View source for Grayback-class submarine

{{Short description|Class of US Navy submarines}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Graybackmissle.jpg|300px|Grayback preparing to launch a Regulus II missile, c. 1960]]
|Ship caption=''Grayback'' preparing to launch a Regulus II missile, c. 1960
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Grayback'' class
|Builders=
|Operators={{naval|United States}}
|Class before={{sclass|Tang|submarine|4}}
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range= 1954–1958
|In service range=
|In commission range= 1958–1964, 1969–1984
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=1
|Total ships preserved=1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Submarine]]
|Ship tonnage= Surfaced: 2,712 tonnes (2,670 tons) Submerged: 3,708 tonnes (3,650 tons)
|Ship displacement= {{convert|2768|LT|t|0}} full
|Ship length= {{convert|317|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|27|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height= 
|Ship draft={{convert|19|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=*3 × [[Fairbanks Morse 38 8-1/8 diesel engine|Fairbanks-Morse]] [[Diesel engines]] (total {{convert|4500|shp|abbr=on}}),<ref name="Register">{{cite book | last = Bauer | first = K. Jack | 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]] | pages = 291–292 | isbn = 0-313-26202-0 }}</ref>
*2 × [[Elliott Company|Elliott]] [[electric motor]]s (total {{convert|5500|shp|abbr=on}}),<ref name="Register"/>
*4 × 126-[[Electrochemical cell|cell]] [[GUPPY]] I [[Battery (electricity)|batteries]],<ref name="FriedmanSubs1">{{cite book | last = Friedman | first = Norman | title = U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History | publisher = [[United States Naval Institute]] | year = 1995 | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | pages = 176–192, 234, 244 | isbn = 1-55750-263-3 }}</ref>
*2 shafts
|Ship speed=*{{convert|15|kn|lk=in}} surfaced,
*{{convert|12|kn|lk=in}} submerged
|Ship range= 
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth={{convert|700|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/>
|Ship complement=84
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*2 × [[SSM-N-8 Regulus|Regulus missile hangars]] (4 × [[SSM-N-8 Regulus|Regulus I]] missiles or 2 × [[Regulus II]] missiles)
*8 × [[American 21-inch torpedo|21-inch (533 mm)]] [[torpedo tube]]s (6 bow, 2 stern)
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''''Grayback''-class submarine''' was a class of two [[Regulus missile submarines|guided missile-carrying submarines]] of the [[United States Navy]]. They carried the [[SSM-N-8 Regulus|Regulus I]] and [[Regulus II]] nuclear [[cruise missile]]s, deployed 1957–64, that were rapidly phased out by [[Polaris missile|Polaris]] Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles ([[SLBM]]s). They and {{USS|Halibut|SSGN-587|6}} were the sole submarines designed specifically to carry Regulus missiles, and the only submarines capable of carrying Regulus II. However, {{USS|Tunny|SSG-282|6}} and {{USS|Barbero|SSG-317|6}} were modified earlier to carry two Regulus I missiles per boat.

==Design==
On the ''Grayback''s, two missile hangars allowed for a total of two Regulus II or four Regulus I missiles each. Since Regulus II was cancelled in December 1958 except for test firings,<ref>[http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-15.html "Vought SSM-N-9/RGM-15 Regulus II."] Parsch, Andreas, ''Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles'', 2001. Retrieved: 6 January 2013.</ref> the class deployed with four Regulus I missiles. They were originally ordered as [[Sister ship|sisters]] of {{USS|Darter|SS-576|6}}, similar to the last {{sclass|Tang|submarine|1}}s, but were converted under project [[Ship Characteristics Board|SCB 161]] to missile submarines during construction.<ref>Gardiner and Chumbley, pp. 609–610</ref><ref name="FriedmanSubs1"/> Torpedo armament was the same as the ''Tang''s, with six bow and two stern tubes. The stern tubes were for "swim-out" weapons only, such as the [[Mark 37 torpedo|Mark 37 ASW homing torpedo]].

In ''Grayback''{{'}}s later role as an amphibious transport submarine, the former missile hangars were used to store [[Navy SEALs|SEAL]] [[Swimmer Delivery Vehicle]]s and other equipment used by the SEALs and Marine [[Force Recon]] units.

==Boats in class==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%;"
!Name
!Hull number
! width="20%" | Builder
!Laid down
!Launched
!Commissioned
! width="35%" | Fate
|-
|{{USS|Grayback|SSG-574|2}}
|SSG-574
|[[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]]
|1 July 1954
|2 July 1957
|7 March 1958
|Decommissioned 25 May 1964, converted to an amphibious transport submarine (LPSS) and recommissioned 1968, decommissioned 16 June 1984, expended as a target 1986
|-
|{{USS|Growler|SSG-577|2}}
|SSG-577
|[[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]]
|15 February 1955
|5 April 1958
|30 August 1958
|Decommissioned 25 May 1964, struck 30 September 1980, museum ship at the [[Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum]] in [[New York City]] from 29 September 1988.
|-
|}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* 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}}.
* Jackson, Robert, ''Fighting Ships of The World'', London: Amber Books Ltd, 2004 Pg.314 {{ISBN|9781840136470}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Grayback class submarines}}
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/09idx.htm NavSource.org Guided Missile Submarines photo gallery index]

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

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