Naval History and Heritage Command

The second Finback (SSN-670) was not only named for the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also known as a finback whale, but to commemorate the distinguished World War II career of the first Finback (SS-230).

II

(SSN-670: displacement 4,140 (surfaced), 4,800 (submerged); length 292'0"; beam 32'0"; draft 29'0”; speed 25+ knots; complement 106; armament 4 21-inch torpedo tubes; class Sturgeon)

The second Finback (SSN-670) was laid down on 26 June 1967 at Newport News, Va., by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.; launched on 7 December 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Norma Baird, wife of Undersecretary of the Navy Charles F. Baird, and commissioned on 4 February 1970, Cmdr. Robert C. Austin in command.

The second ship of its name and the 22nd of 37 Sturgeon-class submarines, Finback was one of two submarines in the Navy to test the mothership modifications for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).  Developed in the wake of Thresher’s (SSN-593) loss, the DSRV was designed to extract crew and equipment from a submarine in the event that it became disabled on the ocean floor.  Although the DSRV had been under development since 1965, DSRV-1 (subsequently christened Mystic) was not launched until 24 January 1970.  Just eight days later (31 January), construction crews at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. finished installing the mothership modifications on Finback.  As the newest member of the submarine force, she would serve as the East Coast prototype for DSRV testing.

Once she had been commissioned, Finback began an intensive period of training and inspections starting with refresher training at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn. (16 February-7 March 1970).  At the end of this, she made her way south to her homeport of Norfolk, Va., for upkeep (7-26 March) and then cruised to Roosevelt Roads, P.R., to conduct over three weeks (26 March-16 April) of weapons systems accuracy tests (WSAT) in order to ensure that her fire control and weapons launch systems were operating within Navy specifications.  Following a tender availability in Norfolk (16 April-3 May), she engaged in acoustic trials (3-13 May), gliding by a number of stationary hydrophones under various conditions in order to establish her acoustic signature.  While all ships undergo acoustic trials, this testing process is particularly important for submarines, which rely predominantly on sonar to track and be tracked by other vessels.  These trials can not only detect potential vulnerabilities in the sub’s quieting measures, but also make it easier to separate her sound signature from those of other, potentially hostile ships. 

Once she had completed her acoustic trials, Finback spent the next three months operating off the Virginia capes and undergoing inspections necessary to complete her shakedown.  During the latter part of June (22-26 June 1970), she engaged in further testing of the DSRV, mating with a mockup rescue vehicle in order to evaluate its feasibility and to determine what other modifications it might require.  A month after this, she underwent the final phase of her shakedown training, conducting an operational suitability test (OST) (5-13 August) in order to demonstrate her UUM-44 Submarine Rocket (SubRoc) firing capabilities.  With the successful completion of this, she returned to Newport News for her Post-Shakedown Availability (14 September-19 November).  Over the course of the next two months, numerous modifications and repairs were made to the sub including fixing construction deficiencies that had been discovered during the course of her Shakedown Cruise and modernizing her navigation, sonar, and fire control systems.  At the end of this, the submarine got back underway for anti-submarine warfare exercises (ASWEx) off the East Coast (30 November-18 December).

Finback spent the first three months of 1971 participating in various exercises including SecEX (Security Exercise) 2-71 (22-30 January), an ASWEx in and around Roosevelt Roads (16 February-11 March), and services for Lockheed P-3B Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, in which the sub acted as a submerged contact for the purposes of tracking and communications training (15-19 March).  Following this, she entered her planned overseas movement (POM) phase (31 March-12 May), which included a brief period of refresher training at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London (31 March-6 April), pre-deployment upkeep alongside submarine tender L.Y. Spear (AS-36), and various inspections.  Once she had completed these tasks, the fast attack submarine deployed to parts unknown in the Atlantic to ply her shadowy trade beneath the waves.  Although little is known about what duties she undertook during those long months undersea outside of a brief visit to the British Submarine Base at Faslane, Scotland., it was apparently important enough for her to earn a Navy Unit Commendation.

Upon her return to Norfolk, Finback underwent an extended period of upkeep (31 August-11 October 1971).  At the end of this, she engaged in type training (12-15 October), the second phase of the CV Evaluation Program (19-29 October), and RIMEx/OpRedEx (Rocket Interceptor Missile Exercise/Operation Readiness Exercise) 2-71 (5-22 November).  The latter two exercises involved testing the feasibility of using submarines as escort vessels for surface ships against foes operating both above and below the waves.  Afterwards, the fast attack sub returned to her homeport on 22 November and entered tender availability with L.Y. Spear.

At the beginning of 1972, Finback set out once more for SecEx (Security Exercise) 1-72 (3-15 January) and then conducted an OST (31 January) to demonstrate her SubRoc handling and firing capabilities.  Immediately following the latter, she participated in CORTEX 2-72 (8-16 February), once again acting as an escort for surface vessels off the East Coast.  Beginning in March, she engaged in Mk. 48 torpedo testing for over a month, during which she fired approximately 49 Mod 1 torpedoes at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) at Andros Island, Bahamas.  Intended to replace the Mk. 37 torpedo and the Mk. 45 anti-submarine torpedo, the Mk. 48 had greater range and accuracy, as it utilized both wire and homing sonar to seek out its targets.  It would eventually become one of the principle weapons of the U.S. submarine force.  As the principal sub involved in testing and evaluating these torpedoes, this would arguably be Finback’s most enduring legacy.    

On 15 April 1972, Cmdr. Frank B. Kelso II relieved Cmdr. Austin, becoming just the second person to command Finback.  Having already served in four submarines, this was to be Kelso’s first command, but a ruptured spinal disc forced him relinquish it less than two months later on 12 June.  Although this was a rather unfortunate end to a command that had barely even begun, it was far from the end of Cmdr. Kelso’s career.  After eventually taking command of Bluefish (SSN-675), he would ascend through the Navy’s ranks, commanding the Sixth Fleet during the 1986 airstrikes on Libya, then assuming the role of Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CinCLantFlt), and, finally, leading the Navy as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during the first Gulf War and through the Tailhook ’91 scandal and its messy aftermath.

Brief though his time in command was, Adm. Kelso still took away some positives from the experience.  As he recalled to historian Paul Stillwell, although he had to deal with the odd troublemaker or two (including one who had been absent without leave [AWOL] for over a month), he greatly enjoyed being a part of the Mk. 48 tests, noting “I learned a lot about shooting weapons by being a part of that evaluation.”  He also made an effort to learn ever one of his crew members’ names, something which earned him their trust and appreciation, so much so that many of them visited while he was in the hospital recovering from back surgery.  Even over 29 years after having to give up his command, he still fondly recalled how “I was deluged with visitors from the crew on the Finback.  I think the reason was that they were so impressed that I had gotten to know them so quickly.  I mean, at night I would have eight to ten sailors come over to see me in the hospital, to see how I was doing, and this lasted for a very long period of time.  They were almost saying, ‘Get out of here.  Come back.  We want you back.’”

