View source for USS Albacore (AGSS-569)

{{short description|United States research submarine}}
{{other ships|USS Albacore}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Albacore (AGSS-569) underway off Newport, Rhode Island (USA), 11 March 1957 (80-G-K-22262).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Albacore'' off the coast of Rhode Island
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1972}}
|Ship name=''Albacore''
|Ship namesake=[[Albacore]]
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=24 November 1950
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] of [[Kittery, Maine]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=15 March 1952
|Ship launched=1 August 1953
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. J. E. Jowers, the widow of Chief Motor Machinist's Mate Arthur L. Stanton, lost with the second ''Albacore'' (SS-218)
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=6 December 1953
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=9 December 1972
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|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=1 May 1980
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|Ship motto=*''Praenuntius Futuri''
* ("Forerunner of the Future")
|Ship nickname=
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|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=Donated as a museum and memorial in [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]]
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=[[File:Uss albacore patch.jpg|Patch of the USS ''Albacore'']]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header= 
|Header caption= - Final Phase 4 Configuration
|Ship class=
|Ship displacement= 1606.62 [[ton]]s surface<ref name=DamageControlBook>{{cite book |title=Damage Control Book: AGSS569 (U) |date=1971 |publisher=Department of the Navy, Naval Ship Systems Command |location=Washington, D.C. |pages=Section 12, 5–8}}</ref>
1823.51 tons submerged<ref name="DamageControlBook" /> 
|Ship length={{convert|205|ft|4.75|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
Length between perpendiculars {{convert|200|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
|Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|3.75|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
|Ship draft= Forward {{convert|19|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
Aft {{convert|22|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
|Ship propulsion= Two 7,500 shp, counter-rotating electric motors, Two 1,000 bhp/817 kW diesel/electric generators<ref name="DamageControlBook" />
|Ship speed=* Surfaced: 25 [[Knot (unit)|knots]]
* Submerged: 33 knots<ref>{{cite book |last=Tyler |first=Patrick |author-link=Patrick Tyler |year=1986 |title=Running Critical: The Silent War, Rickover and General Dynamics |publisher=Harper and Row |location=New York |page=70}}</ref>
|Ship range=Varied with configuration
|Ship complement=5 officers, 49 men
|Ship sensors=
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|Ship armament=None<ref name=polmar129>Polmar & Moore, p.129</ref>
|Ship armour=
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}}
|}

'''USS ''Albacore'' (AGSS-569)''' is a retired, unique research [[submarine]] that pioneered the American version of the [[teardrop hull]] form, sometimes called an "''Albacore'' hull", of modern submarines. The revolutionary design was derived from extensive hydrodynamic and wind tunnel testing, with an emphasis on underwater speed and maneuverability.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Scrafford |first=Julie |year=2006 |title=Albacore: Forerunner to the Future |journal=Undersea Warfare |volume=8 |issue=4 |publisher=U.S. Navy |access-date=25 January 2011 |url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_31/albacore.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522122459/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_31/albacore.html |archive-date=22 May 2011}}</ref> She was the third vessel of the [[United States Navy]] to be named for the [[albacore]].

Her keel was laid down on 15 March 1952 by the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] of [[Kittery, Maine]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18902380/keel_for_albacore_experimental_sub/ |title=Keel for Albacore, Experimental Sub, Laid at Shipyard |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=1 |date=17 March 1952 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 1 August 1953, sponsored by Mrs. J.&nbsp;E. Jowers, the widow of Chief Motor Machinist's Mate Arthur L. Stanton, lost with the second [[USS Albacore (SS-218)|''Albacore'' (SS-218)]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18902777/albacore_launching_scheduled_today_at/ |title=Albacore Launching Scheduled Today at Naval Shipyard |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=1 |date=1 August 1953 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18902824/albacore_launching_scheduled_today_at/ |title=Albacore Launching Scheduled Today at Naval Shipyard (cont) |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=2 |date=1 August 1953 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 6 December 1953 with Lieutenant Commander Kenneth C. Gummerson in command.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/851902559 |title=New Type Sub Commissioned at Portsmouth |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=C22 |date=6 December 1953 |access-date=3 April 2018 |url-access=limited |via=pqarchiver.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18903020/submarine_commissioned/ |title=Submarine Commissioned |newspaper=[[Mansfield News Journal|News-Journal]] |location=[[Mansfield, Ohio]] |page=26 |date=10 December 1953 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

The effectiveness of submarines in [[World War II]] convinced both the [[Soviet Navy]] and the [[United States Navy]] that undersea warfare would play an even more important role in coming conflicts and dictated development of superior submarines. The advent of [[nuclear power]] nourished the hope that such [[warship]]s could be produced. The effort to achieve this goal involved the development of a nuclear propulsion system and the design of a streamlined submarine hull capable of optimum submerged performance.

