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USS Sargo (SSN 583)

USS SARGO was the third SKATE - class nuclear-powered attack submarine and the second ship in the Navy to bear the name. Deactivated on February 26, 1988, and stricken from the Navy list on April 21, 1988, the SARGO spent the following years at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Wash., awaiting to be disposed of through the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Surface Ship and Submarine Recycling Program. The SARGO entered the Recycling Program on April 14, 1994, and finished it on April 5, 1995.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS SARGO. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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Accidents aboard USS SARGO:

Date	Where	Events
June 14, 1960	Pearl Harbor, Hi.	USS SARGO suffers an explosion and fire in her aft end while docked at Pearl Harbor. The fire starts from a leak in a high-pressure line that was pumping oxygen aboard. The explosion occurs a few moments later. When dock units and boats are unable to bring the fire under control quickly, officers take the SARGO a short distance from the dock and submerge it with the stern hatch open to put out the blaze. The Navy says the ship's nuclear reactors were sealed off. and there was "absolutely no danger of an explosion from the reactor compartment." The submarine is extensively damaged and is drydocked taking three months to repair. The SARGO is the first nuclear ship in the Pacific Fleet and was scheduled to take the visiting King and Queen of Thailand on a cruise the next day.
1960	Bering Strait	USS SARGO collides with an ice-keel during Ice Exercise '60 damaging her bow. The photo below shows the SARGO arriving at Pearl Harbor with her bow damage clearly visible.
October 13, 1965	15 miles west of Oahu, Hi.	USS BARB (SSN 596) and the USS SARGO collide while on maneuvers in the Pacific. Minor damage resulted to the forward end of one submarine and to the mast and sail of the other one, but there were no injuries and both ships return to port unassisted.

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USS SARGO History:

USS SARGO was laid down at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, on February 21, 1956, as a SKATE-class nuclear-powered attack submarine and the second ship of the United States Navy to bear the name Sargo. She was launched on October 10, 1957, sponsored by Mrs. Frank T. Watkins, and commissioned on October 1, 1958, under the command of Commander Daniel P. Brooks. The submarine was built during the formative years of the Navy's nuclear propulsion program, at a time when the United States sought to expand the operational capabilities demonstrated by USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) and USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575) into a larger and more practical class of fleet submarines capable of sustained submerged operations in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters. SARGO incorporated improvements in reactor reliability, habitability, and sonar performance while also being prepared for future Arctic operations through structural strengthening of the sail and installation of specialized under-ice equipment.

Following commissioning, SARGO conducted sea trials and shakedown operations along the west coast of the United States and in the eastern Pacific. During these early operations the submarine accumulated extensive submerged operating time while testing navigation systems, reactor performance, and high-latitude operational procedures. Initial evaluations revealed shortcomings in navigational and environmental equipment needed for extended Arctic service, leading to modifications and adjustments during post-shakedown work at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. After completion of this work, the submarine departed for Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on October 1, 1959, establishing that base as her principal operating port for the remainder of her active career. In Hawaii, the submarine underwent additional preparations for under-ice deployment, including the installation of upward-looking sonar equipment, improved inertial navigation systems, and scientific instrumentation intended to support hydrographic and oceanographic research.

During November and December 1959, SARGO conducted intensive local exercises around Hawaii to prepare for a winter Arctic deployment. Scientists and technical specialists embarked for portions of the training period while the submarine rehearsed emergency surfacing procedures, under-ice navigation techniques, and operations in cold-water conditions. On January 18, 1960, SARGO departed Pearl Harbor under the command of Lieutenant Commander James H. Nicholson for a major Arctic expedition intended to expand American understanding of the polar basin and demonstrate the operational capabilities of nuclear submarines beneath the polar ice cap during winter conditions.

Proceeding north through the Pacific, SARGO reached the vicinity of St. Matthew Island in the Bering Sea on January 25, 1960, where she encountered pack ice and rendezvoused with the icebreaker USS STATEN ISLAND (AGB 5). The submarine subsequently conducted her first stationary dive while surrounded by heavy ice fields. On January 29 she passed through the Bering Strait near the Diomede Islands and crossed the Arctic Circle before entering permanent ice cover. Navigating beneath the ice cap required continuous use of upward-looking sonar to locate areas of thinner ice suitable for emergency surfacing. During the transit, the submarine gathered hydrographic and bathymetric information concerning the Arctic Basin, including data related to water depths, under-ice topography, and oceanographic conditions.

On February 9, 1960, SARGO reached the vicinity of the geographic North Pole. At 0934 she passed beneath the pole and then began a search for suitable surfacing conditions. At 1049 the submarine surfaced through the ice approximately twenty-five feet from the pole, becoming the first submarine to reach the North Pole during the Arctic winter. Members of the crew briefly disembarked onto the ice while scientific and navigational observations were conducted. During the operation, the crew raised the Hawaiian flag at the pole in recognition of the submarine's Pacific Fleet assignment.

After completing operations at the pole, SARGO submerged again on February 10 and continued through the Arctic Basin toward Ice Island T-3. During the transit, she discovered deep water in the western approaches to the Northwest Passage and gathered data contributing to understanding of the Alpha Ridge region of the Arctic Ocean. On February 17, 1960, the submarine rendezvoused with personnel on T-3 and conducted cooperative scientific activities before beginning the southbound transit through the Chukchi Sea and Bering Strait. SARGO returned to Pearl Harbor on March 3, 1960, after traveling more than 11,000 miles, including over 6,000 miles beneath Arctic ice. The expedition represented one of the most extensive winter under-ice operations conducted by an American submarine up to that time, and SARGO later received the Navy Unit Commendation for the mission.

