Sargo SS 195 ?

claymore68 wrote:

If i'm not mistaken the Gato/Balao/Tench boats were visually almost identical (length, height, beam). The differances between Gato/Balao were just system upgrades and the Tench boats got a thicker pressure hull and a (partially) new internal layout (ballast tanks etc.). The decks started out mostly wood but by the end of WW II they 50% or more metal depending on construction/refit yard

Yes they were almost identical.. The Tenches seemed to look more streamlined for some reason..especially looking aft from her bow... But the Sargos had a full decked hull.. As the Balaos etc had a "turtle back deck". This is a very noticable difference. But the Sargos were really the "Fathers" of modern US Navy fleet boats. Teak decking was  rare on many Balao and Tench Boats as well as all Manotowic built Gatos.. Steel planking which has the effect of a wood planked deck when viewed from a distance was usually what many fleet boats made after 41 had. I believe almost all Teak is a product of the P.I. and well not much was getting out after the War started.

ty

Bud

I would like to thank all of you for the GREAT info on the posts.

I think I am going to go with the Balao.

Thanks again all

Have a GREAT day

Bud

wee_vee wrote:

A Pink Submarine sounds like "Operation Petticoat". There were three submarines used to make the movie, all of them Balao class. I found the following on some movie page... "USS Balao SS285 was painted pink and was used for exterior shots in and around Key West. USS Archerfish SS311 wore the standard colors of gray and black, and was used for interior and exterior shots in and around Key West. USS Queenfish SS393 was used in opening and closing scenes, and was used for the "at sea" shots filmed in and around San Diego." In the movie the boat was called the Sea Tiger. If this is the movie boat your friend wants, then you can use the old Revell boat. She's not quite right in a lot of areas, but the hull isn't too bad, and she cleans up real nice with a little work.

400 feet? Check out this report, on Chopper's famous dive, in 69. 1000 feet+. http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/9928/deepdive.htm

 As build, the Balaos were really were 100 fathom boats. And then some. Chopper did it when she was 24, imagine what she could have done when new. The diesel boats were a lot better then Rickover's nukes gave them credit for.

Now. Wouldn't you have felt safer, than you did then, if you known about it?

 I sure miss the smoke boats. USSVI is great, but it don't hold a candle, to kickin' back, in the after battery, for a bull session, with a cup of hot coffee. Those were the days!! Just like the song says.

DBF,

Mike K.

mkeatingss wrote:

"They were completely different hulls. The Sargos were smaller and about 100 tons lighter and their screws/shaft set ups were much different.. Sargos had 8 torpedo tubes and the Gatos had 10."    Sorry, Brother, I gotta disagree. The Gatos were only a couple of feet longer and less them a hundred tons heavier. The hull shape was similar and the hull diameters were identical. As far as extending the superstructure all the way aft, no biggie. In fact, with the Trumpy set up, a saw and some plastic stock, it would be simple in concept, if not easy in execution. As for the torpedo tube count, he wants to do a diorama. That's a water line model, only two torpedo tubes (fore and aft) show. But all of this is moot, since he wants to do "Tigerfish", from "Operation Petticoat". "Tigerfish" was played by USS Balao (SS-285). Yankee Model Works has Balao, in 1:350.   "In fact the Gatos and Balaos were much different too.. I.E. Steel decks vs Teak decks etc." Gotta take exception here, too. The teak decks continued right up thru the Tenchs. The steel decks came with the Guppys. The biggest difference between the Gatos and Balaos was the hull thickness. Remember, we called the Balaos "Hundred Fathom" boats? The rest was cosmetic, and differed more from boat to boat, than between classes. Especially after a couple of yard periods. DBF, Mike K.

Well having rode and Qualified on a Balao Boat (A Ganger  Bang 69/71) I will respectfully dissagree. Maybe you're confusing the boats.. The Bang always had steel decks.. What looks like Teak on many photos of the Balaos was in fact steel planking..they keep the planking design as an aid in crash diving etc. Hell even during the War many Balaos had solid steel decks.  In fact the replacement decks started mid Gato production run due to shortages in material. Smooth steel decking came about on Guppy upgrades. I remember reading somewhere that Manitowic Boats never had Teak decks after the initial run of their first few boats... While I did my tour aboard Bang she like most contemporary smoke boats had smooth steel decking.

My next USSVI meeting I'll ask this question from a few of the WW2 SubVets we still have the honor to have at our meetings.. Their memories are usually sharp as nails when it comes to the Boats.. Unlike us youngsters.

  Any way..My point was this, the Sargos looked nothing like a Gato nothing at all like a Gato outside of having similar sails etc... and I thought that was his question. Now The Tenchs .. that's another story..

100 fathom boat??? not on your life , not by the time I came aboard her.. .. not on the Bang anyway...  maybe 400 feet if we felt lucky... They had restrictions on many of the older smoke boats after sub safe became the catch word and Bang had many "restrictions" LOL She was an adventure for ops forward and the after battery  on every dive... I can't believe the Spainards didn't lose her..she leaked like paper roof.  The Boomers really spoiled me..but I am ever so lucky and proud to have rode her eh...

Hey! life is good... DBF Brother

Walt

smokinguns3 wrote:

Thats ok hes gona piant it pink anyways

mkeatingss wrote:

I've got info on both Sargo and Gato. Send an email << mkeatingss(ar)cox.net>> and I'll send what I've got. If you're up to it the Trumpeter Gato could be bashed into a Sargo. Mike K.

That's a conversion I would like to see. They were completely different hulls. The Sargos were smaller and about 100 tons lighter and their screws/shaft set ups were much different.. Sargos had 8 torpedo tubes and the Gatos had 10.  I have thought about doing this conversion using a old Revell Kit but  after researching the two I thought I would wait to see if by my 100th birthday someone would do one LOL. . The Turtleback (Deck) on the Sargos was rounded and ran all the way to the end of the boat at the stern with no "hips"..looking nothing like a Gato deck.  Actually not a true turtleback like the Gato has.. I have seen many photos of both classes and the Sargos are very different in appearence from the Gatos and Balaos especially when you view the two classes moored together.

In fact the Gatos and Balaos were much different too.. I.E. Steel decks vs Teak decks etc.

If you tackle this project please keep us posted..  

I've got info on both Sargo and Gato. Send an email << mkeatingss(ar)cox.net>> and I'll send what I've got. If you're up to it the Trumpeter Gato could be bashed into a Sargo.

Mike K.

Dubau wrote:

smokinguns3 wrote: DIng Dong it a sargo class sub. Bud Yea what he said LOL Thanks DBFSS385 Bud

smokinguns3 wrote:

DIng Dong it a sargo class sub. Bud

Yea what he said LOL

Thanks DBFSS385

Bud

The USS Sargo SS188 was first of her class.. I know of no Sargo Class models out there.. Too many differences to kit bash a Gato... But if you're looking to do USS Sargo SSN 615 Yankee Modelworks does a nice 1/350  " Threasher/Permit Class" model..

Good luck