Editing Skipjack-class submarine

{{Short description|Early cold-war US nuclear attack submarine}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = [[Image:USS Skipjack (SSN-585) underway, circa in 1965.jpg|center|200px|USS Skipjack]]
| Ship caption = USS ''Skipjack''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=*[[General Dynamics Electric Boat]]
*[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]]
*[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]]
*[[Newport News Shipbuilding]]
|Operators={{naval|United States}}
|Class before={{sclass|Skate|submarine|4}}
|Class after=*{{sclass|Permit|submarine|4}}
*{{USS|Halibut|SSGN-587|6}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1956–1961
|In service range= 
|In commission range= 1959–1990
|Total ships building= 
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=6
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships retired=5
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = 
| Ship type = [[Nuclear submarine|Nuclear-powered]] fast [[attack submarine]]
| Ship tonnage = 
| Ship displacement =* Surfaced: {{cvt|3075|LT|MT|lk=on}}
* Submerged: {{cvt|3513|LT|MT}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1">{{cite book | last = Friedman | first = Norman | author-link = Norman Friedman | title = U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History | publisher = [[United States Naval Institute]] | year = 1994 | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | pages = 128–133, 243 | isbn = 1-55750-260-9 }}</ref>
| Ship length = {{convert|251|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|31|ft|7.75|in|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = 
| Ship draft = 
| Ship depth = 
| Ship power = 
| Ship propulsion = 1 [[S5W reactor]], [[gear]]ed [[steam turbine]]s ({{convert|15000|shp|abbr=on}}),
1 shaft<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
| Ship sail plan = 
| Ship speed = *{{convert|15|kn|lk=in}} surfaced
*{{convert|33|kn}} submerged<ref name="Register">{{cite book | last = Bauer | first = K. Jack | author-link = K. Jack Bauer | author2=Roberts, Stephen S. | title = Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants | publisher = Greenwood Press | year = 1991 | location = [[Westport, Connecticut]] | page = 286 | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}</ref>
| Ship range = unlimited except by food.
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = {{convert|700|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
| Ship complement = 93
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *6 × [[American 21-inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (bow)
*24 × [[Mark 37 torpedo]]es, [[Mark 14 torpedo]]es, [[Mark 16 torpedo]]es, [[Mark 45 torpedo|Mark 45 ASTOR nuclear torpedoes]], and/or [[Mark 48 torpedo]]es.
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Skipjack'' class''' was a class of six [[United States Navy]] [[nuclear submarine]]s (SSNs) that entered service from  1959 to 1961.  This class was named after its lead boat, {{USS|Skipjack|SSN-585|6}}.  The new class introduced the [[teardrop hull]] and the S5W reactor to U.S. nuclear submarines.<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/><ref name="Register"/> The ''Skipjack''s were the fastest U.S. nuclear submarines until the {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|1}}s, the first of which entered service in 1974.

==Design==
[[Image:SSN585.svg|thumb|left|200px|Profile, USS ''Skipjack'']]
The ''Skipjack''s' design (project [[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 154]])<ref name="Friedman, pp. 258">Friedman, pp. 258</ref> was based on the [[USS Albacore (AGSS-569)|USS ''Albacore'']]'s high-speed hull design. The hull and innovative internal arrangement were similar to the diesel-powered [[Barbel-class submarine|''Barbel'' class]] that were built concurrently. The design of the ''Skipjack''s was very different from the {{sclass|Skate|submarine|1}}s that preceded the ''Skipjack''s.  Unlike the ''Skate''s, this new design was maximized for underwater speed by fully streamlining the hull like a blimp.  This required a single screw aft of the rudders and stern planes. Adoption of a single screw was a matter of considerable debate and analysis within the Navy, as two shafts offered redundancy and improved maneuverability.<ref name="Friedman, pp. 31-35">Friedman, pp. 31-35</ref> The so-called "body-of-revolution hull" reduced her surface sea-keeping, but was essential for underwater performance. Also like ''Albacore'', the ''Skipjack''s used [[HY-80]] high-strength steel, with a [[yield strength]] of {{convert|80000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}}, although this was not initially used to increase the diving depth relative to other US submarines. HY-80 remained the standard submarine steel through the [[Los Angeles-class submarine|''Los Angeles'' class]].<ref>Friedman, pp. 56, 130</ref>

