USS Besugo

	Besugo (SS-321) underway, circa 1950. She has a 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck gun fore and aft her conning tower. Water can be seen draining from her limber holes.
History
United States
Name	USS Besugo (SS-321)
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down	27 May 1943
Launched	27 February 1944
Commissioned	19 June 1944
Decommissioned	21 March 1958
Stricken	15 November 1975
Fate	Transferred to Italy, 31 May 1966, later returned and sold for scrap, 20 June 1977
History
Italy
Name	Francesco Morosini (S 508)
Acquired	31 March 1966
Out of service	15 November 1975
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced; 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged;
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators; 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries; 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears; two propellers ; 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced; 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged;
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced; 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged;
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged; 75 days on patrol;
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 6 forward, 4 aft; 24 torpedoes; 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun; Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;

USS Besugo (SS/AGSS-321), a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the besugo.

Besugo (SS-321) was launched 27 February 1944 by Electric Boat Co., Groton, Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Perry Homer (employee in the Outside Machinist's Department of Electric Boat Company), wife of Peter J. Homer (also an employee of the company); and commissioned 19 June 1944, Commander Tom L. Wogan in command.

History[]

World War II[]

Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, Besugo arrived at Pearl Harbor 25 July 1944. She made five war patrols between 26 September 1944 and 25 July 1945 operating in Bungo Suido, Makassar Strait, Java Sea, and South China Sea. During these patrols, Besugo sank the German submarine U-183, 23 April 1945 in

04°57′S 112°52′E / 4.950°S 112.867°E.; one 10,020-ton tanker Nichei Maru; one LST (Landing Ship, Tank), one frigate, and a minesweeper totaling 2260 tons.

Postwar[]

Besugo departed Fremantle 29 August and arrived at San Diego 26 September 1945. After an overhaul she returned to the Central Pacific, operating out of Guam until transferred to Pearl Harbor 6 May 1946. She remained based at Pearl Harbor for the next eight years during which time she made two Far Eastern tours (10 June – 21 September 1947 and 31 October 1950 – 11 April 1951). In August 1954 Besugo shifted her base of operations to San Diego and the west coast.

Besugo was decommissioned, 21 March 1958 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified an Auxiliary Research Submarine, AGSS-321, in 1962, and recommissioned, 15 June 1965. She was converted to a Fleet Snorkel Submarine in 1966.

Francesco Morosini (S 508)[]

Besugo was decommissioned and loaned to Italy, 31 March 1966, and re-commissioned as Francesco Morosini. She was returned to US Navy custody and struck from the Naval Register, 15 November 1975. She was sold for scrapping, 16 April 1976.

Besugo received four battle stars for her World War II service and one for the Korean War.

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.
^ U.S. Submarines Through 1945 p. 261
^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found here and here.

External links[]

Photo gallery of Besugo at NavSource Naval History
Kill record USS Besugo

[FriedmanSubs1-dates-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Friedman, Norman (1995). U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. pp. 285–304. ISBN 1-55750-263-3.

[Register-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775-1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 0-313-26202-0.

[FriedmanSubs1-specs-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305-311

[Register_275–280-4] Bauer, K. Jack; Roberts, Stephen S. (1991). Register of Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1990: Major Combatants. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 275–280. ISBN 978-0-313-26202-9.

[FriedmanSubs1-engines_261-5] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 p. 261

[FriedmanSubs1-specs_305–311-6] U.S. Submarines Through 1945 pp. 305–311

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History
Besugo (SS-321) underway, circa 1950. She has a 5 in (127 mm)/25 caliber deck gun fore and aft her conning tower. Water can be seen draining from her limber holes.
United States
Name	USS Besugo (SS-321)
Builder	Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut^[1]
Laid down	27 May 1943^[1]
Launched	27 February 1944^[1]
Commissioned	19 June 1944^[1]
Decommissioned	21 March 1958^[1]
Stricken	15 November 1975^[2]
Fate	Transferred to Italy, 31 May 1966, later returned and sold for scrap, 20 June 1977^[1]
History
Italy
Name	Francesco Morosini (S 508)
Acquired	31 March 1966
Out of service	15 November 1975
General characteristics
Class and type	Balao class diesel-electric submarine^[2]
Displacement	1,526 tons (1,550 t) surfaced^[2] 2,424 tons (2,463 t) submerged^[2]
Length	311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)^[2]
Beam	27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)^[2]
Draft	16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum^[2]
Propulsion	4 × General Motors Model 16-278A V16 diesel engines driving electrical generators^[4]^[5] 2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries^[6] 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with reduction gears^[4] two propellers ^[4] 5,400 shp (4.0 MW) surfaced^[4] 2,740 shp (2.0 MW) submerged^[4]
Speed	20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced^[3] 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged^[3]
Range	11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)^[3]
Endurance	48 hours at 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged^[3] 75 days on patrol
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)^[3]
Complement	10 officers, 70–71 enlisted^[3]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes^[6] 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun^[6] Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon