1962
Deployments
REDFIN operated in the local area between January 1 and 25, 1962.
On January 26th at 1028 she was underway to Cape Canaveral, FL. REDFIN was the first submarine to go to Cape Canaveral.
When she got within 15 miles of Cape Canaveral the Communications Officer received a message that REDFIN had to shut down all electronics; radio, radar, sonar, depth finder, everything. She arrived on January 29th at 1340 and moored portside to Navy Pier, Port Canaveral, Florida.
An arrival report had to be filed with Washington but they couldn’t use the radio. So Rich O’Sullivan, Communications Officer, called them on the phone.
As some of the crew was standing topside one night, the whole world seemed to shake and the night turned into day as a Titan missile was launched.
REDFIN got underway on January 31st and watched a Polaris launch. It went straight up until it reached a few thousand feet, then it made a 90° turn, at which time the destruct button was activated, and they saw a big fireball as it fell to earth. The missile got to be known as the “Rattlesnake Killer” because it started so many fires in the beachside palmettos.
She operated in the Cape Canaveral area until February 2nd when she got underway at 1000 to Bermuda, B.W.I. and arrived on February 5th at 0946 and moored at Port Royal Harbor, Bermuda.
She operated in the Bermuda Op Area until February 12th when she got underway at 0732 from Bermuda, B.W.I. to Norfolk and arrived on February 16th at 1000 and moored at D & S Piers, Norfolk, VA.
REDFIN operated locally until April 3rd when she got underway at 0645 for the Norfolk Navy Shipyard and arrived at 0707 and was in Dry Dock #2, resting on keel blocks at 1016.
She was in Dry Dock until June 16th when they started the flooding at 1305 and she was out and at 1645 she moored starboard side to Berth 6, NNSY, Portsmouth, VA. On July 3rd she ran her propulsion trials.
On July 4th at 1410 a Shipyard employee was discovered apparently unconscious sitting in the superstructure with his legs protruding through a limber hole and onto the port bow plane. At 1415 a Shipyard doctor arrived and took charge on the scene. At 1433 the injured man was removed from the ship to the shipyard dispensary. And at 1440 the injured man was pronounced dead and identified as Eddie Clay Harris, Sr., Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Check Number 38-04656. Time of death was fixed at approximately 1405.
Between July 5 and August 15, REDFIN made many dock trials and propulsion tests in the Op area.
On August 7, 1962 at 1000 LCDR Alonzo M. Poteet, Jr. was relieved as Commanding Officer USS REDFIN by LCDR Thomas P. Cheesman.
On August 16, 1962 at 1058 REDFIN was underway and at 1207 she moored port side to USS Sea Lion (SS-315) at Berth 224, Pier 22, Destroyer-Submarine Piers, Norfolk, VA in a nest of three ships: USS Sea Lion (SS-315) moored outboard of USS Runner (SS-476) to starboard.
From August 21 to 24 REDFIN she operated in the Virginia Capes area and then departed for New London and arrived there at 1825 and moored at the Submarine Base, Groton, CT, where she operated in the area until September 8th when she got underway for Norfolk at 1005 and arrived and moored on September 9th at 1942 at Norfolk.
Between September 9 and October 15 she was in Norfolk and operated occasionally in the local area.
On October 15 at 1017 REDFIN got underway for Bermuda, B.W.I and arrived on October 18 at 1013 and moored at the U.S. Naval Station, Bermuda, B.W.I.
On October 29 REDFIN was underway from the assigned Bermuda Op Area to Norfolk and arrived on October 31st at 1220 and moored at D & S Piers.
Between October 31 and November 25, REDFIN was moored in Norfolk. On November 26th at 1214 she again departed for the Bermuda Operation Area and returned to Norfolk on December 1st and moored in Norfolk at 1041. She stayed in Norfolk for the rest of the year.