USS Triton ( SSRN - 586 ) USS " Triton " ( SSRN / SSN - 586 ) , a United States Navy nuclear - powered radar picket submarine , was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth ( Operation Sandblast ) , doing so in early 1960 . " Triton " accomplished this objective during her shakedown cruise while under the command of Captain Edward L . " Ned " Beach , Jr . The only member of her class , she also had the distinction of being the only Western submarine powered by two nuclear reactors . " Triton " was the second submarine and the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Greek god Triton . At the time of her commissioning in 1959 , " Triton " was the largest , most powerful , and most expensive submarine ever built , at $ 109 million excluding the cost of nuclear fuel and reactors ( $ in present - day terms ) . After operating for only two years in her designed role , " Triton " s role as a radar picket submarine was made obsolete by the introduction of the carrier - based Grumman WF - 2 Tracer airborne early warning aircraft . Converted to an attack submarine in 1962 , she became the flagship for the Commander Submarine Forces U . S . Atlantic Fleet ( ) in 1964 . She was decommissioned in 1969 , the first U . S . nuclear submarine to be taken out of service . " Triton " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s hull was moored at the St . Julien ' s Creek Annex of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth , Virginia as part of the reserve fleet until 1993 , though she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1986 . In 1993 , she was towed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to await the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program . The former " Triton " landed on the keel resting blocks in the drydock basin on 1 October 2007 to begin this recycling process which was completed effective 30 November 2009 . Design history . " Triton " is considered a first - generation U . S . nuclear - powered submarine , along with , , , and ( and her sisters ) . While serving as fully operational units of the U . S . Navy , the vessels also played key developmental roles . " Nautilus " introduced the use of nuclear power for ship propulsion . " Seawolf " utilized a liquid - metal nuclear reactor using liquid sodium as an alternative heat exchange medium to pressurized water . " Halibut " was the first nuclear - powered submarine to perform a strategic nuclear deterrence patrol armed with Regulus cruise missile s . The " Skate " s were the first nuclear - powered submarine class with more than one ship built . " Triton " s unique contribution to the development of nuclear power for naval propulsion was her dual reactor plant , which provided the speed required for radar picket missions . Radar picket submarines ( Navy classification " SSR " ) were developed during the post - war period to provide intelligence information , electronic surveillance , and fighter aircraft interception control for forward - deployed naval forces . Unlike destroyers used as radar picket ships during World War Two , these submarines could avoid attack by submerging if detected . The U . S . Navy ' s Migraine program involved converting existing fleet submarines into radar picket vessels , and the Navy also ordered two purpose - built diesel - electric SSRs , and . However , these were incapable of sustaining the high submerged or surfaced speeds necessary to operate with fast carrier task forces and therefore unsuitable to the task . Nuclear power offered the only possible solution . " Triton " was designed in the mid - 1950s as a radar picket submarine capable of operating at high speed , on the surface , in advance of an aircraft carrier task force . " Triton " s high speed came from her twin - reactor nuclear propulsion plant , with a designed speed , surfaced and submerged , of . On 27 September 1959 , " Triton " achieved " well in excess of " during her initial sea trials . " Triton " was the only non - Soviet submarine designed with a two - reactor propulsion plant . Her S4G reactor s were seagoing versions of the land - based S3G reactor prototype . Both reactors comprised the Submarine Advanced Reactor ( SAR ) program , a joint venture between the U . S . Navy , Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC ) , and General Electric . As originally designed , " Triton " s total reactor output was rated at . However , " Triton " achieved during her sea trials , and her first commanding officer , Captain Edward L . Beach , Jr . , believed " Triton " s plant could have reached " had that been necessary . " Both of " Triton " s reactors share the same compartment , with its number one reactor located forward and its number two reactor located aft within that compartment . The number one reactor supplied steam to the forward engine room and the starboard propeller shaft . The number two reactor supplied steam to the after engine room and the port propeller shaft . Each reactor could individually supply steam for the entire ship , or the reactors could be cross - connected as required . It is this enhanced reliability , redundancy , and dependability of its dual - reactor plant that was a key factor in the selection of " Triton " to undertake the first submerged circumnavigation of the world . " Triton " s dual - reactor plant met a number of operational and engineering objectives , specifically the high speed requirement to meet its radar picket mission , which continues to be sources of speculation and controversy to this day . During the early 1950s , many engineers at Naval Reactors branch of the U . S . Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC ) were concerned about depending on single - reactor plants for submarine operations , particularly involving under - the - ice Arctic missions . The presence of two de - aerating feed tanks , which are used only on surface warships , suggested that " Triton " s twin - reactor plant may have served as a testbed for future multi - reactor surface warships . The SAR program was the first production naval reactor developed by General Electric for the U . S . Navy , and GE used this SAR experience for the High Power Reactor ( HPR ) program that led to the development of the D1G and D2G naval reactors used on the , , " California " , and " Virginia " classes of nuclear - powered surface ships . Finally , the U . S . Navy was debating the best approach to optimize performance , particularly underwater speed , for its nuclear submarine fleet . " Triton " achieved high speeds through brute horsepower , rather than the more hydrodynamically efficient teardrop - shaped hull form pioneered by which , when combined with nuclear power , allowed to achieve higher speed with less horsepower . To meet her radar picket role , " Triton " s main air search radar initially used the AN / SPS - 26 , the U . S . Navy ' s first electronically scanned , three - dimensional search radar which was laboratory tested in 1953 . The first set was installed on board the destroyer leader " Norfolk " prior to its installation on board " Triton " in 1959 . Since it was scanned electronically in elevation , the AN / SPS - 26 set did not need a separate height - finding radar . A submarine version of SPS - 26 , designated BPS - 10 , was under development , and it was slated for installation on " Triton " . To process its radar , electronic , and air traffic data , " Triton " had a Combat Information Center ( CIC ) located in a separate air control compartment , situated between " Triton " s reactor and operations compartments . Design work on a nuclear - powered radar picket submarine ( SSRN ) began in 1954 – 1955 . As initially designed , it had a three - level hull , with its Combat Intelligence Center ( CIC ) located on the middle level . Its overall length was initially , with a beam of . Also as initially designed , its displacement was 4800 tons surfaced and 6500 tons submerged . January 1955 performance estimates called for the SAR propulsion plant to produce 34 , 000 shaft horsepower , with a surfaced speed of ) and a submerged speed of . " Triton " initially had the same dual radar system installed on the non - nuclear " Sailfish " - class radar picket submarines ( i . e . , BPS - 2 search radar and BPS - 3 height - finder set ) housed in a large , stepped sail ( " see image " ) . Construction cost was initially estimated at $ 78 , 000 , 000 . Subsequent growth of the SAR propulsion plant necessitated the overall increase in " Triton " s length and tonnage , although without any loss in speed , while the installation of the AN / SPS - 26 3 - D search radar allowed the elimination of a separate height - finder . " Triton " was to be the lead ship of a proposed class of nuclear - powered radar picket submarines . A December 1955 long - range naval planning report envisioned five carrier strike groups , each supported by two radar picket submarines . The total force included two non - nuclear " Sailfish " class submarines and eight nuclear submarines . With construction costs for " Triton " escalating , this long - range requirement was revised in 1957 to provide four nuclear - powered radar picket submarines for a single nuclear - powered carrier group , with the four remaining conventionally powered carrier groups supported by two diesel - electric radar picket submarines each . At the time of her construction , " Triton " was the largest submarine ever built . Her knife - like bow , with its bulbous forefoot , provided improved surfaced sea - keeping for her radar picket role . Her surface sea - keeping was further enhanced by high reserve buoyancy ( 30 % ) , provided by 22 ballast tanks , the most ever in an American submarine . She was the last submarine to have a conning tower , as well as the last American submarine to have twin screws or a stern torpedo room . Her sail was the largest ever aboard an American submarine , measuring long , tall , and wide , and designed to house the large AN / SPS - 26 3 - D air - search radar antenna when not in use . She also had a compartment solely for crew berthing , with 96 bunks , and two separate chief petty officers ' ( CPOs ' ) quarters . With an overall length of , " Triton " was the longest submarine in the history of the United States Navy until the nuclear - powered ballistic missile submarine was formally commissioned in 1981 as a unit of the U . S . Navy . Combat systems overview . " Triton " s main air search radar was the AN / SPS - 26 electronically scanned , three - dimensional ( 3 - D ) radar system . The SPS - 26 had a range of , and it was capable of tracking aircraft up to an altitude