1961 Deployments
 

REDFIN departed Norfolk on January 3, 1961 at 0843 enroute to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  At 0957 she arrived and YTB-489 came alongside to maneuver her into the dry-dock.  She was in dry-dock #2 until February 4.  While in dry-dock she got a "new" forward battery.  A hole was cut in the pressure hull over the forward battery so that the old 126 cells could be hoisted out and the new ones lowered in.  At 1805 she was moved from dry-dock to Pier 11 & 12.

As none of the crew had ever brought a new battery on line, the Engineering Officer, LT Jim Paulk, was trying to find some instructions as how to do it.  Finally an Excide book was found in the Maneuvering Room bench.  It explained how to conduct the initial charge of a battery, though in limited words.  The charge was started and the gravities were checked frequently, without much change.  About 12 hours later it was decided to shut down the charge after thinking something was not right.  The first thing the next morning the Engineering Officer called Philadelphia to check the setup.  After being convinced that everything was correct the charge was re-started.  The charge was going again and the gravities began to climb.  The charge was completed and they found out that no one in the shipyard, on the tender, or in the squadron had ever done a new battery charge before.  She departed the Naval Shipyard and moored at DS Piers, Norfolk.

Between February 5 and April 9, REDFIN operated in the local area on Type Training and Special Project assignments.

On April 10 at 1210 REDFIN departed Norfolk for operations in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area.  She departed op area and moored at Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 0827 on April 14.  She departed Florida for Norfolk on April 16 at 1313 and moored in Norfolk on April 20 at 0830.

REDFIN departed Norfolk on April 24 at 0810 for her assigned operation area.  At 1824 on April 26, 1961 a rather large wave hit REDFIN, filling the bridge area with water and Ensign William Henry Wilson, the Officer of the Deck, was washed overboard.  The lookouts, having been trained for such emergencies, immediately called “Man Overboard” and started the maneuvers for recovery until the Commanding Officer reached the bridge and assumed control.

REDFIN conducted the search alone until 0139 on April 27 when the salvage ship, USS PRESERVER (ARS-8) joined in the formation to aid in the search.  At 0226, USS CARP (SS-338) joined in the formation followed by USS COBBLER (SS-344) at 0510, USS CUBERA (SS-347) at 0525 and USS BASILONE (DD-824) at 0707.

At 2011 on April 27^th the search operations were terminated.  REDFIN returned to her operation area until April 29 when she departed for Norfolk.  She arrived and moored in Norfolk on April 30 at 0913.

Between May 1 and September 20 she operated in the local area.  She departed Norfolk on September 21 at 0838 for Bermuda and arrived and moored at 1234 on September 29^th starboard side to Tender Pier, U.S. Naval Station, Bermuda, B.W.I.  She departed Bermuda on October 2 at 0931 for Norfolk.  REDFIN arrived and moored at Norfolk on October 5 at 1601.

REDFIN again operated in the area off Norfolk until November 18 when she departed Norfolk at 0749 and proceeded to the operating area in the vicinity of Argus Island.  She then left the operating area and proceeded to U.S. Naval Station, Bermuda and moored at 1039 on November 24, starboard to Berth 3, Tender Pier.

On November 27 at 0835 REDFIN departed Bermuda enroute to Norfolk and moored at D&S piers at 1431 on December 1, 1961.  She was in port for the remainder of the year.