USS Skipjack ( SSN - 585 ) USS " Skipjack " ( SSN - 585 ) , the lead ship of her class of nuclear - powered attack submarine , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named after the Skipjack tuna . Her keel was laid down on 29 May 1956 by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation in Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 26 May 1958 , sponsored by Helen Mahon , wife of Representative George H . Mahon from the 19th District of Texas , and commissioned on 15 April 1959 with Commander W . W . Behrens , Jr . , in command . Advances in submarine design . On the " Skipjack " , there were many design changes that were products of new scientific insight into submarine design . The submarine industry , now with nuclear power , had wanted to make a " true " submarine . This required a design in its element underwater , not solely one theoretically able to remain submerged indefinitely . The greatest alteration was the new tear - drop hull , pioneered by the conventionally powered , and designed for optimum performance underwater . The new hull ' s only protrusions were the sail and diving planes . The 23 - foot sail , resembling a shark ' s dorsal fin , rose at a point midway in the hull to keep the ship stable . The diving planes , similar in function to the wings of an airplane , were moved from the hull to this new sail , with the periscope s and antenna masts . Thus , they could only be useful when the submarine is in its natural environment — like the control surfaces on an airplane . Also , a single propeller behind the rudder now propelled " Skipjack " , making it more maneuverable . Other experiments in design also benefited " Skipjack " by allowing the vessel to be built with improved steel . Even the controls and the anchor were changed in the development of the new submarine . In the core , a " second generation " S5W reactor advance of the reactor was installed , allowing the ship to travel at full power for 90 , 000 to . Nuclear power had already been discovered , but the reactor was such an advance on " Nautilus " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s reactor that it entirely changed its magnitude and capability . Furthermore , although the S5W reactor was thirty percent bigger than " Nautilus " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s reactor , the reactor compartment on " Skipjack " only occupied twenty feet of the ship ' s total length . ( This reactor proved so efficient the Navy began to mass - order them ) . Finally , the design of the core was such that it became the new standard of accessibility . " Skipjack " had such advanced underwater capabilities her path could be compared to an airplane in flight . As earlier private inventors like John P . Holland had envisioned , the submarine was designed as having its natural environment underwater , and became capable of things never before seen . After launch . The boat ' s motto was " Radix Nova Tridentis " , meaning " Root of the New Sea Power " ; and correctly so , as every US attack submarine until 1988 ( when the diving planes moved back to the bow on the improved Los Angeles class ) turned out to follow the Skipjack ' s design . After being launched 26 May 1958 , " Skipjack " was soon dubbed the " " world ' s fastest submarine " , " after setting the speed record on sea trials in March of that same year . It was designed to have a speed in excess of 20 knots , but its actual speed was a guarded secret . However , the rated reactor power in shaft horsepower ( 15 , 000 shp ) and reasonable assumptions about the hull ' s coefficient of drag , cross sectional area , and appendage drag can be combined via algebra to show that the vessel should have reached 31 knots submerged . This speed was some 9 knots faster than the " Nautilus " made using the same basic reactor , and only 2 knots shy of the " Albacore " ' s best theoretical submerged speed ( 33 kn ) . " Skipjack " ' s maneuver capabilities , furthermore , added a whole different dimension to ASW problems as she could reverse direction in the distance of her own length , and were referred to as " flying " , as " Skipjack " and her sister ships climbed , dove , and banked like an airplane . The antisubmarine warfare ( ASW ) problems created by such maneuverability and high sustained speeds took several decades to resolve to parity . Shorter than following classes , " Skipjack " lacked the space to be upgraded with newer systems , meaning that in her later years she had second - class sonar equipment and fire - control systems . Despite these limitations , she remained an effective attack submarine through to the end of her career . She received a new seven - bladed propeller during a refit between 1973 and 1976 — replacing the noisier five - bladed propeller with which she had set a trans - Atlantic underwater crossing record in an early return from a forward deployment in the Mediterranean - - quieted her considerably but also reduced her speed noticeably . 1960s . During her shakedown cruise in August 1959 , she became the first nuclear ship to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar and operate in the Mediterranean . Following post - shakedown availability at Groton , Connecticut , the nuclear submarine conducted type training and participated in an advanced Atlantic submarine exercise from May through July 1960 , which earned the submarine a Navy Unit Commendation , and also a Battle Efficiency " E " award , an award it would receive three more times . In late 1960 , " Skipjack " entered the mouth of a long ship channel leading from the Arctic Ocean to Murmansk in the Soviet Union . On the journey , she passed so close to the Soviet port that the officers could look through a periscope and see the port only 30 or 40 yards ( 27 to 37 meters ) away . Upon entering the canal , crewmen saw one of " Skipjack " s officers turn off a tracing mechanism so that there would be no written record of the action . Upon returning from this mission , " Skipjack " spent the remainder of 1960 in a restricted yard availability and upkeep . " Skipjack " commenced her 1961 operations by participating in two weeks of type training followed by anti - submarine warfare exercises through August , visiting Mayport , Florida , before returning to Groton . In January 1962 , " Skipjack " operated out of Key West , Florida , for two weeks before entering the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine for extensive overhaul , lasting four and one - half months . Following her return to New London , Connecticut , the submarine operated locally prior to departing in October for duty in the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet . During this tour , " Skipjack " participated in various fleet and NATO exercises and visited Toulon , France ; and La Spezia and Naples , Italy , before returning to New