During then-Cmdr. Kelso’s abbreviated command, Finback spent five days at sea engaged in type training so that the commander could test his new crew’s capabilities (17-21 April 1972).  She then spent the next month in port for upkeep (22 April-22 May), receiving improvements to her Mk. 113 fire control system.  When she finally did get back underway (sans Cmdr. Kelso), she participated in Sharem X, an ASWEx conducted under the auspices of Commander Destroyer Development Group, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.  Upon her return, she underwent a major inspection, at which point, Cmdr. Connolly D. Stevenson formally relieved Cmdr. Kelso (12 June).

Cmdr. Stevenson had very little time to get acclimated to his vessel and her crew, as Finback had to get underway quickly to conduct Mk. 14/16 torpedo validation firings at Newport, R.I. (14-15 June 1972).  Following this, the sub cruised to Submarine Base, New London for five days of Midshipmen Training, as part of the U.S. Naval Academy’s summer training program.  She then returned to Norfolk for upkeep (24 June-4 July) in preparation for her interim drydocking at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, N.H. (5-31 July).  As part of this process, she had a Doppler log navigational sonar installed for future testing.

Once she had completed her dry docking and all associated inspections, Finback resumed her participation in the Mk. 48 torpedo evaluation program, conducting ten test firings and tests of the Doppler log over two periods (13-24 August, 13-24 September 1972) with upkeep in between (24 August-13 September).  After another upkeep period (25 September-30 October), she sailed once more to New London, this time for crew refresher training (31 October-20 November).  The boat subsequently began her POM phase (20-30 November) and upkeep (30 November-31 December) in preparation for her deployment overseas.

Finback deployed to the Mediterranean on 10 January 1973.  In contrast to her prior deployment, this one involved considerably more surface activity.  After arriving in Lisbon, Portugal on 19 January, the sub participated in NATO exercise Sunny Seas (21-26 January) with units from the U.S., Italian, French, and British navies, and then stopped in Rota, Spain, to replace her anchor (27 January-1 February).  On 2 February, she entered the Mediterranean, where she spent the next month busying herself with brief visits to Naples, Italy, National Week XV (another NATO exercise taking place from 15-21 February), and a brief excursion in the Ligurian Sea off the coast of Italy.  At the end of the February, she returned to Rota for over a whole month of upkeep (1 March-6 April).  Once this was completed, she returned to the Mediterranean for another month of special operations (6 April-10 May).

At the end of her operations, Finback put in to Athens, Greece, for five days of much needed leave (10-14 May).  Afterwards, she briefly sailed to Naples and the Ligurian Sea en route to La Maddalena in Sardinia, Italy, where she underwent one final period of upkeep (24 May-10 June).  From there, she transited the Strait of Gibraltar and made the long voyage back to Norfolk, arriving on 28 June.  This would not be the last time in 1973 that Finback would deploy.  Following a prolonged period of upkeep and inspections (28 June-2 September), the sub readied herself once more to depart, this time on a special CNO-sponsored mission.  For eleven days, the crew worked feverishly to obtain their POM certification (18-28 September) and then spent another two weeks engaged in upkeep and final load-out.  The sub finally departed Norfolk on 11 October to parts unknown and did not return until two months later (17 December).  At this point, she had spent nearly nine months of the year outside of her home waters, a long time even for a fast attack submarine.   

Finback was supposed to enter overhaul early in 1974, but this was delayed until July.  Consequently, she spent the first half of the year largely assisting other vessels in their duties, including participating in prospective commanding officers (PCO) operations with Sunfish (SSN-649) (21 January-2 February), offering aircraft services for P-3B aircraft (26-29 March, 21-23 May), and providing POM certification services for Ray (SSN-653) (1-12 April) and Cavalla (SSN-684) (28 May-1 June).  At the end of April, she participated in ASW exercises with surface ships in LantRedEx, during which she made a three-day port visit to Port Everglades, Fl.  The sub finally commenced her overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on 8 July.   

This overhaul was an intensive process, with Finback’s crew laboring between 65 and 85 hours a week.  At one point, they even had to deal with propulsion issues, a potentially catastrophic issue for any submarine.  Despite this, they completed the overhaul ahead of schedule on 9 May 1975, earning Cmdr.  Stevenson a commendation for saving the Navy (and taxpayers) millions of dollars.  The sub consequently passed all major training and inspections, including refresher training at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Conn. (27 May-11 June), and the WSAT at Roosevelt Roads and Frederiksted, St. Croix (21 June-3 July).   

What should have been one of the finer moments in Finback’s career was ultimately overshadowed by one of the more disreputable episodes in the history of the U.S. Navy submarine force.  When not busy with the sub’s overhaul, some of her crew frequented a local nightclub (The Cork Club), where they befriended Cathy Susan "Cat" Futch, one of the go-go dancers.  Near the end of overhaul, some of the officers thought it would boost crew morale to have her dance on the sub’s diving fin as the boat was towed out of port and past their hated rivals, the ballistic missile submarine Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617). 

Believing that his crew ought to be rewarded for their hard work, Cmdr. Stevenson assented to this idea.  Thus, at approximately 0700 on 10 July 1975, Miss Futch took her place on the dive plane (and in Navy history), dropped her mink coat, and, for ten minutes, performed as the sub got underway for her acoustic trials at Exuma Sound (10-20 July).  When she had finished artistically expressing herself and re-donned her coat, she received a kiss on the cheek from Cmdr. Stevenson, money from the crew, and an autographed picture of Finback.  “I never saw such a smiling bunch of men go out to sea,” she later recounted, “I really think it boosted the men’s morale.”

At the time, the commanding officer and his crew probably thought that this episode would go down as just another example of the sort of ribald tomfoolery that sailors had engaged in since time immemorial, one that would elicit considerable mirth and envy among their fellow submariners.  When word of this filtered up the chain of command, however, the reaction was decidedly different.  Upon hearing of this incident, Adm. Harold E. Shear (Vice CNO) immediately ordered Adm. Isaac Kidd, Jr. (CinCLantFlt) to relieve Stevenson of his command.  According to Adm. Shear, Adm. Kidd did not need to be told even once, as he had already issued the same order to Vice Adm. Joel Williams, Jr., Commander Submarine Force Atlantic Fleet (ComSubLant). 

Recalling Finback to port, Vice Adm. Williams immediately relieved Stevenson of his command and called him to an admiral’s mast.  He recounted that, “[Stevenson] said I was over-reacting to something that was very innocent.”  The admiral rather colorfully pointed out, however, that “The pictures weren’t innocent.  He had this almost naked gal climbing up the ladder to the sail.  …She was out there clogging on his sail planes in wooden shoes while alongside her they had a lookout who was wearing a life line and life jacket for his own safety…. Think about her falling off, being chewed up by the screws.”  He concluded that, “It was just gross.  No judgment and no moral values.”  To that end, he fined Stevenson $2,000, issued a negative fitness report, and a letter reprimanding him for demeaning his position and not following Navy Regulations governing the presence of women on board a submarine.

