Hunley-class submarine tender

{{Short description|American naval vessel (1962–1996)}}

{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = USS Hunley (AS-31) off Agana Bay, Guam, on 1 August 1980 (6451565).jpg

| Ship caption =

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{{Infobox ship class overview

| Name = Hunley-class submarine tender

| Builders =

| Operators = {{Navy|United States}}

| Class before = {{USS|Proteus|AS-19}}

| Class after = {{sclass|Simon Lake|submarine tender|4}}

| Subclasses =

| Built range = 1960 - 1963

| In commission range = 1962 - 1996

| Total ships building =

| Total ships planned =

| Total ships completed = 2

| Total ships cancelled =

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| Total ships laid up =

| Total ships lost =

| Total ships retired =

| Total ships scrapped = 2

| Total ships preserved =

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

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| Ship type = Submarine tender

| Ship displacement = 19,000 tons

| Ship length = {{convert|599|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship beam = {{convert|83|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| Ship draught =

| Ship draft = {{convert|23|ft|4|in|abbr=on}}

| Ship propulsion = Diesel–electric, 15.000 SHP

| Ship speed = {{convert|18|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}

| Ship range =

| Ship complement = 58 Officers, 1.023 Enlisted

| Ship sensors =

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| Ship armament = 4 × 3 inch/50 caliber guns

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The Hunley-class was a class of two submarine tenders in service with the United States Navy from 1962 to 1996.

History

The Hunley-class was the first class of submarine tenders in the U.S. Navy being built from the keel up to service ballistic missile submarines (SSBN). The early generations of SSBNs were equipped with the UGM-27 Polaris missile. To handle these missiles, a large 32 ton crane was installed aft that moved in a large circle. In 1973-1975 both ships were converted to handle the newer UGM-73 Poseidon missile. The massive crane was then replaced by two smaller ones.Stefan Terzibatschitsch: Seemacht USA, Volume 2, Bechtermünz Verlag, Augsburg (Germany), 1997, pp. 665-667. {{ISBN|3-86047-576-2}} The ships were powered by ten Diesel engines, delivering 15.000 SHP on one shaft. Paul H. Silverstone: U.S. Warships since 1945. Ian Allan Ltd., London (UK), 1986, p. 145. {{ISBN|0-7110-1598-8}} Both tenders were decommissioned following the retirement of the Poseidon-equipped SSBNs. After spending at least a decade in the Reserve Fleet, both ships were scrapped.

Ships

class="wikitable"
Name

! Number

! Builder

! Launched

! Commissioned

! Decommissioned

! Status

! DANFS

! NVR

{{USS|Hunley|AS-31|2}}

| AS-31

|Newport News Shipbuilding

|28 September 1961

|16 June 1962

|30 September 1994

|Sold for scrap 5 January 2007

|[https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/hunley.html]

|[https://web.archive.org/web/20170209143607/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_AS_31_4910.HTML]

{{USS|Holland|AS-32|2}}

| AS-32

|Ingalls Shipbuilding

|19 January 1963

|7 September 1963

|30 September 1996

|Sold for scrap 18 July 2013

|[https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/h/holland-iii.html]

|[https://web.archive.org/web/20170209143616/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/SHIPDETAILS/SHIPSDETAIL_AS_32_59.HTML]

References

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Hunley class submarine tenders}}

{{Hunley class submarine tender}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunley-class submarine tenders}}

Category:Hunley-class submarine tenders

Category:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States

Category:Auxiliary depot ship classes