[[File:Skipjack control room.svg|thumb|left|Control room of ''Skipjack'' class; the bow is at the top.]]
Another ''Barbel''-like innovation was the combination of the conning tower, control room, and attack center in one space. This was continued in all subsequent US nuclear submarines. Combining the functions in one space was facilitated by the adoption of "push-button" ballast control, another feature of ''Albacore''.<ref name="Friedman, pp. 31-35"/> Previous designs had routed the trim system piping through the control room, where the valves were manually operated. The "push-button" system used hydraulic operators on each valve, remotely electrically operated (actually via toggle switches) from the control room. This greatly conserved control room space and reduced the time required to conduct trim operations. The overall layout made coordination of the weapons and ship control systems easier during combat operations.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

[[File:Skipjack class submarine 3D drawing.svg|thumb|left|Cutaway drawing of ''Skipjack'' class1:<br />1. Sonar arrays<br />
 2. Torpedo room<br />3. Operations compartment<br />4. Reactor compartment<br />5. Auxiliary machinery space<br />6. Engine room]]
Much of the overall internal arrangement was continued in the subsequent [[Thresher-class submarine|''Thresher'']]- and [[Sturgeon-class submarine|''Sturgeon''-class]] submarines. The ''Skipjack''s' five compartments were called the Torpedo Room, Operations Compartment, Reactor Compartment, Auxiliary Machinery Space (AMS), and Engine Room. With the addition of a missile compartment, the arrangement of the [[41 for Freedom|first 41 US nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines]] ([[SSBN]]s) was similar. The design was primarily single-hull, with a double hull around the torpedo room and AMS for ballast tanks. The design was improved on the ''Thresher''s, the one-off {{USS|Tullibee|SSN-597|2}}, and subsequent attack submarines by relocating the torpedo room into the operations compartment via angled midships torpedo tubes to make room for a large sonar sphere in the bow. The [[George Washington-class submarine|''George Washington'' class]], the first SSBNs, were derived from the ''Skipjack''s, with {{USS|George Washington|SSBN-598}} rebuilt from the incomplete first {{USS|Scorpion|SSN-589|2}}. The hull of ''Scorpion'' was laid down twice, as the original hull was redesigned to become the ''George Washington''. Also, the material for building {{USS|Scamp|SSN-588|2}} was diverted into building {{USS|Theodore Roosevelt|SSBN-600|2}}, which delayed ''Scamp''{{'}}s progress.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The bow planes were moved to the massive sail to cut down on flow-induced noise near the bow sonar arrays. They were known as sail planes ([[fairwater plane]]s). The ''Skipjack''s were the first class built with sail planes; they were later backfitted on the ''Barbel''s. This design feature would be repeated on all U.S. nuclear submarines until the improved {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine|1}}, the first of which was launched in 1988.  The small "turtleback" behind the sail was the exhaust piping of the auxiliary diesel generator.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The ''Skipjack''s also introduced the [[S5W reactor]] to U.S. nuclear submarines. It was known as ASFR (Advanced Submarine Fleet Reactor) during development.<ref>Friedman, pp. 125-126</ref> The S5W was used on 98 U.S. nuclear submarines of 8 classes and the first British nuclear submarine, {{HMS|Dreadnought|S101|6}}, making it the most-used US Navy reactor design to date.{{citation_needed|date=August 2019}}

The design of the prototype HMS ''Dreadnought'' is closely related to the ''Skipjack'' class. The entire aft section of HMS ''Dreadnought'' was identical to the ''Skipjack'' class as the hull was built around the reactor and could not be changed, but since the fore section was based on earlier British studies into nuclear submarine design, great care had to be taken to marry the two designs' alignment.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baesystems.com/en-uk/heritage/dreadnought-submarine | title=Dreadnought Submarine }}</ref>

