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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSMero (SS-378) |
| Builder | Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company,Manitowoc, Wisconsin[1] |
| Laid down | 22 July 1944[1] |
| Launched | 17 January 1945[1] |
| Commissioned | 17 August 1945[1] |
| Decommissioned | 15 June 1946[1] |
| Recommissioned | 29 December 1959[1] |
| Decommissioned | 20 April 1960[1] |
| Stricken | 1 August 1973[2] |
| Fate | Transferred toTurkey, 20 April 1960,[2] sold to Turkey, 1 August 1973[1] |
 Turkey | |
| Name | TCGHızırreis (S 344) |
| Acquired | 20 April 1960 |
| Commissioned | 23 August 1960 |
| Fate | Discarded 1977; used for spare parts |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Balao classdiesel-electricsubmarine[2] |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m)[2] |
| Beam | 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)[2] |
| Draft | 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum[2] |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | |
| Range | 11,000nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)[3] |
| Endurance |
|
| Test depth | 400 ft (120 m)[3] |
| Complement | 10 officers, 70–71 enlisted[3] |
| Armament |
|
USSMero (SS-378), aBalao-classsubmarine, was a ship of theUnited States Navy named for themero, any of several largegroupers found in warm ocean waters.
Mero waslaid down by theManitowoc Shipbuilding Company atManitowoc,Wisconsin, on 22 July 1944;launched on 17 January 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Henry G. Taylor; andcommissioned at Manitowoc on 17 August 1945. She was the last submarine built at Manitowoc.
Mero got underway forshakedown inLake Michigan 25 August; thence, between 6 September and 17 November she cruised theGreat Lakes and visited several ports includingDetroit,Cleveland, andChicago. The Mero tied up at The Michigan Avenue bridge in Chicago and was open to visitors who were allowed aboard for a tour of the boat. Placed infloating drydock 9 November – 2 November, she reachedNew Orleans via theMississippi River 29 November, on 6 December sailed for theCanal Zone, trained there a month, then sailed forPearl Harbor 19 January 1946.
Mero reached Pearl 5 February and operated out of there until sailing for the west coast 22 February. ArrivingSan Francisco Bay 1 March, after preinactivation overhaul, she steamed toMare Island 14 March to join the 19th Fleet, and decommissioned there 15 June 1946. Assigned to thePacific Reserve Fleet, she remained berthed at Mare Island until converted to aFleet Snorkel submarine in 1960.
On 20 April 1960,Mero was transferred on loan toTurkey under the Military Assistance Program. TheTurkish Navy renamed herTCGHızırreis (S 344). After her voyage from San Francisco,Hızırreis was commissioned intoTurkish Navy service on 23 August 1960.
On 1 August 1973,Hızırreis was formally sold to Turkey and struck from the U.S.Naval Vessel Register. She was discarded by the Turkish Navy in 1977 and used for spare parts.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be foundhere andhere.
