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USS Barbel (SS 580)

USS BARBEL was the first ship in the Navy's last class of conventionally-powered submarines built in the 20th century. Decommissioned on December 4, 1989, and stricken from the Navy list on January 17, 1990, the BARBEL was finally sunk as a target on January 30, 2001 at 032° 19' 08.0" North, 121° 36' 16.0" West at a depth of 1972 fathoms.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS BARBEL. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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Accidents aboard USS BARBEL:

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USS BARBEL History:

USS BARBEL, the second U.S. Navy submarine to bear the name, was the lead ship of the three-boat BARBEL-class. The class represented the final generation of conventionally powered attack submarines constructed for the U.S. Navy and incorporated hydrodynamic concepts demonstrated by the experimental submarine USS ALBACORE (AGSS 569). The contract for construction of BARBEL was awarded to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire, on August 24, 1955. Her keel was laid there on May 18, 1956. She was launched on July 19, 1958, sponsored by Mrs. Bernard L. Austin, wife of Vice Admiral Bernard L. Austin, then Commander, Second Fleet. BARBEL was commissioned on January 17, 1959, with Lieutenant Commander Ord J. Kimzey Jr. in command. During May 1959, submarine rescue ship USS TRINGA (ASR 16) assisted BARBEL during her post-construction trials. Shakedown training, trials, correction of deficiencies, and post-shakedown work occupied the submarine through much of 1959 and into 1960. After completion of this initial evaluation period, she operated with the Atlantic Fleet from Norfolk, Virginia, conducting training and fleet exercises in Atlantic and Caribbean waters.

One of the most serious engineering casualties of BARBEL's early career occurred on November 30, 1960, while she was participating in exercise Slamex in the western Atlantic. At approximately 1003, BARBEL was submerged at a depth of about 600 feet at position 31°48' N, 67°41' W and proceeding at approximately five knots when a joint in a five-inch saltwater service pipe separated from an elbow in the engine room. Seawater began entering the compartment rapidly. The crew responded by placing the bow planes at full rise, increasing speed, and blowing the main ballast tanks while attempting to isolate the flooding. BARBEL reached the surface within approximately three minutes and the flooding was brought under control. Her commanding officer subsequently estimated that about 18 tons of seawater had entered the submarine. Considerable damage was caused to equipment in the engine room, including electrical generating machinery, the trim-pump motor, saltwater service equipment, and electrical cables.

The subsequent Navy investigation found that the failed joint involved both poor workmanship and incorrect material. Corrosion-resistant steel piping had been installed where copper-nickel piping had been specified, and the silver-brazed connection had not provided a satisfactory joint. The incident became one of a number of submarine piping failures that contributed to increased Navy attention to the quality and inspection of silver-brazed joints in seawater systems. Those issues later received much greater institutional attention following the loss of USS THRESHER (SSN 593) in April 1963.

BARBEL entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in January 1961 for an extensive alteration period. This work should not be regarded solely as repair of the November 1960 flooding casualty; it also incorporated planned modifications to the submarine's configuration. Among the most visible changes was relocation of the diving planes from the forward hull to the sail. The work continued until October 1961. On November 1, BARBEL's home port was formally changed from Norfolk to San Diego, California, although she remained on the Atlantic side for the remainder of the year while preparations for the transfer were completed.

BARBEL departed Norfolk in January 1962 for the voyage to the Pacific. She called at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Willemstad in the Netherlands Antilles before continuing toward Panama. After transiting the Panama Canal she visited Manzanillo, Mexico, and then proceeded north to San Diego. Lieutenant Commander Harry D. Train II assumed command of BARBEL in May 1962. Train later rose to four-star rank and eventually commanded both the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and Allied Command Atlantic.

BARBEL's home port changed again in July 1962 when she transferred from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where she became a unit of Submarine Division 13. After approximately two months of training in Hawaiian waters, BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor in September 1962 for a western Pacific deployment. Operating with the Seventh Fleet, she participated in training and exercises during a period of continuing Cold War tension in East Asia. Documented port calls included Yokosuka, Japan, and Hong Kong. BARBEL returned to Pearl Harbor in March 1963 after approximately six months in the Far East.

