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| Naval Submarine Base New London | |
|---|---|
| Groton, Connecticut | |
 USS Pittsburgh returns home after deployment | |
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| Site information | |
| Type | Military base |
| Owner |  United States of America |
| Controlled by |  United States Navy |
| Location | |
  Naval Submarine Base New London  Naval Submarine Base New London | |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1868–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Captain Kenneth M. Curtin Jr. |
Naval Submarine Base New London is the primaryUnited States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located inGroton, Connecticut, directly across theThames River from its namesake city ofNew London.
In 1868, the State ofConnecticut gave the Navy exactly 112 acres (0.45 km2) of land along theThames River inGroton to build a Naval Station. Due to a lack of federal funding, it was not until 1872 that the two brick buildings and a T-shaped pier were constructed and officially declared a Navy Yard. In 1898, Congress approved a coaling station to be built at the Yard for refueling small naval ships traveling through the waters ofNew England. The Navy Yard was first used for laying up inactive ships. The Congressional appropriations were small and the Navy had little need for the yard, which was closed from 1898 to 1900 and its personnel reassigned. By 1912, oil replaced coal in warships and again the Yard was scheduled for closure and the land relinquished by the Navy.
The Navy Yard was spared permanent closure in 1912 by an impassioned plea from CongressmanEdwin W. Higgins ofNorwich, who was worried about the loss of Federal spending in the region.
On 18 October 1915, the submarinesG-1,G-2, andG-4 arrived in Groton, along with themonitorOzark serving as asubmarine tender. The submarinesD-1,D-2,D-3, andE-1 arrived shortly after, along with the submarine tenderTonopah and the destroyerColumbus.[1][2]
Additional submarines and support craft arrived the following year, and the facility was named as the Navy's first submarine base. The first commander of the Yard was retired Commodore Timothy A. Hunt, who was recalled to service. He was living inNew Haven, and he used the Central Hotel on State Street,New London when in town to attend to Yard duties on an "as needed" basis. The submarine base is physically located in the Town of Groton, but New London became associated with it because the base had its post office, main offices, and housing in New London.[citation needed] The Navy established schools and training facilities at the base afterWorld War I.
The base property expanded during the latter part ofWorld War I. Congress since approved over a million dollars for base real estate and facilities expansion. By the end of the war, 81 buildings had been built to support 1,400 men and 20 submarines, although the land expansion was slowed through much of the 1920s. However, theGreat Depression of the 1930s saw an expansion and enhancement of the physical plant of the base. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt created a series of Federal Government employment programs that contributed significantly to the submarine base.
Over 26 high quality warehouses, barracks, and workshops were built at the base under these Federal job-spending programs. The second largest expansion of the base occurred duringWorld War II, when it grew from 112 acres to 497 acres (2.01 km2). The Submarine Force leaped in size, and the base accommodated thousands of men to serve the growing combat fleet. Immediately after World War II, the Submarine Force was significantly reduced and many submarines were sent into storage. Most of the World War II fleet was sold for scrap metal during the early 1960s.
From 1930 to 1994, the most recognizable structure on the base was the 100-foot-tall (30 m)Escape Training Tank. Generations of submariners learned to escape in up to 80 feet (24 m) of water usingbuoyant ascent, and were trained in the use of theMomsen lung orSteinke hood. In 2007, the Escape Training Tank was replaced by the Submarine Escape Trainer, which has two types of escape trunks in up to 40 feet (12 m) of water. The Steinke hood was replaced by theSubmarine Escape Immersion Equipment in the 2000s.[3]
The New London base is home port to 16attack submarines and full Navy base situated in Groton, Connecticut. The base is also neighbor to the major submarine construction yard ofGeneral Dynamics'Electric Boat Division. All officer and enlisted submariners are stationed at Groton during their training, except fornuclear trained Electronics Technicians (ETs), Electrician's Mates (EMs), and Machinist's Mates (MMs). Enlisted sailors attending sub school will first go throughBasic Enlisted Sub School (BESS), an eight-week program that teaches the rigours of undersea life. BESS includes training in shoring, patching leaks and ruptured pipes, firefighting, and boat handling techniques. After BESS, sailors will either go to a boat or to follow-on schools.
The main base occupies more than 687 acres (2.78 km2) plus over 530 acres (2.1 km2) of family housing. It also supports more than 70 tenant commands, including Naval Submarine School (NAVSUBSCOL), Naval Submarine Support Facility (NSSF), three Submarine Squadron staffs, and the housing and support facilities for more than 21,000 civilian workers, active-duty service members, and their families.
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On 13 May 2005,the Pentagon recommended that the base be closed.[4] After review, the2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission voted on 24 August 2005 to strike New London from the list of possible closures, thus allowing the base to remain open.[5]
Current units stationed at NSBNL include:[6][7]
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41°23′53″N72°05′13″W / 41.398115°N 72.086964°W /41.398115; -72.086964