Despite the rapidity and unanimity with which Stevenson’s superiors made their decision, there were many who questioned whether or not his infraction merited such harsh punishment.  There were, after all, plenty of other examples of such puerile behavior in the Navy’s history, and many could recall the days when “A Girl in Every Port” was an unspoken part of the recruiting slogan, “Join the Navy, See the World.”.  When asked about his reaction to the incident, President Gerald Ford, a Navy veteran, demurred. 

Capt. Joseph K. Taussig, Jr. (Ret.), who had received the Navy Cross for his heroism at Pearl Harbor, was considerably more forthright.  He agreed to represent Stevenson during his appeal, believing that the punishment had been disproportionate to the “crime,” particularly for an officer who otherwise had an excellent record.  Indeed, he found the whole incident to be the sort of thing that would have made Stevenson a legend among sailors everywhere, telling People magazine that “they would have lied like heck, embellished his story and built it up.”  Stevenson himself maintained that he simply doing whatever he could to maintain crew morale after completing a labor-intensive overhaul.

These criticisms and more were echoed by those outside of the Navy, often in rather cutting terms.  The Los Angeles Times, for example, lambasted the Navy for spending $191,000 on transportation to and from the annual Tailhook convention in Las Vegas (which had also hired topless go-go dancers) while Stevenson “let the crew pass the hat to pay Ms. Futch instead of billing the Navy.”  The paper went on to note rather acidly, “That showed such a lack of ingenuity that perhaps the reprimand was well deserved.”  Syndicated columnist Smith Hempstone wrote, “Almost certainly Stevenson acted unwisely in allowing the exuberant Miss Futch to throw caution and pasties to the wind on the deck of an American naval vessel without the imprimatur of higher authority…. But morale is critical to the performance of submariners, and unauthorized acts hold an honorable place in the annals of the sea.”  People Magazine accused the Navy of being “stiff-necked,” declaring that, “Ensign Pulver [a character from the film Mr. Roberts] would have loved her [Cat Futch], but today’s Navy is more no-no than go-go.”  Then there was humorist Dick West, who asked, “Does a topless dancer on deck improve the efficiency of a submarine?” and speculated that it would be a useful diversionary tactic against enemy subs, assuming one could figure out how to enable go-go dancers to dance while submerged.  Most humiliatingly of all, Secretary of the Air Force John L. Lucas roasted Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf, Jr., at a luncheon, quipping, “Even the Navy thinks $100 million too much to spend for a go-go platform.”    

Adm. James L. Holloway, III, the Chief of Naval Operations, was largely unmoved by the public outcry.  Although he rescinded Stevenson’s fine, replaced the letter of reprimand with one of admonition, and expunged the statement that the commander had been “relieved for cause” from his record, he did not put him back in command of Finback.  Stevenson retired in 1978.  

In some respects, the Cat Futch incident laid bare the simmering tensions that were rising in and out of the Navy as it made the difficult transition to an all-volunteer force in the post-Vietnam era.  During his tenure as CNO, Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt had enacted a number of measures to increase enlistment/retention rates and end discrimination such as integrating women and minorities more fully into the Navy at all levels and relaxing regulations on dress and personal grooming.  These efforts provoked considerable resistance from his more conservative peers, many of who believed that Zumwalt’s measures had led to a slackening of discipline within the ranks.  Although Zumwalt’s successor, Adm. Holloway, did not dogmatically oppose all of these initiatives (he was supportive of the ongoing anti-discrimination efforts, for example), he did see it as his mission to “get the Navy pulled together and back to battery after Zumwalt,” according to Adm. Shear.  Whereas Stevenson’s actions might have been tolerated, perhaps even encouraged, in the days when there was “A Girl in Every Port,” there would be very little forbearance for them at the dawn of this new era of “Pride and Professionalism.”

For all the tumult surrounding the Cat Futch saga, Finback still had a job to do.  With Cmdr. Ernest J. Toupin, Jr., now temporarily in command, the sub returned to AUTEC to undergo the Mk. 48 Torpedo Certification Program (2-9 September 1975).  She then returned to Norfolk, where Cmdr. David M. Heath relieved Cmdr. Toupin on 4 October.  Almost immediately thereafter, the boat entered her POM phase in preparation for another extended deployment to the Mediterranean.  During this three-month period, she underwent refresher and advanced training at Groton (5-14 November), drydocked for repairs at Portsmouth (17-24 November), operated off the Virginia capes as part of her POM workup (28 November-6 December), and spent most of December completing all inspections, upkeep, and loadouts necessary for her deployment.

Finback deployed to the Mediterranean on 15 January 1976, undertaking at least one mission of importance during her transatlantic crossing.  After transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, the sub participated in NATO exercises Open Gate ’76 and Dawn Patrol ’76.  She also visited the Italian ports of La Spezia, Naples, and La Maddelena, undergoing two upkeep periods at the latter.

Arriving back at Norfolk on 7 July 1976, Finback enjoyed a period of leave before getting back underway for New London to provide underway training for the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen Second Class in Narragansett Bay (20-29 August).  From there, it was back to Norfolk to undergo an inspection by the Board of Inspection and Survey (InSurv), which she passed successfully (31 August-1 September).  Just under two weeks later (13-24 September), she was out to sea once again for an ASWEx with Sea Devil (SSN-674).  The next month, she got underway for a more extended period of time, spending nearly a month at sea engaged in a security exercise, a CNO-sponsored project, PCO training, Mk. 48 recertification at AUTEC, and port visits to Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.  When she finally returned to Norfolk on 23 November, she remained in port for the remainder of the year.

Near the beginning of 1977, Finback sailed to New London, where she entered dry dock in floating dry dock West Milton (ARD-7) while her crew underwent tactical training at the Naval Submarine School (7-27 January).  Upon exiting dry dock, the sub conducted sonar calibrations and a fleet operational readiness accuracy check site (FORACS) test in preparation for her upcoming deployment (29-9 February).  She then returned to Norfolk, where she spent the majority of March engaged in her POM work-up and certification (28 February-18 March).  By 25 March, she was ready to depart for a three-month independent training deployment in the North Atlantic.

When not engaged in training exercises, Finback made a number of port visits, both for leisure and for the purposes of fostering goodwill between the U.S. and its allies.  Towards the end of her deployment, she visited Holy Loch, Scotland, in company with the submarine tender Holland (AS-32) for three days and then spent five days operating out of a Norwegian naval base at Haakonsvern, Norway.  During the latter, she had the privilege of hosting Norwegian naval officers for at-sea operations, as well as co-hosting with the U.S. Embassy two luncheons for Norwegian naval officers and dignitaries.  Once this was complete, she transited the Atlantic and returned to Norfolk, arriving back on 27 June 1977.

