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USS ''Plunger'' (SSN-595), a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named "plunger", meaning a diver or a daring gambler. The contract to build her as a guided-missile submarine (SSGN) was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 23 March 1959, but by the time her keel was laid down on 2 March 1960 she had been redesigned as an attack submarine (SSN). She was launched on 9 December 1961 (sponsored by Mrs. Clinton P. Anderson), and commissioned on 21 November 1962, with Commander William M. Adams, Jr., in command. ==Service history== Following a trip to Puget Sound on 27 November to test torpedo tubes and sound gear, ''Plunger'' departed Mare Island on 5 January 1963 for shakedown to Pearl Harbor. ''Plunger'' next was homeported at Mare Island and operated to test the performance of sonar and the fire control system. In April she changed homeport to Pearl Harbor, where she became flagship of ComSubDiv 71, on 1 April. Continuing in a testing capacity, ''Plunger'' evaluated the most advanced class of nuclear attack submarines. Operating off the U.S. West Coast during the spring and summer, she proceeded to Wake Island on 15 September 1964 for SubRon Operational Evaluation missile firing. At Pearl Harbor again in January 1965, ''Plunger'' was selected to demonstrate the capability of the Navy's latest ASW weapon system to Dr. Donald Hornig, Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. At Wake Island in May, ''Plunger'' participated in C/S-17, the SubRon Operational Training Test. In September, she prepared for WestPac deployment, which continued into mid 1966. During this deployment, ''Plunger'' conducted evaluation exercises of the AN/BQQ-1 sonar systems and traveled as far east as Okinawa and Subic Bay. She also conducted ASW exercises and executed oceanographic and port surveys. At Pearl Harbor with SubRon 7 in 1967, ''Plunger'' operated to improve the ASW readiness of the Pacific fleet; from 6 March to 22 March, she participated in ASW exercises and later continued in advanced type-training work. During inport periods at Pearl Harbor, ''Plunger'' provided services to Fleet Training Program Pearl Harbor. Homeporting at Puget Sound the last six months of 1967, ''Plunger'' returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 February 1968. In the latter part of 1968, while on a WestPac (Western Pacific) deployment, "Plunger" was the first nuclear ship to visit Japan at Yokosuka. Many Japanese protested the arrival of the submarine due to the power plant and fear of nuclear contamination of their waters. In January of 1969, a two month "special operations" patrol was conducted, and again in mid 1969 a "Pearl to Pearl" special operations patrol completed. It is on that patrol that the ship garnard a Navy Unit Citation for operations in the North Pacific under the command of Cdr. Nils Thunman. While on the 1968-1970 WestPac deployment ports of call were made at Yokosuka, Japan (twice); Guam, USA; Sasebo, Japan; Okinawa,Japan; Subic Bay, Philippines; and Hong Kong. "Plunger" was also the successful test bed for a new torpedo tube launched rocket called the "SubRoc" which was used in anti-submarine operations at a distance of up to twenty-five miles. Commander A. L. Wilderman, commanding officer, was washed overboard from the bridge in a storm near San Francisco on 2 December 1973. The officer of the deck and lookout were not lost. :''Need history for 1971-1986.'' USS Plunger underwent a refit in Bremerton from 1980-1982 receiving several modernizations including the BQQ-5 Sonar System. She returned to San Diego after sea trials in 1983. She deployed to Westpac from January - June 1984 participating in two long operations during the deployment. She was involved in a collision with a freighter off Southern California while coming to periscope depth in early 1985 which damaged portions of her bow and sonar dome. These repairs required an unscheduled drydock during the spring of 1985. In 1986 ''Plunger'' won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award, becoming the first warship to win both the Sterrett and the Arleigh Burke Awards. In this year, too, ''Plunger'' made yet another deployment to the Western Pacific, making port calls in Yokosuka, Japan and Subic Bay in the Philippines as well as visiting Hong Kong as a liberty port. During the 1986 WestPac ''Plunger'' participated in naval exercises with ships from the US, Japan, and other nations as well as a ten-week "special operation", for which it was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation. After returning from the WestPac Plunger conducted normal operations in the SoCal Operational Area for the next several months. The next few years saw a number of other accomplishments - ''Plunger'' was recognized for excellence in virtually every major inspection and won the Battle Efficiency (the coveted "Battle E") award for overall combat readiness. Although aging, ''Plunger'' maintained a grueling operational schedule, spending over 60% of her time at sea and never missing a scheduled underway period - a record that many much newer submarines were unable to match. ''Plunger'' made her final WestPac deployment in 1988, visiting Japan and the Philippines as well as Guam and Chinhae, South Korea (and making port calls in Okinawa and Hong Kong) and conducting another two-month "special operation" that garnered her a Navy Unit Commendation. This WestPac was followed by another fairly intense period of routine operations out of San Diego and, in December 1988, departure for her final "special operation" - this time keeping her crew at sea over Christmas, New Year's Day, and (to the disappointment of the crew) Super Bowl Sunday. This special operation ended with Plunger completing its final Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination (which it passed with flying colors) and giving its crew some well-earned R&R in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Returning to home port, ''Plunger'' was deactivated (while under the command of William Large), in commission, on 10 February 1989, decommissioned on 3 January 1990 and stricken from the Navy Register the following 2 February. Ex-''Plunger'' entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, on 5 January 1995 and on 8 March 1996 ceased to exist. At the time of decommissioning ''Plunger'' was noted by the San Diego Tribune as being the most-decorated submarine in the Pacific Fleet and it was the most-decorated warship in San Diego. Through its history, ''Plunger'' was awarded four Navy Unit Commendations as well as multiple Meritorious Unit Commendations, Battle Efficiency, and other awards. And as of its retirement ''Plunger'' was the only submarine to win the Arleigh Burke Award (in 1969 under Commanding Officer Nils Thunman). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「USS Plunger (SSN-595)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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