Following post-deployment maintenance and inspections during March and April 1960, SARGO resumed local operations in Hawaiian waters. During this period, she conducted demonstration cruises and participated in official visits involving foreign dignitaries. On June 14, 1960, while moored at Pearl Harbor and preparing for a scheduled embarkation cruise for King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, the submarine suffered a major fire during oxygen-loading operations. An oxygen hose leading into the after torpedo room developed a leak, allowing pure oxygen to feed an intense fire in the stern section of the boat. The blaze spread rapidly through the compartment, and two Mark 37 torpedo warheads detonated low-order during the fire. Machinist's Mate Third Class James E. Smallwood was killed while attempting to control the emergency.

As the situation worsened, efforts by the crew and firefighting teams proved insufficient to contain the blaze. To prevent the fire from threatening adjacent vessels and shore facilities, officers aboard SARGO ordered the submarine moved away from the pier. The boat subsequently submerged in shallow water with the stern hatch still open, flooding the after compartments and extinguishing the fire. SARGO settled on the harbor bottom before later being raised and returned to drydock for repairs. Restoration work required approximately three months. Smallwood was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, while several additional crew members and shipyard personnel received commendations for their actions during the incident.

By October 1960, SARGO had resumed operational duties and returned to local training exercises around Hawaii. On January 19, 1961, she departed Pearl Harbor for an extended western Pacific deployment with the Seventh Fleet. During the deployment, the submarine participated in antisubmarine warfare exercises and fleet operations intended to strengthen allied naval readiness in the Pacific during a period of increasing Cold War tensions. SARGO conducted operations in waters around Japan, the Philippines, and Australia and visited Sydney during ceremonies associated with the nineteenth annual Coral Sea commemoration. The deployment concluded with her return to Pearl Harbor on May 25, 1961.

The remainder of 1961 was occupied by maintenance periods, local operations, readiness exercises, and demonstrations for senior naval officials and foreign observers. In early 1962, SARGO again deployed to the western Pacific for Seventh Fleet operations. During this deployment, the submarine participated in additional antisubmarine warfare exercises and operational patrols in the western Pacific theater. Her performance during the cruise earned another Navy Unit Commendation.

In July 1962, SARGO entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for overhaul and reactor refueling. The work extended into 1963 and marked an important milestone in Pacific Fleet nuclear submarine support capability, as SARGO became the first nuclear-powered ship to undergo refueling at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. In addition to refueling, the overhaul included reactor maintenance, modernization work, inspections, and updates to combat and navigation systems. Following sea trials and refresher training in Hawaiian waters, the submarine resumed operational duties and departed for another western Pacific deployment during 1963. She returned to Pearl Harbor in October 1963 and spent the following months conducting local exercises and fleet training operations.

From April through October 1964, SARGO again operated with the Seventh Fleet in the western Pacific. During this deployment, the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August 1964 sharply increased tensions between the United States and North Vietnam and led to a major expansion of American naval operations in Southeast Asia. Although specific operational details of SARGO's activities remained classified, the submarine supported Pacific Fleet operational readiness during this period of heightened military activity. After returning to Hawaii late in 1964, SARGO conducted additional local exercises and maintenance before departing again in April 1965 for further western Pacific operations associated with Seventh Fleet requirements during the continuing escalation of the Vietnam conflict.

During 1965, SARGO alternated between western Pacific deployments and operations in the central and eastern Pacific. In February 1966, she entered Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for an extended overhaul and reactor refueling period. The overhaul continued for approximately two years and included installation of a new reactor core, maintenance of propulsion equipment, structural inspections, modernization of onboard systems, and general refurbishment intended to extend the operational life of the submarine. During the years between 1963 and 1965, SARGO earned three additional Navy Unit Commendations connected with Pacific Fleet operations.

SARGO completed overhaul and returned to active operations on April 5, 1968. After refresher training in Hawaiian waters she resumed the operational cycle characteristic of Pacific Fleet attack submarines during the Cold War. In June 1968, she departed Pearl Harbor for another western Pacific deployment. During January 1969, the submarine participated in combined antisubmarine warfare exercises in the South China Sea involving British, Australian, and American naval forces, reflecting increased multinational naval cooperation during the Vietnam War era and continuing Cold War competition in the Pacific region.

Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, SARGO continued serving as part of the Pacific Fleet submarine force. Much of her operational activity during this period remained classified, but publicly documented duties included antisubmarine warfare exercises, tactical development operations, fleet readiness training, and repeated western Pacific deployments in support of Seventh Fleet activities. Pearl Harbor remained her primary operating base, and the submarine regularly alternated operational deployments with maintenance periods and local Hawaiian training exercises. Periodic shipyard availabilities at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard supported reactor maintenance, propulsion system upkeep, sonar calibration, and modernization work intended to maintain operational readiness as newer submarine classes entered service.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the SKATE-class submarines represented some of the oldest nuclear-powered attack submarines still serving in the United States Navy. Although surpassed technologically by later classes such as the STURGEON- and LOS ANGELES-classes, SARGO continued contributing to fleet training and Pacific submarine operations. Her extensive experience in Arctic navigation and long Pacific service history remained significant within the submarine force.

On April 15, 1987, a renovated enlisted bachelor quarters building at Pearl Harbor Submarine Base was reopened and named in honor of James E. Smallwood, the sailor killed during the June 1960 fire aboard SARGO. The formal dedication ceremony took place on February 26, 1988, preserving the memory of the incident within the Pearl Harbor submarine community.

USS SARGO was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on February 26, 1988, after nearly three decades of service. On April 21, 1988, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Following deactivation, the submarine remained in reserve until entering the Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, on April 14, 1994. Recycling work was completed on April 5, 1995, bringing an end to the service life of one of the early nuclear-powered attack submarines of the United States Navy.

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