After the standard month of leave and upkeep that follows a deployment, Finback got back underway to perform once again training services for U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen First Class, as well as participate in CompTUEx (Composite Training Unit Exercise) 5-77 in the vicinity of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (12-30 August 1977).  As part of the latter, the sub performed the role of the opposition, providing ASW to a multi-ship task force which included units from NATO Standing Naval Force Atlantic.  Upon returning to Norfolk, she spent a month in port undergoing inspections and upkeep in preparation for another overseas deployment.

Deploying on 30 September 1977, Finback transited the Atlantic to participate in another series of NATO exercises Combined Effort, Urban Reclaim, and Ocean Safari ’77.  She then visited the North Sea port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, at the invitation of the Belgian government (1-7 November) and crossed the North Sea, spending six days in port at Rosyth, Scotland (9-14 November).  With all tasks complete, the sub set a course for her homeport, arriving just in time for Thanksgiving (23 November).  She spent the remainder of the year in upkeep.

Finback’s operational schedule for 1978 proved light in comparison to prior years owing to a scheduled overhaul in July.  Beginning on 5 January, she got underway for her Mk. 48 Certification and other examinations off the Virginia capes (5-28 January), after which she spent four weeks in upkeep.  She got back underway at the end of February for an ASWEx (24 February-5 March) and Operation Safepass ‘78 (5-16 March), as well as a set of tactical exercises with Lapon (SSN-661) late in March (27-31 March).  Three weeks later, she participated in joint swimmer operations between U.S. Army Special Forces and a Navy Underwater Demolition Team.  From this point until the beginning of her overhaul in July, the sub would only periodically get underway amidst an intensive period of testing and inspections.  On 17 July, she returned to Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company for overhaul.  The sub would not return to operational status until 19 December 1979.

Once her overhaul was complete, Finback had a variety of tasks to undertake in order to get back to full operational readiness.  On 7 January 1980, she underwent five days of refresher training at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, Groton, (7-11 January) and then cruised southwards to participate in Operation ReadEx 1-80 (19-31 January) and an ASWEx with Saratoga (CV-60) (1-4 February).  Upon completion of these, she made port visits to Phillipsberg, Saint Maarten, Netherland Antilles (6-8 February) and Roosevelt Roads (9-14 February), after which she undertook her WSAT at Frederiksted (15-20 February) and underwent the InSurv (26-28 February).  More testing followed at AUTEC, including acoustic trials and Mk. 48 torpedo certification (4-19 March).

Returning to Norfolk at the end of March, Finback largely remained in port for the next two months, only periodically departing for local operations off the Virginia capes (22-25 April, 29 April-16 May 1980).  Beginning on 25 May, she participated in the ComSubLant Prospective Commanding Officer operations (25 May-9 June) and then underwent Harpoon missile certification a week later (16-20 June).  For the rest of the summer, she largely spent her time either in port or conducting local operations of the Virginia capes (1 July-2 September).  It was only in mid-September that the sub left her home waters for Groton to undergo additional refresher training (14-19 September) in the lead-up to her first Mediterranean deployment since her overhaul.  She subsequently returned to Norfolk and made preparations for her deployment, leaving port only briefly to conduct local operations (6-10 October).  On 28 October, the fast attack submarine submerged herself and deployed to Mediterranean.

Upon her arrival (10 November 1980), Finback chopped to the Sixth Fleet and set a course of La Spezia (14-17 November), followed by eleven days of upkeep at La Maddalena (20-30 November).  Over the course of December, she operated around the Mediterranean, performing her silent service to her country (1 December 1980-4 January 1981).  When she finally resurfaced, she sailed into Naples for a short port visit (5-8 January) followed by ASW operations and NATO exercise National Week (9-21 January).  At the end of the exercise, she conducted a brief training anchorage at Souda Bay, Crete, (21 January) and then visited Athens, Greece, for four days of liberty (22-25 January).  After another week of ASW operations (26 January-2 February), she underwent a month of upkeep at La Maddalena and then began her long transit home to Norfolk, conducting additional ASW operations en route (5-27 March). 

Following a month of upkeep alongside Emory S. Land (AS-39) (13 April-14 May 1981), Finback engaged in local operations off the Virginia capes (15-29 May) and then underwent another upkeep period alongside L.Y. Spear (30 May-8 June).  She finally got back underway for an extended period on 9 June, when she sailed to AUTEC for another Mk. 48 torpedo proficiency firing exercise (9-24 June).  More upkeep ensued, concluding only when the sub set out to conduct at-sea refresher training (27-31 July).  This lasted only a few days, however, and was swiftly followed by nearly two-and-a-half weeks of type training in port (1-18 August).  At the end of this, she deployed to the North Atlantic to participate in Exercise Ocean Venture ’81.

During this exercise, Finback crossed the Arctic Circle.  Similar to crossing the equator, crossing the Arctic Circle had its own special ceremony, with sailors being inducted into the “Royal Order of the Blue Nose.”  This remains one of the more difficult Navy “honors” to obtain, as surface ships rarely cross the Arctic Circle except for the occasional operation/exercise off the coast of Norway or brief forays into Soviet waters.  Even for submariners, a Blue Nose initiation is an infrequent event, one often performed under the shroud of secrecy as they silently glide northwards to conduct operations beneath the polar ice.

At the end of the exercise, Finback returned to Norfolk, where she spent the next two months in upkeep, first alongside Emory S. Land (14 September-7 November 1981) and then L.Y. Spear (7 November-22 November).  All of this was done in preparation for her selective restrictive availability (SRA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which she entered on 23 November.  Even after she returned to operational status on 6 February 1982, most of her time was spent alternating between extended periods of upkeep alongside L.Y. Spear and local operations off the Virginia capes, the sole exceptions being a short excursion to AUTEC for a Mk. 48 torpedo firing exercise (12-23 April), a visit to Port Canaveral (24-30 April), and refresher training at Groton (11-16 July). 

The relative routine of the first half of 1982 eventually gave way to the frantic preparations that precede any deployment, with Finback undergoing her POM work-up (17-23 July) and certification (1-6 August) in advanced of her 11 August departure.  When she arrived in the Mediterranean on 23 August, she immediately set a course for La Maddalena for routine upkeep (27 August-7 September) and then followed this up with a port visit Tangier, Morocco (11-13 September).  After conducting over three weeks of ASW operations (14 September-7 October), the fast attack submarine subsequently made a port visit to Toulon, France (8-11 October), and then briefly returned to La Maddalena for repairs before getting back underway for more ASW operations (14 October-1 December).  A month and a half later, she sailed back to the Sardinian city for another upkeep period.

New Year’s Day 1983 heralded the end of Finback’s Mediterranean deployment.  Transiting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, she arrived back in Norfolk on 13 January and entered upkeep with L.Y. Spear.  The next five months consisted largely of local operations and periods of upkeep, culminating in the tactical readiness evaluation (TRE) in mid-May (10-27 May).  Afterwards, the sub participated in a sinking exercise (SinkEx), which sent ex-Bushnell (AS-15) to the bottom (1-4 June).  Two weeks later, she cruised to AUTEC for a Mk. 48 torpedo proficiency firing exercise (20 June-10 July).

