USS Guitarro (SSN-665)

• 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. • 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. • 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. • 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. • 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. • Commissioning: Despite the setback, USS Guitarro was successfully raised, repaired, and commissioned on September 9, 1972. • Cold War Service: Guitarro served during the height of the Cold War, conducting numerous classified missions and patrols in the Pacific Ocean and beyond. • Awarded Navy Unit Commendation: She received the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during a classified mission in the late 1980s. • Decommissioning: USS Guitarro was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on May 29, 1992, after nearly 20 years of service. • 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.