USS Growler ( SSG - 577 ) USS " Growler " ( SSG - 577 ) , an early cruise missile submarine of the " Grayback " class , was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named after the growler , a large - mouth black bass . Construction and training . " Growler " was laid down on 15 February 1955 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery , Maine . She was launched on 5 April 1958 sponsored by Mrs . Robert K . Byerts , widow of Commander Thomas B . Oakley , Jr . , who commanded the third " Growler " on her 9th , 10th , and fatal 11th war patrols . " Growler " commissioned at Portsmouth on 30 August 1958 with Lieutenant Commander Charles Priest , Jr . , in command . After training exercises off the East Coast " Growler " sailed south for her shakedown cruise , arriving at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station , Puerto Rico , on 19 February 1959 . After a brief run back to Portsmouth , she returned to the Caribbean Sea in March to train in launching Regulus I and Regulus II nuclear cruise missiles , assisted by USS Runner ( SS - 476 ) , which was one of several submarines with Regulus guidance equipment . " Growler " returned to Portsmouth 19 April via Fort Lauderdale , Florida , and New London , Connecticut . Operational history . " Growler " then proceeded to the Pacific via Norfolk , Virginia , Key West , Florida , and the Panama Canal , putting in at Pearl Harbor on 7 September to serve as flagship of Submarine Division 12 . At Pearl Harbor the guided missile sub participated in a variety of battle and torpedo exercises as well as missile practice before beginning her first Regulus Deterrent Mission . On this mission , which lasted from 12 March to 17 May 1960 , " Growler " departed Hawaii with a full store of Regulus sea - to - surface missiles , armed with nuclear warheads , and patrolled under a strict cloak of secrecy . Their patrols could last two months or more at a stretch and required them to remain submerged for hours and even days — which at first hardly seems difficult when compared to the patrols of nuclear - powered ballistic missile submarines , but was a strain for the crew of a much smaller diesel boat . It is traditional that the log entries for 00 : 00 ( midnight ) on New Year ' s Day be made in verse . On 1 January 1961 , during " Growler " ' s second patrol , Lieutenant ( j . g . ) Bruce Felt wrote : " Not our idea of fun and good cheers / But doing our job to ensure many New Years . " From May 1960 through December 1963 " Growler " had made nine such deterrent mission patrols , one of which , the fourth , terminated at Yokosuka , Japan , on 24 April 1962 , as the Navy displayed one of its newest weapons . Decommissioning and fate . Returning to Mare Island , California , " Growler " decommissioned 25 May 1964 and was placed in reserve . She was initially moved to the Inactive Fleet section in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton , Washington and was later relocated to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1980 and was scheduled to be used as a torpedo target . However , on 8 August 1988 , Congress awarded the hulk to Zachary Fisher , Chairman of the " Intrepid " Sea - Air - Space Museum in New York City . Due to the renovations to the entire " Intrepid Sea , Air & Space Museum " complex , including the " USS Intrepid " and Pier 86 the " Growler " was towed to Brooklyn for repairs . Holes found rusted in the hull complicated matters and pushed repair costs past $ 1 . 5 million . The " Growler " returned to Pier 86 in late February 2009 , and was re - opened to the public on 21 May 2009 , during the Intrepid museum " Fleet Week 2009 " celebration . References . < br > Gardiner , Robert . " Conway ' s All the World ' s Fighting Ships 1947 - 1995 . " London : Conway Maritime Press , Ltd , 1995 Pg . 609 - 610