==Development==
Late in World War II, committees on both sides of the [[Iron Curtain]] studied postwar uses of [[Nuclear reaction|atomic energy]] and recommended the development of nuclear propulsion for ships. Since nuclear power plants would operate without the [[oxygen]] supply needed by conventional machinery, and since techniques were available for oxygen generation and [[Carbon dioxide scrubber|carbon dioxide removal]], submarine designers turned their attention to vessels that could operate for long periods without surfacing. Veteran submariners visualized a new type of submarine in which surface performance characteristics would be completely subordinated to high submerged speed and agility. In 1949 a special committee began a series of hydrodynamic studies, which led to a program within the U.S. [[Bureau of Ships]] to determine what hull form would be best for submerged operation. The [[David Taylor Model Basin]] in [[Maryland]] tested a series of designs. The best two—one with a single propeller and the other with dual screws—were then tested in a wind tunnel at [[Langley Air Force Base]] in [[Virginia]].<ref name=polmar128>Polmar & Moore, p.128</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18904330/using_wind_tunnel/ |title=Using Wind Tunnel |newspaper=[[Mail Tribune|Medford Mail Tribune]] |location=[[Medford, Oregon]] |page=10 |date=22 December 1955 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> To avoid interference from the various departments of the Navy, [[Charles Momsen|Admiral Momsen]] proposed to build a submarine as a [[Seaborne target|practice target]] for aircraft carriers to practice Anti-submarine Warfare against, and directed the Bureau of Ships to design an unarmed submarine for speed.<ref name="ussalbacore.orgBuild">{{cite web | url=http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/history/building_changing.html | title=Building and Changing Albacore | access-date=2019-03-08 | archive-date=4 March 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304103626/http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/history/building_changing.html | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ussnautilus.org">{{cite web | url=http://ussnautilus.org/blog/the-revolutionary-uss-albacore-agss-569/ | title=The Revolutionary USS ALBACORE (AGSS-569) |date=2014-03-14 |access-date=2019-03-08 }}</ref><ref name="asme.org">{{cite web | url=https://www.asme.org/wwwasmeorg/media/ResourceFiles/AboutASME/Who%20We%20Are/Engineering%20History/Landmarks/209-USS-Albacore-1953.pdf | title=209-USS-Albacore-1953.pdf |date=2000-05-13 |access-date=2019-03-08 }}</ref> The single-screw version was adopted, and construction of an experimental submarine to this design was authorized on 25 November 1950. The hull of the ''Albacore'' utilized [[HY-80]] high-strength steel<ref name=polmar129/> with a [[Yield (engineering)|yield strength]] of {{convert|80000|psi|MPa|abbr=on}}, although this was not initially used to increase the diving depth relative to other American submarines. HY-80 remained the standard submarine steel through the [[Los Angeles-class submarine|''Los Angeles'' class]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Friedman |first=Norman |title=U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |year=1994 |location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]] |pages=56 |isbn=1-55750-260-9 }}</ref> Other components were made from [[Carbon steel#High-tensile steel|high-tensile steel]] (HTS).<ref name=polmar129/> This ship was classified as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS-569) and named ''Albacore''. In this instance, AGSS stands for Auxiliary General Submersible Submarine, which for the U.S. Navy meant the first hull of its kind for the fleet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.ussalbacore.org/about#:~:text=The%20third%20Navy%20vessel%20to,standard%20for%20today's%20submarines%20worldwide. |access-date=2024-10-03 |website=Albacore Park |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Evaluations==
[[File:USS Albacore (AGSS-569), launching 1953.jpg|thumb|right|Launching at the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]], August 1953]]
Following preliminary acceptance trials, the new submarine departed Portsmouth on 8 April 1954 for shakedown training. She began the first cycle of a career in which she experimented extensively with a given configuration and then returned to Portsmouth for extensive modifications to evaluate different design concepts, to help the Navy develop better hull configurations for future submarines. On this initial cruise, she operated out of [[New London, Connecticut]], before sailing for [[Key West|Key West, Florida]], to conduct operations out of that port and in [[Cuba]]n waters. She returned to Portsmouth on 3 July for more than a year of trials in cooperation with the David Taylor Model Basin. Throughout these operations, she underwent repairs and modification to eliminate technical problems. It was found during these early sea trials ''Albacore'' could operate at the same maximum speed as the older modernized [[Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program|Guppy]]-type submarines with half the shaft horsepower.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1t4DAAAAMBAJ&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&pg=PA73 "Streamline Sub Sets Under Water Speed Records."] ''Popular Mechanics'', June 1954, p. 73.</ref>

