About this Unit
USS Guitarro (SSN-665) was a Sturgeon-class attack submarine of the United States Navy, commissioned in 1972. Notably, during its construction, the submarine partially sank at the pier in 1969 due to a mishap with ballast tanks, but was salvaged, repaired, and completed. Throughout its service, Guitarro conducted numerous Cold War patrols, intelligence-gathering missions, and participated in fleet exercises to counter Soviet naval threats. After over two decades of operational service, the submarine was decommissioned in 1992 and later scrapped as part of the Navy’s recycling program.
Historical Facts
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Second USS Guitarro: USS Guitarro (SSN-665) was the second United States Navy vessel to bear the name "Guitarro," named after a type of fish found in the Gulf of California.
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Sturgeon-class Submarine: She was a Sturgeon-class attack submarine, one of the premier fast-attack submarines of the Cold War era, designed for anti-submarine warfare and intelligence-gathering missions.
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Famous Sinking Incident: During construction at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1969, the nearly-completed USS Guitarro accidentally sank at dock due to a miscommunication between civilian workers, causing extensive damage and delaying her commissioning.
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Costly Accident: The sinking incident caused approximately $15 million in damages (equivalent to over $100 million today), making it one of the most expensive peacetime accidents in U.S. Navy shipbuilding history.
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Nicknamed "The Submarine That Sank Twice": Due to the infamous shipyard accident, the Guitarro is sometimes humorously known as "the submarine that sank twice"—once during construction, and potentially in wartime.
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Commissioning: Despite the setback, USS Guitarro was successfully raised, repaired, and commissioned on September 9, 1972.
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Cold War Service: Guitarro served during the height of the Cold War, conducting numerous classified missions and patrols in the Pacific Ocean and beyond.
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Awarded Navy Unit Commendation: She received the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during a classified mission in the late 1980s.
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Decommissioning: USS Guitarro was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on May 29, 1992, after nearly 20 years of service.
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Recycling: The submarine was scrapped via the Navy’s Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program, with dismantling completed in 1994 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