Following post-deployment upkeep, BARBEL resumed Hawaiian operations. In July 1963, she began an extended training exercise and returned to Pearl Harbor in September. Local operations continued through April 1964. BARBEL then sailed for the U.S. West Coast and entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington, on April 27, 1964, for a major overhaul. The extensive shipyard period lasted approximately fourteen months. She finally departed Puget Sound in July 1965 and returned to Pearl Harbor.

After post-overhaul training and preparations, BARBEL departed Hawaii in November 1965 for another Far Eastern deployment. The beginning of 1966 found her at Sasebo, Japan. Her deployment coincided with the rapid expansion of American military operations in Southeast Asia and a large increase in U.S. naval activity connected with the Vietnam War. During February 1966, BARBEL became involved in an unusual incident that remained little publicized for many years. While operating during the Vietnam conflict, she accidentally rammed and sank what later official U.S. Navy historical material identified as North Vietnam's largest freighter. A U.S. Naval Institute account places the collision in the Gulf of Tonkin.

BARBEL remained operational following the collision. On March 21, 1966, she was recorded in the Vietnam war zone while en route toward Hawaii. She arrived back at Pearl Harbor on April 19 and entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a restricted availability. Maintenance and repair work continued through the summer. BARBEL returned to operational duty on September 18 and subsequently carried out testing of new torpedoes and refresher training.

On December 27, 1966, BARBEL again departed Hawaii for the western Pacific. She stopped briefly at Guam on January 11, 1967, and continued to Yokosuka. While operating in Japanese waters, she participated in exercises involving the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and alternated periods at sea with short upkeep periods. On February 12 she began another extended training period. Later in the deployment, BARBEL visited Hong Kong from May 6 through May 12, 1967. She returned to Japanese waters and anchored at Beppu on May 22 for a three-day port visit. On May 28, she shifted to Yokosuka, where she remained for upkeep through June 5. BARBEL then returned to sea for another extended training period. Rather than proceeding directly back to Hawaii, she continued north across the Pacific and completed this operational phase at Adak, Alaska, on July 6. She subsequently headed south and arrived at Pearl Harbor on July 15. An extended leave and upkeep period followed.

During the first two weeks of October 1967, BARBEL served as a training submarine for the Pacific Submarine Force's prospective commanding officer program, providing officers preparing to assume submarine command with practical underway experience. She subsequently visited Lahaina on Maui. From November 6 through November 19 she participated in Exercise 4-67 and then began preparing for another major shipyard period. BARBEL entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in February 1968 for overhaul. She left the shipyard in July and conducted sea trials, but further repair work proved necessary. She returned to the shipyard in December, and the additional work continued into early 1969. BARBEL finally resumed fleet operations on January 24, 1969.

On February 14, 1969, BARBEL departed Hawaii for Bangor, Washington, where she conducted weapons acceptance tests. Following completion of that work, she headed north along the Pacific coast on March 8 for a goodwill visit to Esquimalt, British Columbia. BARBEL began her return passage on March 11 and reached Pearl Harbor on March 22. The following months were devoted largely to preparations for another western Pacific assignment.

BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor on June 16, 1969, and arrived at Yokosuka on July 1. Voyage repairs were performed there before she began the first of two extended training cruises conducted from Japan. These operations kept the submarine occupied through November 14. BARBEL then began her return journey to Hawaii by way of Hong Kong and Guam. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 19.

Less than three weeks later, on January 7, 1970, BARBEL entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for repairs. Sea trials began on February 19. During March she commenced another intensive training cycle in preparation for a return to the western Pacific. BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor on September 11, 1970. After stopping at Okinawa late in the month, she continued to Japan and arrived at Yokosuka on October 10. Following preparations there, she began a series of training cruises on October 20. These operations continued through much of the remainder of the year, and BARBEL returned to Yokosuka on December 24. She subsequently moved south and ended 1970 at Keelung, Taiwan.