The submarine departed Portsmouth on 12 October 1955 and sailed via [[Block Island]] for Key West, where she arrived on 19 October 1955 to commence antisubmarine warfare evaluation and to provide target services to the Operational Development Force's Surface Antisubmarine Development Detachment. On 4 November 1955, Admiral [[Arleigh Burke]], [[Chief of Naval Operations]], embarked on ''Albacore'' for a brief demonstration cruise. [[Lord Mountbatten]] accompanied Admiral Burke on the cruise.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18903790/mountbatten_due_for_trip_in_sub/ |title=Mountbatten Due For Trip in Sub |newspaper=[[Pensacola News Journal]] |location=[[Pensacola, Florida]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]|page=1 |date=22 October 1955 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18903964/sea_lord_to_cruise/ |title=Sea Lord To Cruise |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |location=[[Orlando, Florida]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]|page=4 |date=5 November 1955 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> On 19 November 1955, ''Albacore'' sailed for a rendezvous point off [[the Bahamas]] where she conducted special operations until 24 November 1955 and then returned to Portsmouth.

From December 1955 to March 1956, ''Albacore'' underwent stern renewal. Until this time, her propeller had been surrounded by the rudder and stern plane control surfaces. With her "new look", she resembled a [[blimp]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18904645/naval_events_headlined/ |title=Naval Events Headlined |newspaper=[[The News Journal|Wilmington Morning News]] |location=[[Wilmington, Delaware]] |page=3 |date=2 February 1956 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> with her propeller aft of all control surfaces.

Operation with her new stern configuration started in April 1956,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18904582/albacore_fastest_sub_yet/ |title=Albacore, Fastest Sub Yet |newspaper=[[Globe Gazette|Mason City Globe-Gazette]] |location=[[Mason City, Iowa]] |page=9 |date=17 April 1956 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and continued until late in the year. In May, ''Albacore'' visited New York City and participated in the television production ''Wide, Wide World'', during which she submerged, with an underwater camera mounted on her forecastle,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18904926/wkbt_tv_topics/ |title=WKBT TV Topics |newspaper=[[La Crosse Tribune]] |location=[[La Crosse, Wisconsin]] |page=14 |date=13 May 1956 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> the first live telecast of a submarine while diving.

==More tests==
[[File:Albacore model.jpg|thumb|right|Tests using a model of the ''Albacore'', March 1956]]
In November 1956, ''Albacore'' reentered the shipyard for engine conversion. She departed New London on 11 March 1957, for operations out of [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]], and [[Guantánamo Bay]], Cuba. The submarine returned to [[Boston, Massachusetts]], on 2 April 1957 and operated locally out of Boston and Portsmouth until entering the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard early in 1958 for an overhaul that lasted until June.

The ensuing tests emphasized sound reduction and included extensive evaluation of [[Aqua-Plas]], a sound-damping elastic that had been applied to the ship's superstructure and tank interiors. In October 1958, her bow planes were removed to further reduce noise.<ref name=polmar130>Polmar & Moore, p.130</ref> The submarine ended the year with a fortnight's run to [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]], and back to serve as a target ship for [[Canadian Armed Forces|Canadian warships]].

In 1959, a newly designed 14-foot propeller was installed and tested.<ref name=polmar130/> ''Albacore'' sailed south late in May and, after operating in the [[British West Indies]] for two weeks, proceeded to Key West to serve as a target for the Surface Antisubmarine Development Detachment. After returning north, she spent much of the remainder of 1959 and most of 1960 undergoing widely varied tests for the David Taylor Model Basin. One of the more unusual tests consisted of evaluating a concave bow sonar dome.<ref>Oral History, p.150</ref>{{clarify|What is a concave dome?|date=January 2022}}

Subsequent post-1959 design went into the [[Barbel-class submarine|''Barbel''-class submarine]] design, of which three boats were produced. These three submarines looked generally the same as Albacore, although longer. Only one survives today, the [[USS Blueback (SS-581)|USS ''Blueback'' (SS-581)]].

