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U.S.S. CHOPPER

(SS-342)


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USS CHOPPER (SS-342) - a Balao class submarine

In Commission 1945 to 1969

SS-342 Deployments - Major Events

Add a SS-342 Shellback Initiation Add a SS-342 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
MAR1944-Keel Date: 2 MAR 1944
at Electric Boat Company Groton CT
FEB1945-Launch Date: 4 FEB 1945
MAY1945-Commissioned: 25 MAY 1945
JAN1962-APR1962North Atlantic
AUG1968-Shellback Initiation - 7 AUG 1968 - Atlantic Ocean
AUG1969-Decommissioned: 27 AUG 1969

SS-342 General Specifications

Class: Balao class submarine

Complement: 10 Officers and 70 Enlisted

Displacement: 1830 tons

Length: 307 feet 7 inches

Beam: 27 feet 4 inches

Draft: 17 feet

Range: 11 000 Nautical Miles

Final Disposition: Sunk off Cape Hatteras 21 July 1976 while being rigged a



USS CHOPPER (SS-342)



Chopper (SS-342) was launched 4 February 1945 by Electric Boat Co. Groton Conn.; sponsored by Mrs. G. S. Beebe; and commissioned 25 May 1945 Lieutenant Commander S. Filipone in command.


Chopper sailed from New London 4 July 1945 for Pearl Harbor where she lay from 21 September until 24 October. On 30 October she arrived at San Diego her assigned home port. She sailed 2 January 1946 for the Philippines where she trained and offered local services until 11 May when she returned to San Diego and began local operations. Her next deployment a simulated war patrol to China took place from 28 July 1947 to 9 November. After west coast operations through 1948 she departed San Diego 14 March 1949 for her new home port Key West arriving 4 April. Operations in Florida waters and the Caribbean were conducted until 15 September 1950 when she entered the Electric Boat Co. yards for modernization. She returned to Key West for fleet exercises and training 23 May 1951.


Chopper departed Key West 7 January 1952 for a tour of duty in the Mediterranean until 20 May. She resumed local operations then joined in North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations in the Atlantic between 12 September and 14 October 1952. Frequent trips to Guantanamo and local operations continued until 25 May 1959 when she sailed to join in special exercises in the Mediterranean until returning to Key West 9 August. Through 1960 she continued operations off Florida and in the Caribbean often acting as target for surface ships in training.

[Note: The above USS CHOPPER (SS-342) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS CHOPPER (SS-342) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]