>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1981) Vol. 7, pp.342-343.





TUNNY



		Tunny:  Any of several oceanic fishes resembling 

the mackerel.  The tunny, which is found in all warm seas, 

can reach a length of 10 feet and weigh in excess of 1,000 

pounds.





SSN-682



Displacement:  4,290 t. (fully loaded)

Length:  301’

Beam:  32’

Draft:  26’

Speed:  20+ k.

Complement:  110

Armament:  4 21” torpedo tubes; SUBROC

Class:  STURGEON



	The second TUNNY (SSN-682) was laid down on 22 May 1970 

at Pascagoula, Miss., by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division 

of Litton Systems Inc.; launched on 10 June 1972, sponsored 

by Mrs. Lola Aiken, and commissioned on 26 January 1974 at 

Charleston, S.C., Comdr. Dennis Y. Sloan in command.



	TUNNY remained at Charleston, her home port, until 

March when she moved to Groton, Conn., for two weeks of 

in-port training at the submarine base.  Between March and 

June, she conducted shakedown training in the West Indies 

and along the east coast.  From June to August, the 

nuclear-powered submarine conducted normal operations out of 

Charleston before heading north to the Portsmouth (N.H.) 

Naval Shipyard where she began post-shakedown overhaul on 12 

August.  The warship completed repairs on 5 October and 

headed back to Charleston where she resumed normal training 

operations.



	In February 1975, TUNNY began preparations for her 

first deployment to the Mediterranean.  She stood out of 

Charleston and headed across the Atlantic on 6 March and 

changed operational control to the 6th Fleet 10 days later.  

During the first part of her tour in the Mediterranean, the 

submarine operated with Task force (TF) 60 conducting 

antisubmarine (ASW) exercises with the other ships of the 

unit.  Following refit and tender upkeep in June and early 

July at Santo Stefano, Sardinia, TUNNY rejoined the 6th 

Fleet as a unit of TF 69 and resumed ASW training.  After 

participating in a major 6th Fleet exercise late in July and 

early in August, the warship departed the Mediterranean for 

home.  She changed operational control from 6th Fleet to the 

Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force on 17 August and arrived in 

Charleston 12 days later.  After post-deployment standdown 

in September and a shipyard availability at Charleston in 

October and November, she resumed operations--mostly type 

training--out of Charleston on 20 November.



	Type training along the South Carolina and Florida 

coasts occupied her time during the first month of 1976.  

February brought inspections and examinations; and, in 

March, she participated in two special operations designed 

to help develop and evaluate submarine tactics.  In May, 

TUNNY began preparations for her second tour of duty with 

the 6th Fleet but did not embark upon that assignment for 

over two months.  In the meantime, she conducted one 

exercise--in mine warfare--in June.  Finally, on 26 July, 

she sailed out of Charleston on her way to the 

Mediterranean.  Following a visit to Lisbon, Portugal, the 

attack submarine joined the 6th Fleet on 11 August.  After a 

month of ASW training, highlighted by Exercise "National 

Week XXI," the warship put into Santo Stefano for a month of 

upkeep alongside submarine tender HOWARD W. GILMORE (AS-16).  

In October, she returned to sea for ASW training operations 

punctuated periodically with a visit to Naples or upkeep at 

Santo Stefano.  That routine continued until 11 December, 

when she departed Santo Stefano to return to the United 

States.  Arriving in Charleston on 22 December, she 

commenced a combination of holiday leave and upkeep and 

post-deployment standdown.



	January 1977 found TUNNY undergoing an extensive upkeep 

following her Mediterranean deployment.  She then resumed 

operations off the east coast which extended through the 

spring and summer months.  In mid September, the attack 

submarine commenced a two month Selected Restricted 

Availability (SRA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard which was 

concluded in late November, followed by a short sea trial 

period.  Following refresher training at the Naval Submarine 

School, New London, TUNNY returned to Charleston for the 

Christmas holidays.



	TUNNY spent January and part of February 1978 preparing 

for a North Atlantic deployment which commenced in late 

February and concluded in late April.  In July, TUNNY's home 

port was changed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the ship 

transited to that port on 19 August.  The remainder of the 

year was devoted to local operations in preparation for a 

forthcoming deployment to the western Pacific in 1979.



	[Deactivated while still in commission on 1 October 

1997, TUNNY was both decommissioned and stricken from the 

Naval Vessel Register on 13 March 1998.  She went through 

the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling 

Program from 1 October 1997 to 27 October 1998.  On the 

latter date, she ceased to exist as a complete ship.



Internet web site:

	United States Naval & Shipbuilding Museum

		www.uss-salem.org/worldnav/usa/decom.htm





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com