During the first six weeks of 1971, BARBEL continued moving among western Pacific ports. Her documented calls included Buckner Bay at Okinawa, Hong Kong, Subic Bay, and Manila. She began her return voyage to Hawaii in mid-February and arrived at Pearl Harbor on March 5. A post-deployment standdown followed.

On May 13, 1971, BARBEL entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for another major overhaul. The work continued through the remainder of the year and into 1972. She carried out sea trials from February 29 through March 13, 1972, and subsequently returned to operational status. For nearly four months she conducted training exercises in Hawaiian waters.

BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor on July 7, 1972, bound for East Asia. She made a brief stop at Yokosuka on July 24 and then went to sea for an operational period lasting more than a month. Early in September, she entered Sasebo for upkeep but returned to sea on September 13 for independent training operations. BARBEL arrived at Hong Kong on October 9 for rest and recreation. Additional operations followed before she began the return voyage to Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 23.

Most of the first eight months of 1973 were spent conducting local operations in Hawaiian waters. On August 18, BARBEL began an upkeep period at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. After completion of the work she returned to local operations and began preparations for another extended western Pacific deployment.

On January 11, 1974, BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor for East Asian waters. She arrived at Yokosuka on January 27 but remained only briefly. A short visit to Keelung followed, after which she returned briefly to Yokosuka and then began intensive training operations at sea. BARBEL entered Hong Kong on April 2 for liberty and subsequently proceeded to the Philippines, arriving at Subic Bay on April 12 for an upkeep period. BARBEL returned to Yokosuka on May 12, 1974. From May 25 through May 29, she participated in an antisubmarine warfare exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Such exercises were an important part of Seventh Fleet activity because they provided Japanese and American ships and aircraft with training against a diesel-electric submarine whose operating and acoustic characteristics differed from those of the increasingly dominant U.S. nuclear submarine force.

On June 16, 1974, BARBEL entered Pusan, South Korea, for a three-day visit. After departing port, she participated in a joint antisubmarine warfare exercise with South Korean naval forces. BARBEL began the return voyage to Pearl Harbor on June 28. Following her arrival in Hawaii she spent the remainder of 1974 in upkeep, local operations, and training.

From January through March 1975, BARBEL underwent a restricted availability during which her main storage battery was replaced. Battery replacement was a major maintenance evolution for a conventionally powered submarine because underwater propulsion while not snorkeling depended on the battery installation. During April and May, BARBEL conducted weapons testing and readiness exercises.

Late in June 1975, she departed Hawaii for San Francisco Bay and entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo, California, for a major overhaul. The shipyard period continued through most of 1976. BARBEL finally departed Mare Island on November 7, 1976. Before returning to Hawaii, she visited Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia. She began the passage back to Pearl Harbor on December 4 and, after her return, joined Submarine Squadron 1.

During the first seven months of 1977, BARBEL conducted exercises and training in Hawaiian waters. On August 22, she departed for another Far Eastern deployment and arrived at Yokosuka on September 10. The deployment included numerous training exercises and port calls at Subic Bay and Manila in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Kaohsiung and Keelung in Taiwan. BARBEL remained in the western Pacific through the end of the year and returned to Pearl Harbor on February 2, 1978.

After arriving home, BARBEL resumed local operations and weapons testing. On August 28, 1978, she departed Hawaii for approximately six weeks of training off the North American Pacific coast. During this cruise, she visited Coos Bay, Oregon; Esquimalt, British Columbia; and Seattle, Washington. BARBEL returned to Hawaiian waters on October 7 and then entered a leave and upkeep period.