Following a month and a half of upkeep in Norfolk with L.Y. Spear (11 July-26 August 1983) leading up to her Navy technical proficiency inspection (NTPI) (16-18 August), Finback returned to AUTEC for LantSubASWEx 4-83, a Submarine ASW tactical development exercise (27 August-12 September).  She then returned to Norfolk, visiting Ft. Lauderdale en route (13-15 September).  For the remainder of the year, she alternated between upkeep with L.Y. Spear and local operations as she prepared to deploy overseas for independent operations.  These preparations continued into January 1984, with sub briefly steaming to the U.S. Naval Submarine School, New London, for refresher training (8-14 January) and then returning to the Virginia capes to complete her POM workup (14-20 January) and certification (30 January-3 February).

Finback deployed on 10 February 1984 for independent operations, her mission known only to commanding officer and his crew.  Subsequently, she made port visits to Den Helder, Netherlands (20-24 April), and the Scottish cities of Rosyth (26-30 April) and Holy Loch (30 April-3 May) before getting underway for her home port.  As was typical of any Navy deployment, a period of leave and upkeep followed her arrival back in Norfolk (17 May-25 June).  Once this had ended, she returned to sea in order to conduct Mk. 48 proficiency firings (9-13 July) and to undergo her TRE (16-20 July) off the Virginia capes.

Once her TRE had been completed, Finback spent the next two and a half months in port preparing for her upcoming SRA at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.  During this period, she had the honor of hosting Vice President George H.W. Bush and Secretary of the Navy John F. Lehman, Jr., on 2 September 1984.  Forty years prior, the first Finback (SS-230) had rescued then-Lt. (j.g.) Bush after he and the rest of his wing were shot down off the island of Chichi Jima, Japan.  Of the nine airmen shot down that, only Lt. Bush escaped capture and subsequent execution, having managed to climb on board a life raft after bailing out of his aircraft.  Japanese patrol boats sought to capture him, but were driven back by a barrage of fire from U.S. airplanes.  It was not, however, until Finback surfaced in front of him that Bush knew for certain that he would survive that fateful day.

Approximately a month after the commemoration ceremony (1 October 1984), the second Finback commenced her SRA docked in Resolute (AFDM-10).  She would not get back underway until 15 December, when she conducted six days of refresher training and sea trials off the Virginia capes (15-20 December).  Refresher training would resume almost immediately after the holiday stand-down (2-11, 22-26 January 1985) accompanied by a mid-month underway material inspection (15-16 January).  Following this, the sub entered upkeep for over a month (26 January-3 March).

At the end of her upkeep, Finback steamed northwards for additional refresher training at Naval Submarine School, New London (9-16 March 1985) and then began her POM certification process (1-5 April).  She subsequently deployed to the Western Atlantic for over two months of operations on 15 April, and did not resurface until 28 June, when she sailed into port at Faslane, Scotland (28 June-2 July).   Afterwards, she made stop at Haakonsvern (5-9 July) and then returned to Norfolk, arriving on 29 July.  The next two months were comparatively uneventful, with the sub either in upkeep or engaged in refresher training off the Virginia capes.  The pace of operations quickened in October, as she undertook both Mk. 48 proficiency firings and a two-phase TRE (2-11, 15-18 October).  With these complete, she spent the next month alternating between upkeep and local operations until entering Resolute in late November for an interim dry docking (20 November-28 December).

After leaving dry dock and enjoying a brief period of holiday leave, Finback underwent sea trials (6-8 January 1986) and then commenced a period of upkeep and steam generator inspections that lasted over a month (8 January-18 February).  After more sea trials, the sub began prepping for another overseas deployment with multiple rounds of refresher training and project operations off the Virginia capes over the course February and March.  Once she completed her POM workup (24-28 March) and certification (7-11 April), she deployed on 21 April.  For the next two months, she silently operated in the depths of the Atlantic.  When her operations finally ended on 23 June, the fast attack sub made port visits to Holy Loch (23-27 June) and Wilhelmshaven, Germany (2-6 July), and then transited the Atlantic (7-18 July).  Somewhat unusually, this would not be the last time that Finback would deploy that year.  After a month of upkeep in Norfolk (21 July-27 August), she immediately began preparing for yet another deployment, getting underway on 29 September.  This time, she did not even moor at any foreign ports, instead returning directly to Norfolk on 15 December.  

As is often the case for units of the Silent Service, Finback’s operations during this period are shrouded in secrecy, but their degree of importance (and potential danger) is indicated by the honors she received that year.  For operations in both 1985 and 1986, she received two Navy Unit Commendations.  Awarded for outstanding actions performed in the line of duty, it is one of the highest awards that a ship can receive, third only to the Joint Meritorious Unit Award and the Presidential Unit Citation.  In addition to these, the sub was also the recipient of the 1986 Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award.  Established in 1917, this honor is awarded every year to two ships selected from the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, respectively, that demonstrate the highest level of battle readiness.  That Finback won this in a year when other Atlantic Fleet ships were engaged in combat operations against Libya is a testament to their overall importance.

The year 1987 proved considerably less eventful of a year for Finback, with much of her labors being devoted largely to preparing for her upcoming overhaul.  After completing her post-deployment upkeep alongside Hunley (AS-31), she engaged in two rounds of diver operations off the Virginia capes in company with Kittiwake (ASR-13) (10-13, 17-20 February).  In March, she steamed to Port Everglades, conducting refresher training en route (3-7 March) and her TRE (9-11 March) during her visit (8-17 March).  After two more months of upkeep in Norfolk alongside Hunley (22 March-13 May), she cruised to St. Croix (27-29 May) and the nearby Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility, where she conducted her Mk. 48 Proficiency Firings (30-31 May).  Once she arrived back in Norfolk, the sub underwent rigorous testing prior to entering overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 29 June.

Finback’s overhaul took nearly two and a half years, with most of 1988 spent in dry dock.  Whereas her prior overhaul had been completed ahead of schedule and under budget, this one was nearly nine months behind and $14 million over budget.  A fire even broke out on 15 November 1989 during one of her sea trials, the result of heat from the engine igniting oil that seeped into the machinery room’s insulation (called lagging).  Ironically, the Navy had just ordered all vessels to undergo 48 hours of safety training and inspections due to the significant accidents that were plaguing the fleet at that time.

For all the differences between Finback’s two overhauls, they did share one unfortunate similarity: both gave rise to scandals that threatened to tarnish the reputation of the sub and her crew.  At first, it seemed as though her post-overhaul phase would proceed relatively smoothly.  After completing her sea trials, she finally got underway briefly to provide training services for San Juan (SSN-751) (30 January-6 February).  Following another upkeep period (7-19 February), she steamed to Roosevelt Roads for her WSAT (26 February-6 March), conducted her post-overhaul acoustic trials (7-17 March), and visited Port Everglades (19-22 March).  Once she returned to Norfolk, she entered a routine intermediate maintenance availability (IMA) (27 March-14 May) followed by a UMI (15-16 May) and local refresher training (22 May-1 June).  It was at this point, however, that there were signs that all was not well on board the boat.

