About 637 Class Submarines

They were the fastest (for their size) and quietest submarines at the time.

They were designed with relatively spacious passageways that allowed easy transit from one end of the sub to the other.

They were the first class of single screw submarines with under ice capability as part of their design.

They were modular in design allowing fairly easy equipment reconfiguration and installation.

For over 20 years they were the best of the best in the cold war.

The last 9 boats in the class were extended in length by 10 feet, setting a new precedent for fast attack length.

In the 80's all of the earlier submarines in the class received a complete replacement of Sonar, Fire Control and Communications electronics, and a streamlining of the sail.

Specifications for 651 at deactivation

Displacement: Surfaced: 3,640 t., Submerged: 4,640 t.
Length: 292' 3"  Beam: 31' 8"  Draft: 28' 8" Speed: Surfaced 15 kts, Submerged 25 kts
Depth limit: 1,300'; Complement 108;

Armament: Four 21" torpedo tubes amidships aft of bow, MK 48 Torpedoes, UUM-44A SUBROC, UGM-84A/C Harpoon, MK 57 deep water mines, MK 60 CAPTOR mines;

Combat Sensors: Radar, BPS-14/15 surface search, Sonars, BQQ-5 multi-function bow mounted, BQR-7 passive in submarines with BQQ-2, BQS-12 active 7, TB-16 or TB-23 towed array, EW Systems, WLQ-4(V), WLR-4(V), WLR-9 ;

Propulsion System: One S5W nuclear reactor, two steam turbines, one propeller, 15,000 shp.

Specifications for all 637 Class boats should be similar.

Source: www.navsource.com

1. The SSN651 Spent the first 2 years in Pearl Harbor with a MK47 torpedo nose sticking out of the sail. We were testing the sonar unit for BUORD. Click Here to see it.
   
   
2. Prior to SUBICEX70 Queenfish became the first sub to get satellite navigation (SATNAV) equipment. As a precaution a back-up was installed in the crew library. It was a prototype from M.I.T. and was so big they had to cut it's cabinet in half to get it through the weapons shipping hatch.
    
3. When testing the SATNAV it was discovered that their was an anomaly, Queenfish appeared to be tied up in the channel near Ford Island. When Tautog got their SATNAV and  found the same error, it was decided the charts had been off for many years.
    
4. While on our first WestPac, we experienced a periodic droning hum. It occurred when we were at certain speeds, in certain water densities. Not something to be desired when chasing the USSR's best around the ocean. It turned out that the ladder rungs on the sail were vibrating. They were removed and so was the problem. The ladders were later replaced with a tubular style rung, and the ladder was extended to just above the deck, making access to the fairwater positions and bridge a lot easier. Click here to see the as-built and after overhaul differences in the sail.
    
5. While on the same WestPac, we started having ventilation fans going out. It go so hot  from lack of air flow, it was almost unbearable. The fans were built with such a close tolerance in the gap between the tip of the fan blades and the blower housing that tar and oil residues were building up enough to bind the fan blades. The blades were trimmed, the fans cleaned, and the problem went away.
    
6. When I first got onboard I noticed the sample filter on the front of the Mark IV atmosphere analyzer was black. When I asked the IC division L.P.O. about it, he said "It's a charcoal filter".  Much later, after going to the school on the equipment, I discovered it was not a charcoal filter, it was dirty. I was the first person onboard to attend the school.
    
7. When Queenfish was built she was equipped with a new type of battery. The cells had a fiberglass jar instead of hard rubber. Within a year they started leaking, so a conventional battery replaced it.
    
8. When the Diesel engine was installed, it was equipped with old style Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs) instead of Thermo-couples. We had a couple of them go bad the first year, and found out the Navy supply system no longer carried them. We couldn't pass Diesel inspections. Art Gnepper IC1(SS) discovered a surplus dealer on Sand Point in Honolulu had purchased all the Naval Supply Depot had, as surplus. We got a purchase order from the supply officer and stocked up. They were still in government packaging.
    
9. Next!!!!!