HISTORY OF THE USS SARDA

                
                           The USS SARDA was built at the US Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, during
                       the latter part of World War II and was launched on 24 Aug. 1945. Mrs. James J. Heffernan,
                    wife of the Honorable James J Heffernan, member of Congress from the State of New York,
               acted as sponsor. The building of SARDA was financed during the Seventh War Loan by
                bonds purchased by residents of Lynn, Mass. Therefore, the USS SARDA is know at the
"City of Lynn Ship".

                      During the building period SARDA was fitted with an extra large Conning Tower to permit
                  installation of experimental equipment and evaluation of new ship control procedures. On 19
      April 1946 she was commissioned and turned over to her first Commanding Officer,
Commander C.W. NIMITZ, Jr., US Navy.

                           Her shakedown cruise took her to the Carribbean Area, where she visited a number of ports
               including Panama. The Panama stop included intensive training in torpedo firing. From the
Caribbean Area SARDA went to her home port, New London, Connecticut.

                    After shakedown, the USS SARDA joined Submarine Division 22 in New London and
                    commenced a prolonged period of operations in connection with the evaluation of sonar
equipment for the US Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory.

                        The SARDA was first overhauled in the Portsmouth Navy Yard from Sept. to Dec. 1947.
                    The overhaul was followed by a two week shakedown trip to Bermuda and then returned to
the sonar experimental employment in the New London area.

                        For the fiscal year ending June 1948, SARDA earned and received the coveted Navy "E"
Battle Efficiency Pennant for the Atlantic Submarine Force.

                            In July 1949, the USS SARDA went to Charleston, SC, for her second Navy Yard overhaul,
            which lasted until Oct. It was about this time that her employment as an experimental unit
   ended and she was transferred from her original division, Submarine Division 22 to
Submarine Division 21.

                 Following the yard overhaul, SARDA returned to the New London area to take up a
          schedule of local operations, including type training and assignment as a "School Boat".
     This schedule was interrupted occasionally by maneuvers and cruises. (One week of
                   LANT-FLEX in Nov. 1949): two week's operations with the Canadian Navy in April 1950;
             and a trip to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for three weeks of experimental work with surface
             units in Nov. 1950. From here SARDA returned to New London for duties as a training
ship.

                    SARDA's third overhaul took place, from June to Sept. of 1951, at the Philadelphia Navy
   Yard. This was followed by a trip to Halifax, NS, in Sept 1951, after which SARDA
   returned to the New London area and local operations. Three week's participation in
          LANT-FLEX during October and Novermber 1951, and a trip to Guantanamo followed.

                    SARDA's service as a "School Boat" was interrupted briefly for her fourth overhaul during
          the summer of 1953 at Philadelphia. Her fifth overhaul took place during the period Sept.
to Feb. 1956 at Philadelphia.

           Following this yard overhaul SARDA continued to serve as a "School Boat" in New
          London. This duty was interrupted by a trip to Bermuda in Sept. 1956; a trip to Halifax in
          Oct. 1956 and a cruise working for the Hydrographic Office from January until July 1957.
         During this voyage SARDA visited San Juan, Puerto Rico; Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands;
           Recife, Brazil; Mindello, San Vincenta, and Praia, Sao Thiago, Cape Verde Islands; New
        Orleans, Louisiana; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Bermuda. On 1 March 1957 SARDA
        became a "Shellback" by crossing the equator at Longitude 38-48, 5 West while enroute
from Saint Thomas to Recife.

                    In July 1957, after returning to New London, SARDA commenced local operations as a
                 school boat, again interrupted only by a routine overhaul period in Philadelphia commencing
in June 1958.

                     In Jan. 1960, SARDA left for the Caribbean where she operated for three months, visiting
            such ports as San Juan, the Virgin Islands, and Ciudad Trujillo. SARDA returned to New
                 London in March where she once again took up her job providing services for the Submarine
                School. In May, Type Training took her on a two week cruise with a stopover in Bermuda.
Upon her return she resumed training until the close of the year.

New Year's Eve 1960-61 found SARDA at sea engaged in operations with
         ;   ASWFORLANT. Following this two week period of operations, the ship returned to New
                 London and a schedule of services for the Enlisted Submarine School. In Feb. 1961 SARDA
          made a short cruise to Bermuda while engaged in type training. The period following type
             training until June was spent working with the Officer and Enlisted Submarine Schools with
             the exception of four weeks in April and May which were spent operating with destroyers
and Aircraft of the US Atlantic Fleet. It was during the May exercises the Sarda
accomplished her 11,000th dive - the first submarine in history to do so.

                    From June to Oct. 1961 the USS SARDA underwent her sixth overhaul at the Portsmouth
            Navy Yard. Upon SARDA's return from overhaul, the officers and crew underwent Type
                and Refresher training before resuming operations with the Submarine School, New London.

            In January 1962, SARDA again left for the Caribbean to take part in the Springboard
          Operations. In Feb. she visited the ports of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas in the
            Virgin Islands. In March she called at the ports of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Willemstad,
            Curaco in the Dutch West Indies and returned to New London at the end of the month. In
                 August, while engaged in type training, she visited Sydney, Nova Scotia.

                On 22 August SARDA successfully completed her 12,000th dive again becoming the first
submarine in history to accomplish this feat.
                  After an upkeep period SARDA furnished services at the Submarine School for a period of
         about seven weeks. During this time SARDA made another two week trip to Halifax with
Officer Students aboard.

On 7 January 1963, after Christmas leave and upkeep, SARDA commenced a
       Mediterranean deployment which was to last until 26 May. During this time the ports of
          Rota, Barcelona, Toulon, La Spezia, Polermo, Malta, Naples, Monoco, Port Mahon and
Gibralter were visited as SARDA provided services to the Sixth Fleet.

                 After a period of interim docking, during which the SARDA received the Navy "E" Battle
       Efficiency Award, SARDA rendered services to the Enlisted Submarine School. During
                 these operation on 8 August, SARDA made her 13,000th dive, a record which will stand for
some time to come.

    Between 26 August and 5 Sept. SARDA made another trip to Halifax with Officer
       Submarine School students. This was followed by a week of daily operations and then a
week of type training.

          On 23 Sept. a period of upkeep began during which SARDA satisfactorily completed an
INSURV Inspection.
           The USS SARDA has had nine Commanding Officers. Commander C.W. NIMITZ, Jr.,
Commander J.M. HINGSTON, 1948-50; Commander D.G. FLEMING,
           1950-52; Lieutenant Commander R.I. CLAYTON, 1952-54; Lieutenant Commander J.L.
   BOYES, 1954-55; Lieutenant Commander F.T. RAWLING, Jr., 955-57: Lieutenant
            Commander W.O. BENNETT, 1957-59; Lieutenant Commander J.P. LAW, 1959-61 and
Lieutenant Commander E.G. WOOD, 1961 until it was decommissioned.,



                                                                        

            

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