The USS Ling and the Louisville Naval Museum, Inc

Photo above published with courtesy of Jimmy Soto, made 2 November 2019

The photos below were sent by the Louisville Naval Museum

In the meantime the Louisville Naval Museum, Inc. Louisville Naval Museum obtained her 501 (c)(3)-status and became in this manner a non-profit organisation. She hads also an own facebook-page"Save the USS Ling

This museum is being set up to bring the first naval museum to the Louisville area. Our centerpiece ship will ve the USS Ling a Balao-class submarine that was commissioned in 1944, had one patrol and then used as a training ship until donated to the Submarine Association located in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1972. The Ling has been a museum and memorial since then. When hurricane Sandy struck the east coast, it left the museum and ship damaged. Vandals has since broke into the submarine and it is now partially flooded. The museum closed and the ship was left to her demise. Our group is working around the clock to get the submarine and restore her back to as near perfect condition as the day she was launched. She will be the center piece of the museum and a memorial to all the sailors who sailed on her, to all the lost sailors of the Silent Service, to the United States Navy, to the United States military and the United States. This museum will operated as a non-profit organization. We currently need any donations for travel expenses and to do a damage assessment for our potential investors.

The American submarine USS Ling of the Balao-class was laid down by Cramp Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia on 2 November 1942, launched by Mrs/.E.J. Foy on 15 August 1943, completed and tested at the Boston Navy Yard, commissioned on 8 June 1945, decommissioned in 26 October 1946, March 1960 towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where she was rebuilt into a training ship on which all kind of submarine operations could be simulated, reclassified at the auxiliary submarine AGSS-297 in 1962, reclassified as the miscellaneous unclassified submarine IXSS-297 was she  stricken on 1 December 1971 and became she a museum ship at the New Jersey Naval Museum, Hackensack New Jersey, USA on 28 June 1972. Nowadays is her existence threatened although the Louisville Naval Museum Incorporated tries to save her.

With a displacement of 1.550 (surfaced)- 2.460 (submerged) tons are her dimensions 95,00 x 8,31 x 5,13 (maximum) metres or 311.8 x 27.3 x 16.10 feet. Speed 8,75 (submerged)-20,25 (surfaced) knots and a range of 11.000 nautical miles while surfaced and with a speed of 10 knots. Endurance 48 hours while submerged with a speed of 2 knots. Test diving depth was 120 metres/400 feet. Her crew numbered 80-81 men including 10 officers. Armament consisted of 10-53,3cm/2’1” torpedo tubes (6 fore, 4 aft) for which 24 torpedoes were carried and furthermore 1-10,2cm/4” cal 50 deck gun and 4cm Bofors and 2cm Oerlikon canon.

The Balao-class submarines was an improved Gato-class and served not only in the US Navy but world wide in several navies including two in the Royal Netherlands Navy namely Hr. Ms. Walrus (ex-USS Icefish) and Hr. Ms. Walrus (ex-USS Hawkbill) since the 1950.