USS Seahorse (SSN-669)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Seahorse.

History
Name	USS Seahorse (SSN-669)
Ordered	9 March 1965
Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down	13 August 1966
Launched	15 June 1968
Commissioned	19 September 1969
Decommissioned	17 August 1995
Stricken	17 August 1995
Motto	Thoroughbred of the Fleet
Fate	Submarine recycling program
General characteristics
Class and type	Sturgeon-class submarine
Displacement	4,027 long tons (4,092 t) light 4,322 long tons (4,391 t) full 295 long tons (300 t) dead
Length	292 ft (89 m)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Draft	29 ft (8.8 m)
Propulsion	1 × S5W nuclear reactor
Complement	13 officers, 95 men
Armament	4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

USS Seahorse (SSN-669), a Sturgeon-class submarine, was the second submarine and third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the seahorse, a small fish whose head and upper body suggest the head and neck of a horse.

The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 9 March 1965 and her keel was laid down on 13 August 1966. She was launched on 15 June 1968 sponsored by Mrs. Paul Ignatius, and commissioned on 19 September 1969, with Commander George T. Harper, Jr., in command.

Service history

Following a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea and visits to Roosevelt Roads and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Frederiksted, St. Croix, Seahorse returned to her home port, Charleston, South Carolina. For the remainder of 1969 and through November 1970, the submarine operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean areas, engaging in local operations and conducting type training.

On 30 November, Seahorse got underway from Charleston on her first major deployment, in which she operated in the Atlantic and visited Bremerhaven, Germany, before returning to Charleston on 14 February 1971. For the next four months, Seahorse conducted type training, engaged in air group operations and made final preparations for an extended Mediterranean Sea deployment. Departing Charleston on 21 June, she arrived at Rota, Spain, on 2 July and continued to operate in the Mediterranean until 4 October when she headed back to Charleston. She remained in Charleston for the next three and one-half months.

On 24 January 1972, Seahorse ran aground and was stranded for two hours while attempting to put to sea from Charleston, South Carolina. After breaking free, she returned to port for repairs. On 9 February 1972, she again set sail for a north Atlantic deployment, visiting Faslane, Scotland, before returning to Charleston on 11 May. During the months of June, July, and August, she spent four weeks at sea in the Atlantic providing services for air groups and participating in destroyer operations. In September, Seahorse departed for the North Atlantic to participate in NATO Exercise "Strong Express," followed by exercises with Great Britain and Canada in October and with the Royal Netherlands Navy in November. The submarine returned to Charleston on 5 November.

Seahorse was decommissioned on 17 August 1995 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 17 August 1995. Ex-Seahorse entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 1 March 1995 and on 30 September 1996 ceased to exist.

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• www.ussseahorse.org website for USS Seahorse (SS-304) and (SSN-669)