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The town of Groton,
Connecticut is host to SUBASE New London and the Electric Boat division of General
Dynamics.
Naval Submarine Base New London is the Navy's first Submarine Base and the "Home of the Submarine Force". In 1868, the State of Connecticut gave the Navy 112 acres (0.5 kmē)
of land along the Thames River to build a
Naval Station. Due to a lack of federal funding, it was not until 1872 that two brick
buildings and a "T" shaped pier were constructed and officially declared a Navy Yard. This new yard was primarily used as a
coaling station by Atlantic Fleet small craft.
On October 13, 1915, the monitor Ozark, a submarine
tender, and 4 submarines arrived in Groton, CT. With the war effort in Europe
and the Atlantic in full swing, additional submarines and support craft arrived the following year and the facility was named as
the Navy's first Submarine Base. Although physically located in Groton, CT, the base had their main offices and housing in the
larger city of New London, hence was christened as Naval Submarine Base New London. Following World War I, the Navy established schools and training facilities at the base.
The first diesel-powered submarine was commissioned in Groton on February 14,
1912.
On January 21, 1954 the first
nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus
(SSN-571), was launched from Groton. In 1982 the Nautilus was designated a National Historic Landmark in Groton.
As homeport to sixteen attack submarines and neighbor to a major
submarine construction yard, all Officers and most Enlisted submariners will be stationed here for training and perhaps a tour
onboard an attack submarine or with a pre-commissioning crew while their new submarine is under construction. The main base
occupies more than 687 acres (3 kmē) plus over 530 acres (2 kmē) of family housing, sixteen attack submarines, and the Navy's
nuclear research deep submersible NR-1. The base also supports more than 70 tenant commands
including, Commander Navy Region Northeast (CNRNE), Commander Submarine Group Two (CSG2), Naval Submarine School (SUBSCOL), Naval
Submarine Support Facility (NSSF), three Submarine Squadron staffs, and the housing and support facilities for more than 21,000
civilian workers, active-duty service members and their families.
As of December 2003, the following boats were homeported
in Groton:
- Los Angeles-class submarines
- USS
Albuquerque (SSN-706)
- USS
Alexandria (SSN-757)
- USS Augusta (SSN-710)
- USS Dallas (SSN-700)
- USS Hartford (SSN-768)
- USS Memphis (SSN-691)
- USS
Miami (SSN-755)
- USS Philadelphia (SSN-690)
- USS Pittsburgh (SSN-720)
- USS Providence (SSN-719)
- USS San Juan (SSN-751)
- USS
Springfield (SSN-761)
- USS
Toledo (SSN-769)
- Seawolf-class submarines
- USS
Connecticut (SSN-22)
- USS Seawolf (SSN-21)
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