While in IMA, two of Finback’s crew attempted to commit suicide.  Two others went AWOL, including MM2 Jason M. Jensen who did so in protest of what he considered unsafe working conditions on board.  He not only sought refuge with Greenpeace activists in Canada, but also wrote a lengthy letter to newspapers, Congress, and environmental groups alleging that crew training records had been falsified and that 100-hour work weeks were taking a heavy toll on crew morale.  He claimed that many felt that the senior officers were “treating us like machines, working us until we broke.” 

Inquiries undertaken by both the press and the Navy looked into Jensen’s allegations.  According to a report in the Newport News Daily Press published on 6 September 1990, officers on board Finback falsely certified training qualification cards for over 20 crewmen assigned to engineering units.  Normally, sailors would have had to undergo lectures and exams to qualify to stand watch at a position, but there was little time to do so during the overhaul and the bevy of inspections that accompanied it.  As one former crew member lamented, “Nobody really learned to stand watch until you did it.”  To avoid further delays, the senior petty officers allegedly scrambled to get all of the crew’s qualification cards signed on 10 June 1989, a day which some crew came to derisively refer to as Qualfest ’89. 

The alleged falsification of records was not the only incident that raised troubling questions about discipline and morale on board Finback.  It was alleged, for example, that some tools and hardware, including approximately $100,000 of lifting equipment and gear containing hazardous materials, had either gone missing or been thrown overboard into the Elizabeth River when the sub got underway for one phase of her sea trials (14-16 November, 27 November-7 December 1989).  Equally disturbing, when Cmdr. Thomas C. Dion assumed command on 16 December 1989, he discovered that some of the crew had consistently falsified records for chemical analysis checks on the sub’s steam plant, claiming that their results had been verified by another crew member.  Cmdr. Dion disciplined those involved, including two junior officers, a punishment which provoked criticism from the crew, some who believed it to be both unduly harsh and proof of a double standard, as none of the senior officers received punishment. 

MM2 Robert Applebaum, who was among those who had received punishment, shared this criticism.  In a letter appealing his punishment (which Greenpeace subsequently published), he acknowledged his culpability, but also noted, “From the time I reported on board until I left, I found falsification of documents to be routine.  This was true not only of check chemistry, but of qualifications, training, exams, PRT’s (physical readiness tests), and other programs.”  He went on to note, “The attitude was ‘get it done, I don’t care how.’  As this attitude was expressed by virtually everyone, I felt it was better to support my ship and work with my shipmates.” 

The Navy’s own investigation confirmed some of the allegations brought forth, but officials maintained that they were nowhere near as severe as the press had reported.  With regards to the equipment that had allegedly been dumped overboard, the Navy did indeed find that some equipment had gone missing, but found no proof that it had been thrown overboard as all missing pieces had been stored in the shipyard rather than on board the sub.  As for the falsification of the records, Navy investigators found that only eight qualification cards had been falsely certified and that, in many other instances, the certifications issued during Qualfest ’89 had been provisional.  In order to receive final certification, those crewmen affected still had to undergo all requisite training, which many had since done.  Navy officials also emphasized that Finback had subsequently undergone rigorous inspections and examinations that demonstrated the fitness of her crew and her ability to operate their vessel safely. 

The controversy of Finback’s safety and training standards did not occur in isolation.  Following the loss of the Soviet submarine Komsolets [K.278] on 7 April 1989 and a turret explosion on board Iowa (BB-61) on 19 April 1989, the U.S. Navy faced increased public scrutiny over the potential safety and environmental risks posed by modern naval vessels and their weaponry.  Greenpeace, in particular, sought to paint these incidents as part of a larger pattern of naval accidents that had occurred since the end of WWII, one that argued for a reduction in fleet size (especially for the submarine force) and against the deployment of new weapons, such as the UGM-133 Trident II.  Although the Navy pushed back aggressively against such claims, the controversies surround ship safety had not abated by 1990.  Around the same time as reports were beginning to emerge concerning Finback’s safety, four sailors from Nimitz (the so-called “Nimitz Four”) publicly aired their concerns about lax safety and training on board their vessel. 

As the controversy raged on, Finback went about her duties.  Following an IMA upkeep that included primary relief valve testing (2 June-8 July 1990), she briefly got underway refresher training (9-12 July) and a dependent’s cruise (13 July).  She spent the remainder of the month moored in Norfolk undergoing the in port portions of her Harpoon and Tomahawk cruise missile certifications (14-30 July) followed by her AN/BQQ-5 sonar phase III certification off the Virginia capes (31 July-10 August) and type training four days later (13-17 August).  At the end of the month, she departed for AUTEC to conduct her TRE, as well as her Mk. 48 torpedo, Tomahawk, and Harpoon cruise missile certifications (28 August-8 September). 

Upon returning to Norfolk on 9 September 1990, Finback commenced a prolonged POM phase, starting with a month and a half of upkeep that included a PS-6 replacement (14 September-29 October).  Once this was complete, she made a brief excursion to New London for additional training (5-9 November) and conducted her POM workup (28 November-3 December) and certification (10-14 December) over the remaining months of the year.

Finback deployed to the Mediterranean on 4 January 1991 and arrived in Rota, Spain, eleven days later to embark Commander Submarine Group Eight.  It was while she was transiting the Strait of Gibraltar on 16 January that Operation Desert Storm commenced.  Racing to Naples, the sub disembarked her passengers and then swiftly slipped beneath the waves to commence support operations.

Although she would not be directly involved in the U.S.-led coalition strikes on Iraq, Finback still had important responsibilities related to the conflict.  With so many ships having sortied to the Persian Gulf, there was some concern that the conflict might spill over into the Mediterranean or that rogue actors such as Libya or various Palestinian groups might seek to take advantage of the tumult to launch a new wave of terror attacks.  To that end, NATO activated the Naval On-Call Force Mediterranean (NavOCForMed) and initiated Operation Southern Guard, a surveillance and anti-mining operations aimed at ensuring the safety of all member countries and sea traffic between Gibraltar and eastern Turkey.

Finback remained on station for over a month (18 January-21 February 1991) and moored in La Maddalena for an extended upkeep period alongside Orion (AS-18) (22 February-18 March).  By the time she completed her upkeep, Desert Storm had already ended (28 February) leaving her free to steam independently around the Mediterranean conducting oceanographic research and ASW duties.  Accompanying these duties were a number of visits to ports such as Toulon (4-8 April), Gibraltar (16-21 April), and La Spezia (6-9 May), as well as participation in NATO exercise Dragonhammer (22 April-5 May).  At the conclusion of these, she returned to La Maddalena for another period of upkeep (1-10 June) and then set a course for Norfolk, arriving on 1 July 

The ensuing months were relatively busy for Finback.  Following her post-deployment stand down (1-25 July 1991), she steamed north to Narragansett Bay to participate a CNO special project (26-31 July).  Less than two weeks later, she was back underway heading for the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) at St. Croix, where she completed her Mk. 48, Tomahawk, and Harpoon proficiency trials (21-23 August).  She then returned for another period in port (31 August-15 September), but not before completing her TRE (24-30 August).  She largely remained in port for the rest of September, though she did get underway briefly for two operations in the Virginia capes (16-19 September, 23-26 September), the first of which involved coordinated operations with SEAL Team Eight.  At this point, she entered dry dock in Resolute for an SRA (1-13 November).  Once she finally undocked and completed the rest of her SRA (14-24 November), she engaged in sea trials (25-27 November), moored in port for Thanksgiving (28 November-4 December), and then conducted refresher training (5-13 December). 

