USS
REDFIN (SSR-272)
In 1946 two
submarines, USS REQUIN (SS-481) and USS SPINAX (SS-489) were converted
to Radar Picket submarines in the Migraine II program. They both kept
their After Torpedo rooms. In 1949, after finding there were several
flaws in the design of the Migraine II boats two more submarines, USS
TIGRONE (SS-269) and USS BURRFISH (SS-312) were converted to Radar
Pickets in the Migraine I program. This time the torpedo tubes were
removed from the After Torpedo Room and it was converted to a crews
berthing room.
In the early 1950’s the United States realized that we had to have more
radar picket submarines if we were to keep our navy alerted for any
possible strike missions on the USSR by our aircraft.
The Gato class submarines, USS POMPON (SS-267), USS RASHER (SS-269), USS
RATON (SS-270), USS RAY (SS-271), USS REDFIN (SS-272) and USS ROCK
(SS-274) were chosen to be converted to Radar Pickets in the Migraine
III program.
In the Migraine III conversion the boats were separated between the
Control Room and the Forward Battery compartments. A 30 foot section
was installed which would be home for all the radar equipment, it was
called the CIC (Combat Information Center. The torpedo tubes were
removed from the After Torpedo Room and it became a berthing compartment
for the crew.
A large sail was put topside to house the new BPS-2 search radar which
was put aft of the periscopes and other antennas and masts. An AN/BPS-3
height finding radar was installed on a dome aft of the sail and an
AN/URN-3 TACAN beacon was installed on the deck aft of the Engine Room
hatch.
In
April 1951 REDFIN was towed from
On