Submarine Squadron 4

Submarine Squadron 4 (also known as SUBRON 4 or CSS-4) is a squadron of submarines based at US Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Connecticut.

SUBRON 4 has been located in Groton since 9 July 1997. Prior to reactivation in Groton with fast-attack submarines, the squadron, made up of fast-attack submarines, was located in Charleston, South Carolina from 1959–1995. Before Charleston, SUBRON 4 homeport was Pearl Harbor, HI from its founding in 1930 until 1959.

Established in 1930 with operations based in Pearl Harbor, HI.

SUBRON4 Commanders 1930–1959 Pearl Harbor, HI
The Pearl Harbor Submarine Base (SUBASE PEARL HARBOR) permanent foundations were laid down in 1919.

Upon the establishment of the Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor, Commander C.W. Nimitz was the Commanding Officer, a duty he held until 1922. He was succeeded in command by the following officers:
 * Commander L.F. Welch (1922–1925)
 * Commander F.C. Martin (1925–1928)
 * Captain A. Bronson (1928–1929)
 * Captain W.K. Wortman (1929–1930)

In 1930, Submarine Squadron FOUR commenced operating in the Hawaiian Area. The two commands, SUBASE PEARL HARBOR and SUBRON 4 were united with the following officers pursuing duties as both Commander, Submarine Squadron FOUR and Commanding Officer, U.S. Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, T.H.:
 * Captain W.K. Wortman (1930–1932)
 * Captain H.W. Osterhas (1932–1934)
 * Captain R.A. Kock (1934–1936)
 * Captain R.S. Culp (1936–1938)
 * Captain Francis W. Scanland (1938 – Nov 1940)
 * Captain Worrall R. Carter (Nov 1940 – 7 Dec 1941)
 * Captain Freeland A. Daubin (7 Dec 1941 – 6 Feb 1942) (In command Dec 7th, 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor)
 * Captain Robert H. English (19 Mar 1942 – 10 May 1942)
 * Captain John M. Haines (18 May 1942 – 24 Jun 1942)
 * Captain John H. Brown, Jr. (14 Jul 1942 – 4 Nov 1943)
 * Captain Charles. D. Edmunds (12 May 1943 - 31 Aug 1943)
 * Captain Leon J. Huffman (11 Sep 1943 – 27 Sep 1943)
 * Captain Charles B. Momsen (12 Nov 1943 – 2 Jul 1944)
 * Captain Clarence E. Aldrich (1 Dec 1943 – 27 Dec 1943)
 * Captain Charles F. Erck (Jul 1944 – 12 Oct 1944)
 * Captain William V. O'Regan (15 Oct 1944 – 24 May 1945)
 * Captain Edward S. Hutchinson (1945 – 12 Mar 1947)

On 13 January 1943, the two commands were separated, due to the tremendous work load required of each command by war time operations.

As a result, Captain C.D. Edmunds relieved Captain J.H. Brown, Jr., as Commanding Officer of the Submarine Base, with Captain Brown retaining the command of SubRon FOUR. The Commanding Officer of the Submarine Base continued to come under the Squadron Commander until, in October 1945, with the reorganization of the submarine force, he was placed directly under ComSubPac.

Relocation of SUBRON 4 from Pearl Harbor, HI to Charleston, SC
In 1959, the squadron was moved to Charleston, S.C. as part of a dispersal plan to make the Atlantic Fleet less vulnerable to nuclear attack. Built in 1901 and ultimately covering 1,575 acre, Charleston Navy Base was located on the west bank of the Cooper River six miles (6 mi) north of the point where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet to flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

SUBRON4 Commanders 1959-1995 Charleston, SC
(Date of Command)

(Work in progress as information is submitted)

Capt. Richard C. Latham (AUG1959 - 27OCT1960)

Capt. Morton H. Lytle (27OCT1960 - TBD)

TBD                (1960 -Jun 1987) Capt. Frank Jordan (June1987 - August 1989)

Capt. Dennis Napior (July 1991 - July 1993)

Capt. Stanley R. Szemborski (July 1993 - Late 1995)

The Boats of SUBRON4, Charleston, SC 1980-1995
Home port: Pier Mike 1980-1996: Charleston, SC


 * USS FRANK CABLE
 * AS40, Emory S. Land Class Submarine Tender Commissioned 29 October 1979. Homeport: Charleston, SC (CHAS) in the 1980-1996, was selected for decommissioning in 1996 but then was reactivated and refitted to replace the USS Holland (AS-32) in the Western Pacific as Commander Seventh Fleet's mobile repair and support platform.