of . Since it scanned electronically in elevation , it did not need a separate height - finding radar system . When not in use , the SPS - 26 radar was lowered into its fairwater housing for stowage within " Triton " s massive sail . A submarine version of SPS - 26 , designated BPS - 10 , was under development at the time of " Triton " s construction , and it was slated for eventual installation on " Triton " . " Triton " s active / passive sonar detecting - ranging set was the AN / BQS - 4 , which had a listening range up to for surfaced or snorkeling submarines , optimized to with target tracking capability within 5 degrees of accuracy . The hull - mounted passive sonar AN / BQR - 2 array supplemented the BQS - 4 system , with a range up to and a bearing accuracy of 1 / 10 of degree , allowing the BQR - 2 to be used for fire control in torpedo attacks . " Triton " s target fire - control system ( TFCS ) was the Mark 101 , a post - war development that incorporated target tracking and ranging data into a position keeper , with a pair of analyzers that automatically revised torpedo gyros and settings as the target position changed . This automation greatly simplified a targeting solution for a plotting party . Previously targeting solutions were manually estimated target bearings and then feed them into the Torpedo Data Computer ( TDC ) system initially introduced in fleet submarines prior to World War II . However , while entirely capable of providing efficient fire control solutions against post - war non - nuclear hunter - killer submarines , the Mark 101 proved to be less responsive to the rapid changes associated with nuclear submarine operations . " Triton " s torpedo system consisted of six Mark 60 torpedo tubes , four bow and two stern . The Mark 60 system was a - long hydraulic - launch tube that did not have power handling capability . The standard torpedo carried by " Triton " was the Mark 37 , with a weapon load of ten forward and five aft . " Triton " s first commanding officer , " Ned " Beach , noted the torpedo load in the forward torpedo room could have been doubled with the removal of a single support girder . The Number One periscope was " Triton " s navigational periscope , and it had a built - in sextant developed by the Kollmorgen Optical Company that allowed navigators to observe celestial bodies to order to obtain an accurate star fix to plot the ship ' s course and position . Construction history . The U . S . Navy ordered a " large radar picket using the advanced two - reactor system , " designated SCB 132 , in October 1955 under the U . S . Department of Defense appropriation for Fiscal Year 1956 . The U . S . Navy ' s 1956 shipbuilding program was significant because it included authorized for the construction of eight submarines , the largest such order since World War II . This FY - 56 program included five nuclear - powered submarines – " Triton " , the guided missile submarine " Halibut " , the lead ship for the " Skipjack " class , and the final two " Skate " - class attack submarines , " Sargo " and " Seadragon " . It also included the three diesel - electric " Barbel " class , the last diesel - electric submarines to be built by the U . S . Navy . " Triton " s keel was laid down on 29 May 1956 in Groton , Connecticut , by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation . Her length presented Electric Boat with many problems during her construction . She was so long her bow obstructed the slipway ' s railway facility , used for transporting material around the yard , Consequently , the lower half of her bow was cut away to facilitate yard operations , and the bow was re - attached just days prior to her launch . Similarly , the last of her stern was built on an adjoining slip and attached to the rest of the hull before " Triton " s launch . Her sail was found to be too high to go under the scaffolding , so the top was cut away and re - attached later . Even before her launch , there was considerable discussion of " Triton " s role beyond her radar picket mission . An internal Navy memorandum set forth four options for the submarine ' s extended use . These included configuration to serve as a command ship ( SSCN ) for a fleet or force commander , an advanced sonar scout for the fleet , a Regulus missile submarine ( SSGN ) , or a minelaying submarine . However , with the exception of the command ship option , all of these proposed configurations required extensive modification to her original design . Another potential mission was as an underwater tug , able to rescue disabled submarines under the $ 3 ice pack . " Triton " s first commanding officer , Captain Edward L . Beach , requested plans be drawn up for this modification , which he characterized as " easy and inexpensive " . Although there was consideration for a deployment to Arctic waters , there is no evidence that " Triton " was ever employed as an underwater tug . " Triton " was launched on 19 August 1958 , with Louise Willis , the wife of Vice Admiral John Wills USN ( ret . ) , as her sponsor . The principal address was delivered by Admiral Jerauld Wright , the Commander - in - Chief of the U . S . Atlantic Command ( ) , the Commander - in - Chief of the U . S . Atlantic Fleet ( ) and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic ( ) for NATO . Over 35 , 000 guests attended , the largest crowd to witness a submarine launching up to that time . On 1 February 1959 , " Triton " was provisionally accepted for service in the U . S . Navy , with Captain Beach , the Prospective Commanding Officer ( PCO ) , now designated as Officer - in - Charge . " Triton " met several key milestones before her commissioning . On 8 February 1959 , reactor No . 