These photographs are of the USS Batfish SS-310 and were taken in July 2003 at Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Batfish is a Balao Class submarine, open to the public as a museum ship. Batfish was floated to this spot in 1971. The land around her silted in and dried up over the years.

Hull

The Balao Class of Fleet Submarine was a follow-on design to the Gato Class. Although they were substantially identical to the Gato Class, the boats of the Balao Class had changes allowing for prefabrication of sections and more rapid building. They also had greater structural strength, allowing greater operational and emergency depths. The first of the 132 boats in the class were ordered in 1942. The last ten were cancelled in 1944. USS Batfish SS-310 (ex-Acoupa) was built at Portsmouth Navy Yard.

Deck & Superstructure

The Balao Class displaced 1,826 tons surfaced and 2,391 to 2,424 tons submerged. With an overall length of 311 feet 9 inches they were powered on the surface by four General Motors or Fairbanks Morse diesel engines and submerged by four Elliot or General Electric electric engines.  Maximum surface speed was 20.25 knots, with a maximum submerged speed of 8.75 knots. The class had a range of 11,800 nm at 10 knots on the surface and 95nm at 5 knots submerged before the batteries were exhausted. They had ten 21-Inch (533mm) torpedo tubes, six forward and four aft. Various types of deck guns were fitted during the war ranging from 3-Inch/50 (76mm), 4-Inch /50 (102mm) or 5-Inch/25 (127mm), plus anti-aircraft guns.

Interior Positions

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