==Reconfigurations==
[[File:USS_Albacore_(2018)_05.jpg|thumb|right|USS ''Albacore''{{'}}s final tail with contra-rotating propellers]]
On 21 November 1960, the ship entered Portsmouth for a major overhaul and conversion in which she received: a new, experimental, X-shaped tail for increased control; 10 dive brakes around her hull, a new bow that included modified forward ballast tanks, new sonar systems, and a large auxiliary rudder in the after part of her sail.<ref name=polmar130/> Following the completion of this work in August 1961, she operated along the east coast learning the effect of her new configuration and equipment upon her capabilities and performance.

In 1962, she received a newly developed DIMUS [[sonar]] system and, on 7 December 1962, work began on her fourth major conversion that included the installation of concentric [[Contra-rotating marine propellers|contra-rotating propellers]], a high-capacity [[silver zinc battery]] and a larger main motor.<ref name=polmar130/> New radio equipment, BQS-4 and BQR-2 sonars, an emergency recovery system, and a new main ballast tank blow system were also added. After work was completed in March 1965, ''Albacore'' prepared for deployment to Florida waters to study the results of her changes. This was the second time that she achieved a world record speed for submarine travel, submerged. She returned to Portsmouth on 8 October 1965 and continued to evaluate her capabilities under the new configuration. On 1 August 1966, she reentered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to replace the silver-zinc battery and to shorten the distance between the contra-rotating propellers&nbsp;— work that lasted into August 1967.

Standardization and machinery tests in the [[Gulf of Maine]] during September were followed by evaluation of towed sonar arrays off [[Port Everglades]], in October and November, followed by acoustics trials in the [[Tongue of the Ocean]], a deep channel in the central [[The Bahamas|Bahamas]].

On 1 January 1968, the submarine returned to Portsmouth for a modification of her propulsion system that kept her in the navy yard until 19 April. Following a month of trials in the Gulf of Maine, she headed south for evaluation of her new MONOB I and [[Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center|AUTEC]] systems and of Fly-Around-Body (FAB) Phase I equipment in the Tongue of the Ocean. She returned to Portsmouth on 24 August 1968 for AUTEC de-instrumentation and installation of FAB Phase II equipment. Following evaluation of this new gear in the Gulf of Maine, the ''Albacore'' returned to Portsmouth on 30 September and entered reduced operating status pending the results of further studies on the feasibility of using her thereafter for further research.

The sub remained mostly inactive until 2 February 1970, when she began an overhaul in [[Dry dock|drydock]] and modifications to prepare her for Project SURPASS, researching the use of [[polymer]] mixed with fresh water to reduce drag,<ref name=polmar130/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18915889/superfast_soviet_nsub_worries_us/ |title=Super-fast Soviet N-sub worries U.S. |newspaper=[[The Morning Call]] |location=[[Allentown, Pennsylvania]] |page=1 |date=5 July 1983 |access-date=4 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> sponsored by the [[Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center|Naval Ship Research and Development Center]] at [[Carderock, Maryland]]. The ship left drydock on 16 April 1971, commenced sea trials on 22 July 1971, and completed them in August 1971. Early in October, she operated off [[Provincetown, Massachusetts]], to calibrate her sonar and radar equipment.

==Decommissioning==
{{Infobox NRHP
| name                 = USS ''Albacore'' (Submarine)
| nrhp_type            = nhl
| image                = USS_Albacore_(2018)_01.jpg
| caption              = USS ''Albacore'' on display in April 2018
| location             = Portsmouth, New Hampshire
| area                 =
| built                = 1953
| locmapin             = New Hampshire
| architect            = Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
| architecture         =
| designated_nrhp_type = 11 April 1989<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2051&ResourceType=Structure|title=USS ALBACORE (Submarine)|access-date=2007-10-13|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514044519/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2051&ResourceType=Structure|archive-date=14 May 2011}}</ref>
| added                = 11 April 1989<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
| refnum               = 89001077
}}
After frequent engine failures had caused repeated delays in her operations, her deployment in support of Project SURPASS was canceled, and preparations for her deactivation were begun. She used the General Motors [[Electro-Motive Diesel#Stationary and marine engines|EMD 16-338]] lightweight, compact, high-speed "pancake" Diesel engine. These had also been used on the {{sclass|Tang|submarine|1}}, but were replaced on them due to problems, and their pancake engines were used as spare parts. The engines were not replaced on ''Albacore'' due to space constraints. The unreliability of the engines and lack of spares led to the decommissioning of ''Albacore'' as further cannibalized parts became unavailable.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/albacore_story.html| title=The Albacore Story: Concept to Mothballs| publisher=Albacore Park| access-date=21 November 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025135458/http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/albacore_story.html| archive-date=25 October 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=https://oldmachinepress.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/general-motors-electro-motive-16-184-diesel-engine/| title=General Motors / Electro-Motive 16-184 Diesel Engine| last1=Pierce| first1=William| date=18 August 2014| publisher=Old Machine Press| access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref>