2 achieved initial criticality , while reactor No 1 achieved this milestone on 3 April 1959 . Two shipboard accidents occurred during " Triton " s post - launch fitting - out . On 2 October 1958 , prior to the nuclear reactor fuel being installed , a steam valve failed during testing , causing a large cloud of steam that filled the number two reactor compartment , and on 7 April 1959 , a fire broke out during the testing of a deep - fat fryer and spread from the galley into the ventilation lines of the crew ' s mess . Both incidents , neither nuclear related , were quickly handled by ship personnel , with Lt . Commander Leslie B . Kelly , the prospective chief engineering officer , being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his quick action during the incident on 2 October . " Triton " began her sea trials on 27 September 1959 . Over the next five days , the ship ' s systems and equipment were thoroughly tested under the overall direction of Hyman G . Rickover of the Bureau of Ships ' Naval Reactors branch and Captain A . C . Smith , the Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Electric Boat . " Triton " generated on sea trials , reaching her design surface speed of , and achieved a surface speed well in excess of . " Triton " subsequently executed a four - hour , full - power submerged run and a crash - back maneuver . The only significant problem encountered during her initial sea trials was the overheating of the lubricating oil system for the starboard propshaft spring bearing . At the recommendation of Admiral Rickover , a hose was rigged to spray the bearing housing with a steady stream of sea water to keep the shaft cool , as well as a special watch set to monitor the temperature of the lube oil . " Triton " began her preliminary acceptance trials ( PAT ) on 20 September 1959 . These trials were conducted under the supervision of Rear Admiral Francis Douglas McCorkle of the U . S . Navy ' s Board of Inspection and Survey ( INSURV ) . After three days of at - sea tests , " Triton " was passed by the INSURV as being ready to enter service as a U . S . naval vessel . Operational history . Commissioning . " Triton " was commissioned on 10 November 1959 with Captain Edward L . Beach , Jr . in command . Vice Admiral Bernard L . Austin , the Deputy CNO for Plans and Policy , made the keynote address , noting : As the largest submarine ever built , her performance will be carefully followed by naval designers and planners the world over . For many years strategists have speculated on the possibilities of tankers , cargo ships and transports that could navigate under water . Some of our more futuristic dreamers have talked of whole fleets that submerge . " Triton " is a bold venture into this field . The widow of the late Rear Admiral Willis A . " Pilly " Lent presented the original ship ' s bell from the first " Triton " at the new commissioning ceremony . The late Admiral Lent had been the earlier " Triton " s first commanding officer . A watercolor painting of the ship also was presented by the American Water Color Society . The final cost of building " Triton " , less her reactors , nuclear fuel , and other related costs paid by the AEC , was $ 109 , 000 , 000 USD , making " Triton " the most expensive submarine ever built at the time of her commissioning . " Triton " was assigned to Submarine Squadron 10 , the U . S . Navy ' s first all - nuclear force , based at the U . S . Submarine Base in New London , Connecticut , under the command of Commodore Tom Henry . " Triton " subsequently completed torpedo trials at Naval Station Newport and conducted other special tests at the Norfolk Navy Base before returning to Electric Boat on 7 December 1959 in order to install special communications equipment , including a prototype of the BRA - 3 towed communications buoy system housed in a large fairing located on the after end of the main deck . Work on " Triton " at Electric Boat was delayed as priority was given to completing the Navy ' s first two fleet ballistic missile ( FBM ) submarines , and , with the objective for both vessels to start their first nuclear deterrence patrols before the end of 1960 . On 20 January 1960 , " Triton " got underway to conduct an accelerated series of at - sea testing . " Triton " returned on 1 February as preparations continued for her forthcoming shakedown cruise , scheduled for departure on 16 February 1960 , which involved operating with the command ship , flagship of the U . S . Second Fleet , in northern European waters . On 1 February , Captain Beach received a message from Rear Admiral Lawrence R . " Dan " Daspit ( COMSUBLANT ) instructing Beach to attend a top secret meeting at The Pentagon on 4 February 1960 that led to the execution of Operation Sandblast , the first submerged circumnavigation of the world . Shakedown cruise . During her shakedown cruise , " Triton " successfully executed the first submerged