Finback did not get underway again until 21 January 1992, when she steamed to Roosevelt Roads.  She engaged in swimmer operations with SEAL Team Two en route (25-27 January) and then moored in port for two days (29-30 January).  Upon departing, she rendezvoused with other U.S. Navy ships to participate in FleetEx ’92 and then sailed to the Exuma Sound for her acoustic trials.  With these complete, she returned to Norfolk and entered an IMA for nearly two months (16 February-6 April).

Once her IMA was complete, Finback set a southern course (7 April 1992), one that would take her far enough south to cross the equator and hold a Crossing-the-Line Ceremony (26 April).  After a short port visit to Bridgetown, Barbados, on 29 April to MedEvac a crewman suffering from kidney stones, the sub began her return voyage to Norfolk.  A day prior to her arrival in her homeport, she commended to the deep the remains of QM2 John J. Delaney, a veteran of the Philippines campaigns in WWII (3 May).

This was not the last time that Finback journeyed south.  Nearly two and a half weeks later (20 May 1992), she was once again gliding southwards through the warm waters of the Caribbean, this time making for Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela (25-28 May).  From there, she set a northwest course for AUTEC, participating in a passing exercise (PassEx) and ASWEx with the Netherlands Training Group en route (1 June).  When the fast attack sub finally arrived at the testing facility (6 June), she competed in Top Torp ’92, an annual competition among Atlantic fleet subs who had the highest overall TRE performance.   After losing by only the narrowest of margins, she returned to Norfolk for type training, local operations, and POM upkeep (11 June-27 August).

While still in upkeep, Finback received both the Silver and Gold Dolphin flags from Capt. Stephen W. Zavadil (Commander Submarine Squadron Six) at a ceremony on 6 August 1992.  Awarded when every officer and enlisted crew member on board successfully completes their submarine qualification, these flags were symbolic of the significant turnaround she had undergone in the three years since allegations had surfaced about training records being falsified.  To obtain their dolphins, submariners have to undergo months of intensive training, learning all major aspects of their vessel’s equipment and operations.  All of this must be done after the crewman has completed their regular duty and requires them to receive signatures on their qualification cards from crew members who work with the particularly systems they are studying.  At the end of this process, they go before a board and undergo a comprehensive oral exam.  That every crew member on board Finback was able to achieve this (either while serving on board the vessel or on a prior assignment), was a testament to their discipline.  Fittingly, the dolphin flags were awarded on Cmdr. Dion’s final full day in command, which was a far cry from the situation that he had come into when he assumed command.

At the end of her upkeep, Finback began her preparations for her deployment, undergoing her POM workup (28 August-4 September 1992), local operations (8-11 September), type training (12-27 September), and POM certification (28 September-2 October) in the span of a month.  On 8 October, she set out on a training deployment for the North Atlantic and did not resurface until 12 November, when they had to perform a MedEvac and a Humanitarian Emergency Evacuation at Andoya, Norway.  After a few more days at sea (13-15 November), she moored in Faslane for repairs (16-18 November) and then resumed her patrol until she arrived back at Norfolk on 23 December.

Finback did not get underway again until 1 March 1993, having spent the preceding two months in upkeep.  During operations off the Virginia capes for six days (1-6 March), she devoted most of her energies to preparing for an upcoming engineering examination, which was temporarily delayed by an equipment casualty that required her to immediately return to port.  The sub was finally able to conduct the exam ten days later (16-17 March), after which, she returned to port for the remainder of the month.  When she finally set out to sea again, she set a course for AUTEC to undergo her TRE, stopping first at Port Canaveral (5 April) to embark the evaluation team.  When they arrived at AUTEC a day later (6 April), the team put boat through her paces, including torpedo and missile launches, as well as a transit through a simulated minefield.  Upon completion of these tests, she returned to Port Canaveral to disembark the evaluation team (7 April) and then headed for home to begin a month of POM upkeep (10 April-19 May).

At the end of her upkeep, Finback spent the next two months alternating between time in port and operating off the Virginia capes, including two phases of project operations (POps) (25-28 May, 21-27 June).  After ten days in port for POM training (28 June-7 July), the sub transited north to Groton for additional training (8-10 July) and the returned to the Virginia capes for the third and final phase of POps.  From this point forward, she would focus her efforts on obtaining her POM certification, which she successfully did after four days of at-sea testing in mid-August (16-19 August). 

Although Finback had successfully obtained her certification, her deployment was delayed, however, owing to the need to for two separate emergent dry dockings in Oak Ridge at Kings Bay, Ga. (28-30 August) and Resolute at Norfolk (6 September) to repair rattles and a failed shaft component, respectively.  She finally deployed on 14 September for training in the North Atlantic, but was forced to surface early for a HumEvac at Faslane (25 September).  The rest of the deployment proceeded without incident, with the sub returning to Norfolk on 17 November to begin a period of upkeep and holiday stand down.

Finback began 1994 undergoing a workup (3-17 January) for an upcoming engineering exam (18-19 January).  At the end of the month, she began training for yet another deployment (31 January-8 February), followed by a liberty visit to Port Canaveral (8-10 February).  Upon her return to Norfolk on 17 February, the sub commenced nearly a month of POM upkeep (18 February-24 March) and then conducted a series of operations off the Virginia capes (24-26, 28 March, 7-15 April) in preparation for POM certification (29 April-3 May).  Shortly after receiving her certification, the boat slipped under the waves on 6 May to begin another training deployment in the North Atlantic.  Surfacing two months later on 5 July, she concluded her deployment with visits to Tromsø, Norway (5-7 July), and Brest, France (7-13 July).  While moored at the latter, the crew of the French ballistic missile submarine Le Foudroyant (S.610) hosted her for Bastille Day festivities.

With her deployment complete, Finback transited the Atlantic to Norfolk (20-29 July 1994) and commenced the normal post-deployment stand down (29 July-14 August).  At the end of this, she entered upkeep to prepare for her upcoming SRA at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., which commenced on 29 September and did not end until nearly two months later (13 December).  Following three days of sea trials off the Virginia capes (13-15 December), she returned to homeport to begin her holiday stand down.