A restricted availability at Pearl Harbor lasted from January 3 through February 16, 1979. BARBEL subsequently resumed local training and remained in Hawaiian waters while preparing for another overseas deployment. She departed Pearl Harbor on July 14 and arrived at Yokosuka on July 30. Her subsequent documented ports included Atami and Sasebo in Japan, Buckner Bay at Okinawa, Subic Bay in the Philippines, Chinhae in South Korea, and Hong Kong. During the deployment, she participated in type training, weapons tests, and antisubmarine warfare exercises. BARBEL departed Buckner Bay for Hawaii on Thanksgiving Day and arrived at Pearl Harbor on December 11, 1979. Holiday leave and upkeep followed.

After approximately six weeks of local operations early in 1980, BARBEL entered a restricted availability at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on February 23. Sea trials began in mid-June, and another upkeep period followed during July. The remainder of the year was devoted to training exercises and inspections as she prepared for continued operational service.

On December 11, 1980, BARBEL departed Hawaii for another western Pacific deployment. She arrived at Yokosuka on December 27 and spent the year-end holiday period there. On January 2, 1981, she departed Japan for the Philippines. During part of the passage she operated on the snorkel to evaluate her submerged running capabilities. BARBEL arrived at Subic Bay on January 10 and moored alongside nuclear-powered attack submarine USS QUEENFISH (SSN 651). BARBEL returned to sea on January 19, 1981. From January 19 through January 22, BARBEL and conventionally powered submarine USS GRAYBACK (SSG 574) formed the opposing submarine force during antisubmarine warfare exercise 81-3U off the Philippines. The exercise emphasized operations in shallow water and the protection of a high-value unit while passing through narrow straits. The vessel to be protected was Military Sealift Command oiler USNS NAVASOTA (T-AO-106). Her escort included USS JOHN YOUNG (DD 973), with Commander Task Force 75 embarked, USS ELLIOT (DD 967), USS GRAY (FF 1054), USS WHIPPLE (FF 1062), USS LANG (FF 1060), and USS RAMSEY (FFG 2). After the exercise, BARBEL continued independent operations in the South China Sea and returned to Subic Bay on February 5.

On February 15, 1981, BARBEL again departed Subic Bay. She arrived at Hong Kong on February 18 and remained there until February 24. After leaving Hong Kong, she proceeded north to Okinawa and conducted training off Buckner Bay. On March 2, she headed for Chinhae, South Korea, where she spent approximately a week operating with South Korean naval forces. Port calls at Fukuoka and Sasebo followed during the latter part of March. BARBEL returned to Subic Bay on April 10. Two days later, on April 12, BARBEL departed for the South China Sea. On April 17, a hazardous gas leak developed in the torpedo room. The compartment was ventilated and the problem was corrected without more serious consequences. BARBEL continued into the Gulf of Thailand, where she exercised with Royal Thai Navy warships. She entered Pattaya Beach on April 27 for a liberty visit.

After returning to sea, BARBEL conducted diver operations on May 4, 1981, involving Thai and U.S. Navy special warfare personnel in cooperation with salvage ship USS BOLSTER (ARS 38). The deployment then produced one of the best documented humanitarian episodes of BARBEL's career.

During the night of May 11, 1981, while BARBEL was steaming toward the Philippines through rough conditions in the South China Sea, lookouts sighted an unlighted vessel ahead. A searchlight revealed an approximately 12-meter fishing boat in serious difficulty. At 2244, BARBEL maneuvered alongside. A Navy corpsman and a two-man damage-control party boarded the vessel and determined that it was leaking badly. Its occupants had been at sea for approximately three days and had nearly exhausted their food, drinking water, and fuel. At least one of the leaks could not be repaired sufficiently to make the boat safe for continued passage. BARBEL therefore began embarking the people from the fishing vessel. A total of 87 Vietnamese refugees, including 30 children, were taken aboard. Several were suffering from the effects of inadequate food and water. BARBEL's crew provided food, drinking water, blankets, and other assistance while the refugees remained aboard the submarine.