circumnavigation of the world , code name d Operation Sandblast , following the same track as the first circumnavigation led by Ferdinand Magellan , as summarized by " Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships " : " Triton " put to sea on her shakedown cruise on 15 February 1960 , bound for the South Atlantic . She arrived in the middle Atlantic off St . Peter and St . Paul Rocks on 24 February to commence a history - making voyage . Having remained submerged since her departure from the east coast , Triton continued on south towards Cape Horn , rounded the tip of South America , and headed west across the Pacific . After transiting the Philippine and Indonesia n archipelagos and crossing the Indian Ocean , she rounded the Cape of Good Hope and arrived off the St . Peter and Paul Rocks on 10 April — 60 days and 21 hours after departing the mid - ocean landmark . Only once did her sail break the surface of the sea , when she transferred a sick sailor to " Macon " ( CA - 132 ) off Montevideo , Uruguay , on 6 March . She arrived back at Groton , Connecticut , on 10 May , having completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the earth . " Triton " s globe - girdling cruise proved invaluable to the United States . Politically , it enhanced the nation ' s prestige . From an operational viewpoint , the cruise demonstrated the great submerged endurance and sustained high - speed transit capabilities of the first generation of nuclear - powered submarines . Moreover , during the voyage , the submarine collected reams of oceanographic data . At the cruise ' s conclusion , " Triton " received the Presidential Unit Citation and Captain Beach received the Legion of Merit from President Dwight D . Eisenhower . " Triton " s commanding officer during Operation Sandblast , Captain Edward L . Beach , also provided a unique perspective on the circumnavigation in his log : The noted historian Bern Dibner placed the significance of Operation Sandblast into historical context : The actual submerged circumnavigation occurred between 24 February and 25 April 1960 , covering in 60 days and 21 hours at the average speed of while crossing the Equator on four different occasions . Also , the total duration of " Triton " s shakedown cruise was 84 days 19 hours 8 minutes , covering , and " Triton " remained submerged for a total of 83 days 9 hours , covering during her maiden voyage . The " New York Times " described " Triton " s submerged circumnavigation of the world as " a triumph of human prowess and engineering skill , a feat which the United States Navy can rank as one of its bright victories in man ' s ultimate conquest of the seas . " Initial deployments . Following her post - shakedown availability ( PSA ) , " Triton " assumed her duties as a radar picket submarine in August 1960 . She deployed to northern European waters with the Second Fleet to participate in NATO exercises oriented around detecting and intercepting Soviet bombers overflying the Arctic . " Triton " also participated in NATO exercises against British naval forces led by the aircraft carriers and under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Charles Madden , RN . For two days during these NATO exercises , Rear Admiral Thomas H . Moorer and his flag lieutenant , Lt . William P . Lawrence , were aboard " Triton " to observe its submarine radar - picket operations . At the time , Moorer was serving as Commander Carrier Division Six which included the carriers and . " Triton " completed its first overseas deployment with a port visit to Bremerhaven , West Germany , the first by a nuclear - powered ship to a European port , from 2 – 9 October 1960 , with an estimated 8 , 000 touring the boat during this port - call . For the first half of 1961 , " Triton " conducted operational patrols and training exercises with the Atlantic Fleet . This included an at - sea exercise involving low - power testing in support of the development of a proposed natural circulation reactor ( NCR ) . She also deployed to monitor the Soviet 50 - megaton hydrogen bomb initiation at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean during late October 1961 . During this period , the rising threat posed by Soviet submarine forces increased the Navy ' s demands for nuclear - powered attack submarines with antisubmarine warfare ( ASW ) capability . Following the development of the carrier - based Grumman WF - 2 Tracer airborne early warning aircraft , " Triton " s AN / SPS - 26 3 - D long - range air search radar was no longer needed , and the development of the submarine version of this 3 - D radar system , the BPS - 10 , was canceled in 1960 . Accordingly , upon the demise of the Navy ' s radar picket submarine program , " Triton " was redesignated SSN - 586 on 1 March 1961 . Overhaul and conversion . " Triton " entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in June 1962 for conversion to an attack submarine . Her crew complement was reduced from 172 to 159 . She was overhauled and refueled at Groton , Connecticut , from September 1962 to January 1964 , which included modification to serve as the flagship for . Since the Navy no longer had any plans to use " Triton " s radar picket capability , her SPS - 26 radar set was replaced by a two - dimensional AN / BPS - 2 air search radar , with " Triton " now