View source for USS Kamehameha

{{short description|Submarine of the United States}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
|+USS ''Kamehameha'' (SSBN-642) / (SSN-642)
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = USS Kamehameha;0864204.jpg
| Ship caption = USS ''Kamehameha'' (SSN-642) after her 1992 conversion to support [[SEAL (U. S. Navy)|Navy SEALS]] as an [[attack submarine]]
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United States
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1965}}
| Ship name = 
| Ship namesake = [[Kamehameha I of Hawaii|Kamehameha I]] (c. 1758–1819), [[King of Hawaii]] (c. 1795–1819)
| Ship ordered = 31 August 1962
| Ship builder = [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]], [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]], California
| Ship laid down = 2 May 1963
| Ship launched = 16 January 1965
| Ship sponsor = Mrs. Samuel Wilder King
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship commissioned = 10 December 1965
| Ship decommissioned = 2 April 2002
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 
| Ship reclassified = [[Attack submarine]] (SSN-642) in 1992
| Ship struck = 2 April 2002
| Ship reinstated = 
| Ship fate = Scrapping via [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] begun October 2002; completed 28 February 2003
| Ship motto = *{{lang|haw|Imua}} ([[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] for 'Go forth and conquer')
| Ship nickname = "Dead Giveaway"
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = {{sclass|Benjamin Franklin|submarine}}
| Ship displacement = 6,511&nbsp;tons light, 7,334&nbsp;tons full, 823&nbsp;tons dead{{Clarify| reason=823?| date=September 2011}}
| Ship length = {{convert|425|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = 
| Ship draft = {{convert|31|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = {{convert|15000|shp|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = One [[S5W reactor|S5W pressurized-water nuclear reactor]], two geared [[steam turbine]]s, one shaft
| Ship speed = Over {{convert|20|kn}}
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship test depth = {{convert|1300|ft|m}}
| Ship complement = Two crews (Blue Crew and Gold Crew) of 20 [[Commissioned officer|officers]] and 130 [[Enlisted man|enlisted men]] each
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *16 × [[ballistic missile]] tubes (deactivated 1992)
*4 × {{convert|21|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (all forward)
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''USS ''Kamehameha'' (SSBN-642)''' was a [[Benjamin Franklin-class submarine|''Benjamin Franklin''-class]] [[ballistic missile]] [[submarine]] and the only ship in the [[United States Navy]] to be named after [[Kamehameha I of Hawaii|Kamehameha I]], the first [[King of Hawaii]] (c. 1758–1819). She is one of only two United States ships named after a monarch.{{ref|1|a}} She was later reclassified as an [[attack submarine]] and re-designated '''SSN-642'''.

The ship's motto was ''Imua'', which roughly translates from [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] as "go forth and conquer." Another motto used by her crew was ''Kam do'', a play on the phrase "can do."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mac |first1=Mister |title="Go forth and conquer" USS Kamehameha SSBN 642 |url=https://theleansubmariner.com/2019/05/07/go-forth-and-conquer-uss-kamehameha-ssbn-642/ |website=theleansubmariner |access-date=17 July 2023 |language=en |date=7 May 2019}}</ref>

==Construction and commissioning==
[[File:USS Kamehameha1965.jpg|thumb|left|USS ''Kamehameha'' (SSBN-642) in her original configuration as a fleet ballistic missile submarine at her [[Ship naming and launching|launching]] on 16 January 1965.]]The contract to build ''Kamehameha'' was awarded to [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]] in [[Vallejo, California]] on August 31, 1962. The ''Kamehameha'' was sponsored by Mrs. Pauline Nawahineokalai King (née Evans), widow of [[Samuel Wilder King]], the eleventh [[Governor of Hawaii|Territorial Governor of Hawaii]], and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on December 10, 1965 with [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] Roth S. Leddick in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Robert W. Dickieson in command of the Gold Crew. Construction began on May 2, 1963 and she was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on January 16, 1965. 

Conducting [[Deterrence theory|deterrence]] patrols during the [[Cold War]], ''Kamehameha''<nowiki/>'s armament was 16 [[UGM-73 Poseidon|Poseidon ballistic missiles]] plus 10–12 [[Mark 48 torpedo|Mark 48 heavy torpedoes]] non-ADCAP (advanced capability).