On May 12, BARBEL transferred all 87 refugees by motorboat to Military Sealift Command fleet oiler USNS HASSAYAMPA (T-AO-145), which had been diverted to assist. Once the transfer had been completed, BARBEL scuttled the badly damaged fishing boat and resumed her passage toward the Philippines. HASSAYAMPA subsequently encountered another overloaded and unseaworthy craft and rescued a further 122 Vietnamese refugees before transporting the survivors to Singapore.

BARBEL continued toward Subic Bay. On May 14, she provided submarine services for aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) and entered Subic Bay the following day. After a short maintenance period she departed for Hawaii on May 20 and arrived at Pearl Harbor on June 11, 1981.

BARBEL remained at Pearl Harbor until July 13 and then resumed local operations. These continued through the remainder of 1981 and into early 1982. On February 16, 1982, she entered floating dry dock AFDM 6 at Pearl Harbor for approximately two weeks. After leaving dry dock she resumed local operations during the spring. On June 14, 1982, BARBEL departed Hawaii for San Francisco and arrived there on June 24. Four days later, she moved south to the southern California operating areas for approximately a month of exercises. She visited San Diego from July 4 through July 7, returned to operations at sea, and entered San Diego again on July 30. BARBEL departed for Hawaii three days later and arrived at Pearl Harbor on August 12.

The submarine's crew then prepared for another major overhaul. BARBEL entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on September 25, 1982. The overhaul developed into a lengthy undertaking. She remained in dry dock until July 18, 1983, when she was moved alongside a shipyard pier so that repair and modernization work could continue. BARBEL finally left the shipyard on November 11. The following months were occupied by inspections, post-overhaul testing, refresher training, and preparations for renewed overseas operations.

On September 7, 1984, BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor for another western Pacific deployment. She arrived at Yokosuka on September 26. After a brief stay she continued south and reached Subic Bay on October 10. Four weeks of local operations followed. On November 15, the submarine entered the repair facility at Subic Bay for maintenance. She returned to sea on December 5 and proceeded north to Japan, reaching Sasebo on December 14. BARBEL remained there through the end of the year. On January 14, 1985, BARBEL began an antisubmarine warfare training exercise in Japanese waters. She subsequently entered Yokosuka near the end of January and remained there until March 5. On March 8, she visited Hakodate in northern Japan. BARBEL departed for Hawaii the following day and arrived at Pearl Harbor on March 23.

The next six months were devoted to upkeep, refresher training, and preparations for a major change in BARBEL's career. Rather than conducting another deployment from Hawaii and then returning to Pearl Harbor, she was ordered to transfer permanently to Japan and join Submarine Group Seven. BARBEL departed Pearl Harbor on September 20, 1985, and arrived at her new home port of Sasebo on October 10. An approximately six-week repair period at a local shipyard followed. The crew spent the final weeks of the year settling into the new home port.

The transfer to Sasebo placed BARBEL close to the principal Seventh Fleet operating areas and made one of the Navy's few remaining diesel-electric submarines readily available for American and allied antisubmarine warfare training. Although conventional submarines now represented only a small portion of the U.S. submarine force, they remained widely operated by foreign navies, particularly in the confined and comparatively shallow waters characteristic of many western Pacific operating areas.

BARBEL departed Sasebo on January 6, 1986, for Okinawa, where she conducted antisubmarine warfare refresher training before continuing south for further exercises in Philippine waters. On February 20, she entered Hong Kong for a port visit and returned to Sasebo on February 26.

Beginning in March 1986, BARBEL participated in a continuing series of antisubmarine warfare exercises involving American and Japanese ships and aircraft. Her forward-deployed routine alternated between exercises around Okinawa and the Japanese home islands and cruises farther south into Philippine and South China Sea operating areas. She also made a training cruise to Korean waters in mid-June and operated in the Yellow Sea during October.

On January 14, 1987, BARBEL departed Japan for another southern cruise. She reached Philippine waters near the end of the month and made a brief call at Subic Bay early in February. On February 13, she left the Philippines and continued farther south for approximately three weeks of operations in the Gulf of Thailand. After completing this period at sea, BARBEL made a five-day visit to Hong Kong early in March. She then headed north toward Korea and began exercises there on March 23. BARBEL arrived back at Sasebo on March 29.

