USS Glenard P. Lipscomb

USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SS-685)
History
Name	USS Glenard P. Lipscomb
Namesake	Glenard P. Lipscomb (1915-1970)
Awarded	16 December 1968
Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut
Laid down	5 June 1971
Launched	4 August 1973
Sponsored by	Mrs. Glenard P. Lipscomb
Commissioned	21 December 1974
Decommissioned	11 July 1990
Stricken	11 July 1990
Nickname(s)	"The Lipscomb Fish"
Fate	Entered Ship-Submarine Recycling Program 1997
General characteristics
Type	Nuclear submarine
Displacement	5,813 long tons (5,906 t) surfaced 6,480 long tons (6,584 t) submerged
Length	365 ft (111 m)
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Propulsion	S5W reactor
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) surfaced 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) submerged
Test depth	1,300 ft (400 m)
Complement	12 officers, 109 men
Armament	4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685), a unique submarine, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Glenard P. Lipscomb (19 August 1915–1 February 1970), who served as a Congressman from the 24th District of California from 1953 until his death (intestinal cancer) in 1970.

Design

Glenard P. Lipscomb was the Navy's second design using a turbo-electric power plant similar to USS Tullibee (SSN-597). Intended to test the potential advantages of this propulsion system for providing quieter submarine operations, with a displacement of 6,400 tons and a length of 365 feet, it was heavier and larger than similar vessels with conventional drive trains, which resulted in slower speeds. Those disadvantages, along with reliability issues, led to the decision not to use the design for the follow-on Los Angeles-class submarines. Other than the engine room, Glenard P. Lipscomb was generally similar to the Sturgeon-class, and although serving as a test platform, the "Lipscomb Fish" -- her nickname—was a fully combat-capable attack submarine.

Construction

Construction of Glenard P. Lipscomb began on 5 June 1971 at the Electric Boat Company shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird, a long-time colleague and friend of Glenard Lipscomb, spoke at the keel-laying ceremony and was presented with a model in memory of the event. (Ref Press Release 497-71). Glenard P. Lipscomb was launched on 4 August 1973, sponsored by Mrs. Glenard P. Lipscomb, and was commissioned on 21 December 1974 with Commander James F. Caldwell in command. Speaking at the commissioning was the Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird.

Career

History from 1974 to 1990 needed.

Decommissioning and disposal

Lipscomb was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 July 1990 and disposed of by submarine recycling at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 1 December 1997.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685) at NavSource Naval History