London . In this year , the Skipjack also conducted the fastest submerged transit of the Atlantic Ocean on record , which is a record that still stands . The year 1963 was occupied in submarine attack operations and ASW exercises , all designed to test the capabilities of the nuclear - powered attack submarine . The highlight of 1964 was two months of duty with NATO forces , participating in exercises " Masterstroke " and " Teamwork " and visiting Le Havre , France , and the Isle of Portland , England , before returning to New London in October . After devoting most of 1965 to training exercises , the submarine ended the year by entering the Charleston Naval Shipyard in South Carolina for an overhaul that lasted until 18 October 1966 . " Skipjack " then got underway for sea trials off Charleston , before joining for four days of type training in the Jacksonville , Florida , area . She then sailed to her new home port , Norfolk , Virginia , before participating in Atlantic Fleet exercises . Early in February 1967 , " Skipjack " got underway for sonar and weapon tests and then participated in Atlantic submarine exercises from March through June . July and August were spent in restricted availability at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company following which " Skipjack " took part in FIXWEX G - 67 , an exercise designed to evaluate fixed wing ASW aircraft against a submarine with " Skipjack " ' s characteristics . Following an extended deployment in October and November , the submarine returned to Norfolk to prepare for major operations of that year which she completed on 25 February 1968 . The remainder of 1968 was spent in local operations in the Norfolk area . On 9 April 1969 , " Skipjack " commenced an overhaul in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard which was completed in the fall of 1970 . After sea trials in December 1970 , " Skipjack " returned to her regular duties . 1970s . Highlights of 1971 were sound trials and weapons system tests at the Atlantic Fleet Range , Puerto Rico , from 25 January through 5 March and NATO exercise " Royal Night " from 15 September to 9 October . On 22 October , " Skipjack " returned to Norfolk , where she remained through January 1972 . " Skipjack " spent most of 1972 in tests and type training out of Groton , CT and Norfolk , VA as well as the Caribbean . The submarine returned to Norfolk in late 1972 . Toward the end of spring in 1973 , " Skipjack " returned to the Mediterranean Sea and conducted several exercises with the Sixth Fleet . During that time " Skipjack " was home ported at La Maddalena on the NE corner of Sardinia . Returning to Norfolk in September " Skipjack " crossed paths with Hurricane Ellen during the Atlantic transit . Down in the subsurface calm , the crew were hardly even aware of the turbulence above them . After returning to Norfolk , " Skipjack " conducted several exercises with ASW aircraft flying from air bases in Virginia and North Carolina . In these exercises " Skipjack " played the role of a Russian submarine ; ASW forces were to locate , track and conduct simulated attacks against the " Skipjack " . During the exercise , " Skipjack " was placed under certain handicaps that would not have been present in normal operations ; for instance , she was restricted to a designated operating area measuring 20 miles by 10 miles . Also , at that time , " Skipjack " had a noise problem in her reduction gears . ASW crews were provided the sound profile of the reduction gears ; in addition , " Skipjack " was required to generate a unique sound signal at all times . This was done so the ASW crews could be certain they were targeting the right submarine and not accidentally launch a simulated attack on a real Russian submarine . As a result of all these safety measures and restrictions , the ASW forces were able to locate " Skipjack " nearly 50 percent of the time . At the end 1973 " Skipjack " was transferred to the submarine base at Groton in preparation for a refueling overhaul at General Dynamics ' Electric Boat Division . After conducting a few more exercises , " Skipjack " entered the shipyard for overhaul in the summer of 1974 and remained inactive until the fall of 1976 . " History from 1976 to 1979 needed . " 1980s . " History from 1980 to 1986 needed . " In 1986 , " Skipjack " deployed on a " Northern Run " to the North Atlantic Ocean . In 1987 " Skipjack " deployed to the Mediterranean Sea , returning in early September and entering dry - dock for the September – November time frame . In early 1988 , " Skipjack " visited St . Croix , Port Canaveral , Florida , Bermuda , and Halifax Harbour , Nova Scotia ; the last two port calls conducted during an exercise . In late April , " Skipjack " departed Groton , traveling to the south . During this underway , sister diesel submarine USS Bonefish ( SS - 582 ) experienced a disastrous fire . TV news broadcast reports of the fire with film ; however , news studio editors failed to identify the submarine televised . Wives of the Skipjack ' s crew noticed the sub bore strong resemblance to the " Skipjack " , leading many to believe it was the " Skipjack " suffering the casualty . " Skipjack " had a change of command during the summer of 1988 and the crew prepared for a UNITAS cruise to South America . " Skipjack " left in September and visited the Naval Base in Puerto Rico ; Caracas , Venezuela ( anchored out ) ; Cartagena , Columbia and then transited the Panama Canal . While at a Naval Base on the Pacific side , one motor - generator suffered an unrepairable casualty . " Skipjack " left UNITAS , re - transited the canal and headed to Groton , where she entered dry - dock for repairs . " Skipjack " s authorization to dive expired in March , 1989 since it was not cost efficient to inspect the hull in 1987 for a ship scheduled to be decommissioned . She had just been to St . Croix and some of the return trip was conducted on the surface . From March thru June , " Skipjack " provided bridge training to students at the Submarine Officer Basic School in Groton , mostly running up and down the river . During one trip out of the sound the anchor got stuck . Divers were called out from Groton to cut the anchor chain and retrieve the anchor . " Skipjack " entered dry - dock for the third time in three years to have the anchor fixed , at a cost of about $ 75K . " Skipjack " left Groton in early July to transit to Norfolk . After arrival " Skipjack " provided support vessel services for another submarine ’ s sea trials . Following this mission , " Skipjack " entered NNSDDCO in October for decommissioning . Decommissioning in 1990 . " Skipjack " was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 19 April 1990 . ex - " Skipjack " entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton , Washington , on 17 March 1996 . Recycling was completed on 1 September 1998 .