On April 19, 1987, she again departed Sasebo, this time heading southeast toward Guam. BARBEL entered Apra Harbor approximately one week later and remained at Guam for roughly two weeks. She subsequently returned north and arrived at Yokosuka on May 18. Another southern cruise followed during July 1987. BARBEL operated in Korean waters early in the month and subsequently visited Hong Kong and Subic Bay. Except for an approximately three-week return to Sasebo beginning late in September, she remained primarily in Philippine operating areas through November. BARBEL returned to Japan on December 13, ending another year of intensive operations from her forward base.

BARBEL got underway again on January 4, 1988, and proceeded south to the Philippines, where she conducted approximately two weeks of training operations. She visited Hong Kong from January 23 through January 28 and then returned north, arriving at Sasebo on February 3. More than a month later, BARBEL shifted to Yokosuka for a brief visit and subsequently sailed to Chinhae, South Korea, for an approximately three-week antisubmarine warfare exercise. She returned to Sasebo on April 7. The crew then began preparations for an extensive maintenance period.

Commander William F. Bundy assumed command of BARBEL in June 1988. Bundy had begun his Navy career as an enlisted sailor and had reached chief petty officer before receiving a commission. He became the third African American officer to command a U.S. Navy submarine and the first African American to rise from the enlisted ranks and subsequently command a submarine.

On July 29, 1988, BARBEL entered dry dock at a shipyard in Sasebo for a Docking Selected Restricted Availability. Repair and maintenance work continued through the late summer and early autumn. On October 6 the dry dock was flooded and BARBEL was refloated following completion of the docking phase. Post-maintenance inspections and refresher training occupied the remainder of the year. BARBEL returned to operational service early in 1989. On January 15, she departed Sasebo on another southern cruise. She operated in Philippine waters and returned toward Japan by way of Hong Kong and Okinawa, arriving back at Sasebo on February 27.

On April 30, 1989, BARBEL departed Sasebo on what became her final operational cruise. During the early morning hours of May 1, while the submarine was operating on the surface in international waters south of Kyushu, heavy seas caused the most serious personnel casualty of her later career. At approximately 0240, during the midwatch, a large wave swept over BARBEL while personnel were standing watch on the bridge. Three sailors were washed overboard. The force of the sea temporarily drove the submarine beneath the surface before she recovered and resurfaced. Seawater also entered the submarine and created concern about possible effects in areas associated with the battery installation.

BARBEL immediately began searching for the missing men and requested assistance. At approximately 0654, Lieutenant Charles Richard Davenport was located and recovered alive. He suffered mild hypothermia and bruising. Lieutenant Walter Gray Womble III and Fireman James David Lear remained missing. American and Japanese ships and aircraft joined the search, which continued around the clock. Seven American and Japanese ships, together with aircraft from both countries, ultimately participated in the effort. Womble and Lear were not found. The search was terminated on May 4, 1989, and both men were listed as lost and presumed drowned.

BARBEL had returned to Sasebo on May 2. During the following months, she underwent repairs, material inspections, and a series of underway examinations intended to determine whether she should continue in operational service. The Navy ultimately concluded that BARBEL was not worth a full refit. BARBEL remained in Japan for several months while preparations for her final trans-Pacific voyage were completed. On September 18, 1989, she departed Sasebo for the last time. BARBEL arrived at Pearl Harbor on October 3.

USS BARBEL was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on December 4, 1989, after almost thirty-one years of commissioned service. Her retirement left BLUEBACK (SS 581) as the final conventionally powered attack submarine remaining operational in the U.S. Navy. BARBEL was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on January 17, 1990. The decommissioned submarine remained in existence for more than another decade after being struck from the Naval Vessel Register. Her final disposition came on January 30, 2001, when the former BARBEL was sunk as a target off the coast of California.

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