A dockside retirement ceremony was held at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 1 September 1972, attended by [[rear admiral|Rear Adm.]] [[J. Edward Snyder]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18913226/retirement_rites_held_for_albacore/ |title='Retirement' Rites Held for Albacore |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=1 |date=1 September 1972 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18913305/retirement_rites_held_for_albacore/ |title='Retirement' Rites Held for Albacore (cont) |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=3 |date=1 September 1972 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> who delivered comments on behalf of [[Robert A. Frosch]], [[Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)|Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development]], referring to ''Albacore'' as "the submarine that gave its body to science."<ref>Oral History, pp.525–530</ref> ''Albacore'' was decommissioned on 9 December 1972 and laid up at the [[Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility]] in the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18913636/silent_fleet_never_sails/ |title=Silent Fleet Never Sails |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel|Sentinel Star]] |location=[[Orlando, Florida]] |page=118 |date=3 May 1973 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Her name was struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 1 May 1980.

==Phases==
Operational history of the ''Albacore'' consisted of five phases (and an unrealized sixth phase):<ref>Largess & Mandelblatt</ref>
* Phase I / project [[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 56]] (December 1953 to December 1955)
** Bow planes, control surfaces aft of propeller, 11-foot diameter propeller, dorsal rudder
* Phase II / SCB 182 (March 1956 to November 1960)
** Control surfaces forward of propeller, 14-foot diameter propeller, dorsal rudder removed
* Phase III / SCB 182A (August 1961 to December 1962)
** X-stern, dive brakes, larger dorsal rudder
* Phase IV (March 1965 to February 1970)
** Aft pressure hull enlarged and surrounding ballast tanks eliminated to accommodate two main propulsion motors, contra-rotating propellers, silver zinc battery
* Phase V (April 1971 to September 1972)
** Bow and amidships polymer ejection manifolds and sail seawater intake scoop for Project SURPASS
* Phase VI (unrealized)
** Hull would be lengthened 12-feet to accommodate larger, more reliable diesels

==Legacy==
A non-profit group, the Portsmouth Submarine Memorial Association, was formed to bring the ''Albacore'' back to Portsmouth and place her on permanent display, designed to be on dry land so the entire submarine would be visible. The ''Albacore'' was towed back to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in April 1984, by an [[United States Army Reserve|Army Reserve]] [[tugboat]] in a journey of {{convert|575|mi}} that took 70 hours.<ref name=saving>{{cite web |url=http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/albacore_park.html |title=Albacore Park |website=ussalbacore.org |access-date=4 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404201102/http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/albacore_park.html |archive-date=4 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In May 1985, she was moved across [[Portsmouth Harbor]] to a permanent display site.<ref name=saving/> The move was difficult, as a railway trestle had to be removed and a temporary [[Cut (earthworks)|cut]], large enough to float her through, had to be made across a four-lane road.<ref name=saving/> During the move, the ''Albacore'' struck bottom three times,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18916348/headed_upstream/ |title=Headed upstream |newspaper=[[Courier-Post]] |location=[[Camden, New Jersey]] |page=5 |date=5 May 1985 |access-date=4 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> followed by a catastrophic derailment of the temporary [[Patent slip|marine railway]] that had been constructed to bring her out of the water.<ref name=saving/> The ''Albacore'' was left grounded in mud, short of her final resting place.<ref name=saving/> Months later, a temporary [[cofferdam]] was constructed, she was re-floated, and on 3 October 1985, she was successfully placed in her permanent display cradle.<ref name=saving/> After significant volunteer work to prepare her for display, the ''Albacore'' opened to the public on 30 August 1986.<ref name=saving/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18916880/old_submarine_opens_as_exhibit/ |title=Old Submarine Opens As Exhibit |newspaper=[[The Burlington Free Press]] |location=[[Burlington, Vermont]] |page=19 |date=31 August 1986 |access-date=4 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