providing the fleet with an at - sea air strike control capability . Because she subsequently served as ' s flagship following her overhaul , one area of continuing speculation is whether " Triton " was part of the National Emergency Command Post Afloat ( NECPA ) program . NECPA was tasked to provide afloat facilities for the President of the United States in case of an emergency or war , with the command cruisers " Northampton " and assigned to perform this mission . " Triton " had a number of attributes that made her a potential NECPA platform . Her size allowed ample room for additional shipboard systems and accommodations . Her designed speed provided the capability for rapid transit , and her nuclear power plant offered virtually unlimited endurance and range . The Combat Information Center ( CIC ) provided substantial command and control capabilities as did the communication buoy system that could receive and send radio transmissions while submerged . As she was a submarine , " Triton " offered superior protection against nuclear - biological - chemical ( NBC ) contaminants over surface ships or airborne command centre . However , the record remains unclear if such an explicit conversion was ever undertaken . Subsequent operations . In March 1964 , upon completion of her overhaul , " Triton " s home port was changed from New London , to Norfolk . On 13 April 1964 , she became the flagship for . In January 1965 , " Triton " rescued the pilot and a passenger of a charter aircraft that had ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off St . Croix in the Virgin Islands . " Triton " was relieved as ' s flagship by the on 1 June 1967 . Eleven days later , " Triton " was shifted to her original home port of New London , Connecticut . Decommissioning and final disposition . Due to cutbacks in defense spending , as well as the expense of operating her twin nuclear reactors , " Triton " ' s scheduled 1967 overhaul was canceled , and the submarine — along with 60 other vessels — was slated for inactivation . While " Triton " s twin reactor plant was designed to be refueled by a submarine tender like other U . S . nuclear submarines , because of the complexity of her zirconium - clad fuel elements , " Triton " s previous re - fueling had been done in a shipyard during her 1962 – 1964 overhaul . Although new fuel elements were procured and available for installation , " Triton " s overhaul was canceled , a source of controversy . One speculation suggests that the cancellation of " Triton " s overhaul allowed funds to be redirected for the repairs to the supercarrier which had been extensively damaged off Vietnam . From October 1968 through May 1969 , she underwent preservation and deactivation processes , and she was decommissioned on 3 May 1969 . " Triton " became the U . S . Navy ' s first nuclear - powered submarine to be taken out of service , and second in the world , after the Soviet Navy ' s November - class submarine " K - 27 " in 1968 . On 6 May 1969 , " Triton " departed New London under tow and proceeded to Norfolk , Virginia , where she was placed in the reserve fleet . She remained berthed at Norfolk or at the St . Julien ' s Creek Annex of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth , Virginia , into 1993 . She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry on 30 April 1986 . In August 1993 , the hulks of the ex - " Triton " and the ex - " Ray " were towed by the salvage tug " Bolster " to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard ( PSNS ) , in Bremerton , Washington , arriving on 3 September 1993 , to await their turn in the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program ( SRP ) . Effective 1 October 2007 , ex - " Triton " landed on the keel resting blocks in the drydock basin to begin recycling . The long delay in the disposal of ex - " Triton " has been attributed to the complexity of her dual reactor plant . Final recycling was completed effective 30 November 2009 . Legacy . Triton plaque . In the eight days prior to " Triton " s departure on her around - the - world submerged voyage , Captain Beach approached Lt . Tom B . Thamm , " Triton " s Auxiliary Division Officer , to design a commemorative plaque for their upcoming voyage , as well as the first circumnavigation led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan . The plaque ' s eventual design consisted of a brass disk about in diameter , bearing a sailing ship reminiscent of Magellan ' s carrack , " Trinidad " , above the submarine dolphin insignia with the years 1519 and 1960 between them , all within a laurel wreath . Outside the wreath is the motto ( " Hail Noble Captain , It Is Done Again " ) . Commodore Tom Henry , commanding Submarine Squadron 10 , supervised the completion of the plaque . The carving of the wooden form was done by retired Chief Electrician ' s Mate Ernest L . Benson at New London . The actual molding of the plaque was done by the Mystic Foundry . During the homeward leg of her around - the - world voyage , " Triton " rendezvoused with the destroyer on 2 May 1960 off Cadiz , Spain , the departure point for Magellan ' s earlier voyage . " Triton " broached , and " John W . Weeks " transferred the finished plaque to " Triton " for transport back to the United States . The plaque was subsequently presented to the Spanish government by John Davis Lodge , the United States Ambassador to Spain . This plaque is located at the City Hall in Sanlúcar de Barrameda , Spain , and it is mounted on the wall of the city hall with a marble slab memorializing the 1960 " Triton " submerged circumnavigation . Duplicates of the Triton Plaque were also presented to the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic , Connecticut , and the Naval Historical Association in Washington , D . C . , as well as the U . S . Navy Submarine School and the U . S . Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum , both located in Groton , Connecticut . " Triton " memorials . Triton Light is a navigational beacon on the seawall of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis , Maryland , where the Severn River meets Spa Creek and the Annapolis harbor . It was donated to the Academy and named for the Greek god by the United States Naval Academy Class of 1945 . The crew of " Triton " provided samples of water taken from the 22 seas through which their ship had passed during their submerged 1960 circumnavigation . These samples filled a globe built into the Triton Light , and the naming of the light and significance of the globe are explained in a commemorative marker . Beach Hall is the new headquarters for the United States Naval Institute which was dedicated on 21 April 1999 ( " pictured " ) . The facility is named after Captain Edward L . Beach , Sr . , who served as the Institutes secretary - treasurer , and his son , Edward L . Beach , Jr . , who commanded " Triton " during Operation Sandblast . The dive wheel from " Triton " s conning tower is on display in the lobby of Beach Hall . " Triton " was the 2003 inductee into the Submarine Hall of Fame following her nomination by the Tidewater chapter and Hampton Roads Base of the United States Submarine Veterans , Inc . ( USSVI ) . A shadow box filled with " Triton " memorabilia was placed in Alcorn Auditorium of Ramage Hall located at the U . S . Navy Submarine Learning Center , Naval Station Norfolk . USS " Triton " Recruit Barracks ( Ship 12 ) was dedicated in ceremonies at the U . S . Navy ' s Recruit Training Command , Naval Station Great Lakes , near North Chicago , Illinois , on 25 June 2004 . The facility honors the memory of two submarines named " Triton " and includes memorabilia from both . Triton Hall is the fifth barracks constructed under the RTC Recapitalization Project , covering 172 , 000 square feet ( 15 , 979 square meters ) in floor space . The facility is designed to accommodate 1056 recruits , and it includes berthing , classrooms , learning resource centers , a galley , a quarterdeck , and a modern HVAC system . On 17 May 2012 , in a dedication ceremony , the long - missing ship ' s bell was added to the collection of artifacts in Triton Hall ' s quarterdeck ( " pictured " ) . The USS " Triton " Submarine Memorial Park is located on the Columbia River , at the end of Port of Benton Boulevard in north Richland , Washington . Its purpose is " to establish a permanent park in north Richland in recognition of all the decommissioned reactor cores off - loaded at the Port ’ s barge slip , transported and stored at the Hanford Site . " The park features " Triton " s sail superstructure and an information display on the history of " Triton " . The park also serves as a tourist attraction , especially due to its location , since Hanford is the resting place of spent reactor cores from several Navy ships . Planning called for the sail will to be cut up for transport and re - assembly at the park site . Ground - breaking was initially scheduled to take place on 3 April 2008 , with the dedication ceremony set for 19 August 2008 and a Fall 2009 start - date for construction . On 23 October 2009 , the Port of Benton encased " Triton " s conning tower in concrete at its new USS Triton Submarine Memorial Park in north Richland , Washington . In mid - December 2009 , the final pieces of " Triton " s sail were welded together at the park ' s site . During 11 August 2010 Port of Benton commission meeting , it was reported that bids for the first phase , which includes the park ' s electrical lighting system and the pouring the concrete around " Triton " s sail , would be announced shortly by the port authority . The second phase would involve the park ' s landscaping , and the third phase would be the installation of a parking lot . The park is part of the Richland Riverfront Trail , a marked hiking trail that focuses on the state of Washington ' s contribution to the nuclear history of the United States , and it connects to the Sacagawea Heritage Trail . The USS Triton Submarine Memorial Park is located off George Washington Way near the Columbia River , and it was formally dedicated on 10 November 2011 , the 52bd anniversary of the commissioning of the USS " Triton " . In 2011 , the USS " Triton " , Operation Sandblast , and Captain Edward L . Beach , Jr . , were included in the Technology for the Nuclear Age : Nuclear Propulsion display for the Cold War exhibit at the U . S . Navy Museum in Washington , DC . Cultural references . " Triton " is referenced briefly in three popular Cold War novels . In " The Last Mayday " by Keith Wheeler ( 1968 ) , " Triton " is depicted as participating in a submarine training exercise at the