Fergie's Tech Blog

9 June 1959: USS George Washington is the First Submarine to Carry Ballistic Missiles

USS George Washington (SSBN-598), the lead ship of her class of ballistic missile submarines, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for George Washington, first President of the United States.

Her keel was laid down at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, Groton, Connecticut on 1 November 1957. The first boat of the her class, she was launched on 9 June 1959 sponsored by Mrs. Robert B. Anderson, and commissioned on 30 December 1959 with Commander James B. Osborn in command of the Blue crew and Commander John L. From, Jr. in command of the Gold crew.

George Washington was originally named USS Scorpion (SSN-589). During construction, she was lengthened by the insertion of a 130-foot-long missile section and renamed (another hull under construction at the time received both the older name and hull number and became the ill-fated USS Scorpion), but inside the forward escape hatch remained a plaque bearing the name USS Scorpion. Because the missile compartment design of the George Washington would be reused in later ship classes, that section which was inserted into George Washington was designed with a deeper test depth rating than the rest of the boat.

posted by Fergie @ 6/08/2006 10:01:00 PM