The USS Tullibee (SSN-597) was a nuclear attack submarine, which was in service with the US Navy from 1960 to 1988. Characterized by stealth and her small size, she was called the 'Hunter Killer', whose main mission in the Cold War was to stalk Soviet submarines cruising the world oceans. The US Navy built only one boat of this design. Although it could be lethal to enemy submarines, operationally it had a major shortcoming; it was slow (only 16 knots) for Ocean transits.
The project of the Tullibee had begun in 1957, when the need for a small, low-cost submarine with unlimited range arose. The boat was laid down in 1958 and launched on April 27, 1960. After a short period of sea trials, she was commissioned on November 9, 1960. Her crew numbered six officers and fifty enlisted men. Her first skipper was Commander Richard E. Jortberg. The building of additional boat of this type would not be undertaken as the US Navy would come to the conclusion that it was more sensible to produce more Thresher class submarines, because these were more versatile and faster.
Technical Characteristics
The USS Tullibee (SSN-597) was a small and compact submarine. She was only 83 m (273 ft) in length and her displacement was 2,255 tons. Her hull was built with HTS (High Tensile Steel) and not with the higher quality steel HY-80 used in other subs; this technical detail limited her test depth to 215 m (700 feet). She was powered by one S2C pressurized water reactor, which supplied a turbo-electric drive with a single propeller shaft. This reactor was way smaller than the S5W employed in the Thresher class subs.
The Tullibee was equipped with one AN/BQQ-1 sonar system as well as four angled torpedo tubes. The BQQ-1 was the US Navy's first integrated sonar system, which was consisted of the AN/BQR-7 low-frequency, passive array sonar and the AN/BQS-6 spherical active sonar. The BQR-7 was composed in turn of a triple row of hydrophones. This equipment was mounted in the hull of submarine.
Specifications
Type: nuclear attack submarine.
Displacement: 2,255 tons (surfaced); 2,600 tons (submerged).
Length: 83.16 m (273 ft)
Beam: 7.19 m (23 ft, 7 in)
Draft: 6.4 m (21 ft)
Power Plant: one S2C nuclear reactor; one electric motor, driving one propeller shaft.
Maximum Speed: 16 knots (submerged); 13 knots (surfaced).
Range: unlimited (needed to be resupplied with food every other 70 days).
Crew: 56 sailors and officers.
Armament: four 533-mm torpedo tubes.
Below, the SSN-597 Tullibee cruising in the Pacific Ocean in early October 1960 during sea trials. Notice the two dorsal fins, one forward and the other aft, which were part of her PUFFS fire control system.