==Service==
''Skipjack'' was authorized in the FY 1956 new construction program and commissioned in April 1959. Each hull cost around $40 million. ''Skipjack'' was certified as the "world's fastest submarine" after initial sea trials in March 1959, although the actual speed attained was classified. The ''Skipjack''s remained the fastest US nuclear-powered submarines until the first of the [[Los Angeles-class submarine|''Los Angeles'' class]] entered service in 1974. This was due to the increased size of the ''Thresher'' and ''Sturgeon'' classes, which retained ''Skipjack''{{'}}s S5W power plant, plus the introduction of the ''skewback'' screw, which was quiet but mechanically inefficient.<ref>Friedman, pp. 142-143</ref> The ''Skipjack''s saw service during the [[Vietnam War]] and most of the [[Cold War]]. The ''Skipjack''-class submarines were withdrawn from service in the late 1980s and early 1990s except for {{USS|Scorpion|SSN-589|2}}, which sank on 22 May 1968 southwest of the [[Azores]] while returning from a [[Mediterranean]] deployment, with all 99 crewmembers lost.<ref>[http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/post-wwii-boats.htm On Eternal Patrol postwar page including ''Scorpion'']</ref>

==Boats in class==

The gap in the hull-number sequence was taken by the two one-of-a-kind submarines {{USS|Triton|SSRN-586}} and {{USS|Halibut|SSGN-587}}.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
!Name
!Hull number
! width="20%" | Builder
!Laid Down
!Launched
!Commissioned
!Decommissioned
!Period of service
! width="35%" | Fate
|-
|{{USS|Skipjack|SSN-585|2}}
|SSN-585
|[[Electric Boat]]
|29 May 1956
|26 May  1958
|15 April 1959
|19 April 1990
|31.0
|Recycled via the nuclear [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] 1 September 1998.
|-
|{{USS|Scamp|SSN-588|2}}
|SSN-588
|[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]]
|23 January 1959
|8 October 1960
|5 June 1961
|28 April 1988
|26.9
|Recycled via the nuclear Ship and Submarine Recycling program 9 September 1994.
|-
|{{USS|Scorpion|SSN-589|2}}
|SSN-589
|Electric Boat
|20 August 1958
|29 December 1959
|29 July 1960
|{{n/a}}
|7.8
|Lost with 99 crewmembers between 22 May and 5 June 1968, {{convert|400|nmi|km}} southwest of the [[Azores]] in the [[North Atlantic Ocean]], cause unknown
|-
|{{USS|Sculpin|SSN-590|2}}
|SSN-590
|[[Ingalls Shipbuilding]],  [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]]
|3 February 1958
|31 March 1960
|1 June 1961
|3 August 1990
|29.1
|Recycled via the nuclear Ship and Submarine Recycling program 30 October 2001.
|-
|{{USS|Shark|SSN-591|2}}
|SSN-591
|[[Newport News Shipbuilding]]
|24 February 1958
|16 March 1960
|9 February 1961
|15 September 1990
|29.6
|Recycled via the nuclear Ship and Submarine Recycling program 28 June 1996.
|-
|{{USS|Snook|SSN-592|2}}
|SSN-592
|Ingalls Shipbuilding,  Pascagoula, Mississippi
|7 April 1958
|31 October 1960
|24 October  1961
|14 November 1986
|25.0
|Recycled via the nuclear Ship and Submarine Recycling program 30 June 1997.
|-
|}

==See also==

* [[List of submarines of the United States Navy]]
* [[List of submarine classes of the United States Navy]]
* [[List of lost United States submarines]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Gardiner, Robert and Chumbley, Stephen, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995'', London: Conway Maritime Press, 1995. {{ISBN|1-55750-132-7}}.
* Hutchinson, Robert, ''Jane's Submarines, War Beneath The Waves, From 1776 To The Present Day'', Harper Paperbacks, 2005. {{ISBN|0-06081-900-6}}.
* Polmar, Norman (2004). ''Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945-2001''. Dulles: Brassey's. {{ISBN|978-1-57488-594-1}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Skipjack class submarines}}
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/05idx.htm NavSource.org SSN photo gallery index]
* [http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-scorpion-589.htm On Eternal Patrol USS ''Scorpion'' page]

{{Skipjack class submarine}}
{{US submarine classes after 1945}}

[[Category:Submarine classes]]
[[Category:Skipjack-class submarines| ]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States| Skipjack class]]
[[Category:Vietnam War submarines of the United States| Skipjack class]]