Awarded 16 December 1968 Commissioned 21 December 1974 Launched 4 August 1973 Beam 9.8 m | Laid down 5 June 1971 Construction started 5 June 1971 Length 111 m | |
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Name USS Glenard P. Lipscomb Namesake Glenard P. Lipscomb (1915–1970) Sponsored by Mrs. Glenard P. Lipscomb Builder General Dynamics Electric Boat | ||
USS Glenard P. Lipscomb (SSN-685), was a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the United States Navy
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The submarine was named after Glenard P. Lipscomb who served as a Congressman from the 24th District of California from 1953 until his death in 1970.
Design
Glenard P. Lipscomb was the Navy's second submarine design using turbo-electric transmission (The first was USS Tullibee). 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 (111 m), she 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 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. The Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird, a long-time colleague and friend of Glenard Lipscomb, spoke at the keel-laying ceremony. 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.
Career
Glenard P. Lipscomb deployed to the North Atlantic in the fall of 1976, followed immediately by a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea in the winter and spring of 1977. The boat was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
The submarine deployed to the North Atlantic in the winter and spring of 1978. Glenard P. Lipscomb was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. She deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in the winter and spring of 1979.
Awarded the Commander, Submarine Development Squadron Twelve, Battle Efficiency [White] "E" and Engineering Excellence [Red] "E" for Fiscal Years 1977, 1978 under the command of Commander Robert B. Wilkinson and 1979, and 1980 under the command of Commander Thomas Robertson.
In 1987, she was involved in a collision with a tugboat in the Cooper River at Naval Weapons Station Charleston. Suffering slight damage to her towed array housing and propeller, she was required to spend an extra week in drydock to facilitate repairs. There were no injuries aboard the submarine, however, the tugboat sank as a result of the collision.
Glenard P. Lipscomb was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 July 1990 and disposed of under the submarine recycling program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 1 December 1997.