''Albacore''{{'}}s service as an active experimental submersible for more than two decades steadily increased the Navy's knowledge of both theoretical and applied hydrodynamics, which it used in designing faster, quieter, more maneuverable and safer submarines. The Navy's effort to build hulls capable of optimum operation while submerged was wedded to its nuclear propulsion program in the submarine [[USS Skipjack (SSN-585)|''Skipjack'']], which was laid down in the spring of 1956, and these two concepts have complemented each other in the design of all of the Navy's subsequent submarines.

''Albacore'' is located at Albacore Park, 600 Market Street, [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/USS+Albacore+Museum/@43.082264,-70.7691107,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e2bfa7eafb8f89:0xb369cd663de2cf0a!8m2!3d43.082264!4d-70.766922 |title=USS Albacore Museum |date=4 April 2018 |via=[[Google Maps]]}}</ref> and is open to the public. At this time, the Visitors Center at the USS ''Albacore'' Museum is under construction to expand their exhibit space. Inside the current Visitor Center, there is a small exhibit space that includes information regarding the USS ''Albacore'', the USS ''Dolphin'', the USS ''Thresher'', and other maritime histories. The new portion of the Visitor Center is going to be a combination of maritime history of the Piscataqua region and submarine history covering the diesel age into the nuclear revolution.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Albacore Park |url=https://www.ussalbacore.org/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Albacore Park |language=en-US}}</ref> This means that the exhibit space in the original museum is going to focus entirely on the USS ''Albacore'' and her history. Artifacts from the USS ''Albacore'' Museum's Archive are going to be on display for the first time in some instances and will serve to expand the knowledge and history of the USS ''Albacore''.  She is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] on 11 April 1989.<ref name="nhlsum" /><ref name="nrhpinv2">{{cite web|url={{NHLS url|id=89001077}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: USS Albacore (AGSS-569)|date=28 July 1988|author=Kevin J. Foster |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=2023-11-27}} and {{NHLS url|id=89001077|title=Accompanying 1 photo, from 1988.|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(124&nbsp;KB)}}</ref> In 2005, the [[United States Submarine Veterans of World War II]] inducted the ''Albacore'' into the Submarine Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=18541 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404134756/http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=18541 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 April 2018 |title=Submariners, Past and Present, Honor Fallen Shipmates for Memorial Day |first=Mark O. |last=Piggot |website=navy.mil |date=30 May 2005 |access-date=3 April 2018}}</ref> In 2016, the basin area around the submarine at Albacore Park was completely reconstructed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://imageevent.com/albacore/basinrenovation?n=0&z=2&c=4&x=0&m=24&w=0&p=0 |title=Basin Renovation |website=ussalbacore.org |date=2016 |access-date=8 April 2018 |via=imageevent.com}}</ref>

== Image gallery ==
===Exterior views===
<gallery>
File:Uss albacore 03-2006.jpg|Permanent display, March 2006
File:USS Albacore (2018) 09.jpg|Permanent display, April 2018
File:USS Albacore (2018) 13.jpg|View from the stern
File:USS Albacore (2018) 12.jpg|Sail detail
File:USS Albacore (2018) 03.jpg|X-stern and dual propellers
File:USS Albacore (2018) 06.jpg|Tour entrance
File:USS Albacore (2018) props.jpg|Propeller display
File:IMG_1258USS_Albacore_(2018)_museum.jpg|Museum & gift shop
</gallery>

===Interior views===
<gallery>
File:Communications station more controls.JPG|Communication station
File:Hull openings and vent controls.JPG|Control panel
File:Depth control?.JPG|Sonar station
File:Steering section.JPG|Control station
File:USS Albacore periscope and navigation table.jpg|Periscope
File:Bunks and lockers.JPG|Bunks and lockers
File:2008-08-30 13-30-54 (USS Albacore).jpg|Crew area
File:Kitchen area opposite side.JPG|Galley
File:Engine room.JPG|Engine room
File:2008-08-30 13-35-25 (USS Albacore).jpg|Hatch
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|New Hampshire}}
* [[List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockingham County, New Hampshire]]
* [[USS Barbel (SS-580)]] Lead boat of a class of 3. First Diesel-powered attack submarine with a teardrop hull, armed version of Albacore.
* [[USS Blueback (SS-581)]] Last conventionally-powered attack submarine in service with the U.S. Navy. Museum ship, OMSI Museum, Portland, Oregon. Used in ''[[The Hunt for Red October]]'' movie
* [[USS Bonefish (SS-582)]] Last conventionally powered submarine built for the US Navy. Laid after Blueback but launched and commissioned before.