== Service history ==
''Kamehameha'' was built by the [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard]] in Vallejo, California. Upon completion, she went on her first sea trials off the coast of California. She conducted Missile firing tests at [[Cape Canaveral]], Florida, after which she sailed to [[Pearl Harbor]], Hawaii. Although Pearl Harbor was her home port until 1970, she made all of her Pacific patrols out of [[Apra Harbor]], [[Guam]], to permit maximum time on patrol station with a minimum transit time to and from port.

''Kamehameha'' joined the [[United States Pacific Fleet]] and the Blue Crew began her first deterrent patrol on 6 August 1966. In November 1966, the Gold Crew relieved the Blue Crew and returned to patrol. On her last Pacific patrol, the Blue Crew took her to the Pacific Missile Test Range to fire two dummy warhead missiles. The Blue Crew then took ''Kamehameha'' into port at Pearl Harbor to prepare for transfer to the Atlantic Fleet.

The Gold Crew relieved the Blue Crew and spent the next few weeks in [[Honolulu]] allowing the people of Hawaii to go aboard and see the submarine named in honor of the King of Hawaii. In early June 1970, with the Gold Crew operating the boat, ''Kamehameha'' got underway for [[Charleston, South Carolina]] via the Panama Canal for duty with Submarine Squadron 18 based at Charleston. The submerged transit to the [[Panama Canal]] took approximately seven days, and upon arrival off the coast of [[Panama]], ''Kamehameha'' surfaced and was met by the Panama Canal pilot who took her through. The passage through the canal was given priority by the canal authorities, and so little time was spent waiting to enter. The boat was the object of considerable curiosity from those on ships nearby, and from the onlookers ashore. Once clear of the canal, ''Kamehameha'' submerged again and began the final leg of the transit, passing through the [[Caribbean Sea|Caribbean]] and out into the Atlantic.

''Kamehameha'' surfaced just east of the Charleston harbor sea buoy and waited for the tug to bring Miss Charleston on board. The information about Miss Charleston was in Commander Submarine Squadron 18's message of instructions for ''Kamehameha''<nowiki/>'s arrival and had caused excitement among the bachelor junior officers. Both the Officer of the Deck, a lieutenant and the Junior Officer of the Deck were scanning the channel. One lookout reported a Navy tug just appearing in the distance. All binoculars were trained on the tug, and the [[Officer of the deck|OOD]] reported, "I see a female standing on the bow!" Thirty seconds later, he then reported, "Captain, that's not Miss Charleston, that's your wife!" The remark was relayed to a reporter who also had arrived on the tug, and the next day, in the Charleston newspaper, the Society page bore the headline, "That's Not Miss Charleston, That's the Captain's Wife!" Miss Charleston had gone to the wrong pier in the shipyard and thus missed the boat.

Shortly after ''Kamehameha''<nowiki/>'s arrival, she was ordered to sail on patrol earlier than scheduled to fill in for another boat that had suffered a casualty to the main engines. ''Kamehameha'' exchanged all 16 missiles in less than 24 hours and replaced the ship's battery. She then took Commander Submarine Flotilla Six, on board and proceeded to sea for four days of sea trials, allowing the flotilla commander to see the capabilities of the new boat. In the event, ''Kamehameha'' passed with flying colors and embarked on her first Atlantic Fleet deterrent patrol. She made two more patrols, one Blue and one Gold, and in April 1971, was taken by the Blue Crew into the shipyard for a major overhaul, including refitting for the newer [[Poseidon missile]] system, and refueling of the reactor. On 31 May 1971, the Gold Crew was disbanded during the overhaul. {{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Between 1974 and 1978 she belonged to Submarine Group 2, Squadron 16; homeported in [[New London, Connecticut]], and advance-based in [[Rota, Andalusia|Rota]], [[Spain]]. {{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} She conducted nuclear deterrent patrols in the Atlantic and vicinity without incident in 1975 and 1976. {{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} During September–November 1976, ''Kamehameha'' spent time in Charleston, South Carolina, conducting SPECOPS with other units, then onto the AUTEC range for qualifications before resuming patrol duties after her return to Rota. {{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

