A History of the Submarines Built at the
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Exhibit by Steve Shay
Frame 2, Page 11
USS K-2 SSK-2 (Later renamed USS Bass SS-551)
Killer class (No reported postmarks)
Launched May 2, 1951
Upper: Launch cover, design by Martin Aden,
sponsored by Mare Island Naval Shipyard Supervisors Association,
shipyard machine postmark.
Lower: Submarine service cover, unknown cachet artist, shipyard machine postmark.
Designed for antisubmarine warfare as hunter-killer submarine.
Length of 196', displacement of 765 tons.
Large bow sonar allowed snorkeling subs to be heard at great distance,
however K-2 could not close the distance as the target could run faster
submerged using diesels than the hunter could using battery power only.
Stayed in service developing fleet tactics.
Renamed Bass December 15, 1955.
Decommissioned December 20, 1957.
Designation changed to SS-551 while in reserve.
Intro
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Last Updated: March 24, 2002
Copyright 2002 Steve Shay (used with permission)