 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| General characteristics (Guppy II) | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 307 ft (93.6 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft 4 in (8.3 m) |
| Draft | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range | 15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) surfaced at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Endurance | 48 hours at 4 kn (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| General characteristics (Guppy III) | |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 321 ft (98 m) |
| Speed |
|
| Range | 15,900 nmi (29,400 km; 18,300 mi) surfaced at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) |
| Endurance | 36 hours at 3 kn (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) submerged |
| Complement |
|
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
|
USS Clamagore (Submarine)
|
|
 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Patriot's Point, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina |
| Built | 1963 |
| Architect | Electric Boat Works |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001229 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 29 June 1989 |
| Designated NHL | 29 June 1989 |
- Early Operations and Upgrades
- Serving in the Caribbean and Mediterranean
- New Home and More Missions
- The GUPPY III Transformation
Building a Submarine: The Clamagore Story
The Clamagore was built by the Electric Boat Co. in Groton, Connecticut. This happened near the end of World War II.
Launch and Commissioning
The submarine was launched (put into the water for the first time) on February 25, 1945. A special person, Miss Mary Jane Jacobs, helped launch it. She was the daughter of Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs. The Clamagore was officially commissioned (ready for duty) on June 28, 1945. Commander S.C. Loomis, Jr., became its first leader.
Life at Sea: Clamagore's Missions
The Clamagore had a long and active career in the Navy. It traveled to many places and helped with different missions.
Early Operations and Upgrades
The submarine's first home was Key West, Florida. It arrived there on September 5, 1945. For the next two years, it worked near Key West. It also visited Cuba and the Virgin Islands.
In December 1947, the Clamagore went to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Here, it got a big upgrade called the GUPPY II modernization. This included adding a snorkel. A snorkel lets a submarine run its diesel engines and get fresh air while staying just below the surface.
Serving in the Caribbean and Mediterranean
After its upgrade, the Clamagore returned to Key West in August 1948. For eight years, it operated in the local waters and the Caribbean Sea. It also had a special trip to the Mediterranean Sea from February to April 1953.
In 1957, the submarine visited New London, Connecticut and Newport, Rhode Island. Later that year, it joined NATO exercises in the North Atlantic. During these exercises, it stopped in Portsmouth, England, and Naval Station Argentia in Newfoundland.
New Home and More Missions
On June 29, 1959, the Clamagore moved to its new home port in Charleston. After working along the coast, it sailed to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in April 1960. It returned to Charleston in July. For the rest of 1960, the Clamagore operated off the east coast of the United States.
The GUPPY III Transformation
In 1962, the Clamagore was one of only nine submarines to get another major upgrade. This was called the GUPPY III conversion.
What Changed in GUPPY III?
- A 15-foot section was added to its hull, making it longer.
- It got a new plastic sail (the tower on top of the submarine).
- New sonar equipment was installed, called BQG-4 PUFFS. This sonar helped it find things underwater. You could see the three "shark-fin" sensors for this sonar on its deck.
The Clamagore finished its GUPPY III upgrade in February 1963. After that, it moved to Submarine Squadron 2 (SUBRON2) in Groton, Connecticut.
From Active Duty to Museum Ship
The Clamagore served the Navy for 30 years. Its active service ended in 1975.
Decommissioning and Museum Life
The submarine was decommissioned (taken out of service) on June 12, 1975. It was officially removed from the Navy's list on June 27, 1975. A few years later, on August 6, 1979, it was given to become a museum ship.
In May 1981, the Clamagore arrived at Patriot's Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. It was docked there alongside other famous ships. These included the aircraft carrier Yorktown and the destroyer Laffey.
A National Treasure
On June 29, 1989, the Clamagore was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was also named a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical site in the United States.
The Clamagore was special because it was the only GUPPY type III submarine left in the U.S. It showed how the Navy kept using and improving its diesel submarines for many years after World War II. These upgraded submarines were a big part of the nation's submarine fleet until the mid-1960s.
The End of a Journey
Over time, the Clamagore's hull (the main body of the ship) started to wear out. The museum tried to find ways to save it. There were ideas to sink it as an artificial reef. However, the cost to keep it safe and preserved became too high.
In early 2020, there was a plan to sink the Clamagore at a reef site. But this plan changed. In 2021, the museum announced that the submarine would be scrapped. During the summer of 2022, the process of taking the Clamagore apart began. On October 15, 2022, the submarine was towed away to be recycled.
Images for kids
-
USS Clamagore, November 24, 2003. The three "shark-fin" domes are part of its special sonar system.
-
Inside the USS Clamagore.
Awards and Recognition
The USS Clamagore received several awards for its service:
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Navy Expeditionary Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Medal with "EUROPE" clasp
- National Defense Service Medal with star
More to Explore