The ''Kamehameha'' entered [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]] (PNSY) in 1981 for a non-refueling overhaul. She finished sea trials in late 1982 and worked her way from [[Groton, Connecticut]], to [[Port Canaveral]], Florida, and then to Charleston for her complement of missiles. She then transferred to [[Holy Loch]], Scotland. During the late 1980s, ''Kamehameha'' completed a refueling overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in [[Kittery, Maine]]. Following completion, she transferred to Groton in December 1989 for re-certification inspections and training. During this period, the Gold Crew launched the last Poseidon C-3 (no tactical warheads installed) from missile tube No. 4 off Port Canaveral, Florida. Following certification, she returned to deterrent patrol operations in November 1990 and returned to Holy Loch, Scotland. In August 1991, with the deactivation of the Poseidon missile system, ''Kamehameha'' transferred from Holy Loch to Groton and performed non-deterrent patrol operations until July 1992 when she left for conversion.

For much of her operational career, ''Kamehameha'' was based in [[Rota, Andalusia|Rota]], Spain.

==Conversion to attack submarine==
In September 1992 through July 1993, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, ''Kamehameha'' was converted to a [[Dry Deck Shelter]]/[[Swimmer Delivery Vehicle|swimmer delivery]] platform, reclassified as an attack submarine, and given [[hull classification symbol|hull number]] SSN-642; her ballistic missile capability was removed, and she carried only [[torpedo]]es as armament. After her conversion, there was only one crew, and her subsequent missions included [[United States Navy SEALs|SEAL]] [[special warfare]] operations. Following conversion, ''Kamehameha'' transferred to [[Naval Station Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]], Hawaii, for the remainder of her operational career.

==Decommissioning and disposal==
''Kamehameha'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] on 2 April 2002 and stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] the same day. She was the last of the original [[41 for Freedom]] fleet ballistic missile submarines in service, and the oldest submarine in the United States Navy at the time of her decommissioning.  The wardroom of the oldest submarine in the fleet carried [[Richard O'Kane]]'s personal cribbage board, and upon ''Kamehameha''{{'}}s decommissioning the board was transferred to the next oldest boat, {{USS|Parche|SSN-683}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 May 2007 |title=USS Los Angeles Embarks With a Piece of Submarine History |publisher=U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs |url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=29429 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714163951/http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=29429 |archive-date=July 14, 2007}}</ref>  Upon her decommissioning, ''Kamehameha'' had been the longest serving nuclear-powered submarine in history, with a total service period exceeding 37 years. This was exceeded by the {{sclass|Los Angeles|submarine}} {{USS|Bremerton|SSN-698|6}} in July 2018, prior to her own decommissioning on 18 May 2021.<ref>{{cite news|title=Oldest submarine in US Navy service returns from final deployment|url=https://navaltoday.com/2018/04/09/oldest-submarine-in-us-navy-service-returns-from-final-deployment/|access-date=10 April 2018|work=Naval Today}}</ref>

''Kamehameha''{{'}}s scrapping via the Nuclear-Powered [[Ship and Submarine Recycling Program]] at [[Bremerton, Washington]], began in October 2002 and was completed on 28 February 2003.

==Commemoration==
''Kamehameha''{{'}}s commissioning gifts from the State of Hawaii, including her [[Bust (sculpture)|bust]] of King Kamehameha I, an Acacian [[Acacia koa]] plate used for eating, bow and spear, and the [[wardroom]] [[Albizia saman|monkeypod]] wood table are on display at [[Pearl Harbor]], Hawaii, at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. Her [[periscope]]s have been donated to Deterrent Park on [[Naval Base Kitsap|Submarine Base Bangor]], Washington, to become part of the {{USS|Woodrow Wilson|SSBN-624}} exhibit.

==Notes==
{{note|1|a|The other was the [[Continental Navy]]'s {{USS|Alfred|1774|6}}.}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

*{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/k/kamehameha.html}}
*{{Naval Vessel Register|{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=SSN642}}}}
*{{navsource|08/08642|USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642)}}

{{Benjamin Franklin class submarine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamehameha (SSBN-642)}}
[[Category:Benjamin Franklin-class submarines]]
[[Category:Cold War submarines of the United States]]
[[Category:Nuclear submarines of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Vallejo, California]]
[[Category:1965 ships]]