Other U.S. Navy research submarines:
* [[SS X-1|Midget submarine ''X-1'']]
* [[USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)|USS ''Dolphin'']]
* [[American submarine NR-1|Nuclear research submarine ''NR-1'']]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book |title=U.S.S. Albacore: Forerunner of the Future |first1=Robert |last1=Largess |first2=James |last2=Mandelblatt |publisher=Portsmouth Marine Society |date=2003 |isbn=9780915819249}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Christley |first1=Jim|last2=Grulich |first2=Fred |last3=Patterson |first3=John |title=Question 18/03: Pancake Submarine Diesel Engines |journal=Warship International|date=2004|volume=XLI|issue=2|pages=126–129 |issn=0043-0374}}
*{{cite book |title=Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines, 1945-2001 |first1=Norman |last1=Polmar |first2=K. J. |last2=Moore |publisher=Potomac Books |date=2003 |isbn=1574885944 |quote=Chapter 9, The Quest for Speed |pages=127–146 |url=https://vdocuments.site/cold-war-submarines-568106b4dd664.html |via=vdocuments.site}}
*{{cite book |url=http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/news_items/2017%20news/oral%20history.html |title=USS Albacore (AGSS569): An Oral History |editor-last1=Hunter |editor-first1=Jack |editor-last2=Jordan |editor-first2=Austin |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |date=2017 |isbn=978-1540646040 |access-date=4 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404201129/http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/news_items/2017%20news/oral%20history.html |archive-date=4 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/albacore-agss-569-iii.html}}

==Further reading==
;Historical
*{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18903232/sheraden_navy_officer_skipper_of/ |title=Sheraden Navy Officer Skipper of World's Swiftest Submarine |newspaper=[[The Pittsburgh Press]] |page=2 |date=17 March 1955 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}
*{{cite magazine |title=I Rode the World's Fastest Sub |first=Cornelius |last=Ryan |author-link=Cornelius Ryan |magazine=[[Collier's|Collier's Weekly]] |pages=25–29 |date=1 April 1955}}
*{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18905042/experimental_submarine_to_be_opened_to/ |title=Experimental Submarine To Be Opened to Public |newspaper=[[The Portsmouth Herald]] |location=[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] |page=17 |date=26 June 1956 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}
*{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6CkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82 |title=Fastest Sub |first=Gardner |last=Soule |author-link=Gardner Soule |magazine=[[Popular Science]] |pages=82–85, 226, 228 |date=December 1956 |volume=169 |number=6 |via=[[Google Books]] |access-date=4 April 2018}}
*{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18905427/lcdr_j_l_boyes_yields_command_of/ |title=LCDR J. L. Boyes Yields Command of Submarine |newspaper=[[Santa Cruz Sentinel]] |location=[[Santa Cruz, California]] |page=22 |date=23 January 1957 |access-date=3 April 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}
;Contemporary
*{{cite news |url=https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20190405/tales-from-albacore |title=Tales from the Albacore |first=Elizabeth |last=Dinan |website=seacoastonline.com |date=5 April 2019 |access-date=7 April 2019 |quote=Harold Whitehouse said he was the only one with a camera aboard the USS Albacore, almost 35 years ago, when it was nudged by tugboats en route to its current location off the Route 1 Bypass.}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|USS Albacore (AGSS-569)}}
* [http://www.ussalbacore.org/ USSAlbacore.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071027064631/http://www.portsmouthnh.com/thingstodo/ Albacore Museum and Park], from Portsmouthnh.com
* {{HNSA|uss-albacore-agss-569}}
* [http://www.williammaloney.com/Aviation/USSAlbacore/index.htm USS Albacore] Photos on board the Submarine USS ''Albacore'' in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
{{coord|43.082375|-70.766737|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}

{{NRHP in Rockingham County, New Hampshire}}
{{US submarine classes after 1945}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albacore (Agss-569)}}
[[Category:Submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Kittery, Maine]]
[[Category:1953 ships]]
[[Category:Museum ships in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Museums in Portsmouth, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Portsmouth, New Hampshire]]