For the first two months of 1995, Finback predominantly spent her time in port preparing for the InSurv (25-26 January) and an engineering exam (15-16 February).  Early in March, she steamed to AUTEC for her torpedo certification and then to Exuma Sound for acoustic trials.  Having been found fit for duty, the sub returned to Norfolk to begin preparations for another deployment.  Nearly a month into her upkeep, she had to entered dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company to replace her shaft (18 April-10 May).

Once this had been completed, Finback returned to Norfolk for eight days in port (12-19 May 1995) followed by local operations off the Virginia capes (20-23 May).  She then spent most of June and July engaged in preparations for her POM certification, which she obtained on 28 July.  Three days later, the sub was on her way to the Mediterranean to support Operation Sharp Guard.  Initiated in response to the wars that had resulted from the breakup of Yugoslavia and the atrocities that accompanied them, Sharp Guard consisted of a blockade of all trade to and from Serbia-Montenegro, and an arms embargo against all members of the former Yugoslavia.

After making a brief port visit at Gibraltar to embark the Submarine Group Eight In Chop Team (11 August 1995), Finback sailed to La Maddalena for six days of upkeep alongside Simon Lake (AS-33).  She then spent three weeks on station in the Adriatic off the Balkan coast, and subsequently conducted a series of port visits around the eastern Mediterranean including Limassol, Cyprus (15-17 September), Haifa, Israel (20-23 September), and Souda Bay, Greece (21 October-24).  Following another month on station in the Adriatic (25 October-21 November), the sub returned to La Maddalena for upkeep alongside Simon Lake (25 November-7 December) and then set a course for home.  Despite a slight delay due to a HumEvac at Gibraltar (13 December), she nonetheless arrived back in Norfolk early enough to welcome Santa Claus on deck in company with family members of the crew.  Adding to the festive nature of the occasion, another present awaited the crew: a Navy Unit Commendation for her performance in support of Operation Sharp Guard.

Following her post-deployment stand down, Finback entered a period of upkeep that lasted until late February (4 January-19 February 1996).  At this point, she briefly got underway for operations off the Virginia capes (20-26 February) and then underwent her engineering examination (28-29 February).  After spending much of early March either in port or operating locally, the sub set a southern course to participate in exercise Unified Spirit.  During her transit, she commended to the deep the remains of Vice Adm. Lewis H. Seaton, who had previously served as Surgeon General of the Navy (1983-1987), off the coast of Ponte Vedra, Fl. (21 March), and then visited King’s Bay (22-24 March).

As part of Unified Spirit (25 March-1 April 1996), Finback tracked opposing forces as they made their way northwards through the Atlantic.  At the end of the exercise, she moored in Halifax, N.S., for a few days of liberty (2-5 April) and then cruised southwards to her home port, arriving on 10 April.  Nine days later, the sub was again operating in the frigid northern waters off Canada, this time, with Naval Academy midshipmen embarked (19-21 April).  Following another brief period in Norfolk (22-29 April), she set a course for AUTEC to conduct a torpedo proficiency exercise (8 May) and then immediately returned home (13 May).  Save for a brief period of local operations (20-24 May), she would remain in port for well over a month undergoing upkeep (25 May-30 June)

Once she had completed her upkeep, Finback spent the next month alternating between time in port and independently steaming up and down the East Coast.  She not only spent eight days at sea conducting operations off the Virginia capes and New Brunswick (8-15 July 1996), but also participated in midshipmen training in and around Port Canaveral (25 July-1 August).  At the end of the latter, she returned to Norfolk and commenced her pre-inactivation upkeep (6 August-5 September) in order to prepare for her inactivation on 29 August. 

Like all U.S. Navy ships, submarines are decommissioned at the end of their active service, but there are some important differences between how these vessels are decommissioned versus surface ships.  Whereas surface ships are sometimes transferred to other countries’ navies or are mothballed until they can either be scrapped, sunk, or reactivated, the technological complexity of submarines coupled with the sensitive nature of their equipment requires them to undergo extensive work that renders them non-functional.  All of this takes place at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., in heavily secured areas, making it impossible to hold a public ceremony upon a sub’s decommissioning.  Thus, inactivation ceremonies serve as a substitute, allowing the Navy to pay tribute to a vessel’s long career of service and those who served on board her.  In Finback’s case, the ceremony was attended not just by her present crew, but many who had served on her previously, including her first commanding officer, Rear Adm. Robert C. Austin (Ret.)

Although she had been inactivated, the venerable fast attack sub and her crew still had one final voyage to make.  Departing Norfolk for the very last time on 6 September, she steamed to Willmestad, Curaçao (13-16 September), and then transited the Panama Canal on 20 September.  En route to San Diego, the boat made a detour so that the crew could hold one final Crossing-the-Line Ceremony on 22 September.  Once she had gotten back on a northerly course, she made one final port visit to San Diego (2-6 October) to offload her weapons and then arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to begin her decommissioning process.

Decommissioned on 28 March 1997 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day, Finback was disposed of through the submarine recycling program on 30 October 1997. 

For all the controversy that had dogged her at various points in her career, Finback nonetheless had a distinguished career of 27 years of service, which included receiving two Navy Unit Commendations (for the periods of 1 January-1 December 1986 and for 1 January 1971), three Meritorious Unit Commendations (1 April 1984, 1 April-1 June 1985, and when she served with TF 69, 1 January-15 March 1991), two Armed Forces Service Medals (both for service off Bosnia, 24 August-12 September and 26 October-22 November 1995), one NATO Medal, and one Navy "E" Ribbon (1 October 1983-30 September 1984).  As Cmdr. Vernon Hutton III, her last commanding officer, emphasized, however, “Stories are not of submarines, but of her sailors and the sailors’ exploits…. It is they who deserve the credit, the accolades.  It is they who are our Navy.”

Martin R. Waldman, Ph.D.
22 June 2018

Further Reading

Hempstone, Smith.  “Go-Go Now In Sea Annals.”  The Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 20, 1975.

“Join the Navy and See Las Vegas.”  Los Angeles Times, Sept. 17, 1975.

Kelso, Frank B.  The Reminiscences of Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, U.S. Navy (Retired).  Interviewed by Paul Stillwell.  Annapolis, Md.: U.S. Naval Institute, 2009. 

“Navy apprehends missing sailor who criticized sub safety.”  Newport Daily Press, Sept. 21, 1990.

“The Navy Blows Its Cool Over a Cat on a Hot Tin Submarine.”  People Magazine, Sept. 29, 1975.

Shear, Harold E.  The Reminiscences of Admiral Harold Edson Shear, U.S. Navy (Retired).  Interviewed by Paul Stillwell.  Annapolis, Md.: U.S. Naval Institute, 1997. 

Taylor, Robert A. “Cat on a Cold Steel Dive Plane.”  Naval History (February 2010). 40-43

West, Dick.  “Nuclear Sub Vs. Topless Go-Go Dancers.”  Brownsville Herald, Sept. 18, 1975.

Williams, Joe.  The Reminiscences of Vice Admiral Joe Williams, Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired).  Interviewed by Paul Stillwell.  Annapolis, Md.: U.S. Naval Institute, 2002.