beginning of the novel , with special notice made of her large , rectangular sail . In the 1978 novel " Cold is the Sea " by Edward L . Beach , the second sequel to his 1955 best - seller " Run Silent , Run Deep " , " Triton " is mentioned several times ; Also , the under - ice towing capability that was considered for " Triton " served as a key plot point for the novel . Finally , in " The Hunt for Red October " by Tom Clancy , the biographical background for Marko Ramius mentions that , while commanding a " Charlie " - class submarine , Ramius had " hounded [ " Triton " ] mercilessly for twelve hours " in the Norwegian Sea . Subsequently , Ramius " would note with no small satisfaction that the " Triton " was soon thereafter retired , because , it was said , the oversized vessel had proven unable to deal with the newer Soviet designs . " Two films of the period , " Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea " and " Around the World Under the Sea " , dramatized globe - circling submerged voyages similar to Operation Sandblast . Also , in the teaser of the episode " Mutiny " of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea television series , broadcast on 11 January 1965 , the fictional nuclear submarine " Neptune " is on her shakedown cruise , under the supervision of Admiral Harriman Nelson ( Richard Basehart ) , and when the submarine ' s port shaft bearing begins overheating , Admiral Nelson orders a hose be rigged to cool the port shaft down with sea water , the same solution Admiral Rickover had suggested during " Triton " s sea trials . " The Button - Down Mind of Bob Newhart " comedy album included a sketch entitled " The Cruise of the U . S . S . Codfish " which was a monologue involving the final address by the captain to the crew of a nuclear - powered submarine after completing a two - year - long , around - the - world underwater voyage . Bob Newhart noted in a 2006 interview that : Captain Beach reportedly played " The Cruise of the U . S . S . Codfish " over the ship ' s public address system during " Triton " s first overseas deployment in the Fall of 1960 . Antigua - Barbuda issued a commemorative stamp of " Triton " s 1960 submerged circumnavigation . Also , " Triton " was the name of one of the submersibles featured in the Submarine Voyage attraction at Disneyland which operated from 1959 to 1998 . 50th anniversary of Operation Sandblast . The 50th anniversary of Operation Sandblast and " Triton " s submerged circumnavigation of the world was celebrated on 10 April 2010 , during the 2010 Submarine Birthday Ball held at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantuket , Connecticut , with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy ( MCPON ) Rick D . West delivering opening remarks ( " pictured " ) to the 2 , 200 attendees . The U . S . Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum sponsored additional events and activities , entitled " 9 , 000 Leagues Under the Sea , " between 10 – 12 April and 14 – 18 April 2010 . Also , on 9 April 2010 , retired Admiral Henry G . Chiles , Jr . , who served in " Triton " from 1963 – 1966 , was the keynote speaker at the graduation class of the Basic Enlisted Submarine School at the New London Naval Submarine Base in Groton , Connecticut . The graduation class was named in honor of " Triton " , and each graduate received a certificate of course completion and a commemorative coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of " Triton " s submerged circumnavigation . The Dolphin Scholarship Foundation used the 50th anniversary of Operation Sandblast to promote its " Race Around the World " fund - raising program to support its Dolphin Scholarship program . Finally , former members of " Triton " s crew received commemorative souvenirs of the ship ' s pressure hull at their 2010 re - union . For the 50th anniversary of Operation Sandblast ( " see below " ) , writer - historian Carl LaVO wrote " Incredible Voyage " for the June 2010 edition of " Naval History " magazine , and John Beach wrote " The First Submerged Circumnavigation " for the April 1960 issue of " The Submarine Review " , the official magazine of the Naval Submarine League . Mr . Beach is the nephew of Captain Edward L . Beach , the commanding officer of the USS " Triton " during Operation Sandblast . Finally , the Naval Institute Press published " Beneath the Waves " by Dr . Edward F . Finch , a 2010 biography of the late Captain Beach , which includes extensive coverage of Operation Sandblast . The legacy of Operation Sandblast on its 50th anniversary was summarized by retired Captain James C . Hay who had served on " Triton " during its historic submerged around - the - world voyage . On the editorial page of the April 1960 issue of " The Submarine Review " , the official magazine of the Naval Submarine League , Captain Hay noted : It is truly a cruise which tested the crew ' s mettle and proved the skipper ' s " tenacity " . More than that , however , it again proved to all who cared to listen that the US Navy could go anywhere , at anytime , and do what ever was required . It ' s a good sea story about doing what had to be done . On the fiftieth anniversary of the First Submerged Circumnavigation it ' s a good thing to do to re - read about one of the forerunners of all we ' re done since .