 * Current Homeport: Apra Harbor, Guam (The only active tender in the Pacific.)

PHOTO: A rare photo by COMSUBRON4 Capt. Dennis Napior: http://www.auburn.edu/~watkijm/SubRon4CHASSC.jpg

USS Sturgeon SSN-637 (Decommissioned): 1 August 1994 Note: Her sail is on permanent display at the Naval Undersea Museum at Keyport, WA. Link: http://www.navalunderseamuseum.org/

USS Grayling SSN-646 (Decommissioned): 18 July 1997

Note: Her sail is now a memorial on the grounds of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, Maine, and her anchor and chain are on display as a memorial in downtown Grayling, Michigan.

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USS Ray SSN-653 (Decommissioned): 16 March 1993

USS Sandlance SSN-660 (Decommissioned): 7 August 1998

USS Sea Devil SSN-664 (Decommissioned): 16 October 1991

USS Seahorse SSN-669 (Decommissioned): 17 August 1995

USS Narwhal SSN-671 (Decommissioned): 1 July 1999

USS Bluefish SSN-675 (Decommissioned): 31 May 1996

USS Billfish SSN-676 (Decommissioned): 1 July 1999

USS Batfish SSN-681 (Decommissioned): 17 March 1999

USS L. Mendel Rivers SSN-686 (Decommissioned): 10 May 2001

USS Bonefish SS-582 (Decommissioned): 28 September 1988 (Note: Barbel-class Diesel-Electric Boat)

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STURGEON-CLASS BOAT DISPLAYS from Decommissioned Boats Locations of other Sturgeon-class boat sails on Permanent Display there were not in SUBRON4.

USS Tautog SSN-639 (Decommissioned): 31 March 1997 Note: The USS Tautog's sail was preserved and is now on display at Seawolf Park in Galveston, Texas.

USS Lapon SSN-661 (Decommissioned): 8 August 1992 Note: The sail of this Sturgeon class boat, featured in the N.Y. Times Bestselling book

"Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story Of Submarine Espionage" by Sherry Sontag, is now on permanent display at the American Legion Post 639 in Springfield, MO.

USS Hawkbill SSN-666 (Decommissioned): 15 March 2000  Note: Her sail is now on permanent display at the entrance to Arco as part of the

first stage in the development of an Idaho Science Center.

USS Parche SSN-683 (Decommissioned): 18 July 2005 Note: The sail of this most decorated Sturgeon class boat is on display as the centerpiece of a

Navy Museum between the Bremerton ferry terminal and the entrance to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

CHARLESTON NAVY BASE CLOSURE AND SUBRON 4 DEACTIVATION

1996: CHARLESTON, SC. --The Base Realignment and Closure Commission announced on Feb 26th, 1993 that the Charleston Navy Base

would be closed. SUBRON 4 was deactivated in late 1995 just prior to the official closure of Naval Base Charleston, S.C., on April 1, 1996.

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The Reactivation Of Submarine Squadron Four Groton, CT
1997: GROTON, Conn. --Submarine Squadron 4 recently reactivated after a two-year break at Naval Submarine Base Groton, CT In 09 July 1997.

Source: All Hands, Nov 97, Issue 968, p42, 1/4p ALL HANDS, NOV 1997

UNDERSEA WARFARE MAGAZINE 1998-2010 Link: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/magarchive.html

SUBRON4 COMMANDERS 1997-PRESENT GROTON, CT (Date of Command)

(Work in progress as information is submitted)

TBD                  (1997 -

Capt. Carl V. Mauney (TBD - 16APR1999)

Capt. Melvin G. Williams, Jr. (16APR1999 - 08SEP2000)

Capt. George E. Manaskie (08SEP2000 - 26JUL2002)

Capt. David E. Eyler (26JUL2002 - 29APR2004)

Capt. Robert H. Perry (29APR2004 – JUL2006)

Capt. Richard P. Breckenridge (JUL2006 - 27JUN2008)

Capt. Robert E. Clark II (27JUN2008 - 09APR2010)

Capt. Michael Bernacchi (09APR2010 - 13JAN2012)

Capt. Michael Holland (13JAN2012 - Present)

The Boats of SUBRON4 GROTON, CT Assigned at Reactivation (1997)
USS Trepang (SSN 674)

USS Billfish (SSN 676)

USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705)

USS Providence (SSN 719)

USS Miami (SSN 755)

USS Annapolis (SSN 760)

USS Hartford (SSN 768)

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